Allow me to put aside all my cynicism for a moment and let me share with you all one of the vivid moments that’s etched in my Bruin memory bank from the dark and forgettable Lavin Years.
I believe it was a game against UNC at Pauley (IIRC it had to be in 2000). And as usual Lavin's talented bunch were looking haphazard, clueless and completely out of their elements against their counterparts from Chapel Hill. They fell 19 points behind. And then made a huge run. And at one point after making a basket (I can't recall if it was a dunk) Earl Watson (can you imagine in the role of a Ben Ball warrior?) faced a frenzied student section and popped up the front of his jersey, pointing at the letters and let out a SCREAM: "This is UCLA."
I remember that moment. It gave me an electric feeling that I can't really put into words. All I can remember that despite all the despair, hopelessness, and frustrations of that dark period in UCLA basketball at that point of time (I had given up of Lavin), it gave me a flicker of hope. It gave me hope for the short term and the long term. Despite a valiant effort IIRC Bruins lost that game. They had the talent but they just didn't have coaching. But I just kept going back to that moment over and over again during those Lavin years, thinking sooner or later that nightmare is going to be over. And it did come to an end, and thankfully we are now in a period of peace and prosperity in the world of UCLA hoops we haven't enjoyed since the days of Coach.
I firmly believe same thing is going to happen in football. We are due. And it is going to happen with or without Dorrell. And we are going to get our answers this season. This is the year Dorrell will have to show moments like these will not be an aberrations in the world of UCLA football:
Photo: The Daily Breeze
Because at the end of this year, if we still have a muddled picture on whether or not that moment captured above was an aberration in the Dorrell era, than we are going to get a coach, who will bring us the same peace and prosperity we are now enjoying in hoops.
After all this is UCLA.
So cheer up and enjoy your weekend. We will get through this.
GO BRUINS.
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