Weakly Bruin - UCLA Edition 4: Testing Just How Weak The Weakly Bruin Connection Is

Well, here we are again. It's another Sunday evening  Let's scan the Sunday paper for some of the little-known (or little cared-about) Bruin connections. Some of these are a little more tenuous in the connection department than others.

We see from the Sports page that UCLA had an active week. We had our Spring game, with the gang meeting at Roscoe's House of Chicken and Waffles before hand. That's a good way to spend a Saturday. That Spring Game followed on the heels of a new BOOM named Jordan Parker and some insights about the guys during practice. Going into the season, we need our guys to remember to cut down on penalties, especially ones like this.

We were once again reminded that UCLA's athletes, like some of us who write for the BN, are not just pretty faces.  The Honor Roll was announced, and we had what I think was a pretty spectacular performance.  We learned that Dennis Mrktchian learned that he was one of 21 student-athletes with a 4.0 for the quarter, and we learned that Emily Hammond is sitting at a cumulative 3.958, making us all wonder who the goon was who gave her a B.  So hats off to those kids.  The BN salutes you.

While we're on the subject of academic prowess, I feel constrained to do a little saluting to a guy who graduated from my high school, Lynwood High, just a little before I did.  Of course, I'm talking about Weird Al Yankovic.  Maybe Weird Al had the same English teachers I did.  In any event, he has been awarded Bruins Nation Grammar and Syntax Committee Lifetime Achievement Award for his unceasing efforts to fix our broken language.  (With thanks to alyankovicVEVO.)

Turning to the entertainment section of the papers, we see that the big entertainment news is the imminent arrival of the next edition of the Star Wars Dodecadilogy (because opportunity to continue to make and sell action figures is just too good a deal to stop).  For those who spent the last 40 years in the bottom of a mine shaft, I've asked Weird Al to delay his return to the World of Weirdness until he could summarize how it all started. (Thanks again to alyankovicVEVO.)

(As an aside, I think we should all get down on our knees and give thanks, each in his or her own way, that Weird Al decided to use his powers for good.)

I like to take little looks back into the past, and here's something from just about 20 years ago. Not exactly, but close enough, mainly because it's fun to watch. (You can watch the entire 1995 Championship game here.)

Your Weakly Bruin wouldn't be complete without some baseball minutiae.  The phrase "baseball trivia" should never be used, because nothing having to do with baseball is trivial.  Hence the term "baseball minutiae."  That said, we note that 53 years ago today, April 26, 1962, Harry Chiti was traded from the Indians to the Mets for a player to be named later.  In June, the Mets send Chiti back to the Indians, making Harry Chiti famous for having been traded for himself.  (He wasn't the first nor the last player to be traded for himself, but he's got a somewhat unique name, and this involved the Mets.)

Last but not least, I feel constrained to return to the great question which has been pondered since Al Gore invented basketball so long ago.  You know what I mean - how much does hair have to do with coaching ability?  Floydo, who I've never met but who I am very confident has great hair, has suggested that hair is a significant factor.  I won't say that Floydo argued that it was the single most important factor, but I think I read enough between the lines to know that's where he was heading.

I disagree with Floydo on this.  As but one example, I note that for all his many laudable characteristics, Coach had no better than average hair.

Source: Twitter: @MarcWurzel

I contend that hair may play a role, and certainly an important role, but that too much emphasis can be placed on hair, leading to the inevitable slippery slope.  For example, you start with this

Source: Twitter: @SteveLavin64

(note the guy in the middle)

and it leads you to this

Source: Twitter: @faulycuenta

and then to this

Source: Twitter: @MikeAndMike

The next step in the chain seems inevitable:

Source: Twitter: @bigdaddyhughes7

Really. Is this what we are looking for in a basketball coach? I think not. You can just go ahead and call me negative, but I don't want this guy on our sidelines, thank you very much.

And that's the news.  (Now the obligatory kitty video.)