So, we're going to try something a little new here at BN.  This new segment is a little something we're calling Bruin Bites, mostly because, well I like alliteration. Basically, once a week, I'm going to throw together as many clips, tidbits, and other assorted stuff from the interwebs all into one place for your viewing/reading/complaining/commenting convenience.

With that little introduction, let's get to this week's inaugural set of Bruin Bites:

• In non-sports news, there was a large explosion in Westwood near the intersection of Weyburn and Westwoodas an underground electrical transformer decided to pull a Mel Gibson: overheat, go crazy, and explode with fury, with some gratuitous property damage for good measure.  Fortunately, no one was hurt.
• On the football front, Hello Kiffin has announced (probably due to displeased Trogan alums) that Second Choice's band of merry thugs will be wearing their traditional ketchup-and-mustard home uniform against UCLA this year.
• If you were at Jackie Robinson Stadium on Tuesday for the UCLA-Cal State Fullerton game, then you already know that the game had to be cancelled due an electrical box exploding, causing some of the lighting for the game to go out and forcing game officials to call off the game for safety reasons.  Coach Savage was not pleased: "We need to win as many games as we can to get as high a seed as we can, so when you have the opportunity to play Fullerton and it gets canceled, it’s just disappointing." Hmm, an elite coach being saddled with inadequate, sub-par facilities?  Why is this not surprising given Morgan Center's incompetence under Dan Guerrero's Reign of Error?
• Mike DeCourcy at the Sporting News calls UCLA a "loser" in the 2011 recruiting battles.  What's even worse is that DeCourcy is calling St. John's "winners" for bringing in Lavin and his recruiting success thus far.
• Sticking with basketball, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, has called out the Lakers for not erecting a statute in his honor outside of Staples Center.  Apparently, the Hall of Famer is not pleased with how the Lakers organization has neglected to give him his fair recognition in shiny metal form.
  
• UCLA's softball team had nine players take home All-Pac-10 honors: Andrea Harrison and Kellie Fox made All-Pac-10 first team, GiOnna DiSalvatore placed All-Pac-10 second team, while Donna Kerr, Katie Schroeder, and B.B. Bates received honorable mention recognition.  On the freshman side, Kellie Fox, Jessica Hall, and Alyssa Tiumalu made the conference All-Freshman squad, with Talee Snow getting an honorable mention.   Congratulations ladies!
• If you want to catch the next generation of the NFL's talent, head down to the North Athletic Field on Friday at 5 p.m.  Included among the rookie participants in the 2011 NFL Players Rookie Premeire's flag football game are Cam Newton, Von Miller, Marcell Dareus, A.J. Green, Colin Kaepernick, Jake Locker, Mark Ingram, Andy Dalton, Blaine Gabbert, and Julio Jones.  Too bad UCLA can't put together than kind of talent collection at Spaulding.
• Finally, in yet another example of how U$C's marketing folks "get" it and Morgan Center remains woefully behind, the Second Choice goons signed a licensing and merchandising agreement with Dallas Cowboys' owner Jerry Jones' Silver Star Merchandising.  Once again, it makes one wonder why Morgan Center can't seem to think outside the box and create these kinds of unique and lucrative opportunities to further promote the UCLA brand.

If there's something I missed in UCLA-related bits and pieces of news, feel free to share.  Fire away.

GO BRUINS