What an incredible debacle. It's not Penn State or Michigan State level horrific, but what a deplorable series of events by Moore and by the AD and his staff who tried to hide it altogether, or at least long enough to get to signing day.
I’ve seen on Twitter that the reason so many at UM are calling for their AD to be fired is the affair was basically an open secret by 2023. But as long as everyone could maintain plausible deniability it was fun. So it was only a matter of time before it blew up in their faces. And especially coming of Jim Harbaugh’s sign stealing scandal which resulted in Harbaugh being banned from coaching in the NCAA, to not properly vet his replacement and try to steer clear of controversy is particularly bad. Plus you have former bball coach Juwan Howard assaulting a Wisconsin coach and you wonder where the NCAA is? If lack of institutional control is still a thing, then the UM athletic department is a prime example of it
To be fair to Kiffin, he’s turned into an elite coach after working under Saban but even at SC, he was operating under sanctions and at one point had like 40 scholarship players so barely enough to field a team with backups.
Regardless of any success that he may bring to a football program, it's the lack of integrity that defines HC Kiffin. I'm surprised that the UCLA HC search committee made an effort to actually contact him (and he's also an ex-Trojan HC!).
Don’t forget the Oakland Raiders! Al Davis (god this goes back a long ways) publicly rode him mercilessly for over a year calling him every name in the book to, in my opinion, justify his own mistake of hiring Kiff in the first place (i.e. he was deceived), and in making him the youngest head coach in NFL history.
So it took the Moore saga and alleged crimes of this scumbag to finally get Michigan to take action and investigate what has been visible for years: cheating, scandals and all around bad apples in the Athletic Program.
Imho, the Mich AD will be forced to resign or be fired, and Michigan will come out smelling like blue and maize roses.
On the other hand, Donut Head Jelly 2.0 has been making dark backroom deals with SoFi and Cronin, fueling dumpster fire after dumpster fire, from chipster to fos to mickster to privacy violations and deep deep debt.
And I would bet he has his dirty little hands all over the tax fraud scheme. He's making millions and laughing in our faces.
So I am relieved the slimey donut stayed in his lane and the big boys brought in Chesney.
I might not think Jarmond is a good AD but there’s nothing in his past or present conduct that suggests he’s a criminal. Let’s not resort to that sort of slander please!
Oh, I take it you didn't read Donut head jelly 2.0's email he sent out for Xmas greetings. 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣. It's Christmas time always for Donut head Jelly 2.0 as he counts the millions UCLA is paying him for NOTHING of course. $1.55m a year of pure waste.
Great recap of UCLA's HC search effort, just glad they landed a promising candidate with a history of successes instead of focusing on just another former Bruins player (with or without HC experience) or an NFL retread. Thank goodness the apathetic Blockhead is gone and that Frenkenstein is showing signs of life for the future of UCLA Athletics. I think "UCLA HC search committee leader" was more like an honorary title for the incompetent and lazy AD Martin Guerrero. Next major issue to resolve is the Rose Bowl vs. SoFi Stadium mess.
Interestingly, Bruins season ticket renewal packages got mailed out last week and they had seating maps of the Rose Bowl including the soon to be revamped end zone suite area.
Just another sign of the continuing dysfunction and incompetence of the current AD and his administration. With UM's AD now under investigation, maybe that could lead to a potential job opening soon.
Interesting comment. I had an employee, grad from VT. He got in trouble flying to Japan under mysterious circumstances an was about to lose his security clearance (meal ticket) I 'volunteered' to help him out . So did a math professor from VT we went into Federal court in Boston where I was volunteered to be "his counsel. his crime? He flew to Japan on his Taiwan passport. Big no no for we clearance holders. In truth He went there to meet his girlfriend and eventual wife. He couldn't go to Taiwan because the government still demanded he serve his time in the military. we prevailed and he continued to work for me. sometimes we don't know how fortunate we are!
The odds are overwhelmingly against it, but I'll be rooting hard for HC Chesney and JMU to pull off a stunning upset of the lame Ducks to help improve the recruiting and NIL efforts for UCLA. Go HC Chesney & Dukes of Madison!
..would love it as well, but will settle for the pyrrhic victory with Chez having his troops come off like "Gutty Little Dukes" and hold Da Dux inside the spread..
We all know how difficult it is to win at Autzen Stadium; but don’t forget, Indiana pulled it off primarily due to a dominant defensive performance with a pressure style (similar to that employed by James Madison); that forced six sacks and two late turnovers, including interceptions, disrupting Oregon QB Dante Moore.
In watching Dante play for UCLA and Oregon, it is clear that he loses his fundamentals when pressured and knocked around in the pocket (many college QB’s do; they start looking down at the line instead of the secondary and lose their form throwing the ball).
JM clearly does not have Indiana’s personnel, but, If JM can get three turnovers (and they seem capable of doing that with their pressure defense and personnel), they can keep it close for awhile, but it will require a defensive or special teams score or two to make it a game. I just don’t have confidence in the offense I saw having much success against a legitimate Big 18 defense. It will be fun to see what Chez has in store for the Ducks. Time to display your coaching chops for all to see Chez!
unfortunately it really comes down to the NIL. If UCLA offers a kid $100,000, but Southwest Idaho Tech State A&M offers $101,000, guess where they are going?
and before anyone starts talking about integrity and character, just stop. The system has now made college athletics these kids' livelihood. Most of them will never get paid to play their sports again after college and will revert to entry level jobs or worse. They have a right to chase the money while it is there.
Agree with Evan here. It's a great opportunity for kids who otherwise would not get a chance to make any money close to this to start their lives with. It also keeps them in school to get their diploma and even offers many graduate school. For many in the past, the financial pressure to leave robbed them of their opportunity to finish school. That no longer exists, but new pressures arise that kids have to cope with......if you are getting paid big money, people expect performance (see Donovan Dent). Kids may not be emotionally ready for that kind of scrutiny (from coaches and fans) yet.
I thought that HC Cronin brought up a few interesting things regarding NIL in a recent interview. He mentioned that agents steal around 20% of the money that the student-athletes get (too much!), and that parents need to protect their kids against these greedy entities. Also, the payment is an up-front, lump-sum check, and the kids have no legal obligation to stay with a program, so he thinks there should he contracts (like with the pros), and maybe have gradual payouts vs. lump-sum checks. But he said the NCAA apparently lacks the means to enforce any guardrails (hence, the current NIL "Wild West").
In some cases “Fortunately” and in others “Unfortunately”, that “backbone” has been broken several times over when it comes to NIL related litigation. It seems clear to me that the NCAA is gun-shy because they have been clobbered in court every time they have attempted to enforce rules that “negatively impact” the ability of players to “earn a living.” Anything attempting to control “agent fees” would be packaged (by agent attorneys) as having the same kind of “anti-trust” impact on players that the other NCAA-attempted-rules have had. The NCAA does not want to risk the time and money, only to get clobbered again. That leaves us with “a college player union” (the courts stay out of Union/employer negotiations) or attempts at legislation. Both face very strong headwinds right now for a variety of reasons (a whole new discussion). In my humble opinion, this is why we are where we are here.
..not to usurp Evan's spot-on comment below but to bolster it: If "Tech State A&M" is a mythical boondocks institution and the kid's going to it as a "Rudy walk-on", then he might take the additional grand. But, if the kid's a three-star (or higher) recruit and has not gotten any phone calls from anyone else in the Big One-Ate or elsewhere, then heading out to Westwood and practicing in the balmy sunshine with access to the beaches 'n babes in thongs might have him eschew the extra "one large".
I apologize to anyone who took the time to read the 121st entry in the "comments" to Joe's Chesney article last week. I should have waited two days. Here it is again because I can't help myself. I am as excited as the rest of you to see what we've got, and I would like to talk to you all about it:
I DVR’d James Madison’s conference championship game just to get a preview of what kind of a team “Chez” had built over the past 2 years and how that may translate to the Bruins. I finally got a chance to look at it. Although one game is a very small “sample size,” here are some humble opinions:
First, the attacking defense was awesome to observe. Chez’s coaching chops come from the defensive side of the ball, so I am assuming he dictates a lot of what happens on a series-to-series basis there. He clearly has a “pressure the QB emphasis” (fast, athletic edge rushers, with pressure up the middle from an athletic nose to collapse the pocket, with linebackers and even a safety joining at times). There is nothing that takes a QB’s mind and line of sight away from the secondary, than a pass rush, especially pressure up the middle. I was very impressed with his front seven. His secondary “rolls” both to and away from strength (as backers and edge rushers drop into pass coverage to confuse the opposing QB). Thus, turnovers from the passing game (QB fumbles and picks) are plentiful. This philosophy, and the speed and agility of several players from this group would translate well into the Big 18 (as a life-long fan of the Pac 8, 10 and 12 “Conference of Champions,” I apologize for my inadequacies. We were adversaries for so long, that I still get that nauseous feeling in the pit of my stomach referring to UCLA as being in the “Big __”).
Second, the mystery for me is what Chez is going to do with our offense. Unlike his defense, his RPO/power running philosophy lacks both originality and personnel to translate successfully to UCLA. He (like many others) wants to be a power run offense with option and play action passes off of it. However, his offensive line schemes are fairly elementary. I assume that the reason he has been so successful at JM is that he does, in fact, have good running backs, but more importantly, he has some of the best O-lineman in the Sun Belt Conference (per the game’s play-by-play team). However, the O-linemen I saw last night, IMHO, will not translate well into the Big 18. His offense, and its present philosophy, would require 1st and 2nd round draft-caliber linemen in this league, which he does not have and will not be able to recruit (at least initially) to UCLA, given its recent recruiting history (unlike, Ohio State, Michigan, Wisconsin, etc. etc.), which brings me to my suggestion for the offensive side of the ball.
I think Chez needs to send his next OC down the 405 to Sofi, not to scout the playing conditions (as stated in a different post, I’m a Rose Bowl guy), but to view the 20 miles of offensive game film stored there to put together the kind of “Jet Sweep” offensive philosophy that McVay employs. MV was not the first to run the "Jet Sweep" but he is the first to master it.
Its strength is in its “complex simplicity”. You run about 10 to 12 base plays extremely well. To create mismatches you use initial formations (with one, two or three receivers or even three tight ends and backs) and then with various pre-snap motions (which allows the QB to identify defensive coverages/tendencies as defenders are forced to think and respond to the movement), you can make almost every play “look” different. The best part is what the Rams have proven over the past 9 years: You don't have to have the best linemen in the league if you have a superior scheme and a smart QB with a big arm.
I think that adapting a significant portion of this offense to college football and bringing it to the Big 18 would not only create havoc among all the DC’s in the league, it would also turn UCLA into a “destination” school for dynamic QB’s, tight ends, backs and receivers and introduce the utility of lighter, mobile, smart offensive linemen to showcase their talents for UCLA within the Big 18. McVay has been open every year to making his staff available in the off-season to some extent to local high school and college coaches. Quentin Lake is a defensive standout for the Rams. I’m sure he could “grease the wheels” so to speak to make sure “Chez” and his coaches got some special attention if they wanted it. That's enough for now.
The offense is what I'm most intrigued/concerned about. Despite all the high rankings from it OC Kennedy was the one coach that JMU fans were happy to see go. He has a history of perplexing play calls (such as run up the middle on 3rd and long) and most fans put the success of the offense on the talent of the players and not the play caller. However he also put up good numbers as OC at Holy Cross so it could just be fan grumbling.
I'm really hoping he brings Hitschler over as DC as well as the defense looks fun like you mentioned.
Again, all you need to do as a winner is recruit and "portal" all the best offensive and defensive line you can get. That and just an average QB who doesn't have a habit of turning the ball over all the time and you have a winning program, yea I know it sounds easy, but finding just the right line combinations is extremely difficult in this day and age.
I agree that may get you 8 or 9 wins Big B, but if you want to get to the playoffs in the Big 18, like Chez states he wants to, you need to bring something more to the table.
You need more than just "an average QB."
You need a smart guy with some arm talent. The smarts is because you need a scheme that allows him (the QB) to ID the defense pre-snap (see the McVay analogy above), so that he knows where he wants to go with the ball -where the spaces in the defense will be- so that he can spend his drop back looking off his primary receiver (to make that space larger); and he needs the arm talent to get it there. In MHO, in addition to the recruiting you reference, that would be the difference between 8 or 9 wins and a spot in the playoffs.
I am saddened and shocked when there are posts that say that Cronin is involved with “dark back room deals with Sofi” and Jarmond has “dirty little hands all over the tax fraud scheme….making millions and laughing in our faces”. “Slimey donut”. Surprised and disappointed that Dimitri does not put a stop to this type of ugly comments. Can dislike certain individuals but this crosses all red lines of decency. Dimitri, if this kind of slander and ugliness is OK with you, kindly cancel my subscription because while I am not a fan of Cronin or Jarmond, this kind of talk is reprehensible.
We have a right to our opinion. It's called the right to free speech, 1A.
The nicknames like Donut Head Jelly 2.0 or others that have been given along the way is our way of keeping a sense of humor amidst the dumpster fire we have lived through...
A few questions for you Joel...regarding our illustrious AD...
Do you think that there has been transparency in the SoFi saga, do you think there was transparency in the deal made with Cronin that required a public records request to have it disclosed?
Do you think there has been accountability for privacy policy violations, do you think jelly didn't know about the tax fraud scheme?
And what about the debt he racked up while earning millions,
Perhaps you should do your research and realize what he truly is...
There are many who want him fired. Did you not see the van in Westwood or the banner flying above the Rose Bowl?
Keep in mind that the truth will reveal itself over time as the law suit snd investigations unfold.
And have the courage to reply to me directly instead of begging DD to take away my right to express my opinions.
First, not sure how my post was under my first name "Joel" s/b under UCLA4EVER.
Second, I did not ask DD to take away your right to your opinions--a total twisting of what I posted and a lack of reading comprehension.. I directed my post to Dimitri and not you because he is the one who can cancel my subscription and remove my credit card information--not you. What I did say is if the type of posts I quoted which, IN MY OPINION (of which I have a right to express) are ugly, slander and crosses the line of decency among other things, (and possible violation of TOS) are acceptable here, then I requested my subscription be cancelled and I should add my credit card information deleted which is on file. I have the courage to call it as I see it and address my thoughts and opinions to the person who can cancel my subscription which is obviously not you.
As to answering what I consider over the top statements--especially about tax fraud-I do not want to waste additional time on ridiculous things in my opinion.IHave a nice day and I bid you Adieu.
Joel singled me out and used passive agressive behavior to get DD to either 'water down' a good many of us, or he would leave.
Regarding back room deals...
Bolch confirmed the back room deal with Cronin. And the Rose Bowl also alleges actions were taken behind closed doors to break the contract.
Lack of transparency and lack of decency is on Jelly. The privacy policy violation is on Jelly. The tax fraud issue was my opinion, hence the word 'bet.'
Discovery and evidence will be a powerful thing in the RB lawsuit and in the tax fraud investigation.
The nicknames go way back... and have been created along the way by members as a way to deal with the dumpster fires. You may not like them, but it adds a little humor to the tragedy of public figures using our tax dollars in ways that are frankly, shameful.
Someone came up with Donut Dan, others came up with Alfraud and Chipster Alfraud, Jarmond became Jelly a long time ago and is so much like his predecessor, he also became a donut.
Why don't you go up against Evan and Gibbs who use strawman arguments and attacks to belittle many here. Tell them they are slandering us. You won't, because they won't back down. And they are still here and will continue to be because this community gives freedom of expression as long as it's not political.
You want a bland site that aligns with your opinion of how we should express our opinions.
Sorry, I am not going to comply with your 'correct speech' plea.
Query: what is the back room deal with Cronin you are referring to? Is it....<gasp>....his contract? Where else are contracts negotiated than in the proverbial back room?
Oh, come on Joel. People are simply airing their frustrations; they don't like seeing an individual being paid $1.55m a year to manage UCLA Athletics, then observe that said individual is only managing his own bank account.
Sorry to hear your true identity was unknowingly revealed (I'm a "4ever" guy, but no I didn't do it!). I too enjoy TMB's analyses and predictions and the discussions they generate from all of you folks. But just like in daily life, news and info are shared, opinions and ideas are expressed, frustrations and criticisms are aired, and debates and arguments are formed in so many different ways that, in a lot of cases, won't always end up in agreeable or acceptable forms or outcomes. I haven't reviewed the terms of agreement lately, so correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe postings that anyone considers distasteful and not to their liking are still within the rules and spirit of TMB if they're supported by relevant facts or reasoning. (An example of something that's clearly worthy of ejection was that obnoxious Badger guy from last season.) In any case, I think it's a safe assumption that we're all here because we care about the best school in the nation!
FYI, I finally saw a doctor who confirmed I've been suffering from BBS (battered Bruin syndrome) and recommended that I just stick to reading newpapers that are devoid of any humor and negative commentary, but this apparent addiction to TMB makes that very hard to do. LOL
"..I had a few different things rambling around in my head over the past few days, so I’m getting them out here in a bit of a scattered article. I apologize if it doesn’t flow as smoothly, but I wanted to get it out there.."
Dimitri..
A thoroughly cogent downloading of horded thoughts! The buffer overflows when the facts pile up faster than can be evaluated. When I "blow jets", it's usually like a fire drill on Grant Avenue in San Francisco.
This is a great summary eval Dimitri, and the observation/comment about the history of the program always being hamstrung by looking within the Bruin family to find or promote a head coach is right on. Even my hero Tommy Prothro had been an assistant to the great Red Sanders, though successful as the Oregon State HC.
Happy Holidays to all and GO BOB and the BRUINS in 26!
It does make me question whether the move to SoFi is hitting the skids, OR will they just move those who have expressed interest (in the form of $$$) in the SEZ to a comparable thing at SoFi.
Moore makes the handicap placard situation seem quaint amirite.
What an incredible debacle. It's not Penn State or Michigan State level horrific, but what a deplorable series of events by Moore and by the AD and his staff who tried to hide it altogether, or at least long enough to get to signing day.
The cover-up is always worse than the crime.
..by definition: because it compounds the misdeed.
I’ve seen on Twitter that the reason so many at UM are calling for their AD to be fired is the affair was basically an open secret by 2023. But as long as everyone could maintain plausible deniability it was fun. So it was only a matter of time before it blew up in their faces. And especially coming of Jim Harbaugh’s sign stealing scandal which resulted in Harbaugh being banned from coaching in the NCAA, to not properly vet his replacement and try to steer clear of controversy is particularly bad. Plus you have former bball coach Juwan Howard assaulting a Wisconsin coach and you wonder where the NCAA is? If lack of institutional control is still a thing, then the UM athletic department is a prime example of it
Both disgusting and embarrassing for UM and college football.
I would love to see Kiffykin bail on LSU & have yet another school hate him.
..or "Tarmac'ed" yet again.
To be fair to Kiffin, he’s turned into an elite coach after working under Saban but even at SC, he was operating under sanctions and at one point had like 40 scholarship players so barely enough to field a team with backups.
Still the same terrible troll of a person though.
Regardless of any success that he may bring to a football program, it's the lack of integrity that defines HC Kiffin. I'm surprised that the UCLA HC search committee made an effort to actually contact him (and he's also an ex-Trojan HC!).
Good football coach, but just a piece of shit as a human being; just ask Tennessee or Ole Miss!
Don’t forget the Oakland Raiders! Al Davis (god this goes back a long ways) publicly rode him mercilessly for over a year calling him every name in the book to, in my opinion, justify his own mistake of hiring Kiff in the first place (i.e. he was deceived), and in making him the youngest head coach in NFL history.
So it took the Moore saga and alleged crimes of this scumbag to finally get Michigan to take action and investigate what has been visible for years: cheating, scandals and all around bad apples in the Athletic Program.
Imho, the Mich AD will be forced to resign or be fired, and Michigan will come out smelling like blue and maize roses.
On the other hand, Donut Head Jelly 2.0 has been making dark backroom deals with SoFi and Cronin, fueling dumpster fire after dumpster fire, from chipster to fos to mickster to privacy violations and deep deep debt.
And I would bet he has his dirty little hands all over the tax fraud scheme. He's making millions and laughing in our faces.
So I am relieved the slimey donut stayed in his lane and the big boys brought in Chesney.
Hi, Tamara, Merry Christmas!
Hi sweet Jim, Merry Christmas to you and all your loved ones 💙💛
I might not think Jarmond is a good AD but there’s nothing in his past or present conduct that suggests he’s a criminal. Let’s not resort to that sort of slander please!
I didn't accuse him of being a criminal.
I do think, at the very least, he knew about the tax fraud scheme, which would make him complicit in a crime.
But the investigation, if done with integrity, will reveal the truth.
so you did accuse him of being a criminal.
He's STEALING $1.55m of UCLA's (taxpayers) money each year, I'd say that's criminal.
Oh for the days when cheating meant slipping a hundred dollar bill into a bag of McDonalds fries.
Oh, I take it you didn't read Donut head jelly 2.0's email he sent out for Xmas greetings. 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣. It's Christmas time always for Donut head Jelly 2.0 as he counts the millions UCLA is paying him for NOTHING of course. $1.55m a year of pure waste.
Great recap of UCLA's HC search effort, just glad they landed a promising candidate with a history of successes instead of focusing on just another former Bruins player (with or without HC experience) or an NFL retread. Thank goodness the apathetic Blockhead is gone and that Frenkenstein is showing signs of life for the future of UCLA Athletics. I think "UCLA HC search committee leader" was more like an honorary title for the incompetent and lazy AD Martin Guerrero. Next major issue to resolve is the Rose Bowl vs. SoFi Stadium mess.
Interestingly, Bruins season ticket renewal packages got mailed out last week and they had seating maps of the Rose Bowl including the soon to be revamped end zone suite area.
so on brand to send out renewal package for the wrong stadium
Just another sign of the continuing dysfunction and incompetence of the current AD and his administration. With UM's AD now under investigation, maybe that could lead to a potential job opening soon.
I noticed the link for ticket information on HC Chesney's intro website is still broken, though:
https://static.uclabruins.com/custompages/meet_coach_chesney/index.htm#home-opponents
But, yes, the ticket info for the Rose Bowl exists here:
https://uclabruins.com/sports/2025/7/14/ucla-football-tickets
Hope the AD and his tarps will disappear too!
Well done again, Dmitri, and again we have fingers crossed. Can we attract top recruits?
Definitely remains to be seen. Virginia Tech, which hasn’t been good in a long long time, just received a $20 million NIL donation.
I don’t see any ucla donor even approaching that. I would LOVE to be wrong though
Interesting comment. I had an employee, grad from VT. He got in trouble flying to Japan under mysterious circumstances an was about to lose his security clearance (meal ticket) I 'volunteered' to help him out . So did a math professor from VT we went into Federal court in Boston where I was volunteered to be "his counsel. his crime? He flew to Japan on his Taiwan passport. Big no no for we clearance holders. In truth He went there to meet his girlfriend and eventual wife. He couldn't go to Taiwan because the government still demanded he serve his time in the military. we prevailed and he continued to work for me. sometimes we don't know how fortunate we are!
The odds are overwhelmingly against it, but I'll be rooting hard for HC Chesney and JMU to pull off a stunning upset of the lame Ducks to help improve the recruiting and NIL efforts for UCLA. Go HC Chesney & Dukes of Madison!
..would love it as well, but will settle for the pyrrhic victory with Chez having his troops come off like "Gutty Little Dukes" and hold Da Dux inside the spread..
We all know how difficult it is to win at Autzen Stadium; but don’t forget, Indiana pulled it off primarily due to a dominant defensive performance with a pressure style (similar to that employed by James Madison); that forced six sacks and two late turnovers, including interceptions, disrupting Oregon QB Dante Moore.
In watching Dante play for UCLA and Oregon, it is clear that he loses his fundamentals when pressured and knocked around in the pocket (many college QB’s do; they start looking down at the line instead of the secondary and lose their form throwing the ball).
JM clearly does not have Indiana’s personnel, but, If JM can get three turnovers (and they seem capable of doing that with their pressure defense and personnel), they can keep it close for awhile, but it will require a defensive or special teams score or two to make it a game. I just don’t have confidence in the offense I saw having much success against a legitimate Big 18 defense. It will be fun to see what Chez has in store for the Ducks. Time to display your coaching chops for all to see Chez!
unfortunately it really comes down to the NIL. If UCLA offers a kid $100,000, but Southwest Idaho Tech State A&M offers $101,000, guess where they are going?
and before anyone starts talking about integrity and character, just stop. The system has now made college athletics these kids' livelihood. Most of them will never get paid to play their sports again after college and will revert to entry level jobs or worse. They have a right to chase the money while it is there.
Agree with Evan here. It's a great opportunity for kids who otherwise would not get a chance to make any money close to this to start their lives with. It also keeps them in school to get their diploma and even offers many graduate school. For many in the past, the financial pressure to leave robbed them of their opportunity to finish school. That no longer exists, but new pressures arise that kids have to cope with......if you are getting paid big money, people expect performance (see Donovan Dent). Kids may not be emotionally ready for that kind of scrutiny (from coaches and fans) yet.
I thought that HC Cronin brought up a few interesting things regarding NIL in a recent interview. He mentioned that agents steal around 20% of the money that the student-athletes get (too much!), and that parents need to protect their kids against these greedy entities. Also, the payment is an up-front, lump-sum check, and the kids have no legal obligation to stay with a program, so he thinks there should he contracts (like with the pros), and maybe have gradual payouts vs. lump-sum checks. But he said the NCAA apparently lacks the means to enforce any guardrails (hence, the current NIL "Wild West").
hogwash that the NCAA lacks the means to enforce. it's the backbone they lack.
In some cases “Fortunately” and in others “Unfortunately”, that “backbone” has been broken several times over when it comes to NIL related litigation. It seems clear to me that the NCAA is gun-shy because they have been clobbered in court every time they have attempted to enforce rules that “negatively impact” the ability of players to “earn a living.” Anything attempting to control “agent fees” would be packaged (by agent attorneys) as having the same kind of “anti-trust” impact on players that the other NCAA-attempted-rules have had. The NCAA does not want to risk the time and money, only to get clobbered again. That leaves us with “a college player union” (the courts stay out of Union/employer negotiations) or attempts at legislation. Both face very strong headwinds right now for a variety of reasons (a whole new discussion). In my humble opinion, this is why we are where we are here.
..not to usurp Evan's spot-on comment below but to bolster it: If "Tech State A&M" is a mythical boondocks institution and the kid's going to it as a "Rudy walk-on", then he might take the additional grand. But, if the kid's a three-star (or higher) recruit and has not gotten any phone calls from anyone else in the Big One-Ate or elsewhere, then heading out to Westwood and practicing in the balmy sunshine with access to the beaches 'n babes in thongs might have him eschew the extra "one large".
I apologize to anyone who took the time to read the 121st entry in the "comments" to Joe's Chesney article last week. I should have waited two days. Here it is again because I can't help myself. I am as excited as the rest of you to see what we've got, and I would like to talk to you all about it:
I DVR’d James Madison’s conference championship game just to get a preview of what kind of a team “Chez” had built over the past 2 years and how that may translate to the Bruins. I finally got a chance to look at it. Although one game is a very small “sample size,” here are some humble opinions:
First, the attacking defense was awesome to observe. Chez’s coaching chops come from the defensive side of the ball, so I am assuming he dictates a lot of what happens on a series-to-series basis there. He clearly has a “pressure the QB emphasis” (fast, athletic edge rushers, with pressure up the middle from an athletic nose to collapse the pocket, with linebackers and even a safety joining at times). There is nothing that takes a QB’s mind and line of sight away from the secondary, than a pass rush, especially pressure up the middle. I was very impressed with his front seven. His secondary “rolls” both to and away from strength (as backers and edge rushers drop into pass coverage to confuse the opposing QB). Thus, turnovers from the passing game (QB fumbles and picks) are plentiful. This philosophy, and the speed and agility of several players from this group would translate well into the Big 18 (as a life-long fan of the Pac 8, 10 and 12 “Conference of Champions,” I apologize for my inadequacies. We were adversaries for so long, that I still get that nauseous feeling in the pit of my stomach referring to UCLA as being in the “Big __”).
Second, the mystery for me is what Chez is going to do with our offense. Unlike his defense, his RPO/power running philosophy lacks both originality and personnel to translate successfully to UCLA. He (like many others) wants to be a power run offense with option and play action passes off of it. However, his offensive line schemes are fairly elementary. I assume that the reason he has been so successful at JM is that he does, in fact, have good running backs, but more importantly, he has some of the best O-lineman in the Sun Belt Conference (per the game’s play-by-play team). However, the O-linemen I saw last night, IMHO, will not translate well into the Big 18. His offense, and its present philosophy, would require 1st and 2nd round draft-caliber linemen in this league, which he does not have and will not be able to recruit (at least initially) to UCLA, given its recent recruiting history (unlike, Ohio State, Michigan, Wisconsin, etc. etc.), which brings me to my suggestion for the offensive side of the ball.
I think Chez needs to send his next OC down the 405 to Sofi, not to scout the playing conditions (as stated in a different post, I’m a Rose Bowl guy), but to view the 20 miles of offensive game film stored there to put together the kind of “Jet Sweep” offensive philosophy that McVay employs. MV was not the first to run the "Jet Sweep" but he is the first to master it.
Its strength is in its “complex simplicity”. You run about 10 to 12 base plays extremely well. To create mismatches you use initial formations (with one, two or three receivers or even three tight ends and backs) and then with various pre-snap motions (which allows the QB to identify defensive coverages/tendencies as defenders are forced to think and respond to the movement), you can make almost every play “look” different. The best part is what the Rams have proven over the past 9 years: You don't have to have the best linemen in the league if you have a superior scheme and a smart QB with a big arm.
I think that adapting a significant portion of this offense to college football and bringing it to the Big 18 would not only create havoc among all the DC’s in the league, it would also turn UCLA into a “destination” school for dynamic QB’s, tight ends, backs and receivers and introduce the utility of lighter, mobile, smart offensive linemen to showcase their talents for UCLA within the Big 18. McVay has been open every year to making his staff available in the off-season to some extent to local high school and college coaches. Quentin Lake is a defensive standout for the Rams. I’m sure he could “grease the wheels” so to speak to make sure “Chez” and his coaches got some special attention if they wanted it. That's enough for now.
The offense is what I'm most intrigued/concerned about. Despite all the high rankings from it OC Kennedy was the one coach that JMU fans were happy to see go. He has a history of perplexing play calls (such as run up the middle on 3rd and long) and most fans put the success of the offense on the talent of the players and not the play caller. However he also put up good numbers as OC at Holy Cross so it could just be fan grumbling.
I'm really hoping he brings Hitschler over as DC as well as the defense looks fun like you mentioned.
Again, all you need to do as a winner is recruit and "portal" all the best offensive and defensive line you can get. That and just an average QB who doesn't have a habit of turning the ball over all the time and you have a winning program, yea I know it sounds easy, but finding just the right line combinations is extremely difficult in this day and age.
I agree that may get you 8 or 9 wins Big B, but if you want to get to the playoffs in the Big 18, like Chez states he wants to, you need to bring something more to the table.
You need more than just "an average QB."
You need a smart guy with some arm talent. The smarts is because you need a scheme that allows him (the QB) to ID the defense pre-snap (see the McVay analogy above), so that he knows where he wants to go with the ball -where the spaces in the defense will be- so that he can spend his drop back looking off his primary receiver (to make that space larger); and he needs the arm talent to get it there. In MHO, in addition to the recruiting you reference, that would be the difference between 8 or 9 wins and a spot in the playoffs.
I am saddened and shocked when there are posts that say that Cronin is involved with “dark back room deals with Sofi” and Jarmond has “dirty little hands all over the tax fraud scheme….making millions and laughing in our faces”. “Slimey donut”. Surprised and disappointed that Dimitri does not put a stop to this type of ugly comments. Can dislike certain individuals but this crosses all red lines of decency. Dimitri, if this kind of slander and ugliness is OK with you, kindly cancel my subscription because while I am not a fan of Cronin or Jarmond, this kind of talk is reprehensible.
Kindly confirm the cancellation.
don't go anywhere. it's really just 2 or 3 malcontents.
We have a right to our opinion. It's called the right to free speech, 1A.
The nicknames like Donut Head Jelly 2.0 or others that have been given along the way is our way of keeping a sense of humor amidst the dumpster fire we have lived through...
A few questions for you Joel...regarding our illustrious AD...
Do you think that there has been transparency in the SoFi saga, do you think there was transparency in the deal made with Cronin that required a public records request to have it disclosed?
Do you think there has been accountability for privacy policy violations, do you think jelly didn't know about the tax fraud scheme?
And what about the debt he racked up while earning millions,
Perhaps you should do your research and realize what he truly is...
There are many who want him fired. Did you not see the van in Westwood or the banner flying above the Rose Bowl?
Keep in mind that the truth will reveal itself over time as the law suit snd investigations unfold.
And have the courage to reply to me directly instead of begging DD to take away my right to express my opinions.
First, not sure how my post was under my first name "Joel" s/b under UCLA4EVER.
Second, I did not ask DD to take away your right to your opinions--a total twisting of what I posted and a lack of reading comprehension.. I directed my post to Dimitri and not you because he is the one who can cancel my subscription and remove my credit card information--not you. What I did say is if the type of posts I quoted which, IN MY OPINION (of which I have a right to express) are ugly, slander and crosses the line of decency among other things, (and possible violation of TOS) are acceptable here, then I requested my subscription be cancelled and I should add my credit card information deleted which is on file. I have the courage to call it as I see it and address my thoughts and opinions to the person who can cancel my subscription which is obviously not you.
As to answering what I consider over the top statements--especially about tax fraud-I do not want to waste additional time on ridiculous things in my opinion.IHave a nice day and I bid you Adieu.
Ahhhh, UCLA4EVER...
It was obvious that you singled me out. You were talking to DD but only attacked my words and in essence, me.
Reading comprehension is not my problem. Passive aggressive behavior is yours.
Many in this community have nicknames for the admin, many criticize those who have acted in ways to harm UCLA.
You know nothing about me, and I am happy for that.
I 100% agree with Joel/UCLA4EVER. All this slander, silly nicknames, name-calling, etc is really ugly and beyond us.
I like the updates and analysis from Dmitri and Joe but a lot of the comments section just becomes mud slinging and personal attacks.
Thank you for your opinion.
Here's mine...
Joel singled me out and used passive agressive behavior to get DD to either 'water down' a good many of us, or he would leave.
Regarding back room deals...
Bolch confirmed the back room deal with Cronin. And the Rose Bowl also alleges actions were taken behind closed doors to break the contract.
Lack of transparency and lack of decency is on Jelly. The privacy policy violation is on Jelly. The tax fraud issue was my opinion, hence the word 'bet.'
Discovery and evidence will be a powerful thing in the RB lawsuit and in the tax fraud investigation.
The nicknames go way back... and have been created along the way by members as a way to deal with the dumpster fires. You may not like them, but it adds a little humor to the tragedy of public figures using our tax dollars in ways that are frankly, shameful.
Someone came up with Donut Dan, others came up with Alfraud and Chipster Alfraud, Jarmond became Jelly a long time ago and is so much like his predecessor, he also became a donut.
Why don't you go up against Evan and Gibbs who use strawman arguments and attacks to belittle many here. Tell them they are slandering us. You won't, because they won't back down. And they are still here and will continue to be because this community gives freedom of expression as long as it's not political.
You want a bland site that aligns with your opinion of how we should express our opinions.
Sorry, I am not going to comply with your 'correct speech' plea.
Query: what is the back room deal with Cronin you are referring to? Is it....<gasp>....his contract? Where else are contracts negotiated than in the proverbial back room?
Oh, come on Joel. People are simply airing their frustrations; they don't like seeing an individual being paid $1.55m a year to manage UCLA Athletics, then observe that said individual is only managing his own bank account.
Sorry to hear your true identity was unknowingly revealed (I'm a "4ever" guy, but no I didn't do it!). I too enjoy TMB's analyses and predictions and the discussions they generate from all of you folks. But just like in daily life, news and info are shared, opinions and ideas are expressed, frustrations and criticisms are aired, and debates and arguments are formed in so many different ways that, in a lot of cases, won't always end up in agreeable or acceptable forms or outcomes. I haven't reviewed the terms of agreement lately, so correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe postings that anyone considers distasteful and not to their liking are still within the rules and spirit of TMB if they're supported by relevant facts or reasoning. (An example of something that's clearly worthy of ejection was that obnoxious Badger guy from last season.) In any case, I think it's a safe assumption that we're all here because we care about the best school in the nation!
FYI, I finally saw a doctor who confirmed I've been suffering from BBS (battered Bruin syndrome) and recommended that I just stick to reading newpapers that are devoid of any humor and negative commentary, but this apparent addiction to TMB makes that very hard to do. LOL
Go Bruins!
"..I had a few different things rambling around in my head over the past few days, so I’m getting them out here in a bit of a scattered article. I apologize if it doesn’t flow as smoothly, but I wanted to get it out there.."
Dimitri..
A thoroughly cogent downloading of horded thoughts! The buffer overflows when the facts pile up faster than can be evaluated. When I "blow jets", it's usually like a fire drill on Grant Avenue in San Francisco.
Ya done good!
This is a great summary eval Dimitri, and the observation/comment about the history of the program always being hamstrung by looking within the Bruin family to find or promote a head coach is right on. Even my hero Tommy Prothro had been an assistant to the great Red Sanders, though successful as the Oregon State HC.
Happy Holidays to all and GO BOB and the BRUINS in 26!
Hmmm, this is the first I've heard of this SEZ section at the RB. Am I just WAY out of touch?
https://www.rosebowllastinglegacy.com/enhance/south-endzone-field-club/index.html
It does make me question whether the move to SoFi is hitting the skids, OR will they just move those who have expressed interest (in the form of $$$) in the SEZ to a comparable thing at SoFi.
The south endzone club has been in the works for awhile now.
SoFi has a similar setup on the sidelines, so I imagine this would be an easy transition if the move takes place.
Weird, I've been a season ticket holder for almost 20 years and just noticed it today. It would be a pretty significant change to the RB.
They officially announced it last year, and UCLA was taking memberships for it at the beginning of this season.
There are other things the Rose Bowl is promising, like a new video board and brand new seating, but they don’t have the funding for that as of now.