Rick Neuheisel tells UCLA boosters he's 'ticked' at USC's Pete Carroll

Take-your-child-to-work day rarely falls on a Saturday, but UCLA's Rick Neuheisel wants to do something about that.

A league rule prohibits anybody younger than 18 from being on the sideline during a football game, so Neuheisel proposed creating a waiver for coaches' children. When he brought it up to a committee of his fellow coaches, the vote was overwhelmingly in favor -- by a margin of 9-1.

Was it another case of Pac-10 football boiling down to USC and everybody else?

Neuheisel shared the story during a booster event in Westlake Village last month. He recalled looking at the lone dissenter and thinking, "I'm gonna' get you. I'm gonna' reel you in. I don't know how, I don't know when, but I am not going to rest until I reel you in." Then he reminded the crowd, "Now, you noticed I did not name any names, did I?"

But immediately before that, he made it clear whom  he was talking about. First acknowledging respect for Pete Carroll, Neuheisel introduced his story by saying, "He did something this last week that ticks me off, and I'm going to share it with you and see if it ticks you off. And we're going to walk out of this room tonight ticked off at Pete Carroll, ticked off at all that is SC."

It's worth nothing that though Neuheisel's kids are all under 18, most if not all of Carroll's are over 18. In fact, son Brennan Carroll is an assistant coach for the Trojans.

Sidelines can be unfriendly places for kids. Heavy equipment is all over the place, and that's not including the 300-pound linemen. Grown men run out of bounds at a full sprint. Carroll once saw one of his own receivers sprain an ankle while avoiding a small child on the sideline of USC's practice field.

So what's the real reason that the not-so-mysterious man dissented? Maybe he'll Twitter about it later.

Neuheisel is still hoping to be joined by his kids, even if he's not sure what to do with them. He told the crowd that before technology improved, some leagues allowed coaches' children to carry cords around on the sideline. "I kinda always dreamt of a day that my boy would be able to do that. Well, now we don't have cords ... but I'm still going to make my son carry one even though it's not plugged into anything!"

Video of the booster event, which was originally posted on UCLA's YouTube account, appears to be down. It was also posted on BruinsNation.

-- Adam Rose

Photos: UCLA's Rick Neuheisel, left, is upset with USC's Pete Carroll, right. Credit: Photographs by Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Times

 

 

 

Comments

[Jon K.]

That's the attitude, Rick.

GO BRUINS!!!!

[L.A.]

Doesn't Neuheisel have anything better to get booster's fired up about? Or is there just nothing about UCLA football itself to get excited about this year?

[Jackson Bliss]

Give me a break: coaches are entitled to their opinions, based on their own life experiences. And if USC has seen its players get injured before trying to avoid kids on the field, there's nothing malicious about Pete Carroll deciding not to vote for this. This seems like a classic example of coach Neuheisel trying to find something to rev up his own boosters, but it actually makes him look petty. Seriously. . . save it for the field man.

[Christopher Eaton]

Whatever it takes Rick, I guess. Lame. Fight On!

[Slick Rick's offspring]

Maybe Coach Pete is trying to spare us from watching the inevitable beatings (and associated crying by grown men on the sidelines) during the upcoming Pac-10 football season?

[john Smart]

Wow. Neuheisel is going to regret this silly rant the moment some kid gets clocked by a 6'5" receiver being knocked out of bounds at full speed.

Maybe Neuheisel can invite family pets to pace the sidelines too.

and "get ticked" at USC for this vote?

UCLA football is pathetic.

[K.K.]

"...but it actually makes him look petty."

Nine of 10 coaches vote to change the rule, Carrol's the lone dissenter, and Neuheisel's the petty one!? Further proof that U$C* lemmings are delusional.

[Jack Skellington]

Why does Pete Carroll hate children? Oh, wait, I know.. he votes no now, so that in the future he can bring the idea up and claim it as his own.

[Josh]

The vote was 9-1. Well, we all know that Pete Carroll is wiser than every other coach in the PAC-10, right? Honestly, this looks like PC is just doing this to piss off RN, who proposed the change.

Sorry, but the twisted ankle sounds story sounds like PR from Pete's camp to make him look like less of an ___.

[Stevan Vicijan]

What is the coach trying to prove?

I guess stick to the days that were versus the way it is now?

Interesting change that one wants to revert back to the days of carrying cords...

Personally, I would find something more to get ticked-off if I wanted to find a way to get ticked about Pete Carroll & SC. Maybe win more?

SV

[Nick Hurley]

They already allow little kids on the sidelines at Pac-10 games. It's called the UCLA football team.

[Stan]

You're so cute, K.K. Did you just make up "U$C" or are you just parroting something you heard before because it was ever so clever?

[gerrrg]

This is so funny. I like seeing Rick mad...it's like seeing Tweek on SP angry.

[Brian]

Rick is just trying to create attention for Bruin football. He is jealous of the success of USC football just as I am being a ND fan. Rick should be more ticked off at Pete's own 'bailout plan' for his players.

[K.K.]

Hey Stan, you forgot the "*" which denotes the impending vacating of past wins. My apologies for using multi-syllable words, I'm sure you have a dictionary handy.

[kathy]

Oh wait, Carroll only wants minors on the sideline if the is RECRUITING them! Open your wallets now, please.....