Brendan Maloney-US PRESSWIRE
With the UCLA football culture apparently — finally, hopefully — changing, Jim Mora has often been credited as doing the opposite of whatever the hell Rick Neuheisel and Karl Dorrell were doing while in Westwood.
And that includes addressing the fans after every home game, which Mora will not do after the Nebraska game. Or, like, ever. From Bill Plaschke at the LAT:
"You know the spot from where Karl Dorrell and Rick Neuheisel would address fans after nearly every home game?Jim Mora won’t be there.Win or lose in his home debut against Nebraska, Mora will end it by sending a strong public message about his own difficult remodeling job. The Bruins are now all about football, and only football, and the only postgame speeches the new coach will give will be in the locker room."
Basically, Mora will not delay talking to his team to talk to the fans. He isn’t acting as a representative for UCLA and he sure as hell isn’t going to try and win over the fans by doing anything else but winning football games.
It’s a measured approach, and a very smart one. Although it’s a tad cold and distant, it’s something that UCLA desperately need.
It’s all business for Jim Mora. He’s not going to go rah-rah on us, and he isn’t going to be heavily invested in trying to be a part of the Bruin family except by coaching a solid football team.
Are you feeling great about this yet?
Fans love this guy so far. Doing away with old traditions may seem a bit counter-intuitive and it’ll make some older UCLA fans nostalgic, but if he wins football games and stays focused? Who cares?
We approve, Jim Mora.
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