To cancel a game a few hours before kickoff tells me it’s a decision swayed by the coach. I understand the sensitivity, the delays in Covid testing but a few hours before the game is called ? Something went entirely wrong. I blame coach Kelly because either way if he knew something he could’ve called the game few days ago, not in a few hours.
There are a few angles to look at this scenario in hopes of it making sense. It lands on coach management, just look at the time frame of the cancellation. It’s all predictable. Chip has known about the depth chart issue, or lack their off. Add any additional scenarios with Covid, and he could’ve done the right thing cancel days ahead instead of hours. That would’ve given time to find an opponent for NC state.
The late notice touched off anger and conspiracy theories among the Wolfpack, with coach Dave Doeren describing a lack of communication from UCLA regarding the possibility that the Bruins would be unable to play.
“Felt lied to, to be honest,” Doeren told reporters at the team hotel. “We felt like UCLA probably knew something was going on, didn’t tell anybody on our side. We had no clue they were up against that. I don’t feel like it was very well handled from their university. It would have been great to have had a heads-up so two or three days ago we could have found a Plan B. Disappointing.”
Disappointing is a very tactful way to put it, and this is coming from a head coach and not some player popping off on stupid twitter. I saw some news reports of some cases and players out like in most games lately, but was pretty caught off guard by the outright cancellation at the last minute. If UCLA was intentionally disingenuous about what was going on, that's pretty damn weak.
^^^ this!!! Agree with nc state coach. This is a very disingenuous thing for ucla to do to any team. They flew their entire team 2000 miles during the holiday only to have the game cancelled this far into it? What a complete sham! UCLA knew what was going on and decided not to tell anybody hoping for the best? That’s BS!
i've actually been reading a lot about the various protocols used in college football (and pro sports) across the country. The NCAA does not have its own protocols and leaves it to conferences and teams. Whoever created our protocols (UCLA, Pac 12, or both) has failed to update the protocols as we have learned more about the virus' transmission. We are using (virtually) the same protocols we used a year ago, despite updated CDC guidance, vaccines, and very effective therapeutics. Contact tracing casts a massive net even when negative tests are shown. Consequently, players end up in covid protocols, and remain there too long, when some have no business being there at all. Really a shame.
you hit the nail on the head. The word selfish comes to mind. Especially with multiple bowls having a team dropping out, the Holiday Bowl could have at least tried to have someone ready to step in.
It had chip Kelly written all over it. Who else. This season has been exhausting, it’s a fitting way to end it.
What evidence do you have that chip Kelly is to blame?
To cancel a game a few hours before kickoff tells me it’s a decision swayed by the coach. I understand the sensitivity, the delays in Covid testing but a few hours before the game is called ? Something went entirely wrong. I blame coach Kelly because either way if he knew something he could’ve called the game few days ago, not in a few hours.
I don't think so. I think it was genuinely made on the number of unavailable players. The problem is with how it was determined who was unavailable.
There are a few angles to look at this scenario in hopes of it making sense. It lands on coach management, just look at the time frame of the cancellation. It’s all predictable. Chip has known about the depth chart issue, or lack their off. Add any additional scenarios with Covid, and he could’ve done the right thing cancel days ahead instead of hours. That would’ve given time to find an opponent for NC state.
And people would still be bitching!
From the LA times
The late notice touched off anger and conspiracy theories among the Wolfpack, with coach Dave Doeren describing a lack of communication from UCLA regarding the possibility that the Bruins would be unable to play.
“Felt lied to, to be honest,” Doeren told reporters at the team hotel. “We felt like UCLA probably knew something was going on, didn’t tell anybody on our side. We had no clue they were up against that. I don’t feel like it was very well handled from their university. It would have been great to have had a heads-up so two or three days ago we could have found a Plan B. Disappointing.”
Disappointing is a very tactful way to put it, and this is coming from a head coach and not some player popping off on stupid twitter. I saw some news reports of some cases and players out like in most games lately, but was pretty caught off guard by the outright cancellation at the last minute. If UCLA was intentionally disingenuous about what was going on, that's pretty damn weak.
^^^ this!!! Agree with nc state coach. This is a very disingenuous thing for ucla to do to any team. They flew their entire team 2000 miles during the holiday only to have the game cancelled this far into it? What a complete sham! UCLA knew what was going on and decided not to tell anybody hoping for the best? That’s BS!
I agree, too, and am ashamed for my school. This outcome was so predictable.
i've actually been reading a lot about the various protocols used in college football (and pro sports) across the country. The NCAA does not have its own protocols and leaves it to conferences and teams. Whoever created our protocols (UCLA, Pac 12, or both) has failed to update the protocols as we have learned more about the virus' transmission. We are using (virtually) the same protocols we used a year ago, despite updated CDC guidance, vaccines, and very effective therapeutics. Contact tracing casts a massive net even when negative tests are shown. Consequently, players end up in covid protocols, and remain there too long, when some have no business being there at all. Really a shame.
you hit the nail on the head. The word selfish comes to mind. Especially with multiple bowls having a team dropping out, the Holiday Bowl could have at least tried to have someone ready to step in.
Doeren is an idiot and a shit talker.