UCLA Football Needs To Have A Proper Spring Game
The Spring Showcase is all fine and dandy, but the UCLA Football team needs to have an actual Spring Game. Limiting the hiccups would also help.
Ever since UCLA Football Head Coach Jim Mora has taken over the program, he has done something new each year for the Spring Game. First, he ceased calling it a Spring Game and opted for the more glamorous ‘Spring Showcase’.
Second, he has and will have it at a location other than the Rose Bowl.
Third, he has changed the dynamic of the Spring Game so that it presents something new every year. The only problem with this is that Bruin fans simply want to watch football and every available player including the starters (and not just for five minutes).
In the last three years, the UCLA Football team has done something different and, unfortunately, what should have sparked interest, has turned into some sort of debacle. Let us start from Mora’s first Spring Game/Showcase.
2013 at the Rose Bowl – It was Mora and quarterback Brett Hundley‘s first year and the excitement was so thick you could cut it with a knife, so much that the Pac-12 Network was televising the event live from the Rose Bowl. The only problem with covering the event live was that the entire UCLA Football team was delayed about 45 minutes due to traffic. It became very painful to watch the Pac-12 announcers rambling on and try to fill time.
It was even worse being there as fans had to wait in the hot sun for the team to arrive, warm-up and go through drills before the any sort of game took place. Luckily the shadow of the press box was able to shelter uncomfortable UCLA fans.
2014 at the Stub Hub Center (Carson, CA) – This was interesting because it brought the Bruins to the southern part of LA County to the home of the LA Galaxy. Two teams were created and (Blue Vs. White) and it was fairly enjoyable in a pleasant atmosphere.
The only problem was that Heisman hopefully Hundley played for about five minutes. The center piece of the Bruins for the upcoming season was kept from the spotlight and Bruin fans had to endure a slower paced game with Jerry Neuheisel and Asiantii Woulard. It was not bad, but the excitement was definitely taken out of the air.
UCLA Bruins
2015 at the Rose Bowl – This was barely a game. If it was at all a showcase, it seemed to be tailored to the plethora of recruits who attended while fans had to watch drills for most of the event.
New UCLA QB Josh Rosen performed, which was the first time many UCLA Football fans got to see him in action. The unfortunate part was that there was no “game” and the structure of the showcase was exactly like a regular practice.
Fans do not want to see players run drills, they want to see players run plays, FYI UCLA Football.
2016 at Drake Stadium (UCLA) – So now the Bruins bring the showcase to Westwood. This will take place in the half-stadium where UCLA track and field and soccer teams play.
There will be enough room and the stadium might actually be filled, but the only thing that this takes away is the tail-gating experience. Mix that with the pain of the construction-laden campus and the awkward parking situations and you have a headache in the making.
There will be plenty of festivities as in previous years, but the only thing that could save this is actually having a game. It does not have to be all out, but give the fans a reason to not only come to Westwood to see some football, but to stay. Just four quarters of UCLA Football. No more, no less.
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If Mora can get this done, well played. If not, it will be another deflating experience for football in the spring. Either way, we will let you know as we report live from the Spring Showcase next Saturday.