Letters: Clock ticking on Rick Neuheisel

UCLA’s head football coach, Rick Neuheisel, is a fine person who wants the best for the institution. His performance as a student-athlete exemplified dedication and resolve.

However, as the leader of the UCLA football program he has failed. Nearly four years is an acceptable time to build a program. His recruiting, playing strategies, coaching selections and stadium attendance are a shambles.... It’s time for him to step aside.

Camillo Wilde

Lompoc

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Did T.J. Simers go to confession, come back from a retreat? Or, did his wife or daughter write the Neuheisel column? Kudos to Page 2 for showing some class.

Jack Weber

Oxnard

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Will someone please fire Rick Neuheisel and put him out of our misery.

GW Moore

Los Angeles

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I understand that Bob Toledo is now available.

Bob Jameson

Sugar Land, Texas

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Instead of firing Rick Neuheisel, UCLA should promote him — to athletic director. With his infectious enthusiasm and collegiate rah-rah personality, Neuheisel could not do a worse job than the incumbent, Dan Guerrero, and at least UCLA could be assured that Neuheisel, unlike Guerrero, has a pulse.

Tom Lallas

Los Angeles

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Regarding the daily drubbing UCLA football Coach Rick Neuheisel has been taking from all quarters, everyone should ask themselves, “What would John Wooden do?”

Athletic Director Dan Guerrero ought to extend Neuheisel’s contract for 10 years and let the man work on building a program UCLA can be proud of. If nothing else, that would silence those who keep calling for his head on a platter and reward him for being the positive role model he is. He wants the job, he loves UCLA, he’s a well-loved alum, and he has the proven ability to win if given half a chance.

Alumni and fans should really ask themselves if they want a Pete Carroll-type program. It’s not always about the almighty dollar or winning at all costs or the ill-conceived BCS rankings, but about integrity and sportsmanship. When Bruin alumni think about Neuheisel, they ought to also think about Joe Paterno. That should be the role model. Or John Wooden.

Keith Karpe

Los Angeles

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So the Bruins pulled Jerry Rice Jr. from the practice squad to join the team this weekend vs. Cal. Any chance a Terry Donahue Jr. or Dick Vermeil Jr. is walking around the Westwood campus?

Jimbo Beckwith

Hermosa Beach

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As a USC alum, I find the screaming for Rick Neuheisel’s job to be overly harsh and irrational. I truly believe Rick has the program on the right track and, in fact, deserves a contract extension. Is a hundred years doable?

Jim Patton

Manhattan Beach

Game 6 wonthem over

Just finished watching one of the greatest World Series games of all time. This will be remembered with the ’75 Fisk game or maybe Maz’s walk-off homer in ’60. The fact is, I can go on and on and talk about great memories of our national pastime. Oh, by the way, who won the NBA title two years ago? I bet we all have to sit and think about that one. I don’t miss those spoiled brats one bit. My only question: When does spring training start?

Richard Katz

Los Angeles

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The nail-biting, gut-wrenching classic Game 6 of this season’s World Series clearly demonstrates that baseball can indeed be just as — if not more — exciting than football and basketball, the two sports that have surpassed it in recent popularity. They don’t call it “America’s Pastime” for nothing.

Andrew Sacks

Fontana

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World Series broadcasting best and worst:

Worst: John Kruk’s neck practically exploding as he and his ESPN cohorts whipped themselves into a frenzy over the bullpen miscommunication, making a mountain out of a molehill as only ESPN can. The ultimate irony, Ozzie Guillen, of all people, emerging as the steadying voice of reason.

Best: Joe Buck and Tim McCarver. McCarver used to be overbearing, but this year he and Buck were so restrained, while at the same time so prepared, that their commentary added greatly to the telecasts.

Anthony Moretti

Lomita

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I’m glad Freese hit that homer. I was worried that Bud Selig was going to step in and declare that game a tie.

John Thompson

Downey

It’s the luckof the Trojans

As usual, the Trojans’ hubris overshadows their talent. Their postgame swagger fails to recognize that Notre Dame gave the game away by committing two costly turnovers. After the first quarter, USC managed to score only a field goal without help from the Irish (and even that was aided by a taunting penalty). You did not beat anyone down, Mr. Tyler. You were just lucky.

Maggie McKimmey-Harada

Woodinville, Wash.

Napoli standsfor nightmare

I’m not much of a baseball fan, certainly not an Angels fan, but whatever the Angels received in the Mike Napoli trade, it probably wasn’t enough.

Brian K. Haueter

Ventura

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After watching Napoli this season and, especially, this postseason, I can now understand what Dodgers fans went through watching Pedro Martinez put up All-Star numbers for the Expos and Red Sox. The only differences I see are that Napoli has done it after only one year and Delino DeShields helped the Dodgers far more than Vernon Wells has helped the Angels.

Craig L. Dunkin

Los Angeles

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Looks like Angels fans will have to live with the curse of Mike Napoli until they win another World Series. I’m guessing the curse of Jeff Mathis will be long gone by then.

Mike Firek

Simi Valley

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