Huge win today.  IF we are not contending for the conference championship, we must be next year.  I have no doubt.  About a month ago, I told my friends that we would start 3-0 and beat SC* this year.  So far, I am half right.  A sign things improving and good coaching is when you win the games that you are supposed to win.  Since CRN's arrival, we have not lost any games that any reasonable expectations would deem that we should not win.  AND, on top of that we have hung in and even won some that we should not have one (i.e. Tennessee twice, Stanford).

 

I was very impressed with our goal line D today.  Another big day for Jerzy, BP, Reggie, and the Bozworth boys.  I very much under-guessed the amount of TO's we would have today.  Huge props to our boys on D coming out strong to start the game and keep at it to force four turnovers.  I love it.  This has been a fun team to watch.

 

Our offense wasn't always on the same page today (i.e. dropped snaps, an early snap?, penalties).  Actually, penalties were a problem on both sides.  Nine penalties for 70 yards, including at least two in potential game changing moments.  That was against two Tennessee penalties for 10 yards.  That disparity might also be a result of the home field, but it is still something that I am sure will be addressed in the weeks to come at Spaulding. 

 

I love that KP hit ten different receivers today.  We only had eight different receivers hit last week, and that was a game with some garbage time.  This is a sign of the offense coming together.  We are moving the ball around the field.  I loved the Chane Moline TD today.  It is interesting to note that three of of the ten receivers today had two receptions while the other seven each had one.  The three were two tight ends and a full back.  The other seven are all wide outs.  Classic Norm Chow play calling.  Let's keep this guy around for as long as we can.

 

Again, great win today on a day when all the pressure was on Lanie to win the revenge game.  

 

Go Bruins!!!

Help, I'm trapped in Phoenix this weekend for a wedding on Monday.  My hotel room does not seem to get the UCLA game today.  Does anyone have any clue if it is being televised and where a good place to watch it would be?

 

Thanks a bunch for any help anyone might have.

 

Go Bruins! Go Bruins! Go Bruins! Go Bruins! Go Bruins! Go Bruins! 

Go Bruins! Go Bruins! Go Bruins! Go Bruins! Go Bruins! Go Bruins! 

 

I apologize to those in advance who clicked on this fanpost expecting some trash talking.  This is not the case.

I am a waiter at BJ's in Westwood.  I have worked there for a little over two years.  We have celebrities come in every so often and I never seem to be phased.  However, yesterday during lunch, I approach a table with four guys at it and I recognize one of them.  It was Petros.  As I'm going through my routine "hey guys, my name is Jamie, i'll be helping you out, can i get you something to drink to start off" I kind of half smiled when I made eye contact with him.  He smiled back.  And I don't know what came over me but i said, "i know you."  He kind of laughed and said, "oh do you?"  I went on serving them like normal.  (in case anyone is wondering, he had black coffee and a small veggie pizza)  I pointed him out to some of the other servers and most of them didn't know who he was.  I told my manager and he got really excited.  He went over to the table, introduced himself, told them that he listens to his show every day on his drive home and that he was going to buy his table lunch.  They got a kick out of this.  

They sat there for a while writing today's radio show.  I'm not sure who the other three guys were.  I'm pretty sure one was not Matt Money Smith unfortunately.  Petros left first and handed me a 20.  Then the other three guys left me 40 more dollars before they left.  I was actually having a rough shift earlier and this was a great way to end it.  Many thanks to "P" and his crew.

I believe in giving credit where credit is due and for all the crap we give him (myself included), he was really a nice guy.

http://uclabruins.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/122907aae.html

GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS GO BRUINS

We are going to the Vegas Bowl on December 22nd for a rematch with BYU. From Perleman's blog:

UCLA will play BYU in the Pioneer Las Vegas Bowl, a rematch of UCLA's second game of the season, in which the Bruins held off a late Cougar charge to win, 27-17.

No official announcement has been made on the status of head coach Karl Dorrell, but all signs point to his dismissal early this week and negotiations are ongoing with at least three current or former collegiate head coaches.

About finances, credible sources (who spoke on the condition they not be idenfied) indicated that ample support to hire a coach at market rates was available. Stay tuned.

That is all.

GO BRUINS

http://msn.foxsports.com/cfb/story/6871352

Foxsports has put together a "way too early projections" list of bowl predictions.  They have u$c going to the title game vs LSU in a "dream matchup."  And they have UCLA going to the Rose Bowl in a classic matchup vs. Wisconsin.  

This just goes to show (again and again) that the national media fully understands how much talent this 2007 Bruin team has.  That paired with a very favorable schedule ought to make for a very successful year.

The article says:
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
The call is for Wisconsin to win the tie-breaker with Michigan, and come up with the wins needed, to get to Pasadena, but Penn State, Ohio State, or even Iowa, who misses the Wolverines and the Buckeyes, could slide in. With USC the call to go to New Orleans, UCLA would be a dream choice to create a Big Ten/Pac 10 matchup. Of course, if USC plays for the national title, the Rose would get the first choice of at-large teams and might be interested in selling out the place with LSU fans, if the Tigers aren't staying close to home in early January.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Bumped from the diaries. -N

My name is Jamie and I play drums in the band.  I've been to almost every home game since attending UCLA (I'm a grad student now and I did my undergrad at UCLA as well).

I'm here today to voice my disappointment in the lower deck student section.  This is not just about this year, this has been every year.  WEAR TRUE BLUE AT EVERY GAME AT PAULEY.  I'm not addressing everyone who goes to games.  I'm talking about the students who have the privilage of sitting courtside to watch the greatest college basketball team ever at the most legendary venue ever.  Isn't it required to wear true blue to sit there?  Don't you get free (or heavily discounted) true blue den shirts with a flash of your ID?  I bought one for five dollars.  A grey or pink shirt that says UCLA on it does not count.  As far as college team colors go, blue is not a very strong and imposing one.  I hate to say it, but our crosstown rival's colors really do pop out at you, and they do a good job of uniformly wearing it.  In order to create this type of imposing threat and a home court advantage, a uniform shade of blue (which is readily available to you) needs to be worn.  

Another thing: learn to cheer.  There I said it.  "but jamie, I do cheer... at the beginning of the game and when the team is doing well."  Exactly.  

Last year, a thirty piece pep band went to the women's Pac-10 tournament in northern California.  Against all odds, we made it to the title game against Stanford.  Our team was down for the majority of the game, absolutely getting out played by a better team.  But our little 30 piece pep band did not stop cheering the ENTIRE game despite being the only UCLA fans (besides the parents of the team) facing a sea of cardinal.  The place was jam packed full of Stanford fans.  There was a distinct home court advantage.  We won that game.  And if you ask anyone that was there, I guarantee they will agree that the victory was sparked by our support when things did not look good for our team.

My point is, you DO make a difference.  I'm talking about yelling every time the other team has the ball.  I'm talking about organized cheers when our team has the ball.  The key word there is organized.  Every time one of our two cheers is started, it does not last very long because for whatever reason, it is the nature of people to speed up.  U  C  clap  clap  L  A  clap  clap  becomes UuCclapclaLpAa.  And then people give up.  I'm sure I'm fighting an impossible battle here, but I'm serious.  If you don't speed up the cheers, they will stay together and be an imposing home court advantage.  And keep cheering all the way through the game.  Just because we are blowing out a team by 20 points, doesn't mean it's time to stop (or worse yet, go home).  Keep cheering so we can beat them by 50.

It's also good practice, there will be games where we are going to be down.  The cheering cannot be a reaction to our team doing well to get back into the game.  Our team getting back into the game is a byproduct of their fan support.  That's called a home-court advantage.  Let me repeat: cheering should not be a reaction to things going well on the court, but the other way around.  Obviously you are going to get louder when things go our way, it's an awesome feeling to see Josh nail that three from right in front of the other team's bench to put us in the lead.  But when we are down, the students need to set the tone that we are still there with our team.

Okay, I'm off my soapbox for now.

This is not about Bruin vs. Bruin.  I am not trying to make any enemies.  I am trying to create a unified home court advantage that can impose its will onto any team that comes into Pauley Pavillion.  The students are an example to the rest of the crowd.

Go Bruins.

FSN is now on the Big Ben band wagon as he is now "getting votes" for their Heisman Watch list.

After originally leaving UCLA out of their Bowl Projections, FSN now has us going to the Sun Bowl as  the 3rd place team in the Pac 10 behind SC and Oregon.

My girlfriend and I saw him at the Ralphs on Le Conte.  He was wearing shorts and a grey UCLA polo shirt.  He was talking on his cell phone in the chilled beverage isle.  That is all.  I love that guy.

PS. I also saw Michael Roll at BJ's two nights ago where I host.  I showed him to his table.

I'm such a dork.

From Dohn's blog, it's official.

Now we can move on and let Big Ben get the necessary reps with the first team.

Utes beware.  We're gonna be ready and hungry.

edit: BRO also has the story.

I think I have a new favorite pro team.
Mercedes and Maurice are headed to Jacksonville.

Of course I would never take pleasure in the fact that a player is injured (on any team), however, I can't help but see the silver lining to Josh Shipp's absense this season.  Just imagine right now if we were potentially looking at our top THREE players deffecting to the NBA.  If Shipp was going to have this tremendous season that everyone was saying he was, I'm sure he'd be a potential first round pick.

Just food for though.

From the diaries. Solid gold writing from one of the members of the best damn marching band in the Nation. And they don't wear skirts. GO BRUINS. -N

On the plane ride back from Memphis, my roommate and fellow pep band drummer mentioned that it was unfortunate that it was spring break and he would not be able to enjoy a Daily Bruin article.  I told him that there were several other places to read recaps of the game including the Nation if he really wanted something for Bruins by Bruins.  He said he wanted it written by a current UCLA student (half joking).  My girlfriend, another pep band drummer on the flight said that she would write an article for him.  Here it is:

UCLA Bruins Defend Their Way to the Final Four from On and Off the Court

By Michelle Kunihiro

OAKLAND, Ca. --  Move over Memphis, Ben Howland's Bruins are living up to the standard set by Coach Wooden three decades ago, this time with their power defense.  As the leaders of the Pac-10 and marching into the Final Four, who can say now that the Pac-10 can't play with the best of the East... and win?

Personally, I'm a little tired of reading article after article about the Oakland Elite Eight game reporting how Memphis' players just had a bad day.  Carney said it best: "Most of the shots I missed were open layups.  I'm disappointed in myself. I couldn't knock down shots. I missed almost every shot I took. [They] played great defense on me, but I played terrible."  

This was a game that, in the minds of the Memphis players and news reporters alike, was all but won against the UCLA Bruins.

It's understandable that, after having won against the Bruins earlier in the season 88-80, Memphis would be feeling good about the rematch.  It's just plain cocky to be practicing dunking in the warm-up before the game.

"I can't explain it," Memphis forward Shawne Williams said. "It's crazy. We wore on them like they wore on us. But we could never take the lead."  

I can explain it.  UCLA's powerhouse defense stopped Memphis from taking the lead.  Maybe, just maybe, had Memphis taken the game more seriously, it would have been a little more interesting.

UCLA snare drummer Jamie Strowbridge was behind Memphis' basket for the first half and saw the action, or lack thereof.

"Memphis came in this game 'knowing' that they were going to win," said Strowbridge.  "They had won their previous three tournament games by 16 points and were not ready for UCLA."

The UCLA Bruins held Memphis, a team that averages 81 points per game, to just 45 points.  If that's not amazing defense, I don't know what is.

Not only did the Bruins play spectacular defense on the court, their "sixth man" off the court made "his" outstanding presence through the UCLA Varsity Band, led by Gordon Henderson.  Before the game even began, the pep band was already getting into the heads of the players, especially Joey Dorsey.

"The pep band took Dorsey out of the game before it even began," Strowbridge said.  "We were absolutely an integral part in the overall win, considering Dorsey averages 7 points a game and he was held to one 2 point dunk shot and they lost by 5 points... you do the math."  

Indeed, during Memphis' pre-game "dunk fest" the UCLA Pep Band caught the attention of Dorsey and interacted with the player, easily encouraging him to smile at their taunts, shake his head, and miss multiple free-throws.

It all began when Dorsey missed a practice dunk, the band howled at him, and he smiled and shook his head.  After then missing multiple free-throws due to the band's hand-waving and shouting, Dorsey moved to the opposite basket to finish his warm-up.

Kenny Wood, the UCLA pep band's tenor player, gave his insight on Dorsey's poor mental preparation.

"He only fueled the band to heckle him more and more," Wood said.  "The UCLA band deserves a lot of credit for Memphis' loss.  The Memphis players were fooling around during the warm-up and the [UCLA] band played smart basketball and tormented Joey Dorsey."

Strowbridge added, "If Dorsey had hit his season scoring average, that would have tied the game."  

The band chanted "Dor-sey" throughout the game.  Dorsey made it no secret that this had gotten to him, as he asked the referee multiple times to "get them to stop," only to be told by the ref that there was nothing he could do.

Shortly after his only two points, Dorsey committed his fifth foul and shook his head from the sideline to the band's chanting.

But enough about Memphis.  

Ben Howland's emphasis on a strong defense has definitely paid off.  Jordan Farmar chose UCLA over all others because Howland came in selling a power defense and the National Championship.  Now here they are, the Final Four, and they aren't ready to celebrate just yet.

Getting onto the charter plane home, the band cheered for the players as they walked down the aisle.  Farmar said, "We're not done yet."

UCLA fans share this sentiment and are ready to cheer our Bruins on in Indianapolis.  

"At this point, this tournament is ours to lose," said Strowbridge.  "Our scoring has not been consistent, no team's has.  However, our defense has been consistent against all opponents."

With their formidable defense and strong chemistry, the Bruins fly into Indianapolis on Wednesday with their twelfth National Championship in sight.

I truley believe that the pep band helped take Dorsey out of that game just a little bit before the game even started.  When Memphis was warming up before the game with their little dunkfest, Dorsey missed one.  We went nuts and started yelling at him.  Then he tried to shoot some free throws.  Each time he went to the line we waived our arms away from the basket and yelled his name.  He looked over at us and smiled and shook his head.  Looking at your hecklers is the first step in admitting that we are inside your head.  He couldn't hit any free throws while warming up.  Eventually he went to the other side of the court in frustration to shoot his free throws over there.  Just before the game, as Memphis was running out right next to us, several of us put our hands out for mocking high fives.  All the other players ignored us.  But again, Dorsey acknowledged us and put out his hand only to slyly pull it away at the last second.  He was ours.  During the first half, he had three fouls and no points in just a few minutes.  Every time he touched the ball, we started yelling his name.  At one point during the second half, they had his head on the video board (4 fouls, 0 points at this point), and we again, yelled his name and he shook his head in response again.
We heard him talking to the refs like the SI article mentioned.  He was asked if the ref to tell us to shut up.  It was awesome.  Fans really do make a difference.

How dare ESPN compare coach Kryzxyzabcfucknut's "accomplishments" to the untouchable accomplishments of Coach Wooden.  

John Wooden's seven straight NCAA titles (10 total) at UCLA might be the hardest college basketball record to break.

Don't be surprised, though, if Mike Krzyzewski's nine straight Sweet 16 appearances at Duke ends up being just as difficult to approach.

Duke's regular run to Sweet 16 elite actually works in concert with the fact that, for the fourth straight season, there won't be a repeat Final Four team. Regardless of where you are seeded, getting to the Sweet 16 still is a tall task. Winning two more games to get to the Final Four on any type of regular basis in an age when players regularly bolt early for the pros is becoming tough even for elite programs.

If making it to the sweet 16 every year was something worth commemorating, we would have a different coach right now.  However, if you attend a school with a basketball program that prides itself on national championships instead of being runner up, then you eliminate the coach that is not able to provide national championship contention every year.  
Not only does Andy Katz make a fool of himself by writing this article, but Syracuse coach, Jim Boeheim, makes an even bigger ass out of himself:

What Mike has done is certainly in the same category as what John Wooden did," Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim said. "It's an awfully, awfully impressive thing in today's world."

But what do you expect from a coach who got lucky to make the dance in the first place and was then immediately shown the exit.

Shit, why do I still go to espn.com and read this trash.

I like these guys much better:

1. They cover our games.
   
2. I'm in one of their mini-commerical "bumpers" during UCLA games at the end of commercial breaks.
   
3. They have at a 2-seed as of this morning.

So, I'm watching this game and I can't decide who I want to win.  If UO wins, that makes our tourney championship very likely.  However, I'm thinking we'll get more credit from the committee and a higher seeding with a tourney championship victory UW.  Thoughts?
This becomes a moot point in about 20 minutes, but I was still wondering.

and had two huge blocks in only 5 minutes.  When I saw him off to the side stretching I started to get excited.  When I saw him put his jersey over his t-shirt, I got goosebumps.  And when he walked up to the sub table I jumped up and went nuts.  There was such great energy in the building when Mata came in.

So, I'm as excited as everyone else for next year when our team becomes entirely Howland's boys.  My only concern is that then the tallest player on our team will be Mata at 6'9".  I'm not doubting his skills.  He was making tremendous progress until his injury and I'm sure if he didn't have that road block, he would have joined AA and Luc in replacing the "starters" for the Oregon game.  My only concern is his height.  Do we have any taller big men coming?  It seems that in order for us to get the national championship in the next few years, that that is something we would need.