UCLA football always delivers some laughs

by anh_sc79 on Jul 23, 2008 5:54 AM PDT Comment 20 comments

UCLA Athletic Department delivers again - check out the new Bruin media guide covers:

A PUNTER ON THE MEDIA GUIDE COVER???? What kind of message UCLA AD is trying to send? Well, at least they didn't put this guy on the cover.

Speaking of the Ruins, their ticket office is doing everything to bring more fans to the stands. Last year, they sold tickets at Costco, brought 3,000-5,000 high school band members for their band day... Anything to fill the seats. This year, they are selling Nascar/Tennessee packages packages for their season opener to attract more visiting fans from the South... Desperate times call for desperate measures. Hopefully this time the Rose Bowl won't be 80% orange, unlike Bruins previous 2 Rose Bowl games against Wisconsin.

It's funny to see UCLA fans cry over the following article in Montgomery Advertiser. The Bruin fans seem to be upset about the following paragraph:

Why not play a has-been that still carries some name recognition, like Miami, Nebraska or UCLA? Or why not play a middle-of-the conference team, like Virginia, Colorado or Oregon State.

Well, for those who are upset about being called a "has-been", let me remind you that Bruin football doesn't really deserve to be named in the same sentence with Nebraska or Miami... So if I were a Bruin fan, I'd be actually happy to be called "a has-been that still carries some name recognition" if that list includes names like Miami and Nebraska.

Lastly, their RB Christian Ramirez is ineligible for fall. I was under impression that all academically challenged kids go to USC (strangely enough UCLA head coach and some BN admins are USC alums) and UCLA roster is full of future Nobel prize winners. But thank you Christian for proving me wrong...

This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of Conquest Chronicles' writers or editors. It does reflect the views of this particular fan though, which is as important as the views of Conquest Chronicles' writers or editors.

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The punter is funny

Pointing out the hypocrisy at BN will take a long time to document. Of course their players get into trouble academically and off the field. They just don’t keep a running list of their transgressions.

by frak on Jul 23, 2008 8:58 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Reduced your tickets

Just so all of you sc fans know, UCLA and the rose bowl ticketing agency has lowered your sc/ucla tickets for usc seats. by a lot. A LOT. remember in 2006 when it was practically 50/50 red/blue? Yeah, no more of that. Enjoy being treated like we were at the coliseum.

by Brassman27 on Jul 23, 2008 12:17 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Doesn't matter

Baby blues will be selling their tickets right and left anyways just to make a quick buck. If official allocation is 80/20, it will be 70/30 or 60/40 by the gameday. Wiscy fans would support the above :)

by anh_sc79 on Jul 23, 2008 12:32 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Not surprised and not concerned and most probably don't care

why should this game be any different.

ucla not allowing any of the Song Girls or TMB to participate at Pauley this past past season set the tone so it was only a matter of time before that thought process found its way towards football.

There is a bit of an inferiority complex in Westwood. If you don’t believe me check out the 2 main page posts on BN in regards to the media and how there is a supposed bias against ucla.

USC football is still the only only game in town and there really is minimal interest in hoops except for that small group of hard core fans.

Conquest Chronicles

by Paragon SC on Jul 23, 2008 12:32 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

huh?

Not sure if you’re right about an inferiority complex existing in Westwood. Cetainly UCLA football has been inferior to USC football, certainly over the past seven years, but I’m not sure it’s evolved into a full-blown complex in Westwood as you indicate. As for your claim about there being “minimla” interest in hoops except for that small group of hard-core fans, I assume you are referring to USC’s ongoing pathetic non-support for the other major sport in college athletics, since UCLA, Los Angeles, California and the rest of the country all care very much about college basketball.

by ucladj89 on Jul 24, 2008 8:57 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Agree with DJ on the basketball thing

In LA people are very much interested in basketball. Los Angeles is a town that loves their Lakers, and most of the people out here that follow college ball, and maybe didn’t attend college, are bruin fans when it comes to basketball.

As far as the media is concerned, they will pump up the more successful team over the mediocre one. USC will continue to get more coverage until ucla pulls themselves out of their collective football funk. We saw PlaSChke declare that Los Angeles was a bruin town about 10 years ago when the bruins were on that amazing run with Cade McKnown. Media is a fair weather fan.

Don’t agree with DJ on the “pathetic non-support” comment. Maybe five years ago that would have made sense, but the Galen Center has re-energized USC’s interest in basketball. Many games have been sold out, and the student section is constantly packed. I’ve been a follower of SC basketball for a long time now, and can say that there is a marked difference in the commitment to basketball from the university, and the fanbase.

by frak on Jul 24, 2008 10:39 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

past perceptions

may be coloring my impressions of USC hoops. Per the Pac-10 website:

ATTENDANCE SUMMARY GAMES TOTALS AVG/GAME
HOME…................. 15 127014 8468

Obviously, the galen center has made a tremendous difference to attendance, as it was always expected to do, and there is no question that USC has made a significant commitment to upgrading the program. So I am clearly mistaken when I say “pathetic ongoing non-support.” Despite this, however, I still think USC basketball is the ugly step-child for USC athletics and I do wonder if there will ever be a time where USC basketball will be the subject of regular sellouts or receive even half the interest as the USC basketball team. That’s of course a non-quantifiable opinion, based primarily on my discussions with my trojan friends.

by ucladj89 on Jul 24, 2008 12:46 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

interesting take...

I do think that a good portion of the ucla fan base has an inferiority complex when it comes to football. My opinion, feel free to disagree…

As for basketball I will clarify it…I think there is a difference between the interest in the college game and the pro game. L.A. has always been a Laker town so I get it that the fans really dive into the pro-game.

There is no question that ucla has always been rabid about their basketball program over the past 3-4 decades. But I also think there is even more of an interest right now in the pro-game with ucla fans because there are a few bruin alums on the Lakers and Clips. I think DJ is right about the rest of country caring about college basketball but I do not think that the interest that he points to nationally translates to L.A. (outside of ucla fans). For a number of years there hasn’t been a decent product to point to, other than ucla’s title in 95’, prior to Floyd or Howland. Lavin ruined it for ucla while SC has always struggled for an identity.

SC has an identity now.

USC has renewed interest because of Galen and because some of the high profile players that SC recruited recently, but until SC strings together some positive performances that take them deep in the tournament coupled with continued solid recruiting classes I see this as a blip on the screen as the fans will once again lose interest.

It’s simply an observation, agree or disagree that’s fine.

As for DJ’s "pathetic" comment he’s just throwing a little mud my way…no big deal; at least to me.

Conquest Chronicles

by Paragon SC on Jul 24, 2008 4:08 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Let Me Try

For the most part, I do not perceive an inferiority complex in regards to UCLA football. What you will see though is our reaction to what we as UCLA perceive as a sense of superiority that not only envolopes the USC football team but everything that is USC. That drives a lot of UCLA fans crazy. I think our responses to this (regardless if this perceived superiority true or not true) comes of as an inferiority complex.

On the other hand, there is a section that clearly does have an inferiority complex. Your UCLA neighbor blog does (clearly my opinion…take it with a grain of salt). You cannot go around chanting Jordan Farmar’s quote, “At UCLA we only count championships,” and then try to convince the population that we have a great football tradition because of 18 conference championships. You cannot have it both ways unless you have something you need to prove. You usually need to prove something because you have a complex. Usually.

I think most people are like me—we love UCLA football regardless. We love the history no matter what and we wouldn’t miss a game for the world. I’m sure you have all have the same opinion about USC football.

by BruinFan1 on Jul 24, 2008 5:27 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

If only

we could seat you guys behind the sun-deck. Now that would be progress.

by frak on Jul 23, 2008 1:15 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Ouch!!!

That is a damning read if you are bruin fan.

But its also wrong…

I have said it before and I will say it a thousand more times, ucla has NEVER been relevant on the national stage in football. They have had some good runs in the Pac-10 but they have never been a consistent threat nationally. I do think Neu will make the rivalry interesting again but they won’t make any noise nationally on a regular basis.

Condotta has an interesting take:

8, UCLA —Certainly a new way for Rick Neuheisel to take over a college team. At Colorado and UW, he inherited fairly veteran teams and provided a complete change in approach that worked fabulously in the short term. He doesn’t get that here as the Bruins officially have just nine returning starters and are battling personnel issues all over the place. One thing the Bruins have going for them will be the low expectations -- UCLA is often accused of underperforming, something that won’t likely happen this year. And this is still UCLA, where the recruiting classes are always pretty good, meaning a lot of the new faces might turn out to be pretty good. The defensive front seven could be particularly good, and if the Bruins can find a running game, maybe the Bruins can turn into a ball-control type team. The key will be a three-game home stretch early featuring games against Arizona, Fresno State and WSU.

As for the academic issues…Meh. We all know that ucla takes special admits so they can try to spin this all they want.

Conquest Chronicles

by Paragon SC on Jul 23, 2008 12:42 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Even Oregon State has a Heisman winner

ucla is and never will overshadow USC in football. Just like USC will never overshadow ucla in basketball. To pretend otherwise is foolish.

by frak on Jul 23, 2008 1:19 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

But it's a Neu Era...

...of losing.

Featuring a punter on your media guide and losing to another has-been in the Las Vegas bowl in truly embarrassing fashion really affirms your place as a has-been. Hopefully the has-beens can scrape together a couple wins and salvage at least a little dignity for the rest of the Pac-10.

by sharpie20 on Jul 23, 2008 8:39 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs