I am a fan.  I don't claim to know the intricacies of football, and appreciate the vast wealth of information that many of the members of Bruin Nation bring all year long.  It has helped me enjoy the games even more, and also question the "reporting" from the media that I have spent my entire life (as a fan) relying upon for information, reference my favorite team.  I hate losing more than most anyone I know (though over the years I have become more graceful at it), and have been willing to look for a scapegoat to vent my frustration upon.  I have targeted Chuck Bullough on occasion.

A look at the points allowed thus far by Pac 10 defenses, however starts to illuminate a slightly different story.

Arizona 44

Oregon 75

Cal 72

Stanford 107 

UCLA 119

USC 119

Arizona State 122

Oregon State 123

Washington 130

Washington State 214

Of these teams, 4 have only played 4 games to date:  Arizona, Cal, Oregon State, and Washington.  I doubt, however, after this weekend, the five game totals will cause a change in the current position of the Pac 10 defenses.  I then compared this defensive points allowed to the article that Patroclus has up on the front page.  Based upon strength of schedule, a reasonable argument could be presented that only Stanford has played a more difficult schedule to date. The Bruins defense has allowed 23.8 PPG.

UCLA is replacing the entire defensive line from last year (due to injuries and graduation/NFL).  , Per Bellerophon in July, "Datone Jones is the only returning starter in this group, but Chandler and Carter should get the job done."  Jones is of course out with a broken foot.  Nate Chandler and David Carter have been switched around on the line a bit.   Also in July, Nestor wrote "No doubt there will be discouraging moments due to the collective lack of experience but there is enough talent in this unit to help the program move forward with more methodical progress this upcoming season."  The loss of Datone Jones is huge.

UCLA now has the seventy-sixth ranked rush defense in the country.  They have the sixty-fifth ranked pass defense. Total defense is 68, and points allowed is 64.  All of these rankings place UCLA approximately in the middle of the Pac 10 when compared nationally.

Now none of this is acceptable.  I believe that the Bruin defense should be performing better.  UCLA gives up too many big plays, too many third down conversions.  They allow for the opposition quarterbacks to sit in the pocket all day, generally on third and long, and either spot the open man or take off for the first down marker.  Don't get me started on personal fouls.  And I agree with Nestor, defensive backs would be a lot better suited playing with their mouth shut.  I paraphrase Lou Holtz:  when you make a defensive play, act like you've done it before.

More to the point of this fan post.  Chuck Bullough's defense isn't scaring anyone.  But I don't believe it's dreadful, either. Frustrating, yes, but dreadful, no.  There is no starting experience on the line from last year, only one linebacker with significant starting experience from last year, and one corner who missed virtually all of last season with an injury, while the other was forced to start in his place (and considered a tackling liability last year).  This in large measure is why I believe Bullough plays vanilla flavored defense much of the time.  There are players playing new positions, little game experience at key positions, and just flat out problems of execution.  I hate the 3 - 4, especially on third and long, but to further complicate the scheme could render a fairly average (and inexperienced) defense more likely to get beat deep.  I loath bend but don't break defense, but this is a middle of the Pac(k) defense.  I actually think that the defense is playing above some expectations, considering UCLA has been projected as a 5 win team, and picked as a Pac 10 eighth place finisher.  There are two All Americans, and a lot of new faces around them.  Sort of like last season against Oregon State for the Offense, I believe the defense will gel around mid season (which I hope starts Saturday).

Bullough is at times very unimaginative.  And I don't see another program from around the country calling to see if he can fill the open vacancy at HC any time soon.  But even last year, CRN said on The Dan Patrick that he should (CRN) should be past his grace period after this season.  Chuck Bullough deserves the same.  His defense is inconsistent, sometimes gives up big plays, and makes stupid mistakes.  Kind of like the offense the last few seasons, and no reasonable person is calling for CNC's head.  I am not comparing CCB and CNC, but the guy deserves enough time to get his system in place, too.

Please allow me to introduce myself 
I'm a man of stealth and haste 
I've been around for 'bout half a year 
Got my hostesses interstate 

And I was 'round when Norm Chow
Had his offense stripped away
Made damn sure that Petey 
Washed his hands and sealed Norm's fate 

Pleased to meet you 
Hope you know I'm Lane
But what's puzzling you 
Is can I coach The Game 

I stuck around at Rocky Top
'til I saw it was a time for a change 
Skipped out with my trophy wife
So they burned a mattress in vain 

I am a fake
'cause my coahing's rank 
So Al Davis raged 
When my Raiders stank 

Pleased to meet you 
Hope you guess I'm Lane, oh yeah 
Ah, what's puzzling you 
Is my total lack of shame, oh yeah 

I signed with glee 
While your past AD
Fought NC - A - A
For the Bush they paid  

I shouted out, 
"Who's calling Baxter D.?" 
When after all 
It was D and me 

Let me please introduce myself 
I'm a man of unearned faith
And I recruit 13 year olds
Cause they believe the words I say 

Pleased to meet you 
Hope you worship Lane, oh yeah 
But what's puzzling you 
Is what's my claim to fame, oh yeah, get down, baby 

Pleased to meet you 
Hope you guessed I'm Lane, oh yeah 
But what's confusing you 
Is are Pete and I the same.(?)

Just as I called run on 4th and 2

I will disregard complaint

I'll steal your coach

from the NFL

'Cause I have no self restraint 

So if I recruit you
Have some fantasy 
That you'll go to an FBS game
Use all your well-learned twittereze 
And become a Trogan transfer today

Pleased to meet you 
Hope you praise me, Lane, mmm yeah 
But what's puzzling you 
Is will Haden take the blame, mmm mean it, get down 

Apologies to the Stones

s

"I always turn to the sports pages first, which records people's accomplishments. The front page has nothing but man's failures.”  So said Chief Justice Earl Warren.  I only wish I was articulate enough to have said something like that, or even intelligent enough to have had the thought.  I originally heard this quote listening to a Dodger game.  Vin Scully, who could read a grocery list and make it sound interesting, quoted the former Chief Justice, though I can't for the life of me recall the context.  The quote stuck with me, but I must confess I had to look up the Chief Justice who's sentiments I adopted.  I get up in the morning and usually check the direction of the markets, check email, and check a few select sources for news, but only after I have read BN and found out if the Dodgers won (shorter process after the series and until spring training).

I love sports.  I have for as long as I can remember.  And I am loyal to the teams that I support til death do us part.  I am willing to add teams to the fold, as I am a hopeless homer.  When I lived in Scottsdale, Arizona, I became a Cardinals fan.  When in Houston, a Texans fan.  I am within a month of moving to the DFW area, and am considering becoming a Cowboys fan, too.  This will be hard, as I also have a long memory.  It could be said that I don't forget much.

I feel that as a fan I have a responsibility to support my team, and dislike their rival.  As a UCLA fan I of course hate USC, but I have no love for Notre Dame (Bruce Flowers, Kelly Trapuka, Adrian Dantley - I hate them).  As a Dodger fan, I hate the Giants (and properly those Northern California folks here hate us back.  I also hate the Yankees.  I hate Reggie Jackson (he was out of the baseline AND threw his hip out to interfere with the double play), I hate Greg Nettles, Ron Guidry.  As a Los Angeles Rams fan (they ARE returning, and you can get in on the ground floor of my investment team to bring them back : ) ), I hate the Niners - see above reciprocal hate comment.  I also hate the Vikings, and of course, the Cowboys.  I hate these teams because they broke my heart (less so with the Giants, I just hate them on principle).  Everyone here is identical, though with different teams we support except one.

Hate is such a strong word, though.  It has never really been hate that I feel.  It's more that I hate the rivals' accomplishments, in particular against those I support.  I liked the way I hated USC's accomplishments up until more recently.  They were the rival, and as such they required my hatred of their results.  But those results weren't accomplishments, they were failures.  

I suppose it's that we record accomplishment of those operating inside the rules, while a record can be accomplished outside of them.  I would rather support failure of the former than support accomplishment of the latter.

They'll chant fight on in the streets
With the alumni at their feet
And the morals that they worship will be gone
And the fans who cheer them on
Sit in judgment of the throng
And decide that the ruling certainly must be wrong

They'll tip their hat to the athletic director
Take a bow for the new resurrector
Smile and grin at the sameness all around them
Tee it up come on let's play
Just like yesterday
And they'll get on their knees and pray
They won't get caught again
Don't get caught again

Change it had to come
They knew it all along
They're liberated from the cheater, but that's all
'Cause the attitudes look the same
And history ain't changed
'Cause the banners, they'll be flown in the next game

They'll tip their hat to the new coach solution
Shield their eyes at the blatant prostitution
Smile and grin at the sameness all around them
Tip it off come on let's play
Just like yesterday
And they'll get on their knees and pray
They don't get caught again
Don't get caught again
No, no! 

They move recruits and their family aside
To insure that the athletes will thrive
Get all the media to smile and connive 
For its easy when their hypnotized, can't see the lie

Fight On?


There's nothing new to see
At the university
And the billboards are replaced, by-the-bye
And the quitting on the left
Is now the retiring on the right
As the list of violations grows overnight

They'll scoff and smirk at the new violations
Take a bow for the new administration
Smile and grin at the arrogance around, see
Appeal the decision today
Deny like yesterday
Then they'll get on their knees and pray
They don't get caught again
Don't get caught again
No, no!

YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!

Meet the new boss
Same as the old boss

Apologies to The Who

s

There is no Romeo without a Juliet.  I wonder if without Ali, could there have really been a Cosell (though the greatest would have been just fine as a solo act).  Would we remember Bonnie minus Clyde?  No Montana to Clark - no 49er domination for the next 10 years (I am a suffering Rams fan;  Let me believe the way I want to).  Tinkers to Evers to Chance only works with all three.

Willie Mays is in the Hall of Fame, but Vic Wertz is forever linked to history because of the over the shoulder catch.  Though we would remember Mays, Wertz is an unknown without him.  

I commented earlier today regarding Karl Morgan's impending hire with Oaks Christian High School, that his name is in my mind forever linked with Scott Tinsley.  The defensive tackle, older fans likely recall, shot up the middle to sack Tinsley on a two point attempt with no time remaining to secure a Bruin victory over SUC at the Coliseum.  It was a great moment, and for me will always keep those two linked together.

Now granting the title of my post, Bruin Names Forever Linked Together, the premise seems blown apart from the start as there is a Trogan name, but what the heck, life is imperfect, and so is this whimsical post.  With the prompting of Nestor, I am suggesting that those who care to offer up their Bruin Names Forever Linked Together.  

No particular rules.  I suppose it could be event based (Morgan - Tinsley;  I don't want to minimize Karl Morgan's great career at UCLA, but I link him with that play), game based (Barnes - JJ;  nuf said), season or career based (Tom Ramsey to Cormac Carney), or as an alum (Magic feeds Kareem in the low post, swings left turns right - skyhook from 10 - good).  I am a simple sports fan.  If non-sports related name linking works, bring it on.

If necessary, I suppose unpleasant name linking is OK.  Norm Johnson - George Achica comes to mind, but that just bums out an otherwise wonderful Sunday afternoon.  John Sciarra to Wally Henry is way more palatable.

I think to project Future Bruin Names Forever Linked Together can be just as enjoyable, be it Prince to Rossario,  Zumwalt blindsides Barkley, or Odighizuwa beats Henderson to the backfield again...

Lastly, names to institutions work as well.  I believe that Nestor - Bruin Nation links well (am I pandering for front page status? - Probably).

For now, batter up!

ESPN PAC 10 blog reports:

Trojans running backs coach Todd McNair joined the meeting, so the focus still may be on football. I didn't see former Trojans basketball coach Tim Floyd but he is apparently going to be present at some point.

Unless he changed his mind, former football coach Pete Carroll bolted after the Thursday session and is now in LA.

New football coach Lane Kiffin is also still on hand.

There have been several opinions on this site surrounding the NCAA sanctioning committee.  Now, of course, they are underway.  Though the committee is only going to convene for 3 days, and will not hand out its decision for 5 to 7 more weeks, I am hopeful that news will start filtering in that will indicate the direction the committee is leaning.

If anyone hears any interesting tidbits related to the meetings, it seems that this is the perfect place to post those updates for everyone to read (and preferably enjoy).

UPDATE (N): A pretty good read in SI.com on the makeup of Committee On Infractions (which is looking into and questing the Trogans for their pile of mess):

The NCAA does not disclose the individuals who will hear a specific case, and it is common for COI members to miss a hearing and/or be replaced by a former member. Still, it is a safe bet that those judging USC in Tempe will boast impressive credentials. The COI chairperson, Paul Dee, is the former athletic director at Miami and a professor at that school. Britton Banowsky and Dennis Thomas are the commissioners of Conference USA and the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, respectively, and Missy Conboy has worked in Notre Dame's athletic department for 22 years. Temple law professor Eleanor Myers is an expert on legal ethics, and Rodney Uphoff, a professor at Missouri, is a former defense attorney who helped represent Oklahoma City bomber Terry Nichols.

Per NCAA guidelines, two of the 10 members must be women and three are "public" representatives, usually attorneys or former judges unaffiliated with a school or conference. The three public representatives on the COI roster are all lawyers, the most notable being Roscoe Howard Jr., a former U.S. Attorney.

Among the individuals judging USC will be Josephine Potuto, a tiny woman with red hair who teaches law at the University of Nebraska. (She confirmed to SI.com that she would be Tempe.) Potuto might be the smallest person in the room, but she will also be the most senior, having served on the committee since 1999. She is the person USC athletic director Mike Garrett, school president Steven Sample, and the others representing the school should fear the most as she is a fierce questioner and unafraid to call out school officials who attempt to massage the truth.

Hearings are closed to the public, transcripts of the proceedings are kept confidential, and COI members are forbidden from discussing cases. But Potuto's grilling of former basketball Georgia coach Jim Harrick in 2004 is legendary among followers of the COI, and in a 2008 Florida State hearing -- the transcript from which was transmitted to the university in a way that made it subject to open record laws -- she repeatedly cornered those defending the school.

Read rest of it here. GO BRUINS.

The NCAA sanctioning committee reports that after an exhaustive investigation, spanning 4 years and costing literally millions of dollars, they have finally met and come to an agreement on what should be done to penalize the USC Trojans athletic department.

Meeting at a previously secret location, a Malibu condo, the committee determined that USC did in fact willingly and with knowledge violate numerous NCAA rules from 2000 through "well, frankly, about 15 minutes ago," a well placed source discloses.  The sanctions the committee has handed down are severe, and serve as a warning to other universities and even private schools, according George Tenet, newly appointed spokesperson for the committee.

Speaking before reporters shortly after the Super Bowl ended, Tenet indicated that the USC athletic department would receive the following penalties:

1. "USC shall heretofore be known as the Trogans."  Reasons for this NCAA mandated name change are currently unclear, though some have already suggusted that this is merely to ease the conscious of the committee, who felt they otherwise would not be able to actually hand out justice to the Trojans.

2. "USC shall have to keep Lane Kiffin as coach."  While this is viewed in some circles as the NCAA's revised death penalty, most of the reporting pool felt that it wouldn't actually kill the program, but would rather make the program much closer to a zombie state.  As a side note, it was determined that USC would have to keep Kiffin until he became the winningest NCAA FBS coach, or when Sarah Palin was re-elected Governor of Alaska, whichever occurred first.

3. "USC shall have to pull out of the Pac 10."  A frustrated Pac 10 representative could not be reached for comment.

4. "USC shall have to forfeit any game in which Pete Carroll was acting like a dick."  This is considered a difficult issue to enact, as USC officials at the meeting argued, to no avail, that Carroll is always a dick, and that they should only have to forfeit games in which he was being an uber-dick.  While the NCAA committee did in fact listen to the argument, and seemed somewhat persuaded by the uber-dick defense, a simple semantic issue won the point for the NCAA.  It was pointed out to the Trogans that Carroll is an uber-dick, but he acted at times merely like a dick.  To this point, USC officials conceded that there was no way to defend that point, "like the crane defense in the Karate Kid, 'if done correctly, no defend'."  Asked WTF that quote had to do with anything, the official formerly known as a Trojan simply shrugged his shoulders and quoted another movie from the 80's, also totally out of context.

5. "Mike Garrett shall become the Trogans new school president."  Initially Garrett was very excited about this development, saying "I never dreamed I would become the president of a university."  It was then pointed out that USC is in fact not a university, and that furthermore, Garrett's role was to be that of student body president.  Garrett embarrassingly then stated that "I never dreamed I would become the student body president of a university," after which he was escorted from the room.

6. "Traveler has been issued a restraining order and must not ever again come within 50 yards of a competitive football game."  With Kiffin as the coach, many felt that this particular sanction would not likely be cause for concern.

7. "The Trogans must appear on national television every weekend, and a high definition camera must be focused on Lane Kiffin at all times."  Kiffin, who was at the meeting, appeared flattered by this until reminded that he frequently uses his fingers to determine the distance remaining after a play has ended.  Always the optimist, Kiffin seemed to downplay that potential embarrassment by stating "I'm the head coach! I can have one of the players count on his fingers and tell me."  This elegant solution seemed to ease everyones collective concern about this point until it was determined that few of the Trogan players could do hard math like that.

8. "All of the Trogan players and coaches from the BCS championship team have to give back their championship rings."  At this point Pete Carroll, who was also in attendance, interrupted with the comment that "that would leave me with only one championship."  It was at this point that the MSM seemed to become nervous.  A representative of the AP news agency tentatively came forward and tried to explain to Carroll that to actually win a championship one has to actually compete in the event, and that the AP voting doesn't count as competing in a championship game.  Carroll, ever the uber-dick, simply glared at the AP reporter, who returned to their seat.  Carroll then blurted out "we won 2."  Committee member Karl Rove, known to many simply as member Rove, then reminded Carroll "you can't win if you don't play."

9. "The Trogans football coaching staff shall stop recruiting players who are not able to view PG13 movies without an adult."  On this point coach Kiffin asked if it was OK to still offer these kids a scholarship, while just skipping the whole recruiting thing.  Asked to clarify his question, Kiffin asked if "Can't I just give them a scholarship, and not, ya know, recruit them."  Here presiding NCAA sanctioning chairman Dick Rumsfeld indicated serious concern about Kiffins understanding of what the committee was doing.  Kiffin replied that he though this was a presser, and when could he begin taking questions.

10. "The Trogans will not be penalized any scholarships, but must instead only recruit those players who are determined to be Trogan kind of players within 10 minutes of meeting them."  Kiffin then asked for a clearification on this point, in order that he determine if that meant 10 of his meeting or that of his escorts.  General laughter erupted, at which point it was determined that it would be easier for all involved if only points 1 and 2 were enforced.

The meeting was then adjourned, and everyone departed for the super bowl after parties in the immediate area.

Bumped. GO BRUINS. -N

Just ran across this in the Honolulu press, as it said about 8 minutes ago:

'Iolani School defensive tackle Sealii Epenesa said he has made a verbal commitment to play football for UCLA next season.

Epenesa, a 6-foot-2, 315-pound senior, said he chose the Bruins over Oregon State and Baylor. He visited all three schools this month. Hawaii also made a late offer, and he received earlier offers from Colorado, Washington and Texas Tech.

Hope I am  not reporting something that has already been posted.  Also hope the story is valid.  

I don't know much about this guy and will be doing my homework as soon as I can get this up and posted.  But I am certain that he is on Ryan's list of guys we are going after.

here is the link

Some interesting quotes from Sealli after the jump.

Continue reading this post »

Two jobs diverged at a Rocky Top,
And sorry I could not have them both
And be head coach, long I stood
And hung out at one as long as I could
Until they rioted, my ass would roast;
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was cushy and they wanted me there;
Though coaching opposite the bear,
With violations about the same,
And both that morning equally lay
And somehow I just had to go back.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how violations were on the way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two jobs diverged at Rocky Top, and I-
I took the one where they often lie,
And that has made all the difference.
Companion to Cheaty at the Nat

The coach and staff would remain, even with sanctions on the way. 
So what if McKnight drove the ride, baby mama did the same, 
A sickly silence fell upon the patrons of the game. 

A straggling few got up to go in deep despair. The rest 
Clung to hope that a candlelight vigil would settle the unrest; 
They thought if only Cheaty would remain, yes, stick around --
SC'd put up extra money;  It's Cheaty kind of town.

But sanctions dogged ol' Cheaty, as did pending depositions. 
As former players payouts only fed the suppositions; 
So upon that stricken multitude grim melancholy sat. 
For there seemed but little chance of keeping Cheaty where he's at. 
But without total control, the process seemed to stall, 
There seemed some hope, he might just stay, he had to have it all; 
And when the dust had lifted, and he saw what occurred, 
There was Cheaty uncommitted, this process was absurd.

Then from 5,000 throats and more there rose a lusty yell; 
It rumbled through the valley, it rattled in the dell; 
It knocked upon the mountain and recoiled upon the flat, 
For Cheaty, mighty Cheaty, was denying this and that.

There was ease in Cheaty's manner as he dodged the questions quickly, 
There was arrogance in Cheaty's bearing and a smile that was quite sickly. 
And when, responding to the pleas, he still would not commit, 
Though few who really knew him thought he really gave a shit.

Ten thousand opinions were laid out as he met with Tod Leiweke; 
Certainly the coach would stay, he'd always been quite picky. 
All this while the AD tried to right his listing ship, 
But defiance gleamed in Cheaty's eye, a sneer curled Cheaty's lip.

And then the media spun like hell, a stench filled the air, 
And Cheaty stood a-watching it in haughty grandeur there. 
Close by recruits began to reconsider with much speed --
"Matt Barkley wept, and wept some more, then into his pants peed.

From the blogs, bleak with people, there went up a muffled roar, 
Like the beating of the storm waves on a worn and distant shore. 
"Kill him! Kill Mike Garrett!" posted someone online, 
And it's likely they'd have done so him had not Cheaty raised his hand.

With a smile of Thugville charity great Cheaty visage shone; 
He stilled the rising tumult; he simply said "fight on"; 
He signaled to the media and once more the theories flew; 
But Cheaty still ignored it, these rumors would be eschewed."

"Fraud!" cried the maddened thousands, and the echo answered fraud; 
But one scornful look from Cheaty and the audience was awed.

They saw his face grow stern and cold, his demeanor under strain, 
They knew that Cheaty wouldn't answer that call from the NFL again.

The sneer is gone from Cheaty's lip, his teeth are clinched in hate; 
Be damned, oh NCAA, your charges are plain fake. 
And now the Seahawks will fulfill the Rooney Clause, and next, 
The air is shortly shattered by the force of Cheaty's text.

Oh! somewhere in this favored land the sun is shining bright; 
The band is playing somewhere and somewhere hearts are light, 
And somewhere men are laughing and somewhere children shout; 
But there is no joy in Thugville -- mighty Cheaty has bugged out.