Jim Mora on UCLA going over the wall Pt. 2
On traditions:
"When I talked to Dan at the beginning of the interview process, we talked about things like traditions. There are some traditions we certainly want to honor, but skipping out on practice is not one of those proud traditions. ...
Dan Guerrero gave these kids an opportunity to compete one last time for UCLA and it really bothers me, personally, knowing Dan how I do, that they disrespected that gesture. It's a great thing for these kids to go play one last time for UCLA, these seniors going out and these coaches that may or may not be here to come together one last time to compete together, and it should not be taken lightly. No matter what the record is, whether it's the national championship game or not. That's what's disappointing."
On this happening at other places:
"I've never heard of anything like it in college football...and I don't ever want to hear about it again here."
On the Wall happening in the pros:
"Happen in the pros? No. No. Something like that happens in the pros and those guys would be on the street in a heartbeat, or they'd be $25,000 taken out of paychecks. Absolutely not. It would never have even been a question. And it won't be a question here."
On accountability:
"It's accountability. It's responsibility. That's what it is. To your university, to your team, to your teammates, to the AD to the coaches, to yourself. It's unacceptable."
On disrespect:
"I don't think it was necessarily pointed at Dan as a sign of disrespect. It's a tradition that these guys have grown up with, and it's just a tradition that needs to end. I hope they had fun going over the wall, or whatever you call it, because it's the last time they're going over the wall."
On certain players being upset at the Wall:
"They should all be pissed off about it. The kinds of players who are going to fill this roster from now on are guys who would be pissed off about it. Who wouldn't let it happen. Who would put a stop to it before it happened. Those are the kinds of guys we want at UCLA."
Next time just lock up the locker room before they go over the wall. Pretty stupid playing hooky with cleats and pads on. Get your ass back to Spaulding Field and put in the work!!
"And the Wall came crumbling down..."
And so begins a new, brighter era in UCLA football...
Player's asses, meet coach's foot.
As Jim Carrey says in Dumb and Dumber, "I like it, I like it a lot". New sheriff in town!
"They should all be pissed off about it. The kinds of players who are going to fill this roster from now on are guys who would be pissed off about it. Who wouldn't let it happen. Who would put a stop to it before it happened. Those are the kinds of guys we want at UCLA."
Absolutely!
UCLA fans, Christmas has come early!
is ucla really gonna be the disneyland and suc the knott's berry farm of the 70s? pretty big paradigm shift
Another stupid topic along the lines of the checks. I can't believe that the media and the coach is wasting time on this topic.
FINALLY!
These boys can hop the wall at the kraft hunger bowl halftime and make their way to my shop at fisherman's wharf. They can enjoy many delights and magical fruits.
Beyond two of my family members playing for UCLA in football and baseball during the thirties-one of them still holding a football record that will probably never be broken and the other, one of Jackie Robinson coaches in baseball, having spent eight years at UCLA starting in 1966 myself, I could could claim some standing to offer a critique of this over the wall stuff. Lord knows that we challenged authority regularly between 1966 and 1974.
It would be more to the point to consider how Coach would have handled it. Even if you didn't know him as many of us did, or heard the stories Bill, Kareem, Sidney openly tell, my guess is you could figure it out. If you it doesn't seem clear then going back to the lesson on tying your shoes would be just the thing.
Now we know why many current coaches won't be returning.
http://youtu.be/Hn5Rn5gfd0w?t=14s
This was really funny that this is a "tradition" at UCLA. Quitting is a tradition. I'm sure there were players looking for a fence to climb during the 50-0 game.
Seriously, I'm not the type who comes on a Bruin blog to bad mouth them. I'm probably one of the only Trojans who actually likes UCLA. But this was way too easy.
As a non-alumnus who's had season tickets since the 90's, it's hard to accept the "tradition" of going over the wall when the team habitually underperforms.