Rick redux – and now redemption

I've always thought that the loathing for Rick Neuheisel was out of proportion to his misdeeds. Yes, the former Husky football coach broke rules and definitely lied about his interest in a job elsewhere. He earned the nickname Slick Rick even before he came to Washington. Neuheisel became a lightening rod in Seattle for everything wrong with college sports in general, and everything wrong with Husky sports in particular. In fairness, scandals persisted after he left. And if this matters, he won more than a few games. If sports is entertainment, Neuheisel was never dull. For reasons beyond his own conduct, Neuheisel didn't take root in Huskyville. Like Seattle's singing schools superintendent of years past, the guitar-playing coach was a mismatch for our local culture. Too glib. Too handsome. Too Hollywood. I'm glad that Neuheisel was hired as the new coach at UCLA for two reasons: 1) it makes future games with UCLA even more interesting. The Huskies always get jacked up to beat WSU and Oregon, and of course, Dennis Erickson at OSU. And now a new rivalry is born; and 2) Neuheisel went through period of public humiliation, admitted his mistakes, and now gets another chance at PAC-10 coaching. Maybe Neuheisel deserved his status as symbol of flaws in college sports, but give him credit: he started all over as a volunteer assistant for a high school team and worked himself back to a second-tier job in pro football. Now he returns to his alma mater as head coach. He's a symbol of second chances and good old fashioned redemption. On this Sunday, can I hear amen? I approve. Now, how long can he stay out of trouble?