It is great to hear about the cooperation being exhibited this week between USC football coach Pete Carroll and UCLA’s Rick Neuheisel, and how they gave the big middle finger to the NCAA. For years, both USC and UCLA wore their dark home jerseys in their annual end-of-season rivalry game. But the big, mean NCAA decided years ago that any visiting team in college football MUST wear white, or that team forfeits a timeout in each half. To return to that tradition, Carroll announced on Monday that USC would wear their home cardinal jerseys for the game at the Rose Bowl.
Well, the two coaches have decided to screw the NCAA. To make the game fair, UCLA will burn a timeout at the start of the halves to make the game even; And next year, USC will do the same and have invited UCLA to wear their home jerseys as well.
The NCAA Football Rules Committee decided, from their perch on high, to only take away one of USC’s timeouts. So now, at the beginning of the game, there will be a hullabaloo as USC is assessed a penalty, and then UCLA calls a timeout at the beginning of the game. A classy move for the two schools, and a bullshit move by the NCAA. It’ll be great to see the USC fans rise to their feet and cheer for UCLA when they call their early timeout.
Figures. The NCAA wants to penalize teams for sticking to a tradition that is pretty cool and hurts no one, but wants to adhere to a bullshit tradition (the BCS and Bowl system) that hurts many.
on Dec 3rd, 2008 at 6:38 PM
Fight On!
on Dec 3rd, 2008 at 7:47 PM
I can’t wait. I think it was a great move by both coaches. I remember as a kid watching the game w/ both teams wearing their home jerseys. It was much more magical, colorful, traditional, & an LA tradition. You’re right Cyd, hopefully SC fans giving a standing ovation when UCLA calls time out! But quite frankly the entire stadium should give a standing ovation. That would be even better…
Btw, love the middle finger to the NCAA comment.
on Dec 3rd, 2008 at 8:51 PM
Bizarre that the NCAA would make such a fuss about this.
On Election Night, there was a nationally televised game on ESPN(2?) featuring Miami(OH) and Buffalo. The NCAA allowed both teams to wear their dark jerseys for that game, red for Miami and blue for Buffalo as a play on the red state/blue state terms used frequently during the election.
on Dec 3rd, 2008 at 9:34 PM
I agree w/ you blueraider–it is bizarre. Carroll has been trying to do this since the 1st year he started @ SC. Both he & coach Dorrell had several talks about it. In the end, they respected the NCAA rule. I think Carroll & Neuheisel finally said this is BS! Hopefully, this will send a strong message to the NCAA & other teams follow suit. That rule is soooo frikkin riduculous! It’s about wearing contrasting colors, which they will definitely be sporting!
Fight on!
on Dec 3rd, 2008 at 10:51 PM
The NCAA is so dated and out of touch on a lot of things, this being one. Another example of their dated views was when they banned blogging by sportcasters from baseball games. Their claim was that it was not within the media control of the NCAA. They have since caved in somewhat but they still have such ridiculous rules for blogging (see the rules – http://sportsontheair.blogspot.com/2008/03/remember-those-ncaa-blogging-rules-this.html). As you can see it’s like something set up by a bunch of bizarre control freaks. I’ve seen some of their control regarding logos and brand which makes sense. But they seem to carry that control into areas where they really should be out of. Until more people stand up to the NCAA and say enough is enough this only gets worse.
on Dec 4th, 2008 at 12:41 AM
Not to be negative…well, maybe a little…
but if UCLA had a chance to clinch a berth in the Rose Bowl or another BCS bowl, would they be so accomodating in voluntarily giving up their timeout?
on Dec 4th, 2008 at 12:43 PM
You should do some research before posting, Cyd. You are wrong to place the blame for the BCS & the bowl system on the NCAA. The BCS is a cartel of the BCS conferences. The NCAA is NOT involved in its machinations. The winner of the BCS title game is NOT recognized as the national champion by the NCAA.
As far as the bowl system goes, all the NCAA does is rubber stamp every city/organizer’s bowl game.
The actions of the NCAA are dictated by the universities that make it up. To place the blame on the NCAA & not the universities is stupid.
Finally, LSU has been allowed to wear their white jerseys at home for some time. Georgia Tech has done so from time to time as well.
on Dec 4th, 2008 at 2:30 PM
As a former cheerleader at both USC and UCLA (80-85), I disagree with UCLA’s decision to go along with uniform/timeout swap.
I cheered at both schools during the transition to separate stadiums. UCLA moving out of the Coliseum was the best move the football program ever made. It allowed them to forge their own identity, aided by the image of USC wearing white as a visitor at the Rose Bowl. Having another weekend of USC in home uni’s in LA is an image that helps USC, not UCLA, especially now that SC has risen again and UCLA remains the Gutty Little Bruins of the gridiron.
If I were UCLA, I’d treat this just like any other home game. In those old dual-school LA Coliseum days, both school also split the stadium so the visiting fans had an entire sideline of seats rather than end zone seats. Think the home team in this series is ready to displace their premium-seat-paying alumni? Nope, because times have changed.
I suggest the Bruins keep forging their own football identity and treat a home game with the Trojans just like a home game with the Ducks or the Bears. And for heaven’s sake, don’t give up anything to USC, especially time outs.
on Dec 6th, 2008 at 10:51 PM
Fun fact: the NCAA Football Rules Committee is made up entirely of serving head coaches, (and the Secretary-Rules Editor, who doesn’t get a vote and does exactly what they tell him to). Not entirely sure how a committee of head coaches can be considered “on high” in this context…