Ah, the old “My computer was hacked” defense. If I had a nickel for every time that one was used … um, do they have nickel slot machines anymore? Crap, what am I going to do with all this useless change? Brian Theriot, father of UCLA fullback Trevor Theriot, (both pictured below with Trevor’s mom, Melissa), is using that to explain recent Facebook shenanigans aimed at coach Rick Neuheisel.

It seems that someone wrote very disparaging things about Neuheisel and the way he’s handling the 3-5 Bruins on Brian Theriot’s Facebook page. Things like: “The sets are Pop Warner in movement, motion, and slots. I mean a Pop Warner type offense that Tim Tebow would laugh at.” Ha. And it would be very hard to get Tim Tebow to laugh at your offensive sets. He’s just too nice. Read more…

Another nice find by Jay Christensen at WIZ OF ODDS, as the DAILY BRUIN has this delightful moment involving UCLA coach Rick Neuheisel as he sat in front of the media following Cal’s 45-26 throttling of the Bruins last Saturday:

At that moment UCLA football coach Rick Neuheisel walked into the room, sunburned and exasperated after his team’s 45-26 defeat to rival Cal.

Almost no one moved. Necks remained craned toward the USC game until a frustrated Neuheisel spoke sharply.

“Would everyone like to watch the end of that ball game?” Neuheisel asked. “I am more than willing to wait.”

There was a hint of bitterness in Neuheisel’s voice, a slight sign of the wounded pride of UCLA football.

Get used to it Coach. Read more…

So the economy has been a barrel of laughs lately, am I right folks? If you’re unlucky enough to be familiar with the term “mandatory furlough days,” then chances are you work at a newspaper, or for the government. Heck, I guess these are turning up in just about every type of business, come to think of it. Yes, it sucks.

(Too important to be furloughed)

But if you’re a California State University football coach, the government is willing to work with you. Other state employees are currently required to take two unpaid furlough days a month. But football coaches, who presumably put in long hours in the fall and sleep on their office sofas (your team may vary), simply can’t get away! Read more…

For past two seasons, the once-mighty Michigan-Notre Dame rivalry has been mighty crappy. There was ND’s 35-17 wipeout of the Wolverines in South Bend last season, and then there was UM’s 38-0 a$$-whooping of the Irish in Ann Arbor the season before that. So you’d figure that today’s matchup in the Big House would be a big bore.

Big mistake to assume that. Like two aging heavyweights whose glory days appeared to have been behind them, Michigan & Notre Dame traded punches all afternoon (figurative, not literal) as the score see-sawed back & forth. But it was the Maize & Blue who managed the final knockout blow, as Tate Forcier tossed a 5-yard TD pass to Greg Matthews with 11 seconds left. So Hail to the Victors in a 38-34 thriller.

(Time to get those Charlie Weis-bashing billboards back up.)

Speaking of knockouts, another top-5 team from the Sooner state took another tumble on the field in an upset loss.

Read more…

• Looking to get lei’d? Then don’t go to Saturday’s Notre Dame game.

• Could Bill Cowher be convinced to coach the Cleveland Browns?

• Bud Selig is tweaking postseason play, weather you like it or not.

• Eric Musselman may not know if Bill Walsh is still alive, but the ex-NBA coach knows he’s got it good with sideline-reporting Fox Danyelle Sargent.

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Earlier this season, UCLA head coach Rick Neuheisel had employed a unique tool as a way to see multiple potential recruits play in one night (and impress the hell out of them in the process): flying in on a helicopter. It matched the image of him as an aggressive, on-the-go coach whose high-energy style would attract young players. Plus, everyone knows that helicopters are awesome. (Not as awesome as, say, ninjas, but pretty awesome.)

Neuheisel had plans to take to the skies tonght to see two games - one in Mission Viejo and one in Ventura. But the LOS ANGELES TIMES reports that Neuheisel has been grounded. The reason isn’t that Pete Carroll has recently come into possession of a cadre of surface-to-air missile but something simpler - the helicopter is in use tonight.

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• Greg Patton of the RIVERSIDE PRESS-ENTERPRISE hears Rick Neuheisel thanking UCLA fans for not booing during the Bruins’ bruising by Arizona.

• Baron Davis offers his thoughts & prayers to those affected by the Columbia, SC, plane crash that killed 4.

• BALLHYPE passes along video of David Beckham’s appearance on Sesame Street.

• You know things are bad for your team when the mascot is holding signs criticizing the owner. And THE SUN is there.

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Two weeks ago, UCLA kicked off its second Rick Neuheisel era with a stunning, come-from-behind victory over SEC sort-of powerhouse (okay, maybe that’s pushing it) Tennessee. What would they do for an encore? Why, get bombed back to the stone age by a Mountain West team, that’s what. Yeah, that football monopoly in L.A. is definitely over, Rick.

Hours before USC plastered Ohio State 35-3 in front of a sell-out crowd and national TV audience, BYU got six touchdown passes from quarterback Max Hall in the first half  as the Cougars destroyed the Bruins 59-0, the worst loss for UCLA since 1929.

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• Need to make it to a high school football game on time? Just do like Rick Neuheisel does - call in the choppers!

• Maybe Vince Young knew what was going to happen when he didn’t want to go back on the field on Sunday.

• Sorry, Chad - no Ocho Cinco game jersey for you this week.

• With Brady bounced for the year, are New England Patriots fans ready to rally ’round the Cassel?

• One Colts fan bucks at the thought of paying $1,280 for brand-new stadium seats that turn out to have obstructed views.

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The Rick Neuheisel era at UCLA is off to a pretty good start, as the Bruins are 1-0 after beating the Tennessee Vols last week at the Rose Bowl. A win like that is bound to impress some recruits and, along with those full page ads, maybe steal some thunder away from cross-town rival USC.

Still, these days winning football games just isn’t enough to woo potential suitors. USC wins a lot of games, and they have the Song Girls to boot, so if you’re going to win them over you have to take your recruiting to the next level. For Neuheisel, that level is the skies.

Read more…