More Than Words: Why We Are In Love

by Nestor on Aug 13, 2008 5:30 PM PDT in Basketball Comment 9 comments

We are only 18 days away from the start of the most anticipated football season in years. But don’t forget Ben Ball season is around the corner. With news concerning our returning and new warriors trickling out around the internets its hard not to get giddy about Mid October when Westwood officially will become paradise for us dual junkies of UCLA football and hoops.

Now one of the reasons (may be I am speaking for myself – if you agree or disagree chime in the thread) college football and basketball mean so much than professional leagues is fairly simple: emotion. We have tried before collectively to articulate why we feel it and why we love everything that is in Bruin blue and gold. Once in a while though you stumble into recorded memories that explain far better than words, why we all fell in love.

Yes, I was browsing around the tubes last night and ran into this: video of KCBS broadcast of 1995 championship ceremony party at Pauley. I was there. This is the video (pt. 5) where Coach Jim Harrick introduces all of our players:

UCLA 1995 Basketball Championship Ceremony Pt5 (via Lu7884)

I will not lie to you. I started getting goose bumps watching it and then started getting choked up a little around 6:30 mark. That was pt. 5 of a 6 pt video (Check out pt 1, pt 2, pt 3, and pt. 4). Pt. 6 of this video is just as good as pt. 5:

UCLA 1995 Basketball Championship Ceremony Pt6 (via Lu7884)

I sure hope not only all of Ben Ball warriors (returning and new ones) but every athlete involved in any UCLA team watch those two clips.

Those videos explain what goes on in the core of our Bruin souls. I know at least for me the emotion I experienced watching those clips help me understand why thousands of us we are in love with those magical four letters in more than words anyone of us can ever type up. I can't describe it. I just feel it. And I have a feeling I am not the only one in this Bruin Nation.

GO BRUINS.

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We love LA. But we REALLY love UCLA. :-)

by Deepcut on Aug 14, 2008 7:06 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

'09 recruiting class: Are we going to get any good recruits?

We have heard a lot about the ’08 recruiting class, but I am concerned about our ’09 class. Not a lot has been said about UCLA. Are we in a position where a great class of One-and-dones leaves us without ammo for the following years? IE does a great recruiting class one year deters us from having a great year for the next year? I especially take note that JMison Morgan did not consider UCLA until K-Love left for the draft.

by Deepcut on Aug 14, 2008 7:10 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Quit your worrying

and leave it to Howland. Unbelievable, man. When we’re not bringing top talent, people whine. When bring top talent, people still whine.

To quote Tommy Boy’s dad, what do you want, a guarantee? Well I can take a crap in a box and put a nice guarantee label on it, but then all you’d have is a guaranteed piece of crap.

by tasser10 on Aug 14, 2008 8:04 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

It seems like a problem with the '09 class is

A lot of the top prospects are semi-professional.

by SuperBruinMan on Aug 15, 2008 2:33 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

2009 recruiting class

We have Nelson, ranked #29 (#11 PF), and Lane, ranked #68 (#24 PF) for Class of 2009. There are 3 candidates in the top 10 considering UCLA. I see quite a few of the local talent looking elsewhere (Arizona or USuCk).

I know that Howland, with two top 5 draftees this year and three Final Fours in a row, has to be a talenty magnet, as demonstrated by the 2008 Class. However, I am greedy and I want UCLA to have a dominant Class of 2009. And I dont want to have to wait until November. Of course, the possibility of commits going elsewhere because of the stacked 2008 Class bothers me. I cannot help it. It is in my DNA.

I guess it would not bother me so much if other schools with strong returning classes were having similar problems, but UNC (lots of returning talent) already has 2 Five Star and 3 Four Star commits for 2009. How come we cannot recruit that well?

by Deepcut on Aug 15, 2008 3:18 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Collison, Luc, Westbrook

Three Star. Three Star. Three Star.

I don’t give a damn about stars. I want the players that Howland wants.

by Tydides on Aug 15, 2008 3:47 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Its pretty hilarious

to see people still questioning Howland’s recruiting ability after last five years. Some people will never be happy. It’s in their “DNA.”

by Nestor on Aug 15, 2008 3:58 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

"How come we cannot recruit that well?"

That sounds like an asinine observation given the kind of recruiting class we have coming in next season and how we already have two top notch recruits locked up for 2009. Howland and his staff are still going through the evaluation process as they are working to fill out rest of this class.

You comment sounds ignorant at worst and concern trolling by a greedy (as you noted yourself) and spoiled fan at best. Its kind of pathetic.

by Nestor on Aug 15, 2008 3:57 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs