My 15 Minutes with Rick Neuheisel
by Paragon SC on Aug 1, 2010 8:06 AM PDT
in General Pac-12
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PrintAs promised here is my interview with UCLA's RIck Neuheisel during last weeks Pac-10 Media Event in NYC.
A couple of notes on this. I approached Neuheisel with full disclosure as to who I was and who I write for. I gave him my name, the Blog name and that I was pro-USC. I told him up front that we have hammered him and poked fun at him for many things. He said he understood because of the nature of the rivalry. He didn't once bristle at my wanting to ask him a couple of questions, in fact I think he relished it. He knew I was partisan and wouldn't be like your typical member of the media who has to show some measure of objectivity. As expected I found him to be engaging and pretty open with his answers. It is easy to sucked in by his outgoing personality if you don't stay focused.
So here it is...
On this years recruiting class -
Me: Tell about this years recruiting class.
Rick Neuheisel: "We're very excited about our recruiting class, we felt like we were able to go out and get some quality young men that are going to help us at a variety of positions. We were able to get kids at positions of need that we had to get. Defensive Tackle was a priority, to get Cassius Marsh, Sealii Epenesa, Owamagbe Odighizuwa and Derek Bryant at the defensive end position and Wesley Flowers from Fresno you know is was really important to get a quality defensive front. We felt like Dietrich Riley was a really important kid in this class because we needed a safety...We had another kid that we had committed to us that decided to change his mind so that was crucial...Dietrich has a lot of opportunity to fill a big need so we thought that was a great deal for us that he chose UCLA.
I guess the running back position we got some great quality kids there that have some versatility, so if they aren't a first string running back they can play some other positions. You at high school teams almost everybody outs their best player at either running back or quarterback. To get Malcolm (Jones), Anthony (Jefferson) and Jordan (James) in the class is a neat thing for us.
On the offensive line -
Me: The biggest problem I see on the offensive is obviously the O-line...
Rick Neuheisel: Right, we have been unlucky on the offensive line.
Me: This season, you had one O-lineman go on his mission and one that is academically ineligible but you did pick up a JUCO with three years of eligibility. How are you patching this together? Are you moving a TE? How are you seeing it play out?
Rick Neuheisel: Well, (laughs) we have tried all of the above (laughs some more). When we got there there were only nine guys in the program that were on the offensive line. Alexi Lanis then quickly left as a medical because he was tired of knees hurting and he was an accomplished player. We had some walk-on kids that hadn't played and god bless them but we certainly weren't at the level that we needed to be to compete successfully in the league.
We went out and recruited as well as we could, we got Xavier Su'a Filo who I think is going to be a fabulous player but you know he's on a mission...so Gods speed, we certainly wish him well and look forward to him coming back. Then we had Nik Abele, a young man from Irvine, that I think is going to be a phenom, unfortunately he had a neck injury that is probably going to keep him from playing any more...so the tackle position has been hit hard. Micah Kia comes back from a redshirt, we were fortunate that he had a redshirt year when he got an ACL last fall, so hopefully he can have a great year. He is certainly physical and talented enough to do it...it just remains to be seen if we can actually get it out of him...so we have been working hard to get a great class...now in this upcoming class it will be a big priority.
Me: I know you're a little behind (WRT this class), but I have read some of the recruiting sites and I say just wait, Rick will pick it up.
Rich Neuheisel: (laughs) Early commits are really things you gotta hang on to, like the stock exchange.
Me: That's right! (laughs)
On if he feels the pressure to win now -
Me: Do you fell the pressure to win now? You're in your third year...you have one of the toughest schedules this season. You guys have a tough year this year. At most other schools coaches, by their third year, start to see a turn...but these cards all came up snake eyes (I meant to say dice)...so do feel any pressure?
Rick Neuheisel: I don't look at it as pressure I look at it as an exciting time. We came in with a plan to increase our athleticism, to increase our talent, get a system that the kids buy into...all that has been successful. We went from year one to year two and we got better, now we need to take the next leap from year two to year three and get better and keep the momentum. Now, what that means in terms of how the other teams stack up against us we'll have to wait and see. We've done the R&D, the research and development has been done now it is time to go out and execute and I am excited about that portion.
We do have a great kicking game. We have a great punter and great kicker maybe, the best in all the land. We have a great special teams coach and we are a faster team...special teams will improved. We have to play well enough on offense and defense to keep every game close and hopefully we can win. My (unintelligible) at Washington were at #3 in the country...we were behind in almost every game but we found a way to play well and that is going to be a lot of what we do given our schedule. Given the strength of the conference and how even the conference is you have to get a little bit of magic to figure out how to win those games...we can be in those games, there is no doubt in my mind.
On the Pola/USC/Titans Lawsuit -
Me: Final question, about any thoughts on the lawsuit that the Tennessee Titans filed against USC? Having spent some years in the NFL with Baltimore...How do you look at this? What are your thoughts on this because it seems very off the wall...it doesn't matter what team you root for.
Rick Neuheisel: Yeah, I don't know enough about the specifics of what their cause is, with what the legal issue is, so it is impossible to comment on the merits of the case. This happens in our business. People...the timing is unfortunate, I don't think anyone wants to make this kind of move this late in the game...Lane had a position that he had to fill. Kennedy had been on my staff at Colorado...he is a quality guy and a quality coach and I think obvious why he is a good choice.
Me: I know it is a tough question to ask, but would you chase it the same way that Lane did, if it was your staff?
Rick Neuheisel: I don't think its fair to comment on it.
Me: I know that we are on opposite sides, I'd say good luck but I gotta root against you but good luck anyway...
Rick Neuheisel: I understand, I understand...I like that you wear it that well, you know if you're doing the Trojan deal you ought to be
Me: We are a partisan site, we hammer you, I am not going to lie but this rivalry is unique...Thanks Coach!
Rick Neuheisel: Thank you.
- - -
Like I said, I found him to be engaging, his personality can be disarming. He didn't duck any of my questions and I pressed him in a few areas, but seeing that this was my first time doing this I wasn't going to go overboard. I asked the last question on the lawsuit because of his NFL experience and because I knew he had Pola on his staff at CU so I was looking to see of there was any insight he could offer up. I think he did when he said "this happens in our business".
I was a little surprised at the Kicking game comment. He made the same comment in L.A. and to me it really says a lot. I think they under the gun this year...especially with that schedule, and it could get ugly but he thinks has the players this year to make a marked improvement.
We'll see...
I didn't ask about the pistol offense as thought that would really get too involved with the limited time I had. I didn't ask about Norm Chow because of the potential for discomfort on both sides...we all know what Norm is about so why go there. I didn't ask about the timeout/touchdown play, I mean there was no need to go there...I think everyone is a little embarrassed by that, it is best to leave it alone.
After making the rounds in the room to see if there was anyone else I could pick off for a few quick words before leaving, I was standing out in the registration area going over my notes, this was about ten minutes later, when Neuheisel walked out...he said "take care" and I responded....good luck! That is just habit for me...he stopped and said with a big s**t eating grin on his face and said..."now you don't really mean that do you!?!"
We both had a laugh at that!
I have to admit he got me there...the guy knows how to work a room.
And off he went...
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Nice interview
And great job with Kiffin too. Both of your interviews show how the mainstream media makes caricatures of real people to either demonize them or make heroes out of them and most of the public is stupid enough to go along with it.
There he goes with the kicking game
I don’t think he has a chance against a high power offense if he keeps kicking the ball to them. College football doesn’t work the same as the NFL. There can be a high degree of difference in talent between two team’s offenses. In the NFL, the offenses are closer in talent level. Dorrell tried to play field position, and it killed him.
Haha! Great job.
Skippy’s smart dude, USC Law grad after all. He’s doing a competent job as coach, but his talent clearly lies in schmoozing. This ability gets him a lot more breathing room with the psychotic bRuin base than they were willing to give Karl Dorrell for approximately the same results.
He’s very good at being coy, trying hard not to upset the inmates at the asylum. One word about the Titans lawsuit not being serious or a p.r. stunt and all hell breaks loose. It would have been interesting to hear about his personal experience in taking on the NCAA and UW via the court system, but no way he gives you a straight answer to that one either.
Anyway, Neuhi he likes his comforts, his country club and his time off. He’s not going to let the Ucla job kill him and will be happy to stay as long as they’ll have him. In other words, he’s already got everything he’ll ever need. When things go sour he’ll take his show back to an NFL front office or some position in the league where he can help his football-challenged son Jerry the rest get a leg up.
I do have to call you out on one misstep Para. You should have asked him to show you mushroom’s lip prints, they’re firmly and indelibly planted on his buttocks.
Salve Caesar Augustus Kiffinus!
Ad astra per aspera
Good interview!
I especially appreciated the question regarding the legal issues with the Pola hire. I would have like to hear CRN’s unique perspective as a college and pro coach (who has legal training) on the precedent this kind of lawsuit may set. Too bad he hedged. Too bad, also, you only had 15 minutes. I would have like to hear your questions (and CRN’s answers) regarding the QB situation and the likelihood of success wtih the new pistol offense.
Snake Oil Salesman
Nice interview! Skippy would make for a good politician or lawyer, but as a football coach, not so much. His Xs and Os are weak. He’s all schmooze. Victory Lane owns Skippy on the technical side of the business, which will be key to success in the conference.
Skippy should finish 3-9 this season cementing a much worse 3-year record than Dorrell. An improvement on the Eagle Bank Trophy is unlikely. The LA monopoly continues at USC. It’s time to put up or shut up, Skippy.
Death to the NCAA!!!
"Victory Lane owns Skippy on the technical side of the business"
That 0-1 record that Kiffin currently holds against Neuheisel and Kiffin’s game management in that Tennessee game would beg to differ. I haven’t really seen anything out of Kiffin that screams “master in-game technician”. I also am not sold on Monte’s Cover-2 defense translating to the college game very well. There were times that UT’s defenses looked lost last year in that scheme.
We’ll see how the results play out this year, but as a UCLA fan, color me optimistic about the head-to-head matchup of Kiffin vs. Neuheisel.
Lane grew up as a football coach. Skippy is a failed lawyer turned football coach as a back-up career.
- Tenn had the 2nd most “lost starts” due to injured players in all of D-1 CFB last season. Yet, Tenn went from losing record to a +.500 7win season. His team improved from 3,200 offensive yards to 5,000 and scoring improved from 184 to 367 points. Plus, he finished with a top 10 recruiting class after only 90 days on the job until LOI day! With the Raiders in 2007, the team doubled their wins and went from scoring 168 points to 283 points. As the OC of USC in 2005, Kiff’s Trojan offense had more than 7,500 yards and 108 TDs.
- Let’s see, how is Skippy at Xs and Os? Well, his UW and CU teams ended with worse season records than they had when he started. In two seasons in Westwood, Skippy has only 6 conference wins and has never finished better than 8th in the Pac-10. At least Karl Dorrell had 8 conference wins after two seasons before his stellar, 10-win, 3rd place conference finish in year 3.
Skippy’s teams have consistently finished WORSE than when he inherited them?!? He has never finished better than 8th in the PacX!!! Karl Dorrell at least NEVER finished worse than 5th in conference!!! Skippy is vastly underperforming Karl Dorrell. Kiff’s teams have always displayed tremendous improvement under his leadership.
You guys have been completely bamboozled by Skippy’s sales pitch. It’s year 3, gents! Wake up and smell the frkn coffee! Skippy is a saleman, not a football coach. There is nothing in his past or present that offers any proof that he is a competent coach or good at the “Xs and Os”!
Death to the NCAA!!!
by DFWTrojan on Aug 1, 2010 10:18 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
Tennesee was 10-4 the year before, and played for the SEC Title
They were hardly a horrible team when Kiffin took them over. Fulmer had just lost the team in 2008. I love the perspective of those defending Lane Kiffin as thought he had come upon a football team completely bereft of talent or tradition and had just willed them to 7 wins.
It’s not like Tennessee was Vanderbilt and had these years of ineptitude prior to Kiffin taking them to the promised land of 7 wins and the Chick-Fil-A Bowl. Kiffin talking up about how he ‘revived’ Tennessee is both condescending and hilarious at the same time.
I’ll take my chances this year and we’ll see how the year plays out. I’m betting UCLA fans are much happier than USC fans at years’ end – and I completely agree that Neuheisel had better show some significant progress this year as UCLA head coach. It’s his show now. Like DJ below, I don’t think Neuheisel is a ‘great’ coach (ie, he’s not Urban Meyer, Nick Saban, or even the guy I really wanted to coach UCLA – Chris Petersen) – but I think he’s plenty good enough.
Thanks for the statistics. ‘Starts lost to injury’ is a completely misleading statistic, IMO. The metric doesn’t take in to account the relative importance of a position and depth at said position. IE, imagine if Florida had only lost Tebow to injury last year. Their ‘starts lost to injury’ would have been rather low, but I seriously doubt they would have been a ‘better’ team.
Alabama was also ranked 15th in the same metric. They won the national title. (And in point of fact, they lost over 16% of their ‘starts’ on the defensive side of the ball. Care to remind me what the strength of Alabama’s team was last year?)
I actually judge coaches on their ability to ensure their teams play up to the ability. Neuheisel’s teams have done so – Dorrell’s team were notorious for winning a big game and then wetting the bed against teams (see, Utah – 2007 or Arizona – 2005). In Neuheisel’s first year, UCLA was patently uncompetitive in a bunch of games. They were much better in 2009, although that didn’t necessarily translate in to many more wins.
Like I said, I’ll take my gut feeling and my chances. We’ll see how it goes.
Have you ever coach and I am not talking PEE-WEE sports, plus I guess you forgot about BYU.
So Fight On USC followers and Don’t worry WE Will Still Play on Saturdays and Bowls will come later, for WE ARE SC not That other Softball University. Oh and don’t say you now have a baseball team, it’s not Real Baseball unless you use Wooden Bats
by so.cal.native1952 on Aug 2, 2010 9:13 AM PDT up reply actions
My gut tells me just the opposite
USC will surprise and UCLA will flounder. How do you see USC’s season? Agree, we’ll just have to revisit at year’s end on UCLA and Neuweasel’s skills.
I must point out, however, that Tenn was 5-7 in 2008 with a number of bad losses, including UCLA and Wyoming. The season was bad enough to push iconic Coach Fulmer out of a job. As a matter of fact, Fulmer was 29-25 with only 2 bowl appearances and 1 bowl win in his last 4 seasons. The program was dying on the vine. +20 point blowout losses to Bama in ’07 and ’08. Kiff beats them without the assist from the refs in 2009 as a part of his program turnaround.
Death to the NCAA!!!
I'm thinking USC's probably somewhere around 8-4
Maybe 9-3 if things bounce the right way. I’m not expecting USC to fall off the face of the planet, but I’m pretty sure 8-4 doesn’t really count as a ‘successful’ season around these parts.
I’m by no means suggesting UCLA will finish with a better record than USC – in fact, they probably don’t – but if I can see improvement enough in the team I’ll be happy. I will say that I’m (hoping) UCLA gets to 8-4 from a schedule perspective. I think it’s completely doable, and I also think people are making the schedule seem a bit more difficult than it actually is.
IE, if you can’t beat Kansas State, you don’t really have any business talking about how you can compete for conference titles. As I normally do when UCLA plays USC at the Rose Bowl, I also expect UCLA to win. We’ll see how it goes.
Completey agree that Fulmer had been just middling around for a number of years – hell, both Vandy and Kentucky had to miss last-second field goals for Fulmer to make the SEC Title game in 2007 (I would know, since if any of those two stupid teams had a decent kicker Georgia would have been playing in the SEC Title game instead). That said, Phil was still pulling in solid recruiting classes prior to Kiffin’s arrival for a number of years. Did Kiffin improve Tennessee from 2008? Yes, but it wasn’t nearly the uphill climb he made it sound. I think that’s why so many UT fans are bitter – Kiffin’s off-hand remarks about how he ‘rebuilt’ Tennessee ring extremely hollow for a school with a tradition as proud as Tennessee’s. Any other school with as long a tradition as Tennessee’s would feel the same way.
Hmmm...
I’m thinking USC’s probably somewhere around 8-4
Maybe 9-3 if things bounce the right way. I’m not expecting USC to fall off the face of the planet, but I’m pretty sure 8-4 doesn’t really count as a ‘successful’ season around these parts.
Don’t say that to our friends on BN…They have us at #8 in their “power poll”…
8-4 or 9-3 is fine w/me given the current state of the program…i can live with it for now.
"Mention USC to a Bruin and they get angry; mention UCLA to a Trojan and they laugh."
FYI
USC has 13 regular season games this year (Hawaii rule). I’d be interested to see how you’d adjust your prediction after taking a quick look at our schedule game-by-game. Would you adjust to 8-5 or 9-4?
Personally I don’t think an 8-5 regular season this year is acceptable. 9-4 I could live with as long as those losses come to Stanford, Oregon, Oregon State, and Arizona and no one else. Losing any of the nonconference games, or to Washington, WSU, ASU, UCLA, or Cal is just not acceptable.
this is my signature! there are many like it but this one is mine!
If I had to venture a guess without too much thought
I’d say 8-5. Forgot about the +1 Hawaii rule – it could go either way in my mind, though.
I have to say, I’m surprised you can live with a loss to Stanford. I dont think Stanford’s going to be that good this year and a lot of people are overrating them based on one year of play. Let’s see how good Luck is without people playing 8 in the box against them.
Interestingly enough, USC’s schedule is easy up enough front that being 6-0 heading in to the Cal game isn’t out of the realm of possibility. Any team that starts that well isn’t going to collapse down the stretch.
No USC goes 10-3 or better, no reason to lose to anyone but road games are toss ups.
But who really knows I think as Coach Kiffin has said they will take them one at a time, plus last year the team wasn’t all there.
So Fight On USC followers and Don’t worry WE Will Still Play on Saturdays and Bowls will come later, for WE ARE SC not That other Softball University. Oh and don’t say you now have a baseball team, it’s not Real Baseball unless you use Wooden Bats
by so.cal.native1952 on Aug 2, 2010 3:48 PM PDT up reply actions
Stanford is a road game and they have a good QB
I don’t think they win the Pac 10 like some predict but I think they win about 8 games again like last year. It’s a much more acceptable loss than Washington or Cal at home. There are a lot of question marks in the Pac this year. I expect to win 10 games and lose 3, but Stanford, Oregon (at home) and Oregon State are all incredibly difficult to predict. We have gone 1-1 against all three the last two years, and all three have big questions at key positions with the loss of the RB that should have won the Heisman and two quarterbacks. Arizona is a tough call too, we lost to them last year at home but we were incredibly unmotivated and grossly underachieving.
I personally feel like this is the year we win in the state of Oregon, and I don’t think we will lose to Washington. It’s also important to note we were gifted with one of our Pac-10 road games being WSU. If I was put on the spot today I would say:
Hawaii® – W
Virginia (H) – W
Minnesota® – W
WSU® – W
Washington (H) – W
Stanford® – L
Cal (H) – W
BYE
Oregon (H) – L
ASU (H) – W
Arizona® – L
OSU® – W
Notre Dame (H) – W
UCLA® – W
10-3
But we could so easily beat Stanford or beat Oregon, or lose to Oregon State. The Arizona game is the only one I would mark down as a L every time. The only Pac-10 teams I’m not afraid of at all are UW, ASU and Cal.
this is my signature! there are many like it but this one is mine!
I guess I'm a little afraid of UW
Fun fact, if you put R in parentheses you get the restricted symbol.
this is my signature! there are many like it but this one is mine!
(R) let's see
Maybe not in the “subject heading” part, perhaps?
Okay, maybe over here:®
Upper case! I got it.
That IS FUN! It is, and I mean that.
"As for being a Raiders fan, I wouldn't wish that fucking shit on anybody." [the venerable OTS at Roll Bama Roll}
by BixBeiderbecke on Aug 2, 2010 6:08 PM PDT up reply actions
13-0 AP Natl Champions!!!
But, for the sake of argument, I’ll offer up my “super duper conservative, sandbag” analysis:
- 5-0 heading to the Farm. UW will be a tough game, but no one do they beat us in LA in a revenge game.
- At the Farm, Andrew Luck is a great QB, period. They return 9 starters on offense, including all WRs. Traylor and Gaffney are excellent RBs. This is a tough, tough game, but USC wins in a nailbiter.
- Kal at home. Tedford is Lane’s former mentor at Fresno St. Riley is a senior. Kal hasn’t beaten USC in a long time. USC is coming off a big win and 6-0 start. Kal pulls the upset.
- Rabbit, you overestimate Oregon, I believe. They SUCK on the road, especially on natural grass. Costa is not Masoli. USC coming off a BYE, Monte’s defense shuts down the Quack Attack.
- USC runs the table against inferior talent the rest of the way. Zona struggles to replicate last season’s success. OSU struggles at QB.
USC 12-1, AP #3.
USC 55, UCLA 13
Death to the NCAA!!!
Yes,
I feel like I am overestimating Oregon a little bit. I don’t feel that Oregon was significantly better last year than the year before when we trounced them 44-10 at home, just that we were replacing some serious talent and (more importantly) our swagger and drive, on the field AND among the coaching staff. Their losses to Boise State and Ohio State would seem to show that.
But losing to Cal at home? After beating them 6 years in a row? After trouncing them 30-3 in their house during a down year while they still had Jahvid Best-at-not-showing-up-for-big-games? I don’t see it.
this is my signature! there are many like it but this one is mine!
There should be a ‘had lost’ after the parentheses.
this is my signature! there are many like it but this one is mine!
Kal was pretty random
they seem overdue for a win. truth be told, I think the Farm is our toughest game. but, the thought of losing to Harbaugh 2 in a row and 3 of 4 is simply not feasible for me.
Death to the NCAA!!!
My gut tells me just the opposite
USC will surprise and UCLA will flounder. How do you see USC’s season? Agree, we’ll just have to revisit at year’s end on UCLA and Neuweasel’s skills.
I must point out, however, that Tenn was 5-7 in 2008 with a number of bad losses, including UCLA and Wyoming. The season was bad enough to push iconic Coach Fulmer out of a job. As a matter of fact, Fulmer was 29-25 with only 2 bowl appearances and 1 bowl win in his last 4 seasons. The program was dying on the vine. +20 point blowout losses to Bama in ’07 and ’08. Kiff beats them without the assist from the refs in 2009 as a part of his program turnaround.
Death to the NCAA!!!
Yep just a lawyer and a bad one at that, I guess he didn't even have the legs to chase ambulances.
So Fight On USC followers and Don’t worry WE Will Still Play on Saturdays and Bowls will come later, for WE ARE SC not That other Softball University. Oh and don’t say you now have a baseball team, it’s not Real Baseball unless you use Wooden Bats
by so.cal.native1952 on Aug 2, 2010 9:11 AM PDT up reply actions
Good job Paragon
you asked him better questions than most journalists do. DFW, do you want to make a bet that UCLA finshes better than 3-9?
Neuheisel may not be another JoePa or Saban as a coach, but he beat your “technically superior” coach at Tennessee with a distinctly mediocre team last year. Also, a coach who is weak on the X’s and O’s wouldn’t have been able to put together a coaching record like Neuheisel did before coming to UCLA, regardless of whether it was with his own recruits or not. The kids still had to be coached-and Washington hadn’t been in the Rose Bowl since ‘92 IIRC before Neu took them and a no. 2 ranking (IIRC.) While I don’t believe Neuheisel is a great coach, I am fairly certain he’s a good coach, and his X’s and O’s are probably as good as anyone else’s not named Mike Leach (and certainly better than “decided schematic advantage” Fat Charlie Weis.)
On one thing we can agree: it is time for Neuheisel to demonstrate his ability. Three years in, his recruits almost all the way across the board. Still, this is a tough tough schedule, especially in the OOC. I still think UCLA ends up between 5-7 and 7-6. Anything better would be quite a coup for Neuheisel.
I would be very surprised if they won less than 4 games
But if they take serious injuries in their first few games against tough opponents, it’s not out of the realm of possibility. I also don’t see them winning 7 games like the party line seems to be expecting. 5 regular season wins in my book.
this is my signature! there are many like it but this one is mine!
No Dallas they will go 12-0, oh wait reverse that.
So Fight On USC followers and Don’t worry WE Will Still Play on Saturdays and Bowls will come later, for WE ARE SC not That other Softball University. Oh and don’t say you now have a baseball team, it’s not Real Baseball unless you use Wooden Bats
by so.cal.native1952 on Aug 1, 2010 9:56 PM PDT up reply actions
Enjoyed the read!
It’s funny how its so easy to loathe someone from afar, yet when you meet them, they’re not as bad as you hoped. My wife loathed Pete Carroll, but we met him at the Nokia theatre one night, she admitted he was nice, and a very likable person. We didn’t root for Sc, but we had a newfound respect. Para, any newfound respect for Coach Neu?
Bruin for life!!!!
You can't let praise or criticism get to you. It's a weakness to get caught up in either one. - John Wooden
Yes...
He is father and a husband and mentor to his team like I am.
Doesn’t change anything though…if he says or does something stupid I will hammer him…
"Mention USC to a Bruin and they get angry; mention UCLA to a Trojan and they laugh."
Then I would call him out...
"Mention USC to a Bruin and they get angry; mention UCLA to a Trojan and they laugh."
He's a football coach
At the end of the day, this is all largely insignificant.
It really shouldn’t be anything personal. But Slick Rick is pretty fun to poke fun at.
Follow me on twitter @Joey_Kaufman
Almost as much fun...
as poking fun at Slimey Lamey.
by Chicago Bruin on Aug 1, 2010 9:15 PM PDT up reply actions
Nice work!
That’s cool you got the access, and from what I can see, you did a nice job with professionalism. I think it’s very important these days, and will continue to be going forward, to stay cognizant of the human side. Especially in blogistan where skewering opponents can get wickedly close to crossing that line of basic human respect. Also very cool if these are your first rodeos with interviewing.
Cool stuff; congrats!
Ohio State has the worst fans in the Big Ten. Bar none. And it’s not even close. Humorless in defeat. Condescending in victory. Generally insecure all the time. I’ve partied and had fun with fans of every team in this league, save Ohio State.
Thanks JT
This was fun…really did my homework in what direction to go…Joey was a huge help as well.
"Mention USC to a Bruin and they get angry; mention UCLA to a Trojan and they laugh."
Sleeping with the enemy, eh??????
Totally just joking Paragon!
Now that WAS REFRESHING! I can’t believe how accommodating Coach Neu was?
Those were some great questions, my man! So lemme ask- how do YOU feel about obtaining such great access? In the past couple of years, is it your impression that the conferences (college & pro) are finding a soft spot for bloggers/or blogistan (as J to the P says) in general? If so, why?
Great work Paragon!
"As for being a Raiders fan, I wouldn't wish that fucking shit on anybody." [the venerable OTS at Roll Bama Roll}
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