The Victory Bell, which goes to the winner of the annual Crosstown Rivalry football clash, painted blue due to UCLA’s win over USC this year…
IT WAS JUST ANNOUNCED:
And – I must admit as I won’t lie – as a Bruin alum this is very good news from a personal standpoint…
UCLA’s website, UCLABruins.com, has reported that the Bruin athletic program has won this year’s annual Crosstown Cup, the year-long competition with rival USC spanning the nineteen sports where SoCal’s two largest institutions of higher learning compete against each other,
By a score of 120-70, which tied the Bruins’ record for points in this rivalry competition.
And which is UCLA’s second Crosstown Cup win in the past three years and ninth over their Trojan rivals in the past twenty-three years that this all-sports clash has been held.
“A dominant Crosstown Cup win just adds to (UCLA Athletics) tremendous year,” Bruin athletic director Martin Jarmond commented. “We’re excited to be holding bragging rights while introducing the Big Ten to this all-time great rivalry next season.”
And on a personal note regarding the Bruins’ and Trojans’ move to the Big Ten Conference, which I’ll write about on this blog this summer,
It looks like Michigan and Ohio State will have some real competition for the title of the Big Ten’s biggest rivalry as while UCLA and USC are only twelve miles apart in the same city,
The Wolverines’ and Buckeyes’ homes are located 188 miles apart.
Across two different states.
I certainly feel fortunate and blessed to have seen and, being that I was in the UCLA Marching Band during my days in Westwood,
Have been a part of this unique, Verona-style, Montague vs Capulet-like rivalry as a student and have witnessed many classic clashes across several sports over the years;
I’ll likewise write about that in detail on this blog soon.
As for how the points are distributed…
Ten points are awarded for each sport; if one school wins their majority of contests over the other in a series, i.e., the three games that the Bruins and Trojans played against each other in baseball, that school wins all ten points.
If an even number of games were played and the two schools won an equal number of such contests, they split the ten available points and are awarded five points each, as UCLA’s and USC’s men’s basketball teams did this year.
UCLA won 23 of the 37 total games and in eleven of the 19 sports that they played over USC;
The Bruin sports that triumphed over the Trojans (and vice-versa) listed below…
Joe Bruin, UCLA’s mascot…
USC’s Kayla Padilla (#45) and JuJu Watkins (#12) contesting UCLA’s Charisma Osborne (#20) during the sold-out women’s basketball version of the Crosstown Rivalry Clash in Pauley Pavilion this past season…
USC’s iconic symbols, Traveler ridden by Tommy Trojan along with the USC Marching Band…
Sports where UCLA beat USC and earned ten points:
Football
Baseball
Women’s Soccer
Women’s Water Polo
Men’s Water Polo
Men’s Volleyball
Men’s Golf
Women’s Golf
Women’s Cross Country
Women’s Tennis
Men’s Tennis
Sports where USC beat UCLA and earned ten points:
Women’s Basketball
Beach Volleyball
Men’s Track and Field
Women’s Track and Field
Women’s Rowing
Women’s Swim and Dive
Sports where the two schools split the ten available points:
Men’s Basketball
Women’s Volleyball
UCLA Football getting ready to do battle at the Rose Bowl…
One of my favorite places to go in all of So Cal: DODGER STADIUM – a place where I have been to over sixty times in over forty years for Dodger games and other baseball events…
THIS WEEKEND – THIS SUNDAY THE 21st TO BE PRECISE,
WILL MARK NINE YEARS SINCE I STARTED THIS SPORTS BLOG.
That’s 108 months.
That’s also 469 weeks.
And 3,285 days.
Which to me is both quite a long time,
And in a way not that long in the greater scheme of things.
In stating the obvious,
Much has happened in Los Angeles’ and Southern California’s sports scene since I posted my first piece in 2015…
L.A. went from not having any pro football teams for the previous two decades – and me posting the opinion that L.A. will never see a pro football team – to having two teams from the National Football League not only calling America’s second largest city home, but sharing the same state-of-the-art stadium in Inglewood
Two pro soccer teams – one a women’s team – beginning operations with one of them making the playoffs in only their second year and winning a championship in only their fifth year of existence, making Los Angeles a true hub for soccer as three teams now call So Cal home
Five So Cal pro teams winning championships – the WNBA’s Sparks in 2016, the Dodgers and Lakers in 2020, and the Rams and LAFC in 2022 – during the time this blog has existed
The COVID-19 pandemic wreaking havoc on the seasons of virtually every sport at pretty much every level, with tons of games getting postponed and cancelled; the high school girls’ volleyball teams in So Cal in both the CIF Southern and L.A. City Sections were forced to cancel their seasons in 2020
and,
An Emancipation Proclamation of sorts happening for college athletes across the country, including the student-athletes at So Cal colleges like UCLA, USC, Long Beach State, Cal State Fullerton, Loyola Marymount, and the several other institutions of higher learning in the Los Angeles area due to the availability of the Transfer Portal and Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) deals which enables student-athletes to make money
I’ve written and posted some memorable pieces on this blog as well, such as…
Returning to the park in my former hometown of Santa Monica where as a Little League baseball player and a youth baseball and softball coach, I did everything but live in that park, for nostalgia and to write about how things are now
Going to the arena formerly known as Staples Center – now Crypto.com Arena – for the very first time in 2017 to see my very first pro basketball game in person, the WNBA’s Sparks as there was no way I could afford even a ticket in the nosebleed section to see either the Lakers or the Clippers
Covering the high school football team in my immediate area – Culver City’s Centaurs – in their state semifinal game vs San Diego Lincoln High in 2018 in which the weather was cold and the game lasted a long time due to the many flags thrown by the referees
Writing and posting articles about the history of the Pacific Coast League teams, the Angels and the Hollywood Stars, that called L.A. home before the Dodgers arrived in 1958, as well as a piece about the Los Angeles White Sox, a Negro League team that played in the California Winter League just after World War II in 1946
Giving prominent coverage to the UCLA Women’s Gymnastics team, a team in which I have stated is my favorite in the sports universe, reaching that status around the time I began this blog as to the best of my knowledge, I believe I have given more coverage to those Bruin gymnasts than any other news source save for UCLA’s student newspaper, the Daily Bruin
Taking a look at a So Cal sports rivalry that’s not located in Westwood or Exposition Park as I checked out the rivalry between Loyola Marymount and Pepperdine – which they call the PCH Cup – in watching a basketball and baseball game between those two schools, the baseball game being on Pepperdine’s campus in Malibu, where I had never been to (the campus) and where I hadn’t been in twelve years (Malibu).
and…
Giving the Crosstown Rivalry between UCLA and USC significant coverage, especially during the week of the annual football clash between the Bruins and the Trojans as my predicting the score two days before kickoff became the number one tradition of this blog, though other sports like baseball and the recent women’s basketball showdown at Pauley Pavilion were covered as well
If I were forced to choose the single most memorable Crosstown Rivalry post on this blog, it would be the one I wrote in 2017 about the set of brothers – twins who were in the UCLA Bruin Marching Band while their younger brother was in the “Spirit of Troy” Marching Band at USC – at the same time, which was notable due to that family being Bruins for generations and the longtime animosity (which has thankfully lessened in recent years) between those two rival bands.
I can’t do an anniversary post on this sports blog without mentioning this iconic sports facility: THE COLISEUM – Home to USC Football for over 100 years as well as a former home of UCLA Football, the Rams, the Raiders, the Dodgers, and many other famous sports events…
Yep, I’ve done quite a bit in these pages.
It has been a good experience, a way to have my own business and be my own boss (so to speak), doing something that I have aptitude in.
However,
Which this will likely be a shock, this must be said…
I see an end to this blog coming one of these days, as although I have not officially decided one way or the other,
This may be my last year doing this SoCal Sports Chronicles blog.
Here’s why I’m considering such…
When I look at the sports pages, watch ESPN, or go online, I’ve found myself not giving one iota of a care about whether the Lakers, Clippers, Kings and especially the Anaheim Ducks won – in other words, the passion and excitement of covering So Cal sports has lessened a bit and for someone with a sports blog, that’s not a good sign.
Signs of burnout – it’s been nine years of solid, consistent work on this blog and to be honest, I’m beginning to get a tiny bit bored of covering certain sports and sports events and keeping up on the goings on
Not being a complete fan of some of the cultural shifts and changes to the sports scene in general, particularly in the high school and college ranks, which I’ll soon elaborate on in a future post
and,
A desire to branch out as contrary to what some may think, I didn’t embark on a writing/blogging career to merely write about sports for the rest of my life as I’m currently working on my first fiction novel and second book overall, set in the future about a young man’s journey from a place where he does not fit in and subsequently suffers due to that to a place where he’s accepted and embraced
It’s not my intention to give the impression of being someone who no longer enjoys sports; that’s certainly not the case.
It’s just that after nine years, my thoughts are drifting more and more to doing other things as a writer;
If I do decide to end this blog, the ten year mark – this time next year in January of 2025 – would be a good time to do so.
As I’ve said, I’ve not made my decision yet;
I will see how 2024 goes as except for the Crosstown Rivalry football coverage, I’m planning to continue posting one article a week on average, which I started doing last year to give myself time to work on my new book.
Until the time I decide whether to put an end to So Cal Sports Chronicles or to carry on,
I am looking forward to writing and posting stuff on this blog.
So don’t worry folks – for this year at least, I’m not going anywhere.
But after that, we’ll see.
A place where I have been to roughly 150 times in over 35 years to watch my alma mater’s football team: THE ROSE BOWL – Home to UCLA Football since 1982 as well as the original home of Major League Soccer’s Galaxy and an epic 1999 Women’s World Cup Final…
UCLA’s Londynn Jones (#3) driving on USC’s McKenzie Forbes (#25) during their first Crosstown Rivalry Clash of the season. Photo courtesy of twitter.com
ON THE SECOND TO LAST DAY OF 2023,
THE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL TEAMS FROM THE TWO LARGEST INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER LEARNING IN SO CAL HELD A HISTORICALLY EPIC CROSSTOWN RIVALRY CLASH AT UCLA’S PAULEY PAVILION.
AND I WAS THERE.
In case you missed it because you were too caught up in the College Football Playoff games or some New Year’s Eve revelry in general…
In late November, when both UCLA’s and USC’s women’s basketball teams found themselves off to great starts and on a collision course to clash for the first time in the 2023-24 season at Pauley Pavilion,
I knew I had to be there.
Especially when I found that with undefeated records and ranks of second (UCLA) and sixth (USC), this particular Crosstown Rivalry game was the first time that,
Those Bruins and Trojans have met while undefeated – EVER!
Those Bruins and Trojans have met while both teams were ranked since 1985, and…
Those Bruins and Trojans have met while both teams were ranked in the top ten since 1981!
For perspective, I was in the eighth grade when that happened!
I was fully aware of the historical significance of this game and how it would give a big boost to women’s basketball in general, being that with the Lakers, the Clippers, and the male basketball counterparts at both ‘SC and UCLA having rather mediocre years to date,
It was quite clear that those Lady Bruins, especially after what unfolded at Pauley Pavilion that Saturday night, were the best basketball team in So Cal with those Women of Troy clearly So Cal’s second best hoops squad.
At least for now.
So there I was standing in a very long line outside of Pauley that chilly-with-a-threat-of-rain Saturday afternoon with 13,658 other fans – the largest crowd to ever see a women’s basketball game at UCLA and (I’m sure) anywhere else in So Cal – roughly 90% of them members of Bruin Nation while the remaining 10% were from the Trojan Family, feeling a little disappointed that I hadn’t got there earlier but also thinking as the line stretched past the Wooden Center, me standing in front the statue of the greatest coach in the history of sports;
(That’s John Wooden for all those who had spent the past sixty years under a rock on Mars)
“It could have been worse.”
JuJu Watkins, USC’s phenomenal freshman star and this season’s top recruit who’s lived up to the hype so far. Photo courtesy of twitter.com
McKenzie Forbes (#25), who scored 23 points on Saturday. Photo courtesy of twitter.com
THEY PAVED THE WAY: UCLA women’s basketball alumnae celebrating the Bruins’ legacy at halftime. Photo courtesy of twitter.com
Bruins celebrating a key moment in their Crosstown Rivalry Clash. Photo courtesy of twitter.com
I made it to Pauley and my seat behind and to the side of the baseline, and settled in to not only see if this #2 vs #6 clash would live up to the hype,
But also if those Bruins in particular – me being a UCLA alum and all – were truly legit in my mind, or a mere fraud.
To put it simply,
That Bruin-Trojan clash was very successful in living up to the hype it generated, with them being undefeated and ranked in the nation’s top six.
Everyone in blue and gold, as well as cardinal and gold, was appropriately pumped with a DJ spinning tunes and a host talking things up throughout the contest.
AS FOR THE GAME ITSELF…
As UCLA scored the first eight points and twelve out of the game’s first 14 points, only to see ‘SC take a brief lead before the Bruins took a one-point lead at halftime,
Then stepping up their defense and hitting some CLUTCH shots in the second half, making Bruin Nation happy and proud with their 71-64 triumph,
As much as I was appropriately glad over a UCLA team beating ‘SC, there were three things that were prominent in my mind after it all ended,
As well as they played, I felt those Bruins could have played better as they missed way too many easy lay-ups in the first half, letting those Trojans into the game after taking their initial ten-point lead
Two USC players, JuJu Watkins and McKenzie Forbes, scored fifty of their team’s 64 points while there were four UCLA players in double figures, led by Londynn Jones’ 21 points – which meant that the Bruins were more balanced and have more balance in their scoring, as well as more depth.
and…
While Bruin Nation should be ecstatic over the win – I know I was – they should also keep in mind that there will be a rematch between those two crosstown rivals at the Galen Center on USC’s campus, on January 14th.
As sure as I’m typing this,
That Galen Center will be packed to capacity, much like Pauley Pavilion was.
And with them having lost to the Bruins, those Trojans will now have a factor that will very much play into their favor…
REVENGE.
Which is why that Trojan Family will be as hyped as the Bruin Nation was,
And which was why I was telling fellow Bruins to enjoy the win, but remember the upcoming rematch.
As such,
In stating the obvious, I had a good time watching my alma mater’s women’s basketball team prove themselves to me;
It was a very nice way to close 2023.
And of course it should go without saying that the rematch on the 14th of this month will probably attract more attention than the first clash was.
A great shot of the record 13,659 that witnessed the recent women’s basketball version of the Crosstown Rivalry clash; I can see me in the lower left hand corner wearing a blue baseball cap! Photo courtesy of twitter.com
USC’s and UCLA’s captains flipping the coin before the start of their Crosstown Rivalry Clash. Photo courtesy of twitter.com
WRAPPING UP THIS YEAR’S COVERAGE OF THE CROSSTOWN RIVALRY CLASH WITH MY THOUGHTS AND ANALYSIS OF UCLA’S 38-20 STATEMENT WIN OVER USC AT THE COLISEUM
Once again, It’s my duty to make this beginning statement regarding how things unfolded at the Coliseum on Saturday…
I WAS WRONG.
As has always been the case, as a UCLA alum and longtime Bruin Nation member I’m quite happy to be wrong in my prediction of who would win this year’s Crosstown Rivalry game and what the score would be;
I’ve always felt the need to be honest in that sentiment.
And as always, as someone who’s committed to be impartial, objective and realistic in how I see things with So Cal’s two college football teams would unfold when they played each other,
After UCLA’s two previous games where they were outscored 44-17 by the state of Arizona, I felt there was a good reason to predict the game the way I did.
As it turned out, the Bruins and Trojans flipped the scores I gave them.
One thing was certain in this 93rd Battle For L.A. showdown,
UCLA’s players came to play.
And except for Caleb Williams and Brendan Rice (son of NFL legend Jerry Rice) – with Williams throwing for 384 yards and a 74-yard touchdown to Rice in the second quarter that ended up being their big highlight of the day,
USC’s players did not come to play as their issues on defense in particular continued.
Those Bruins entered the Coliseum with several chips on their shoulder, and it showed in the way they played on defense;
The run defense allowed a minuscule three net yards. THREE!
That defense fulfilled one of my keys to the game in sacking Williams four times, and
Three turnovers – an interception and two fumbles (with UCLA forcing three in all), one of them resulting in a scoop and score by Eric Johnson that in my view was the turning point of the game – were forced by that number one defense in the conference
Which is why that unit as a whole has earned my personal and annual Co-MVP honors for this 93rd Crosstown Rivalry Clash,
Along with Bruin running back T. J. Harden with his 142 rush yards on 22 carries and a touchdown to open the scoring.
In short, UCLA showed two things against ‘SC that I certainly did not see the previous two weeks against the Arizona schools, especially against now 3-8 Arizona State,
HEART and GUTS.
And the fact that it was the Bruins’ second straight win over the Trojans in their Coliseum house – along with hearing that now-blue painted Victory Bell as the players rolled it up the tunnel – put a smile on my face;
Even though USC has also won two straight Crosstown Rivalry games in UCLA’s Rose Bowl house, but that’s besides the point.
It is interesting that the visiting team has won the last four games in this rivalry clash.
Trojan quarterback Caleb Williams (#13) scrambling from the Bruin rush. Photo courtesy of on3.com
IMO – THE TURNING POINT OF THE GAME: Alex Johnson (#36) scoring after recovering a USC fumble to increase UCLA’s lead to 28-10, with Caleb Williams pursuing him in vain. Photo courtesy of twitter.com
Kenny Churchwell III (#23) stripping the ball from Zachariah Branch (#1) in the first quarter. Photo courtesy of twitter.com
UCLA defensive starts Laiatu Latu (#15), Darius Muasau (#53), and John Humphrey (#6) celebrating their great day. Photo courtesy of twitter.com
It is also interesting that one head coach was being said to be set to lose his job if his team had lost this past Saturday, and now it’s the other head coach who has been put on the hot seat by at least some of his fan base and very wealthy boosters and alumni (hint, hint).
Only a fool would be reluctant to give Chip Kelly significant props for orchestrating such a statement win over the crosstown rival,
But while I certainly can’t speak for anyone else, in my mind that triumph earns him, in a sense, a one game at a time reprieve as now that the rivals from just south of Downtown L.A. have been vanquished for this season, the Victory Bell is back in Westwood and painted blue, and bragging rights have been secured for Bruin Nation,
The hard part is now upon that UCLA team…
Not letting down vs a decent Cal Bears team that handled Stanford relatively easily in their recent Big Game, and will enter the season finale vs the Bruins with bowl eligibility at stake as their five wins is one short.
Being that it will be the very last regular season game that those flagship U.C. schools will play as members of the Pac-12 Conference and notably against each other, at least for the foreseeable future,
Anyone who doesn’t think that those Golden Bears’ motivation to end their Pac-12 days and their series against their younger “Southern Branch” brothers will a win will be sky-high needs to completely change such thinking.
As such, with the Bruins’ defense being what it is I’m fairly confident that they’ll get their eighth win, which will match my preseason prediction of their record.
But then again, I was also confident of UCLA getting a win over Arizona State.
My message to that football program of my alma mater’s…
Do. Not. Let. Down.
And DO NOT take Cal lightly.
As for those Men of Troy from the University of Southern California,
That those Trojans finished 7-5 with losses in five out of their last six games was and is SHOCKING is an understatement, especially after I had them winning the Pac-12 and in the College Football Playoff (which shows how much I know!).
I knew they’d have trouble with the back end of their schedule after their 6-0 start over relative cupcakes,
But I didn’t think their troubles, particularly on defense, would be that pronounced as I knew that the firing of defensive coordinator Alex Grinch before their Oregon game wouldn’t solve their issues on that side of the ball;
Lincoln Riley might as well have kept Grinch and waited until after the season to let him go.
To be honest, much like two years before in that 62-33 beat down I felt that ‘SC’s players had given up by the end of that rivalry clash, them along the rest of the Trojan Family feeling dejected over losing to both of their traditional rivals.
I hope they show some Trojan pride in their upcoming bowl game,
Which may well be seven miles southwest of the USC campus at SoFi Stadium for what is now known as the “L.A. Bowl Hosted by (NFL star) Rob Gronkowski”.
With Williams as good as gone to the NFL with an eight figure contact as the very possible number one overall pick this coming April, Riley will have some rebuilding to do.
But I’ll elaborate on that when on the upcoming season wrap-up of that ‘SC team next month.
It was certainly an interesting Crosstown Rivalry Clash between the two largest colleges in So Cal, the last one as members of the Pac-12 as they will be members of the Big Ten Conference when they meet again on November 23, 2024 at the Rose Bowl.
And I reckon it will be just as interesting if not more so by that time.
THAT’S A WRAP ON THIS YEAR’S CROSSTOWN RIVALRY COVERAGE;
ONCE AGAIN, YOUR SUPPORT IS APPRECIATED!
AND I HOPE THESE POSTS WERE ENJOYED!
UNTIL THE WEEK OF NOVEMBER 18-23, 2024…
A SIGNIFICANT SPOIL TO THE VICTORS: Muasau (#53), Duke Clemens (#62), and Siale Taupaki (#59) taking a by-now blue Victory Bell out of the Coliseum and back to Westwood. Photo courtesy of twitter.com
Former UCLA quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson (DTR) scoring during the 2021 Crosstown Rivalry Game, the previous time it was held at the Coliseum. Photo courtesy of latimes.com
UCLA BRUINS (6-4) vs USC TROJANS (7-4)
DAY & DATE: Saturday, November 18, 2023
PLACE: Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, CA
TIME: 12:30 p.m.
TV: ABC Channel 7
RANK: None by either team
AT STAKE BESIDES BRAGGING RIGHTS AND THE VICTORY BELL:
Nothing except a better chance to play in a more prestigious bowl game, to be honest
ALL-TIME SERIES: Trojans lead 50-33-7 (two USC wins vacated due to NCAA sanctions)
FIRST GAME: 1929, Trojans won 76-0
MOST RECENT GAME: 2022 at the Rose Bowl, Trojans won 48-45
LAST UCLA WIN: 2021 at the Coliseum, Bruins won 62-33
LONGEST CROSSTOWN RIVALRY WIN STREAKS:
UCLA – Eight straight from 1991-1998
USC – Seven straight from 1999-2005
LINE: Trojans favored by six and a half points
Former Bruin running back Zach Carbonnet (#24) powering through Trojans during the 2021 game. Photo courtesy of latimes.com
ALL RIGHT TROJAN FAMILY AND BRUIN NATION,
HERE IS HOW I OFFICIALLY SEE THE UPCOMING 93rd MEETING OF USC AND UCLA IN FOOTBALL UNFOLDING,
WHAT I SEE THE OUTCOME BEING,
AND THE NUMBER ONE TRADITION OF THIS BLOG:
MY OFFICIAL PREDICTION OF THE FINAL SCORE…
As a UCLA alum and a longtime member of Bruin Nation who has spent his adult life going to sporting events on and off campus,
To state that I dearly want to see my alma mater’s football team beat their crosstown rival in their house this Saturday, regain that Victory Bell and see it painted blue once again would be stating the painfully obvious.
However,
As a sports blogger who has both pledged and vowed to be impartial, objective and realistic in my assessments of the teams I cover in this blog, including the institution where I earned my bachelor’s degree and the pro sports team whose fan hood was passed down from my grandparents that happens to play north of downtown off of Sunset Blvd,
With regards to how this upcoming Crosstown Rivalry / Battle For L.A. Clash will unfold,
After watching how the Bruins performed the past two weeks, particularly in their most recent game against a team who, with seven losses already, is playing out the string and is out of bowl consideration, losing to them at home no less,
I honestly cannot see them beating a crosstown rival who, despite their season long ineptitude on the defensive side of the ball that has cost them four out of their last five games after a 6-0 start,
Will still have the reigning Heisman Trophy winner taking the snaps behind center;
A reigning Heisman Trophy winner who is second in the nation in passing yards and touchdown passes,
And who leads the nation in total touchdowns, with eleven of his forty scores coming via his legs.
While I see the Trojans’ offense having a bit more trouble with UCLA’s defense against the run, Caleb Williams will try and remedy that by going to the air early and often as SC’s wide receivers are still stellar.
He will be pressured at times by Laiatu Latu and the rest of the Bruins’ front seven, but he will also get his yards and scores.
As for UCLA’s offense,
While I see T.J. Harden and especially Carson Steele doing well against that much maligned Trojan run defense, let me put it like this with regards to the most important position,
Caleb Williams is at least five times better – if not more – than Dante Moore, Ethan Garbers, and Collin Schlee COMBINED.
Which will ultimately be the difference in this 93rd Crosstown Clash as Moore, while a five star recruit who’s the most talented of the Bruin QBs and remains the future of the program, is still a true freshman who has made costly true freshman mistakes.
Garbers, though he did a good job against Stanford and Colorado, is still in my view not the kind of quarterback who can be counted on to win big games like the Crosstown Rivalry;
Colorado and Stanford are one thing.
USC is a completely different animal, especially in the Coliseum.
And in my opinion, Schlee is a bruising running back who happens to play quarterback;
Therefore he’s definitely not the type of guy who can match Williams.
And neither can Moore nor Garbers.
Which is the reason, in accordance to this blog’s number one tradition,
My prediction of the final score of this season’s Crosstown Rivalry Game is thus…
USC TROJANS – 34
UCLA BRUINS – 20
With Chip Kelly being given his walking papers and severance check soon afterward, probably by the end of the next day.
And to be completely honest, I feel I’m being a little generous to UCLA as far as how many points I see them scoring;
If you saw their offense in their previous two contests, you would understand;
Seventeen points combined in the past eight quarters is pretty poor, don’t you think?
Of course as a Bruin alum and a Bruin Nation member, I hope I’m wrong in this prediction.
And I certainly hope that football team of my alma mater’s proves me wrong.
But as an impartial, objective and realistic sports blogger, it’s simply too difficult for me to see things going any other way.
As always,
We will all – the Trojan Family as well as the Bruin Nation – see what unfolds in Exposition Park in roughly forty hours from this writing.
AS YOU ALL SHOULD KNOW,
OUR COVERAGE OF THIS YEAR’S CROSSTOWN RIVALRY GAME IS NOT DONE YET!
BE SURE TO CHECK OUT THIS BLOG ON MONDAY FOR MY POST GAME THOUGHTS AND ANALYSIS!
A Trojan and a Bruin going for a pass during last year’s Crosstown Rivalry Game. Photo courtesy of seattletimes.com
I’ve always liked these photos of the Bruins and Trojans at the line of scrimmage; the contrasting colors of the helmets and jerseys make for a very nice touch. Photo courtesy of athlonsports.com
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, LOS ANGELES (UCLA) BRUINS
Caleb Williams, QB: 67.92% completions, 3,249 yards passing (2nd in the nation), 29 TD (tied for 2nd in the nation), 4 INT // 11 rush TD // * 40 total touchdowns – leads the nation *
Kickers (if the game comes down to field goal kicks):
Denis Lynch, USC: 8-10, 80% made, 53 long
R.J. Lopez, UCLA: 6-11, 54.55% made, 47 long
Last year’s Heisman Trophy winner and this year’s leader in total touchdowns – Caleb Williams (#13) for those who have been living under a rock on Mars the past couple of years – gaining yardage in last season’s Crosstown Rivalry game. Photo courtesy of dknetwork.draftkings.com
OKAY – as I understand it,
My one and a half cents regarding this upcoming Crosstown Rivalry game at the Coliseum this Saturday, the situations facing the football teams of these two largest institutions of higher learning in Los Angeles, and what I see are the keys to each of them winning and either regaining or keeping the Victory Bell,
Needs discussing.
So let’s get started…
While I can’t speak for anyone else, whether they’re a Bruin or a Trojan,
I honestly can’t remember a time when I was less excited over a Crosstown Rivalry game than this year,
Particularly after watching how my alma mater’s football team performed against the Arizona schools these past two weeks,
And especially after how they played against arguably the worst team in the Pac-12 Conference, a team with only two wins to their credit and with seven losses were already out of bowl consideration.
I had officially joined the “Fire Chip Kelly” factions after UCLA’s inexplicable loss to Arizona State, posting in this blog’s Twitter (now X) page that if I were the Bruins’ athletic director,
If the Bruins lose to USC = DEFINITELY fire Chip
If the Bruins beat USC = Wait ’til after the Cal game, then fire him
Either way, I expect that UCLA coach to be gone by the end of this month, just like USC’s now former defensive coordinator when he was shown the door after Washington scored 52 points against those Trojans,
And also after his defensive unit had given up so many yards and points throughout the season;
I actually knew they were vulnerable and sub-par when they gave up 28 points to San Jose State in the first game of the season and allowed Arizona State to score the same number of points and hang in there with them.
Indeed,
After those Bruins lost to those Sun Devils, my mind screamed at me that UCLA’s chances of beating ‘SC in the Coliseum, with the Trojans looking to air out their frustrations on their crosstown rival after losing four out of their last five games,
Are honestly quite slim.
However,
With the Bruins’ defense, namely their front seven, doing so well this season,
That’s one key in which they might have a chance as they must do the same thing to USC’s reigning Heisman Trophy winner quarterback Caleb Williams that they did to Colorado quarterback (and coach Deion Sanders’ son) Shedeur Sanders;
Pressure the h**l out of him.
Hit him.A lot.
Sack him. A lot.
Coach Prime’s son went down seven times in the face of UCLA’s pass rush.
While not necessarily needing to go down seven times, Williams does need to go down and go down often, as well as run for his life as the Bruin linebackers like Laiatu Latu must have great days.
They need to be in that Trojan backfield often, making Williams run for his life.
Only then, along with UCLA’s offensive line performing much better than they have been as they’ve been the main factor, in the form of “if you don’t have a good line you don’t have a good team”, in the anemic attack and lack of points that they’ve produced as of late – 17 points combined in the past two games,
The running game, led by Carson Steele and T.J. Harden, getting enough yards and first downs to control the clock and keep Williams and company off the field,
And if either veteran QB Ethan Garbers or freshman QB who’s still the future of the program Dante Moore plays instead of Colin Schlee, who (with all due respect) while a good runner is not the thrower needed,
Will the Bruins have any chance of beating ‘SC and getting the Victory Bell’s color changed from red to blue.
As for the Trojans, their key to keeping the Victory Bell on their campus and painted red is a fairly straight forward one…
As Williams goes, so goes the Trojans.
Especially on offense.
If his blockers perform and allow him time to take advantage of a UCLA secondary that, while better than last season, is still a sort-of weak link to that defense,
USC will be more than fine as their defense has more than proved all year that they won’t win the game for them, Williams bailing the Trojans out in the Arizona, Colorado, and Cal games.
Of course with the game being at the Coliseum, the expected support from a desperate Trojan Family looking for something to feel good about, which beating the Bruins would more than provide, will be a big factor.
The big questions that comes to mind regarding this 93rd Crosstown Rivalry Clash is this…
Can UCLA’s offense be effective enough to eat clock and keep their USC counterparts off the field?
Can the Bruin defense, particularly their front seven, be effective enough to contain Williams and that potent Trojan offense?
I’ll give my opinionated answers to those two questions in my official predictions piece tomorrow,
WHICH WILL ALSO FEATURE WHAT HAS BEEN AND CONTINUES TO BE THE NUMBER ONE TRADITION ON SOCAL SPORTS CHRONICLES:
MY OFFICIAL PREDICTION OF THE FINAL SCORE.
BE SURE TO CHECK OUT THIS BLOG TOMORROW TO FIND OUT HOW I SEE THIS CROSSTOWN RIVALRY GAME UNFOLDING AND WHO I SEE WINNING!
Dorian Thompson-Robinson (DTR, wearing #1), last season’s Bruin quarterback, putting in work during last year’s USC game. Photo courtesy of uclabruins.com
UCLA running back DeShaun Foster going up and over USC defenders for a touchdown. Photo courtesy of latimes.com
MY ANNUAL CROSSTOWN RIVALRY COVERAGE CONTINUES,
WITH SOME PERSONAL MEMORIES OF THE 1998 BRUIN-TROJAN CLASH.
WHICH HAPPENED TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO (YIKES!)
Some would say that 2012-2014 was a pretty good period for UCLA Football,
What with Jim Mora ushering in that period with three straight wins over USC, two ten-win seasons and two bowl wins.
However,
While I can’t really speak for anyone else,
As far as I’m concerned, the true golden years for my collegiate alma mater in football was during a twenty-year period during the 1980s and the 1990s.
A twenty-year period which saw the Bruins…
Go to eight straight bowl games in the 80s, including a Fiesta Bowl which saw them beat big bad Miami, a Cotton Bowl which I had the pleasure of being at as a member of the UCLA Bruin Marching Band, and three Rose Bowls – with the Bruins winning seven of them consecutively – which is still a record!
and,
Beat their cardinal and gold-clad rivals from just south of Downtown L.A. no less than eight consecutive times in the 90s – which remains a record to this day and which pushed UCLA’s record over USC during that twenty-year period to 13 wins, six losses, and one tie.
Whenever I tell the current Bruins about those exploits, I get wide-eyed reactions and expressions of “WOW!”, me being sure that they were wishing that time machines existed so they can go back and watch those glorified triumphs;
Which unfortunately illustrates how far down the football program at UCLA has gone.
I personally witnessed four of those Bruin victories over those Trojans during that eight-game streak, in 1993, 1994, 1996 – the only overtime game in Crosstown Rivalry history which saw UCLA furiously come back from 17 points down in the fourth quarter,
And 1998,
Which I’m going to reminiscence about due to the fact that this season marks twenty-five years since that eighth straight Bruin win over ‘SC.
Cade McNown, UCLA’s superstar quarterback who went 4-0 against USC. Photo couresy of baltimoresun.com
Saturday, November 21, 1998 was a typically warm, sunny day in So Cal…
I was a full time graduate student, working for my master’s degree and secondary teaching credential at Cal State Northridge after several years of working as an elementary school P.E. teacher,
And along with the rest of Bruin Nation enjoying the good times and memories that UCLA’s football team was giving us, the 3rd-ranked Bruins having won a program record 19 straight games going into the 68th Crosstown Rivalry clash with a just-okay USC Trojan team that, with freshman quarterback Carson Palmer, sported a 7-3 record and (I’m sure) was desperately looking to ruin the Bruins’ quest for a Pac-10 title and a possible spot in the BCS National Championship Game.
I had taken a friend of mine to the Rose Bowl for UCLA’s game with 11th ranked Oregon a month before, the Bruins pulling out an overtime win.
She had quite the good time watching the Ducks get beaten, so when I asked if she wanted to witness the number one sporting event and rivalry in So Cal – and on the West Coast, to be honest – she said yes as looking back, I think she wanted to see and experience what the rivalry between Los Angeles’ two biggest institutions of higher learning was like.
She said that would meet me at the edge of Lot H, the grassy area just south of the Rose Bowl where the UCLA Alumni Band, which I was and am a part of, played their pre-game concert for the tailgaters.
I wouldn’t be surprised if she, in retrospect, had wished she had gone to the Rose Bowl with me as she arrived right after the Alumni Band finished their concert and just before we were all about to head for the gates and our seats at Section 2.
I think, while probably not overwhelmed, she was quite impressed at the pregame pageantry with the two marching bands hyping their students, alumni and fans up with their fight songs, seeing all of us waving dollar bills at the USC band while they played “Tribute To Troy”, “Fight On”, and “Conquest”, and hearing all of us scream the “Eight-Clap” during the UCLA band’s “Sons of Westwood”, the chant “BEAT ‘SC!!” practically being heard all the way to the Westside.
She also saw a little of the Trojan Family’s obnoxiousness – which they were notoriously known for at that time but which has lessened in recent years – when a Bruin friend saw a USC band member flip him off.
And if I recall correctly, I saw a Trojan fan, with whom I’m sure was his little boy next to him, give the middle finger to either the UCLA band or the Bruin football team as they came out of the tunnel.
As for the game itself…
It went more or less as expected, the favored Bruins answering SC’s initial field goal with two touchdowns, taking a 27-10 lead and pulling away to a 34-17 win, giving Bruin Nation the right to keep the Victory Bell blue for the eighth straight year with me, my friend, and my fellow Bruin mates among the 88,080 in attendance that afternoon.
I remember my friend complaining about the Trojan band’s incessant playing of “Tribute”, saying that it gave her a headache,
Which I shouted in their direction in the south end zone seats; “You’re giving my friend a headache!” I yelled.
As the fourth quarter began to wind down, alumni yell leader Geof Strand started a chant that very quickly ran through the Rose Bowl growing ever so louder…
“EIGHT MORE YEARS!”
I walked her to the gate after the game ended, then joined some of my fellow Bruin Nation friends in a little celebrating before heading home, none of us knowing that a disaster that would ruin the Bruins’ season would strike that UCLA team in Miami two weeks later.
And at that time,
None of us knew that those Trojans would not only end that eight game streak the next year, but also become a dominant dynasty for the next decade under a new coach, some guy who was fired by the New York Jets and the New England Patriots after a year with the Jets and three years with the Patriots named Pete Carroll, that would see them,
Win two straight national championships and come to within a yard of winning a third,
Win seven Pac-10 Conference championships,
Win four Rose Bowls,
See two of their players win Heisman Trophies,
Have a winning streak of over thirty games
and eventually…
Have it all come crashing down due to NCAA rules being broken with one of their Heisman Trophy winners having to return his award, the program being forced to vacate 14 wins, and getting a two-year bowl ban
CLICHE ALERT:
The fact that it has been twenty-five years since that last triumph in the Bruins’ eight-game win streak over the Trojans freaks me out a bit.
I don’t think I’ll ever find it believable that twenty-five years can seemingly go by so fast.
I only wish the current UCLA students, particularly the Spirit Squad and marching band, and the students who were in Westwood for the bulk of this century, could have been there in the 1980s and 90s to see a Bruin football team that was up there with the Michigans, Ohio States, Alabamas, Georgias, Penn States, and Florida States among the nation’s elite programs.
Or were at the very least in the conversation of who had the best chance to win a “Natty”
I know I sound like an “oldie” pining for the good old days when I say this, but…
Those really were the good old days in Westwood.
BE SURE TO CHECK OUT THIS BLOG TOMORROW!
The Reason:
MY OFFICIAL PREVIEW OF THE UPCOMING 93rd MEETING BETWEEN UCLA AND USC,
WHICH WILL INCLUDE MY KEYS TO THE GAME FOR BOTH THE BRUINS AND THE TROJANS.
So…
WATCH FOR IT & DO NOT MISS IT!
DeShaun Foster going up and over (again!) against the Trojans. Photo courtesy of ocregister.com
UCLA quarterback Troy Aikman (#8) getting hit by a USC defender during the 1988 Crosstown Rivalry Clash. Photo courtesy of dailynews.com
CROSSTOWN RIVALRY WEEK IN SO CAL HAS OFFICIALLY BEGUN!
AS HAS OUR ANNUAL CROSSTOWN RIVALRY COVERAGE, WHICH IS MARKING ITS NINTH YEAR ON THIS BLOG!
I BEGIN THIS YEAR’S UCLA vs USC COVERAGE WITH A COMMEMORATION OF THE 35TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE VERY FIRST TIME I SAW THE BRUINS FACE THE TROJANS IN PERSON…
I know this is a cliche, and I honestly don’t like cliches,
But the fact that it’s been thirty-five years since I saw my first Crosstown Rivalry game in person is truly mind blowing.
Actually, my first true Crosstown Rivalry experience as a card-carrying member of Bruin Nation came to pass three days before the early afternoon kickoff at the Rose Bowl on November 19, 1988;
It was near the end of Fall Quarter, me beginning to finish my first quarter as a UCLA student after realizing my dream of being a Bruin, having transferred from Santa Monica College after the thick manila envelope with the letter stating “Congratulations!” arrived in the mail the previous February.
I was immersed in my first year as a tenor saxophone player in the UCLA Bruin Marching Band, enjoying the friends that I had made and even pledging Kappa Kappa Psi, the band service fraternity, just to see what it was like in a “Don’t knock it ’til you try it” way.
I was also involved with the band’s flag football team, and we were busy getting ready for the “Band Bowl”, a flag football game played between the UCLA and USC bands the Sunday before the “real game” is played; the game was scheduled for Wednesday evening that year because of some Trojan band commitment for that previous Sunday.
Unfortunately due to an accident with a broken beer bottle, the stitches in my foot from that incident rendered me as being unable to play that November 16th, though I was on that yellow school bus with the rest of the team heading down the I-10 and making the right turn on the Vermont Ave. exit that evening for needed support (“Let’s go back to the sixth grade, shall we?” cracked our team captain).
The game itself went well, our Bruin band team comfortably beating our ‘SC band counterparts 21-7,
But I did get a good baptism in how hateful the crosstown rivalry among the bands was when at halftime, when the Trojan band members came onto the field and played their tunes, after the last song they promptly turned around to face the Bruin band members and friends that came with us at what’s now called Loker Stadium, USC’s track and field facility, proudly stuck their middle fingers in the air and screamed, at the tippy top of their lungs, loud enough to be heard at City Hall downtown,
“F*** THE BRUINS!!”
Which constituted their vocabulary for that night, emphasizing their hatred in getting into our Bruin band’s faces while water balloons were being thrown at us from the roof of the building behind us, our band director having to chase those perpetrators away.
I remember being glad that we won that night and were able to claim the big trophy as our spoils, or things would have surely been worse for us Bruin Nation members at the hands of our Trojan adversaries on that enemy turf.
A Trojan running back getting yardage during the 1988 Crosstown Rivalry Clash. Photo courtesy of insidesocal.com
Fast forward three days…
Being that the 58th meeting of UCLA and USC in football, with both teams ranked in the top ten (the Trojans 2nd, the Bruins 6th), a then-Pac-10 championship and a spot in the Rose Bowl on the line, was at 12:30 p.m.,
I arrived at the UCLA Band’s practice field by Drake Stadium at around 8:00 a.m (if I recall correctly) wearing a Hawaiian Lei that my “Big Sister” which every Kappa Kappa Psi pledge was assigned to, told me to wear as she would reveal herself by wearing a lei of her own.
I won’t say her name for privacy reasons, but I wasn’t too surprised when I found out who it was; she was a nice and friendly young lady back then whose outgoing nature sort of tipped me off, and remains a nice lady today – I know this because we are Facebook friends, even though I haven’t laid my actual eyes on her in well over a decade.
She even remained my friend when I realized that Kappa Kappa Psi wasn’t for me and quit a couple of weeks later, which I give her much credit for.
As for the game itself, there are several things that I remember…
The atmosphere being very intense, with the Trojan Family showing their pronounced obnoxiousness as a tomato thrown by an ‘SC person hit me while I was marching with the UCLA band to the Rose Bowl’s visiting tunnel, where I saw a few of the members yelling at one of USC’s players, who answered with their two-fingered “Victory” sign, before we marched out onto the field,
The intensity continuing during the pregame shows, as I remember one of the USC band members giving us a middle finger while playing “Fight On”, then hearing roughly 70,000 or so of the over 100,000 fans in that sold-out Rose Bowl scream the UCLA “Eight-Clap” while we played “Sons of Westwood” on the field, me thinking “D**n!” as “Fight!! Fight!! Fight!!” was probably heard all the way back to Westwood Blvd,
The game, most unfortunately, not going the Bruins’ way as the Trojans answered UCLA’s three field goals with three touchdowns of their own, USC giving up a mere 73 yards on the ground and just flat-out outplaying the Bruins in winning 31-22; the Trojan band gleefully striking up “Conquest” and “Tusk” with a more than healthy doses of “U-C-L-A SUCKS!!” from their fellow Trojan Family members in celebration afterward, and…
While it would have been about a million time more fun if we had won and were able to paint the Victory Bell blue, it was a fun day and a pleasant memory for me anyway, particularly when I and the rest of the band saw a huge banner that one of the fraternities put up on Gayley Ave that said ““USC STILL SUCKS!” as we arrived back on campus.
While those Trojans ended up losing soon-to-be-national-champion Notre Dame at the Coliseum a week later, and to Michigan on that same Rose Bowl turf six weeks later, we Bruins happily ended the season well in beating Arkansas – the whole state as well as that Razorback team as that stadium next to the Texas State Fairgrounds in was awash in bright red – in the Cotton Bowl in Dallas.
Which of course is another story that I’ll reminisce about on this blog another time.
As I had stated at the beginning of this post,
Though I’m not a fan of cliches,
Thirty-five years really is a long time.
And it really does seem like it has only been thirty-five days.
I’ve just realized that a baby born that year is now a full-fledged adult at thirty-five, with a decent chance of being married with kids of their own.
Which freaks me out!
CHECK OUT THIS BLOG TOMORROW AS THE CROSSTOWN RIVALRY COVERAGE CONTINUES WITH ANOTHER ANNIVERSARY COMMEMORATION AND REMINISCENCE OF A UCLA vs USC CLASH;
TO FIND OUT WHICH GAME, WELL…YOU’LL JUST HAVE TO GO TO THIS SITE!
USC quarterback Rodney Peete (smiling) and a Trojan teammate joyful over their successful play during the Crosstown Rivalry game. Photo courtesy of insideusc.blog
The iconic Joe Bruin statue on the UCLA campus. Photo courtesy of ladyclever.com
LOOKING BACK (and forward) ON MY THREE AND A HALF DECADES AS A PART OF THE UCLA FAMILY,
AND A LOOK OF SOME MEMORABLE MOMENTS THAT I SAW
While I can’t speak for anyone else,
And at the risk of sounding very cliche-ish,
These three and a half decades as a student and alumnus of UCLA and a member of Bruin Nation have gone by VERY fast as thirty-five years ago this month, I began my first fall quarter classes in Westwood after transferring from Santa Monica College.
I wasn’t even expecting to be a Bruin as I was all set to attend Cal State Northridge, where I would eventually end up matriculating as a graduate student.
But when I received the thick manila envelope with the lead letter stating “Congratulations! You have been admitted to UCLA’s College of Letters and Science…” on February 13, 1988 – I even remember the exact date – well, let me express this analogy…
My getting accepted to what has been named the nation’s most applied to institution of higher learning and the nation’s #1 public university for the past seven years was and is akin to the nerdiest, dweebiest boy in the 1950s asking Marilyn Monroe to be his girlfriend,
Or asking the head cheerleader or homecoming queen at his high school the same thing.
Or asking Beyonce to dump Jay-Z and to marry him.
And Marilyn, Beyonce, the head cheerleader and homecoming queen all saying yes!
That’s what getting accepted to and being part of the UCLA community has meant to me;
It was that much of a dream school.
Of course while the elite-level education and the bachelor’s degree in history is something that I’ll cherish for all of eternity,
Getting to root for the Bruins in person was another dream come true as except for a couple of years in my early teens where I committed the grievous Bruin sin of being a USC football fan, complete with owning and wearing ‘SC shirts – which of course I repented of by the time I entered high school (I was actually a UCLA basketball fan at that same time, so like most kids it was more like I was a fan of winning teams and programs),
I grew up a Bruin and had UCLA as my #1 choice of college since my prepubescent days, my mother having influence in that as she is likewise a Bruin alum.
AUSTIN, TX – MARCH 22: The UCLA Bruin mascot Joe Bruin performs during the game against Minnesota Golden Gophers during the second round of the 2013 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at The Frank Erwin Center on March 22, 2013 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images) ORG XMIT: 159452612 Photo courtesy of baltimoresun.com
UCLA alumni cheerleaders at a Homecoming football game in 2014. Photo courtesy of pinterest.com
I WAS A PART OF THIS, FROM 1988-1990: The UCLA Bruin Marching Band. Photo courtesy of newsroom.ucla.edu
A TRUE HONOR TO BRUIN NATION: The UCLA Gymnastics team after winning their 7th national championship in 2018. Photo courtesy of newwsroom.ucla.edu
Legendary Bruin Ed O’ Bannon (#31) with his brother Charles (#13) celebrating UCLA 11th national championship in basketball. Photo courtesy of pinterest.com
Over these past thirty-five years I’ve had the pleasure to have witnessed many Bruin triumphs – and even moments where UCLA didn’t win but will still always be remembered – on the field, court, diamond, pool and in the gym, both in person and on television, providing some memorable memories.
To list all of those Bruin sports memories would result in a post that would practically be as long as War and Peace,
So I thought I’d list the UCLA athletic memories that are foremost in my gray matter, starting with the ones that came to pass
As a student…
October 15, 1988 – My first Bay Area trip as a member of the UCLA Bruin Marching Band, where I got to see the football team, in beating their Golden Bear brothers from Berkeley, earn their place as the #1 team in the nation. It was also the day that Kirk Gibson hit the most famous home run in Dodger history, and one of the biggest home runs in baseball history, at Dodger Stadium in Game 1 of the World Series; a bunch of my band friends and I were packed into one of the hotel rooms in OAKLAND of all places, as the Dodgers were facing the heavily favored Oakland A’s, to witness that piece of baseball folklore.
January 2, 1989 – The Cotton Bowl in Dallas, where I was as (once again) a member of the Bruin Marching Band, where I saw UCLA finish a very good season in beating an Arkansas team that brought pretty much the whole state to see them as that stadium was awash in red that day. The fact that the place became as quiet as a library by the end of that 17-3 triumph was particularly pleasing to me.
February 12, 1989 – Watching UCLA’s basketball team score an exciting victory over blue-blooded power Louisville in Pauley Pavilion, in which the students rushed the court – I wasn’t one of them as I was in the UCLA Varsity Band and was playing my tenor saxophone in the stands.
October 14, 1989 – This was a particularly prominent memory of my days in Westwood and with the UCLA band, as we embarked on a trip to Arizona to support the Bruin football team in their game with the U of A Wildcats in Tucson. I had the fortune of being able to go and share a bus with the Spirit Squad, who were a great group as I found myself playing blackjack with the yell leaders during the ride to Phoenix, where we stayed at a Holiday Inn while busing the two hours to the game in Tucson and back. I especially remember after the game, which the Bruins lost 42-7, walking a couple of miles with some band mates to a liquor store to get beer, which being over 21 years old I had the responsible of buying. The problem was, despite being a year and a half over the drinking age the guy at the counter initially refused to sell me the beer due to my having a California ID rather than an Arizona one, me being forced to sign some forms before being able to buy the alcohol. Yes, in retrospect I know that it wasn’t the right thing to do but hey, we and I were college kids and were behaving like such. Still, it was a fun time as one of my band friends said, “It was a great trip except for three hours.”
November 18, 1989 – Seeing the last tie in Crosstown Rivalry football history as what would have been a kick that resulted in an extremely stunning upset, being that the Bruins were a sorry 3-7 while USC was already Pac-10 Conference champs and headed to the Rose Bowl, bounced off the cross bar as that clash ended up in a 10-10 draw. I thought the kick was good as I saw the referee’s hands go up, before I saw the replay on the video board at the Coliseum.
December 23, 1989 – While doing my Varsity Band duties at Pauley Pavilion for a game vs Cal State Fullerton, I had the honor of meeting, shaking hands with, and getting an autograph from the greatest coach in the history of sports, him signing my game program “Merry Christmas, John Wooden”; I still have that program!
November 17, 1990 – My last game as a UCLA Marching Band member was an epic affair with USC, the Bruins and Trojans going back and forth before Todd Marinovich’s touchdown pass to Johnnie Morton with less than twenty seconds left settled things in the Trojans’ 45-42 win; the fact that it happened right in front of the band and me added salt to that wound.
After graduating a year later, I joined my friends in the UCLA Alumni Band, where I could continue to fervently root for the Bruins in person at the Rose Bowl and in other events.
Being that I have now been in that band for over thirty years, the number of memorable moments that I’ve seen while in that group – and outside that group as I’ve attended numerous UCLA sporting events as strictly a fan – are overwhelming.
However, here are my most memorable Bruin events and moments, in and out of the UCLA Alumni Band, that I was able to witness
As an alumnus…
October 5, 1991 – My first official game as a UCLA Alumni Band member as my friend took me to the Bruins’ annual clash with a Cal Bears team that was quite good, UCLA unfortunately losing 27-24.
November 20, 1993 – An epic, winner wins the Pac-10 title and goes to the Rose Bowl, Crosstown Clash at the Coliseum which I was shockingly able to see due to my friend, who had to go to a funeral, giving me his ticket literally the night before the game, 13 and a half hours before kickoff. I went with a young lady, where we ended up sitting among a bunch of USC students and fans; I was smart enough to stay cool as I didn’t want to get into any fights. I didn’t get to see Marvin Goodwin’s game-clinching interception due to my burying my head in my hands, figuring out how much time the Bruins had left to move the ball close enough for a winning field goal kick. Needless to say, I was ecstatic over what was UCLA’s third triumph in what is still a record eight-game winning streak over ‘SC.
April 3, 1995 – While I obviously wasn’t there as that affair was in Seattle’s Kingdome, it would be quite wrong to not mention the UCLA basketball team winning their (still) nation-leading 11th national championship, that 31-2 squad led by Ed O’ Bannon with that epic dash to the basket and game winning lay-up by Tyus Edney against Missouri in that NCAA Tournament being arguably the most memorable moment in Bruin hoops lore
November 23, 1996 – The Crosstown Rivalry Clash which I ranked as the Bruins’ greatest win over USC EVER, especially since the Trojans were walloping UCLA all game long and were ahead by 17 points halfway through the fourth quarter before those Bruins came storming back, tying the game up with less than a minute left and blocking what would have been the game winning field goal kick for ‘SC to spark what to this day remains the only overtime contest in Crosstown Rivalry football history, the two teams trading field goals before Skip Hicks’ 25-yard touchdown run and an interception on the game’s last play gave Bruin Nation a triumph that will never be forgotten even if every UCLA student, alum and fan developed Alzheimer’s. That game was SO intense that I, most unfortunately, called a female Trojan fan a name which I am most ashamed to think about today and which I completely repented of, and which I would once again like to apologize for in this post and front of the whole world.
November 21, 1998 – UCLA’s eighth straight win over USC, which I had the pleasure to see not only due to me being a die hard Bruin, but also due to me getting to take a very good lady friend to the Rose Bowl witness one of the most intense rivalries in college sports first hand.
March 16, 2003 – The beginning of a wonderful Bruin friendship that marked the UCLA Alumni Band’s first time playing for the UCLA gymnastics team. It was a quad meet in Pauley Pavilion that featured Oklahoma – who won the meet as the Bruins came in second – North Carolina, and Rhode Island. The Alumni Band was so well liked and enjoyed that day that thirteen days later, after getting an email saying “They want us back!”, we (including me, of course), played at the Pac-10 Championships where we were likewise a hit, coach Valorie Kondos Field – “Miss Val” – eventually inviting us to be “The Official Band of UCLA Gymnastics”
December 2, 2006 – UCLA 13, USC 9: The biggest upset in Crosstown Rivalry history, and I had the honor of being there! Those Bruins were a 23 point underdog to a Trojan team that only needed to beat UCLA to secure their place in the BCS National Championship game, and it was evident that the Bruins, their defense in particular, paid no attention to what more or less everyone was predicting as they completely shocked the college football universe! I especially remember these specific things about that day: the two teams almost getting into a fight in the middle of the fourth quarter, Eric McNeil’s tipped interception of SC quarterback John David Booty as the Trojans were driving for the winning score, Aaron Perez’ booming punt with roughly ten seconds left that sent Desmond Reed back twenty yards, which happened right in front of me, and noticing a USC fan throwing a temper tantrum outside the Rose Bowl after the game as he kicked trash all over Lot H, the grassy area south of the stadium
February 28, 2010 – Playing with the Alumni Band at the first Dodgertown Classic at Dodger Stadium, which saw UCLA’s baseball team play at that iconic ballpark in Chavez Ravine for the first time in facing USC! A small crowd of around 4,000 was expected, but over 15,000 Bruin and Trojan fans showed up, which was a large crowd considering it was February and surprised the organizers to the point where they had to open the outfield pavilions and found themselves out of hot dogs during the game with the Bruins, on their way to an eventual College World Series appearance, winning 6-1
November 17, 2012 – Another epic Crosstown Rivalry clash which decided the Pac-12 South, which saw the two teams play in the rain for the first time since 1961 and which saw a game played at a heavyweight championship fight-level, USC quarterback Matt Barkley getting knocked out – and his career as a Trojan ended – by Anthony Barr in that games’ key moment, which like the other UCLA vs USC games mentioned in this post I had the pleasure of seeing
February 4, 2018 – Being able to witness, with the Alumni Band, the greatest college gymnastics meet ever held as UCLA and Oklahoma engaged in a clash of the titans, trading perfect tens back and forth during the last rotation with the Bruins on floor while the Sooners, which ended up winning the meet by the slightest of margins, on the balance beam. The most significant part of that day happened after the meet when both teams, wearing teal armbands and hair ribbons, took a “Together We Rise” public stand against the molestation abuse that so many gymnasts endured at the hands of that USA Gymnastics doctor who is so vile, I refuse to state his name here.
April 20, 2018 – Like the basketball team’s 11th “Natty” over two decades before, I wasn’t at Chaifetz Arena in St. Louis to see Christine Peng Peng Lee’s back-to-back perfect tens on the bars and beam propel the Bruins to an epic upset of a top-ranked and top-seeded Oklahoma team that was going for their third straight NCAA title. But it was a pronounced thrill all the same when I saw those Bruin gymnasts screaming and crying in ecstatic happiness when they learned they had won their seventh national championship. It was fun seeing them at their celebration on campus a couple of days later.
Bruin Fellowship and Bruin Band Reunions – Having been an member of the UCLA Alumni Band for thirty-two years and counting, I often find myself freaking out a bit when I think about how some of the band members’ kids who grew up in the band and going to games at the Rose Bowl, are now in their thirties with kids of their own. The UCLA Marching Band alumni reunions, which have been held every other year since 1990 until the pandemic started and which I had attended all but one, have been quite enjoyable as well as I’ve enjoyed the free t-shirts, sweatshirts, commemorative glasses, backpacks and shoes that were given out as a thank you to the band alums.
As you can see, many memorable moments regarding UCLA and my ongoing times there as a member of Bruin Nation are prominent in my mind, moments that serve as good life memories.
And this is just a partial list.
To sum all of this up,
I remember hearing about how baseball legend Joe DiMaggio, the one of the 56-game hitting streak and the ex-husband of Marilyn Monroe, once said,
“I thank the Good Lord for making me a Yankee.”
Well, I would like to make this statement regarding my thirty-five years (and counting) as a member of the UCLA community…
“I thank the Good Lord for making me a Bruin.”
UCLA football players celebrating their 2014 Crosstown Rivalry triumph over USC, which I had the pleasure of attending. Photo courtesy of youtube.com
A pillar of Southern California since 1923. Photo courtesy of china.usc.edu
PAYING A DESERVED RESPECT TO ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS ARENAS IN SPORTS
To be perfectly honest,
Though I knew it in the back of my head, I suppose I had sort of forgotten that this year – July 2nd to be exact – is the 100th anniversary of a stadium that has hosted SO many historically famous sporting events as well as concerts and other gatherings.
Here is what I know is only a partial list of what that Los Angeles Coliseum has seen in its century of existence…
Two Super Bowls, including the first one on January 15, 1967; the Green Bay Packers beating the Kansas City Chiefs, 35-10
One World Series, the 1959 version where a Dodgers team that was only in its second year in L.A. after moving west from Brooklyn the year before scored a championship over the Chicago White Sox, drawing record crowds in the process
Two Summer Olympic Games – the first in 1932 with the second, the one I remember, being in 1984 – and counting as Los Angeles is scheduled to host the Games of the XXXIV Olympiad five years from now on July 14th, which will make L.A. and the Coliseum the first to host three Olympics
Well over seventy Crosstown Rivalry football clashes between UCLA and USC, including the first one in 1929, the Trojans winning that first clash 76-0, and a legendary clash in 1967 which saw USC, largely thanks to an epic 64-yard run by (yes, that) O.J. Simpson, knock off the top-ranked Bruins 21-20 and earn the conference title and a Rose Bowl bid
Nearly fifty cross section rivalry clashes between USC and Notre Dame, the three most notable being the 1974 game when the Trojans scored 55 straight points after spotting the Fighting Irish a 24-0 lead, and the 1996 game which saw ‘SC end an eleven-game losing and a 13-year winless skid along with the very first time the Trojans and Irish played each other, Notre Dame winning 13-12 in 1926
Numerous soccer games featuring the U.S. and Mexico’s national teams
Various rock/pop music concerts featuring icons like the Rolling Stones, Prince, Bruce Springsteen, U2, Motley Crue, Guns N Roses, Metallica, Van Halen and Sting
A Billy Graham Crusade in 1963, generating an all-time record crowd of over 134,000
And here’s a (again, partial) list of all the teams that called that 77,500 seat stadium located three and a half miles south of downtown Los Angeles home…
Two college football teams, USC’s Trojans and UCLA’s Bruins, who shared the Coliseum from 1928-81 before UCLA moved to the Rose Bowl in 1982
Five pro football teams, including the Rams from 1946-1979 and again from 2016-2019, the brand new AFL’s Chargers in 1960 before moving to San Diego the next year, returning to L.A. in 2017, the now-Las Vegas Raiders coming from Oakland in 1982 and returning to Oakland in 1995, and even the USFL’s Los Angeles Express from 1983-1985 and the XFL’s Los Angeles Xtreme in 2001
Major League Baseball’s Dodgers, who spent their first four years in L.A. at the Coliseum after moving from Brooklyn in 1958, eventually moving to Chavez Ravine and Dodger Stadium in 1962
As I’ve stated, this is merely a partial list of everything the Coliseum has seen and hosted as if I included every event that was played on that field, this post would be far too long.
USC Trojan Football: A tenant for all 100 of the Coliseum’s one-hundred years. Photo courtesy of blogspot.com
Opening Ceremonies of the 1984 Summer Olympics, complete with the lighted torch. Photo courtesy of pinterest.com
Opening Ceremonies of the 1932 Summer Olympics. Photo courtesy of pinterest.com
Roy Campanella (in wheelchair) during his historical tribute at the Coliseum in 1959. Photo courtesy of dodgerblue.com
UNITED STATES – JANUARY 15: Football: Super Bowl I, Kansas City Chiefs in huddle during game vs Green Bay Packers, View of scoreboard at Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, CA 1/15/1967 (Photo by Walter Iooss Jr./Sports Illustrated via Getty Images/Getty Images) (SetNumber: X12151) Photo courtesy of gettyimages.ca
As such:
I have personally been to that building with the peristyle and Olympic torch on the east side facing the 110 Freeway five times, three of them while a member of the UCLA Bruin Marching Band as I played my tenor saxophone on the field for the halftimes of two then-L.A. Raider games in 1988 and 1989,
With the 1989 game against the Washington now-Commanders being quite memorable for a stunt that I and the rest of the 250-member band of Bruins pulled, using dry bleach while in our script “UCLA” formation to kill the grass in making a “UCLA” mark on the field, which was reported to the police;
For the record, although a report was made nobody was arrested.
My third game at the Coliseum while a UCLA Band member was likewise memorable in that it was the seventh and final time that the Crosstown Rivalry clash between the Bruins and the Trojans ended in a tie as what would have been the winning field goal for UCLA – and a stunning upset as ‘SC was headed to a Rose Bowl Game which they would win while the Bruins were a sorry 3-7 – bounced off the cross bar at the very end, resulting in a 10-10 draw.
The fourth time I was there, in 1993, was a happy memory for me as a member of Bruin Nation in getting to see UCLA, thanks to Marvin Goodwin intercepting Rob Johnson in the end zone in the last minute, win a then-Pac-10 championship and earn a trip to the Rose Bowl at the Trojans’ expense and in their house, due to a friend having to go to a funeral at the last minute and giving me his ticket.
The young lady who took me and I sat among a bunch of USC students, but thankfully without incident as being in their territory, I was careful not to instigate anything and made it a point to shake hands in sportsmanship afterward before commencing with the celebrating.
Twenty-three years later, feeling like an old war veteran returning to the scene of a battle which I had fought in, I returned to the Coliseum when the Rams, having just moved back to So Cal after 21 years in St. Louis, held a practice and scrimmage that was free and open to the public.
Which I just had to write about for this blog.
Here’s the link describing the details of that return visit…
So even though my history with the Coliseum pales greatly with my history with the Rose Bowl and Dodger Stadium,
It’s a decent history nonetheless,
A history which I feel qualifies me to say that I played a small part in the annals of what is arguably the most famous stadium in this country.
A stadium that more than deserves to celebrate their one hundred years in Exposition Park between Vermont Ave, Exposition Blvd, Martin Luther King Blvd, and Figueroa Ave.
Which is why I join everyone else in saying congratulations to the Coliseum,
And may its next one hundred years – God Willing – be as good as its first one hundred years.
A nice shot of the renovated Coliseum, including the lighted torch. Photo courtesy of venuesolutionsgroup.com