Inviting Lavin As A "Bruin Great" To A UCLA Related Function = Insult To The Legacy Of UCLA Basketball

by Nestor on Apr 22, 2009 4:00 PM PDT in Basketball

Again if you have not read it check out uclafan11's fanpost about an invitation that went out this week:

UCLA Athletics Club of Orange County
3rd Annual Celebration Dinner & Auction
Saturday, May 30 – Balboa Bay Club
6:00 p.m.

"A Conversation with Bruin Basketball Greats" featuring Tracy Murray, Ed O’Bannon, Charles O'Bannon & former Head Coach Steve Lavin.

Get that an organization connected to UCLA is inviting back a man who single handedly flushed one of the most iconic program in America's sports landscape and still refuses to take any responsibility for it.

If anyone needs a reminder on exactly what was so "great" about Steve Lavin when was posing as UCLA basketball head coach here are some numbers. Under Steve Lavin UCLA basketball suffered some of the most humiliating losses in its history. Here are blowout UCLA losses under Steve Lavin by 25 or more points:

Nov. 27 1997 North Carolina 68-109
Feb. 22 1998 @ Duke 84-120
Mar. 20 1998 Kentucky 64-98
Feb. 17 2000 @ ASU 75-104
Mar. 23 2000 Iowa State 56-80
Jan. 20 2001 @ Arizona 63-88
Feb. 1 2001 @ Cal 63-92
Jan. 31 2002 @ Oregon 62-91
Jan. 18 2003 Arizona 52-87
Feb. 13 2003 @ Arizona 70-106
Mar. 1 2003 @ Oregon 48-79

Yes UCLA was blown out of the gym by 25 or more points more than 10 times during Lavin's tenure in Westwood.

But wait there is more. There were also the following mind-numbing, humiliating losses we all had to experience when Lavin was roaming our sidelines:

Dec. 22 1999 Colorado St.
Nov. 21 2000 CSUN (@ Pauley)
Nov. 20 2001 Ball State
Nov. 28 2001 Pepperdine (@ Pauley)
Nov. 13 2002 Branch West (Ex. @ Pauley)
Nov. 19 2002 EA Sports (Ex. @ Pauley)
Nov. 26 2002 San Diego (@ Pauley)
Dec. 17 2002 Northern Arizona (@ Pauley)

The numbers above do not include numerous double digits losses during which UCLA was never really in the game.

If other folks want to forget all those nightmarish games, embarassing moments and the humiliation the UCLA basketball program suffered day after day on regular basis under this guy, they can go right ahead. But we are not going to let people forget the numbers and sweep all those memories under the carpet. It's important to remember these numbers and remember what we went through, when we read some the mindless whining we read from few handful so called UCLA fans who don't appreciate what we have done under Howland.

The numbers above also don't give is the story about how UCLA was never able to beat Stanford at Pauley after his first year turning Wooden's House into Maples South and how Arizona was able to lap UCLA after UCLA had closed the gap from the 80s and went ahead during later part of Harrick's tenure

Moreover, the numbers of course don't tell us the whole story about how underachieving those results were given the talent Lavin inherited from Harrick's classes and was able to lure in based on the charade of a succesful season in his first year. Meriones pointed out earlier about how Lavin wasted away NBA talents during his time masquerading as a basketball coach.

Oh and by the way we didn't include the numbers from his first season ending with an Elite Eight run because it was IMO done based on the leadership of Harrick recruited veterans. Even if we were to include the numbers from that season it would have to include the humiliating loss at Maples Pavillion (known as Maples Massacre) which turned out to be a good indication of the nightmare Bruin Nation was about to experience instead of an aberration.

The nightmare ended in March of 2003, when this joker was finally fired after UCLA suffered its first losing season in 55 years (10-19).

Of course till this day Lavin hasn't taken responsibiltiy for what he did to program and whenever he gets the chance (like he does during UCLA broadcasts) continue to blame UCLA community for having unreasonable expectations and the former UCLA officials for not giving him an opportunity to success (which is of course LOL funny given how they were the ones paying him millions to pose as a basketball coach).

The biggest indictment against Steve Lavin is how he has basically been relegated to being a know nothing WWL talking clown ala Dick Vitale. It's pretty clear he will never get a serious look as a head coach because his record of underachievement speaks for itself. Moreover, ADs around the country knows how this guy was a master excuse maker and had no problem attacking a fan base to cover up his incompetence. No wonder he doesn't get serious looks whenever job opens up (and I wouldn't fall for stories when his name is floated around because they never amount to anything serious).

All this begs the question, what was "the UCLA Athletics Club of Orange County" thinking when they sent out an invitation (presumably directed to UCLA alums and fans) to come hear this clown as a "Bruin Basketball Great." I'd submit if anything this is an insult to the UCLA basketball community and to the legacy of UCLA basketball to allow this guy to have a podium so that he can continue his sorry attempts to revise history and make excuses for how he destoryed an institution we all cherish here at Bruin Nation.

So if you haven't please email Michael Rorabaugh, the contact for this event at mrorabaugh@athletics.ucla.edu to let him know how you feel about this coaching fraud who for seven years destroyed UCLA basketball talking about Coach John Wooden's program. Note please be courteous and professional to Michael while voicing your disapproval.

Let Michael know that Lavin shouldn't be speaking at UCLA function given how it would be nothing short of an insult to the legacy of UCLA basketball.

GO BRUINS.

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Comments

What you said about Lavin

times 100 for Pete Dalis

"when you've seen how big the world is, how can you make due with this?"

by silverlakebruin on Apr 22, 2009 4:38 PM PDT reply actions

That's another post

but at least Dalis doesn’t use the public podium to bash UCLA fans and make excuses for his incompetence like Steve Lavin.

by Nestor on Apr 22, 2009 4:43 PM PDT up reply actions

I remember

thinking it was the beginning of the end when we lost EXHIBITION games at Pauley. I was there for all of those and I remember sitting there dumbfounded. The players we had were much better than that – no discipline at all.

by uclafan11 on Apr 22, 2009 4:53 PM PDT reply actions

I just sent an e-mail to Rorabaugh.

I reminded him of CHP’s record and suggested that I were still local I would attend the luncheon simply to be able to stand and walk out when CHP was announced.

by Fox 71 on Apr 22, 2009 6:51 PM PDT reply actions

I missed the Lizard years on BN

What is CHP?

by uclafan11 on Apr 22, 2009 10:00 PM PDT up reply actions

Coach Howland's Predecessor

And since it’s likely to come up in the fall, CTS means Coach Toledo’s Successor (I think you can figure out who that is)

by Sideout11 on Apr 22, 2009 10:15 PM PDT up reply actions

Ah

Dorrell – ok got it! Thanks! :)

by uclafan11 on Apr 22, 2009 10:56 PM PDT up reply actions

I got a response to my e-mail

Sort of a non-responsive response. I have asked the guy who responded (not Rorabaugh) for his permission for me to publish his response here. We’ll see how that goes.

by Fox 71 on Apr 24, 2009 6:03 AM PDT up reply actions

Nestor

What happened to your comment!? I was just going to agree!

by uclafan11 on Apr 22, 2009 10:00 PM PDT reply actions

I ended up taking out

I thought it was ridiculous that I even had to make that point.

by Nestor on Apr 23, 2009 4:26 AM PDT up reply actions

I know this may sound funny...

But who are Brach West and “EA Sports,” isn’t that a video game company?

That we lost to them, these no-namers, is the laugher part.

by PopnFried on Apr 22, 2009 10:17 PM PDT reply actions

I remember losing to EA sports

…and being completely baffled.
I think it was in my first or second year of college… needless to say, I did not follow our basketball team that year. Lavin was not a good intro to UCLA ball.

by bruinbunz on Apr 22, 2009 10:55 PM PDT up reply actions

Exhibition Teams

that are assembled, often of old college players. They travel around the country playing NCAA basketball teams. They are in no way supposed to be even close to a team like UCLA…

by uclafan11 on Apr 22, 2009 10:58 PM PDT up reply actions

I remember one I went to see

Can’t remember which year it was, but it seemed to be filled with former UCLA players.

by freesia39 on Apr 23, 2009 8:54 AM PDT up reply actions

Not to defend the selection of the Liz

but I understand it is becoming increasingly difficult to get speakers to come out to events. The Bruin Club of the Desest hosts an annual scholarship dinner to honor the valley’s high school seniors matriculating at UCLA in the Fall. Every year, a big name from the athletic dept would come out to speak. It used to alternate between the FB and Basketball head coaches, Toledo and the Liz. Then DG came after he fired those two. Howland came out early in his tenure. I remember him talking about the two Cameroonians coming into the program. After that, we couldn’t get any big names. Coach K, aka the towel waver one year. Last year was an assistant to CBH. This year, I understand we’re having problems getting anyone. That includes CRN and Nikki Caldwell. We’re big Bruin supporters out here, but the club leadership is getting frustrated.

by Give me a B... on Apr 22, 2009 11:08 PM PDT reply actions