Rick Neuheisel's Mouth Is Writing Checks His Recruits Can't Cash

The Nudge by Scribe Written on June 10, 2009
PASADENA, CA - OCTOBER 18:  Head coach Rick Neuheisel of the UCLA Bruins celebrates following their victory over the Stanford Cardinal on October 18, 2008 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California.  UCLA won 23-20.  (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

UCLA Head Coach Rick Neuheisel’s mouth is writing checks that former head coach Karl Dorrel’s recruits can’t cash. 

 

Neuheisel was filmed talking to boosters the other day and he decided to wake up the 6,000-pound cross-town rival when he told the crowd that he was going to get back at USC Head Coach Pete Carroll.

 

The story starts off with the Pac-10 coaches meeting. 

 

Apparently, Neuheisel wants to rescind a rule that doesn’t allow anyone on the sidelines during games that is under 18 years old.  Neuheisel wants his own sons, who are currently under age, to be next to him on the sidelines next season. 

 

He asked the other coaches to help him change the rule.  Everyone agreed to do it…except Pete Carroll. The vote went nine for and one against.

 

That’s where the story takes the twist. 

 

No one would have ever known about it. The vote passed anyway, and Rick can have his sons on the sidelines now. If the story ended there, UCLA might not lose on November 28, 2009 by more than thirty points, at most.

 

But Neuheisel used this story about Carroll to try and fire up the boosters to get behind him and the program next season. 

 

Wrong move.

 

Before trying to take on the gargantuan USC program and their saint-like head coach, Neuheisel should first improve on his first season record of 4-8 overall and 3-6 in the conference. 

 

Win ten games first. Then, you can start a public smack talk session with the Titan next door, Neuheisel.

 

I have always liked Rick Neuheisel, and have always said that he got an unbelievably raw deal when he was the head coach in Washington. Neuheisel got fired after it was found  that he participated in a March Madness bracket. 

 

The NCAA frowns against coaches entering into anything to do with gambling, even if it’s not the sport they are themselves involved in. Flash forward to 2009 March Madness, and ESPN does round the clock coverage on U.S. President Barack Obama’s own college basketball bracket. 

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written on June 10, 2009 Opinion

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