This off-season we have already seen movement for a UCLA-Michigan matchup in the college football blogosphere via Maize n Brew and BN. Now it looks like another fanbase is looking for a trip out to Westwood to take on UCLA. This is time our friends at Red Cup Rebellion are wishing for a home and home between UCLA and Ole Miss. The Ghost Of Jay Cutler lays out his reasons for a rebellious trip out West:
UCLA. I pride myself on my travels. For a young man in his mid-20's, I've been lots of places, met lots of people, and seen lots of stuff. Despite this, I have somehow never somehow been to California. And, while our Rebels do have a future away contest against the Bulldogs of Fresno State, I imagine my potential Californication to take place in SoCal--not the Valley, nor NorCal. This is not in any way an effort to denigrate said places, as I think San Francisco would be a pretty fantastic trip (and therefore couple nicely with a visit to Stanford or Berkley), but if I am going to make it to the Golden State just once, I think I'm going to go more for Entourage and less for Full House. Is Southern California a conceited, stuck up, insular world of arrogant and insensitive people who are both incredibly beautiful and powerful while inexplicably undeservedly so? Um, well, if TMZ and The Hills are anything to be believed, then yes. But that won't phase me too much because, guess what, I live in DC which, along with New York, LA, and San Francisco, serves as one of America's "four pillars of arrogant asshole-dom."
So, if I were to have it my way, we'd play either USC or UCLA. Both programs are coached by an irreputable shadester (the former being coached more specifically by an immature, irreputable assface and his cro-magnan sidekick), play in antiquated bowls of concrete, and get more media share than they deserve--or not, depending on whether or not demography is your thing. But, USC is the better program right now so, were such a choice to happen tomorrow I'd naturally choose UCLA. And, albeit say I with limited knowledge, USC is full of pricks.I know that coming from an Ole Miss fan--a person who, per the stereotype, is a prick--that seems a bit odd but my encounters with true USC graduates and fans have rarely, if ever, been pleasant. Even in DC they're able to pull off their very own brand of Southern California "oh look George Lucas and I are alumni of the same school" type of smug. It's impressive and enraging and all the reason that I'd rather avoid 'em.
"But Ghost... Chicks, man." Um, UCLA is doing alright in that department, amigo. Any Southern California school, in fact, will do fine in that area. So, if that's the criteria, why not pick the one that would seemingly be a closer matchup with presumably nicer fans?
Also, the guys at Bruins Nation are partiers. I know this, because I have seen it with my own eyes
Well we can work on the Ghost and his Ole Miss colleagues and give them the full context around CRN sometime down the line. But hey he already has the Trogans pegged so it is not going to be all that difficult for us to get along. Plus, even though Ole Miss was not on my list for schools I want UCLA to schedule home and home with, I would more than jump on the opportunity for a Bruin road trip to Oxford for number of reasons. Let's get into those reasons and few other Bruin notes for this Tuesday after the jump.
First, the trip down to Dixieland has been wonderful for UCLA in recent years. Our trip to Tuscaloosa was a huge hit among thousands of Bruins who traveled down to Titletown (resulting in a Bruin win). By all accounts here everyone who went down to Knoxville (resulting in a UCLA win) had a fantastic time. I think if we schedule a home and home with Ole Miss, the Bruin fans collectively will get a real kick out of going down to Oxford and checking out a classic Southern town crazy about its football program. Second, it would give us a chance to party at the Grove, which is known as "the Holy Grail of tailgating sites." Adam Duerson from SI.com took a trip down to Ole Miss and described his out of the world experience:
[I]n Oxford lies, as promised, the most magical place on all of God's green, football-playing Earth: the Grove. A school of red and white and blue tents swimming in a shaded 10-acre forest of oak trees, floating in an ocean of good will and even better manners. [...]
[T]hey drink bourbon and eat boiled peanuts and finger sandwiches from sterling-silver platters and serving dishes arranged by caterers and frantic moms on elaborate tabletops. They partake in front of flat-screen TVs with DirecTV, underneath chandeliers and amongst intricate candelabras and ornate flower arrangements. And when football calls, they pay people like Andre, at the Rebel Rousers tent, to stand guard.
The Ole Miss-isms keep coming. When nature calls, they don't "whiz," they "potty" -- at the Hotty Toddy Potty, or its companion, the Hotty Toddy Potty Too. And players don't just walk to the game. They walk like "champions." Read: in their best shirts and ties. Like adults.
Because that's what the Grove really is: a place for adults. A secret place run, governed and funded by grown-ups. Sure, the students drink their booze and scarf their food. But they also lug the tents in at 4 a.m. (often for $100 or more). It's as if the Ole Miss'ians have swindled their Li'l Miss'ians into attending only so they themselves have an excuse to come back.
Yeah, I don't think any of us would mind experiencing all of that. It is part of the beauty of college football. Third, as the Ghost in RCR implied a BN-RCR tail-gaiting experience will be natural extension of what has already taken place in one of the four best cities in America (he has a more colorful way of describing it but I like mine). Lastly, a UCLA-Ole Miss game will feature two teams with the best looking jerseys in all of college football. It only makes sense because as the Ghost told me in person apparently Ole Miss from back in the day got the inspiration of their shoulder stripes from none other than UCLA (as they are specifically referred to as "the UCLA stripes). So, taken all this into consideration a UCLA-Ole Miss matchup seems no brainer and now it's just a matter of the respective ADs to get it done.
Hey there are some other news to pass on this morning too. Staying on the topic of football Ira Kaufman from the Tampa Bay Tribune has a wonderful story on Brian Price. Everyone here of course knows Brian story by now. It's his new community that is slowly learning about his incredible journey from Crenshaw to Tampa Bay via a memorable three years in Westwood.
Moving on to basketball, one of my favorite Bruins of all time - Tyus - did it again (HT What's Bruin Blog):
Tyus Edney showed that Lightning can strike twice.
With the score tied and 6.4 seconds left in Sunday night's International Basketball League game in Santa Barbara, the former UCLA star drove the length-of-the-court and hit a 5-foot floater to lift the Los Angeles Lightning to a dramatic 119-117 win over the Oregon Waves.
"With time running out, you have to get it down there," said Edney, who's famously known for a similar coast-to-coast drive and layup that lifted UCLA over Missouri 75-74 in the second round of the 1995 NCAA Tournament. The Bruins went on to win their 11th title.
"It was a little floater," Edney said. "I had to put it up high to get it over the big man. This is a good win. They came to play today."
From the videos and pictures that came out of Pauley's groundbreaking ceremony, Tyus still looks the same to me. Can't remember any other athlete age so well in recent years.
Lastly, don't forget there is a baseball game tonight at JRS. Fresh of their dramatic win over Southern Cal No. 10 UCLA baseball team takes on UC Santa Barbara in our final Tuesday night home game. The Bruins (37-11) have won seven of their last eight games and defeated UC Santa Barbara (21-25) by a 7-1 margin at Caesar Uyesaka Stadium about couple of months ago.
If you haven't checked out the Bruins at JRS on a Tuesday night this is your last chance. It's your last chance to take advantage of 2 Dollar Tuesdays at JRS. More notes here. First pitch is scheduled for 6 pm PST. We recommend going out there for a beautiful early summer (or is it still spring?) evening and help send the Bruins off on a high note up to Berkeley.
GO BRUINS.