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It's Monday morning, and while we're all heading back to work, our football team is not. With the spring football game this past Saturday, spring football practices have officially come to an end, which means you will have to wait four months, through the dog days of summer, until our Bruins hit the field against Nevada on August 31. So, with that in mind, let's turn to some bits and pieces of news from around the UCLA-iverse:
- Starting off with football, UCLA sophomore defensive back Marcus Rios is expected to miss this upcoming season as he battles an extremely rare and deadly fungal infection (HT BillytheSid). Rios has already endured six surgeries since October in connection to the infection, and is expected to have another in the next few weeks. Marcus told the Los Angeles Times that what started as a sinus infection spread behind his eyes and under his brain, a condition known to have occurred in only 12 people, ever. Per Marcus, of those dozen, ten ultimately succumbed to the infection. So, the odds are stacked against the young Bruin, so keep him and his family in your thoughts and prayers as he battles to survive.
- Sticking with the secondary, Sports Illustrated's National Football Post blog has a podcast featuring former UCLA defensive back Aaron Hester, where Hester discusses his senior season, beating Southern Cal, and his preparations for the NFL Draft (which ultimately led to him being undrafted but signed by the Denver Broncos as an undrafted free agent).
- Turning to one of our Bruins that did get drafted, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has a pretty good write-up of Green Bay's fourth round pick, our very own Johnathan Franklin, the future mayor of Los Angeles. The MJS covers Franklin's political aspirations to better the City of Angels, his never-ending work ethic, his natural leadership, and quotes from some of the coaching staff in Green Bay. Eddie Lacy might have been drafted higher, but my money is on Jet Ski to win the job.
- Turning to non-revenue sports that were not in conference tournament play this week (more on those that were later today), UCLA's much-maligned men's track-and-field team went to Southern Cal and swept the Trojans, picking up a perfect clean sweep, with the women's team also beating their U$C counterparts, to pick up the first UCLA dual meet sweep since 2006.
- Flipping over to softball, the #16-ranked Lady Bruins came up short against #4-ranked Oregon, despite playing at home, losing the series two games to one. On Sunday's rubber match, which also served as UCLA's Senior Day, the Lady Bruins couldn't close it out, surrendering 4 runs in the top of the seventh, to lose 7-5. B.B. Bates (1-3, 1 R, 2 RBI, 1 HR) led the Bruins with her 20th bomb on the year, but it wasn't enough for UCLA. Ally Carda (4.0 IP, 3 ER, 4 K) got the start for UCLA, going four innings, and leaving with the score tied up at 3. Jessica Hall (2.2 IP, 4 ER, 2 K) took the rubber in relief in the fifth, ending the Duck threat in the fifth. But Hall's luck ran out in the top of the seventh, giving up four huge earned runs that saddled UCLA with a loss, Hall's sixth of the year. With the series loss, the Lady Bruins now stand at 3217 on the year and 8-13 in conference play. Not good.
Alright folks, those are your various bits and pieces of news from around the broader UCLA-iverse. Fire away in the comment thread with your thoughts, additions, and takes.
GO BRUINS