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…
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
NO, this SoCal collegiate rivalry is NOT on the level of UCLA vs USC.
Not even remotely close.
I reckon it has about 1/2 of one percent of the significance of what those longtime storied adversaries have.
In fact, I’d say it has about two percent of the significance of both Loyola Marymount vs Pepperdine’s and Cal State Fullerton vs Long Beach State’s rivalries.
But it would have been hard to convince anyone on the football, women’s volleyball and women’s soccer teams at Santa Monica College and West Los Angeles College of that this past Friday, September 30th, and this past Saturday, and October 1st.
On those two days, those players on those three teams met to settle bragging rights – at least for the moment – between two prominent community colleges located precisely 6.9 miles apart in the Westside area of Los Angeles;
Friday saw the women’s soccer and volleyball teams clash.
Because West L.A. College is next door from where I live, and also because that West L.A. Wildcat team has a player on it who I have known her entire life due to her mother and me not only having gone to UCLA together,
Not only having played in the Bruin Marching Band together,
Not only having an over thirty-year friendship that continues to this day,
But also having not seen her and her family in over a year due to COVID-19 concerns,
As well as West L.A. going up against the school where I graduated (with honors) and transferred to UCLA from as if it were not for Santa Monica College, where I lived within a block from for twenty-two and a half years,
I would have never been a part of Bruin Nation.
And I wouldn’t have ever gotten to know my longtime Bruin friend.
So on a cool Friday evening (thank goodness as we weren’t in a heat wave unlike in recent weeks!) I took a walk next door to West L.A. College’s gym to see the women’s volleyball renewal of this Westside rivalry.
I had seen Anna Voit, my friend’s daughter, play her first collegiate match for West L.A. a month before when her team opened their season vs Cerritos College, the Wildcats being forced to go the full five games after almost sweeping.
I was impressed with Anna’s ability on the court as she played hard, her style of play reminding me of Rudy from that inspirational movie of that Notre Dame walk-on who, after four years on the scout team, finally got to see the field at the very end of the Irish’s last game and sacked the quarterback on the last play.
What impressed me most about Anna was that as opposed to pretty much every other college volleyball player who started playing for her club team at eight years old, she didn’t start playing until well into her high school years, getting quite the late start.
That she was able to do what only seven percent of all high school athletes get to do – play at the collegiate level – despite that induced much admiration from me.
Anyhow,
I was looking forward to seeing my old friend, Anna’s mother, at the game as she was planning to be there; it was great to see her and her oldest daughter after so long as I spent more or less the entire match catching up while watching the action.
Santa Monica College’s and West L.A. College’s football teams doing battle in 2016. Photo courtesy of the corsair.com Some West L.A. College gear! Photo courtesy of prepsportswear.com Photo courtesy of cookeville-tn.gov
As for the match…
When I looked up the win-loss records and stats for SMC’s Corsairs and West L.A.’s Wildcats (I remember when their teams were called the Oilers, by the way),
The numbers all pointed to a clear SMC victory and a probable three game sweep as their players outnumbered West L.A’s by nearly two to one, plus those Corsairs had the clear height advantage as no Wildcat player stood above 5’9″ – and that was just one player,
While SMC boasted several players 5’10” and above, with one player being 6’3″.
Which is why I was impressed with how the Wildcats fought as they pushed the match to the full five games, trading wins with SMC before finally running out of gas in that fifth game with the Corsairs triumphing.
I mentioned to Anna’s mom that if I were West L.A.’s coach, I would have told them how extremely proud I was of them and how they fought.
As it turned out…
That volleyball match between the Westside’s pair of two-year colleges wasn’t the only affair that was a hard fought one.
After the volleyball match, I found that the two women’s soccer teams had a “barn-burner” at Corsair Field on SMC’s campus, the Corsairs getting the winning goal at the 76th minute in winning, 3-2.
When I read about the football game held the next day at the same venue, my prevailing thought was that it was a shame I wasn’t able to make it as SMC and West L.A.played arguably the most exciting game in that rivalry’s history, SMC getting the tying touchdown on a 33-yard pass with about a minute left to force overtime,
Then after the Corsairs scored in that extra period, the Wildcats answered with a touchdown and instead of kicking the extra point to tie the game,
They elected to go fot the two-point conversion and the win.
Which in a pronounced heartbreak fashion didn’t get as their two-yard run attempt were stopped,
The final score being 41-40.
I’m positive that those were extremely heartbreaking affairs for those three West L.A. College teams against their rivals.
At least the two women’s soccer teams will get to play again at West L.A. on October 25th.
And at least the two women’s volleyball teams will get to play again at SMC on October 26th.
But the football team will have to wait a whole year before getting another chance at their Corsair rivals.
Meaning that the two women’s teams will get another shot, while their gridiron brothers will not.
My Bottom Line…
No, SMC vs West L.A is not UCLA vs USC.
And never will be.
But for those two days, the intensity of those three contests approached that intensity.
UCLA running back Skip Hicks (#42) going for yardage in the 1996 Crosstown Clash vs USC. Photo courtesy of thesportsdrop.com
OUR CROSSTOWN RIVALRY COVERAGE CONTINUES WITH MEMORIES OF ONE OF THE MOST EXCITING FINISHES TO A UCLA-USC GAME EVER,
AND WHAT I PERSONALLY CONSIDER THE BRUINS’ GREATEST VICTORY OVER THE TROJANS
WHICH HAPPENED TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO
And which I was very fortunate to have been able to see in person (yes, I was there).
It was a typical brisk cool fall Saturday that November 23rd in Los Angeles.
For the two biggest colleges in America’s second largest city, their football programs’ respective seasons had something to be desired, to say the least.
USC was an uncharacteristic 5-5 under John Robinson, who was in his second tenure as the Trojans’ head coach.
Those Trojans started the season well enough, but were coming off back-to-back losses to Washington and Stanford and were desperate going into their grudge match with the Bruins,
Who incidentally were having problems of their own as they were 4-6 going into that game at the Rose Bowl, reaching the end of what was, to put it kindly, a most inconsistent season;
Bob Toledo was in his first year as the head coach in Westwood, having taken over from Terry Donahue, who retired after a twenty year run on the sidelines that saw him win 151 games at UCLA, including 98 in the then-Pac 10 Conference,
Both of those marks records that still stand.
Their one potential saving grace was to extend the five game winning streak that they currently had over ‘SC, as 80,644 people arrived at the Rose Bowl to see the Bruins and Trojans get it on for the 66th time.
As was said, I was one of those 80,644 fans that day, being a member of the UCLA Alumni Band and subsequently being able to go to that game for free due to participating in most of the other home games.
We played our usual pregame tailgating concert at Lot H, the park-like area south of the Rose Bowl, that morning before going in, me changing from my Alumni Band shirt to my #18 replica UCLA jersey before I headed for the stadium, that number being the one that quarterback Cade McNown wore.
I was at the end of my twenties back then, having just started a new job teaching P.E. at a small Christian school in Venice,
But I must admit, I regretfully wasn’t very Christian-like when it came to UCLA football;
Looking back, it was like I sort of saw myself as a warrior for Bruin Nation, seeing USC, all things Trojan and all Trojans as mortal enemies that must be destroyed by any means necessary,
Which is absolutely 100% crazy and irrational,
Which I greatly regret and feel remorse for today,
And which manifested itself in a not nice way toward the end of the contest, which I’ll elaborate on in a bit.
As For The Game…
It ended up a true classic,
But as sure as I’m typing this, it didn’t start out that way.
Unless you were a member of the Trojan Family as for three and a half quarters, everything that could go right for those men of Troy did, mostly due to a freshman wide receiver from Rialto in the Inland Empire, a couple of hours east of L.A;
R.J. Soward went absolutely nuts for ‘SC as every time he touched the ball (seemingly), he ripped off long touchdown runs of at least fifty yards.
Soward was essentially the Road Runner that day, with the Bruin defense a bunch of Wile E. Coyotes as he set a receiving yards record, the red-clad fans in (mostly) the end zone going crazy while the blue-clad fans behaved as if they were in Powell Library.
Largely thanks to Soward, USC had a 24-7 lead at halftime and a 38-21 lead after three quarters.
That was when, well…
Maybe it was God who intervened,
Maybe it was the fact that Trojan quarterback Brad Otton was knocked out of the game and ended up on the sideline in a sling wearing street clothes,
But the momentum miraculously began to swing UCLA’s way in that game’s last fifteen minutes.
1 Jan 1999: Quarterback Cade McNown #18 of the UCLA Bruins in action during the Rose Bowl Game against the Wisconsin Badgers at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. The Badgers defeated the Bruins 38-31. Mandatory Credit: Tom Hauck /Allsport The leader of that 1996 UCLA football team. Photo courtesy of bleacherreport.com The Rose Bowl in Pasadena (as it looks today), site of that memorable 1996 Crosstown Clash between the Bruins and the Trojans. Photo courtesy of seatgeek.com
It all began with about seven and a half minutes left in the game…
After the Bruins managed to cut the lead, a fumble gave UCLA a golden gift, which they didn’t fail to capitalize on as after a key 23-yard pass from McNown to Rodney Lee and a Skip Hicks touchdown run, the game was all of a sudden tied!
Meanwhile, every one of those 80,600-plus fans were standing, including me and my Bruin friends along with some Trojan fans near us.
After the Trojans’ Chris Miller’s spectacular catch from backup quarterback Matt Koffler, despite giving up their 17-point lead ‘SC still had a chance to win, break the Bruins’ five-game win streak against them, and get the Victory Bell back to paint it red (or, in their terms, cardinal) with five seconds left.
Adam Abrams, USC’s kicker, lined up for a kick to enable the USC band to be able to cue up their victory song “Conquest”.
The ball snapped,
And Travis Kirschke blocked the kick, sending the game to overtime for the first time ever!
I was remarking exactly that, all excited after seeing my alma mater get their tails kicked all overt the field for most of the day, when a young lady in USC gear sneered at me to sit down.
To which I rebutted, “No, YOU sit down, you…”
I’ll only say that the word I called her rhymed with “witch”.
Which the memory of me doing such still brings me to a complete shame twenty-five years later as her guy friends stepped up to me in the stands, obviously wanting to fight, which I’m proud that I didn’t engage.
After I expressed my remorse, as it all came down was in the heat of a crosstown rivalry battle that turned quite intense – not that that was any excuse to do what I did,
I stood with my arms folded – Prime Ticket, which televised the game, caught me doing such for a split second – as the first, and to this day the only, overtime period in the history of UCLA vs USC football, unfolded.
After the two teams traded field goals, something happened that ignited Bruin Nation to an excitement at the level of 100 on a scale of one to ten;
Skip Hicks, on the Bruins’ first play of the second OT, knocked off a 25-yard run to give UCLA the lead for the first time all day!
Remarkably enough, I didn’t do any jumping and shouting, merely giving high fives to my friends as I knew ‘SC had one last shot.
It wasn’t until Anthony Cobbs intercepted Koffler’s fourth down pass that I was able to express myself, me and my buddy bear hugging and me laying down on the benches in the stands to thank God for that Bruin triumph,
Because I was convinced that UCLA beating USC after all that Trojan domination was all God’s doing.
The final score of that instant L.A. Classic of a football game?
UCLA 48 – USC 41
The sixth of what would become a record – to this day – eight straight wins over the Trojans.
The most exciting part about the whole thing was the fact that, as the announcers on Prime Ticket described it, there was,
“No bowl game at stake, nothing on the line…” for either team.
Yet those Trojans and Bruins in particular put on a Crosstown Rivalry game for the ages.
So much so that when I ranked UCLA’s victories over USC on Bleacher Report back in (I believe) 2008, I put this 1996 battle at number one – the greatest Bruin victory over the Trojans of all time.
I remember everyone – players, fans, etc. – being very emotional over the whole affair, especially Soward, who was visibly sobbing his eyes out as he was led to the ‘SC tunnel.
I particularly remember seeing a Trojan fan, in a tantrum not unlike what a two-year old gives when things don’t go his way, angrily kicking trash all over Lot H after my friends and I left the Rose Bowl and were hanging out.
And I also remember, as I was waiting in line for the shuttle buses out of the Rose Bowl, chatting with a couple of USC folks who were gracious in saying “UCLA deserved (to win).”
A few weeks later, after taping the replay of this war of a game, I visited another Bruin friend of mine, a good friend who I was in the UCLA Marching Band with a few years earlier who had just gotten married and was on her honeymoon when the contest went down, taking the tape and showing the last half of the fourth quarter and overtime to her and her then-new husband as a belated wedding present, her remarking “Incredible!” at all our Bruins did.
I still have that VHS (I know, I just dated myself) tape to this day.
Looking back, though the fact that I dislike cliches is well known,
It’s very difficult to imagine that it has been twenty-five years since that ultimate Bruin-Trojan war at the Rose Bowl – which that 1996 version of the Crosstown Rivalry Clash was.
It’s very weird how time goes so fast.
Yet here I am in my mid-fifties, writing about it now on this blog.
The one thing about this rivalry game that is for certain, I believe,
Is that it produced memories on both sides that, good or bad,
Will be indelible for members of Bruin Nation and the Trojan Family.
COMING ON THIS BLOG TOMORROW:
THE OFFICIAL GAME PREVIEW OF THE 91st MEETING BETWEEN UCLA AND USC ON THE GRIDIRON THIS SATURDAY WILL BE WRITTEN AND POSTED.
IT WILL INCLUDE WHAT I SEE AS KEYS TO THE GAME FOR BOTH THE BRUINS AND THE TROJANS, SO…
BE SURE TO NOT MISS IT!
The Bruins in a prayer during their annual clash vs the Trojans. Photo courtesy of orlandosentinel.com
USC’s Marcus Allen (#33) getting some yardage vs UCLA in the annual Crossstown Rivalry game in 1981. Photo courtesy of insodesocal.com
WITH UCLA AND USC MEETING IN FOOTBALL FOR THE 91st TIME THIS SATURDAY,
OUR SEVENTH YEAR OF CROSSTOWN RIVALRY COVERAGE FOR THIS BLOG BEGINS NOW;
STARTING WITH A REMEMBRANCE OF THE LAST TIME THE BRUINS AND TROJANS PLAYED EACH OTHER WHILE SHARING THE SAME HOME FIELD
Saturday, November 21, 1981.
If you were a member of Bruin Nation as a student, an alum, a fan, or whatever,
It as much a day that will live in infamy as that Sunday morning in Pearl Harbor forty years before.
Especially since a berth in the Rose Bowl was on the line for Terry Donahue’s team that afternoon.
Of course if you were a member of the Trojan Family you’ll remember that day quite differently,
and with much more fondness.
Plus to add to the significance of the 51st meeting of UCLA and USC in football besides a possible Rose Bowl bid for the Bruins as well as retaining possession of the Victory Bell and the usual bragging rights in L.A. and the general SoCal area,
With UCLA set to move to the Rose Bowl for their home games the next year,
After 53 years, dating back to 1929,
This was the very last game that the Bruins would play in the Coliseum while calling that historic facility home.
Personally speaking, I have a confession to make and as a longtime member of Bruin Nation, a sin to repent of…
I was in the ninth grade in Santa Monica that year, and I must admit that for much of my junior high days,
I was a fan of USC football, my favorite shirt being a cardinal jersey-like top saying “USC Trojans” that I liked to wear.
To balance things, I was also a fan of UCLA basketball as I also had my share of UCLA shirts, two in particular that I likewise liked to wear to school, one a powder blue top and the other a gold shirt with 4/5 sleeves.
In other words, like most kids I was a fan of whoever was considered a winning team, not learning the lesson of being loyal to your sports team or school through thick and thin until I actually matriculated at UCLA seven years later.
However,
Being that it was football season, I admit that I was rooting for ‘SC that day in 1981.
Which I fully know was a grievous sin against the UCLA community and which I’m not only completely sorry for, but which I offer full repentance of.
The next year, when I got to high school, I switched my full allegiance to the true blue and gold – particularly when Karl Morgan sacked Scott Tinsley to send UCLA to the Rose Bowl and usher in a golden Bruin age – and my loyalties have been with the Bruins ever since
I only hope that my fellow members of Bruin Nation forgive me for that sin I committed as a junior high school student.
The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum (as it looks today), site of the 1981 Crosstown Rivalry Clash. Photo courtesy of playpickup.com College Football: USC George Achica (78) in action, blocking kick vs UCLA Norm Johnson (8) at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Los Angeles, CA 11/21/1981 CREDIT: Peter Read Miller (Photo by Peter Read Miller /Sports Illustrated via Getty Images) (Set Number: X26286 TK1 R5 F21 ) The kick that broke the hearts of Bruin Nation. Photo courtesy of gettyimages.com
All right, now that I’ve gotten that confession and appeal of repentance out of the way,
I’ll go ahead and rehash that ’81 Crosstown Clash…
Actually, the game lived up to its hype,
89,432 showing up at the Coliseum to see that Bruin-Trojan rumble.
Marcus Allen, who I admit was the number one reason I rooted for ‘SC that year, was the big stud guy for both sides as he not only became the Trojans’ fourth Heisman Trophy winner that year and second in three seasons, Charles White winning it two years previously,
He was the first college player to ever rush for 2,000 yards that year, scoring 22 touchdowns to go along with the 2,427 yards that he gained on the ground.
He was arguably the biggest sports star in L.A. at that time.
Meanwhile, UCLA wasn’t exactly the Bad News Bruins as they had much talent as well, led by Tom Ramsey at quarterback, Tim Wrightman at tight end and Don Rogers in the defensive secondary.
Despite being unranked going into that rivalry game while USC was ranked 10th in the nation,
The Bruins were in the thick of the Pac-10 conference race and due to Washington losing to Washington State in the Apple Cup,
A Rose Bowl bid was theirs if they could just beat ‘SC.
After the Trojans built a 12-7 lead, UCLA asserted itself with a 18-12 lead at halftime and a 21-12 lead after three quarters.
That’s when USC coach John Robinson turned to Allen, who ended up rushing for 219 yards in 40 carries, his fourth quarter score giving ‘SC the lead at 22-21.
And that’s when the stage – I mean the field at the Coliseum – was set for a junior nose guard from American Samoa who played his high school football in San Jose before becoming a Trojan.
After Ramsey moved the Bruins to the ‘SC 29-yard line,
Norm Johnson went in for a 46-yard field goal attempt with seconds left that would send UCLA to Pasadena and all those Roses.
Most tragically for Bruin Nation, however,
George Achica, the Samoan from San Jose, shattered the blue and gold hearts into a million pieces in blocking Johnson’s kick and cementing his place in Trojan lore.
Looking back from today’s standpoint, that blocked kick apparently broke the Bruins as they went on to get beat by Michigan in the Bluebonnet Bowl in the Houston Astrodome on New Year’s Eve, 33-14, finishing the season at 7-4-1,
Which the way things have been going the past six seasons, I’m sure Bruin Nation would very much like a seven win campaign (I know I’d like it as I would see it as an improvement).
Meanwhile for old ‘SC, that blocked kick got them a New Year’s Day date with coach Joe Paterno and his Nittany Lions from Penn State in the Fiesta Bowl in Tempe, AZ,
Where much like their Bruin rivals in Houston the previous day, they began 1982 by getting smacked around by those plain navy blue jerseyed State College Nittanies, 26-10, ending the year at 9-3 with a ranking of 14th.
So 1981 didn’t end well for either football program of L.A.’s two largest institutions of higher learning.
But I’m not sure if people knew that UCLA would go on a seven straight bowl win streak, including three Rose Bowl wins in a four year span.
I’m positive that by the time those Bruins ended that seven-year tear,
That blocked kick was forgotten.
COMING ON THIS BLOG TOMORROW:
OUR CROSSTOWN RIVALRY COVERAGE CONTINUES WITH MY MEMORIES OF BEING AT THE ONLY GAME IN RIVALRY HISTORY THAT NEEDED OVERTIME TO DECIDE THE OUTCOME;
WHICH HAPPENED TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO, SO…
BE SURE TO NOT MISS IT!
Marcus Allen (#33), who would win the Heisman Trophy that year, looking for some room in the 1981 Crosstown Rivalry clash vs UCLA. Photo courtesy of newsday.com
A VERY HAPPY SIGHT FOR DODGER FANS EVERYWHERE: Celebrating on the field at Oracle Park in San Francisco after their 2-1 victory over their longtime rival Giants in Game 5 of the NLDS. Photo courtesy of images.thestar.com
FOUR WINS DOWN, EIGHT WINS TO GO!
AND AT THE EXPENSE OF A TEAM WHOSE BITTER RIVALRY GOES BACK 130 YEARS!
IN THEIR BALL PARK IN SAN FRANCISCO, NO LESS!
Yes, like every other Dodger fan, I was ecstatic over how the Dodgers came through in knocking the San Francisco Giants – a team that set a franchise record with 107 wins during the regular season, ending L.A.’s eight-year run as National League West Division Champions – out of the playoffs with their 2-1 win in front of 42,275 orange and black-clad zealots (with the exception of a few thousand blue-clad Dodger fans) screaming “BEAT L.A.!!” much of the time.
I’m sure Dave Roberts’ team was quite happy over how Oracle Park got quieter than the San Francisco Library after Max Scherzer struck out Wilmer Flores on that check swing, and especially when they gathered in front of the pitcher’s mound for photos afterwards.
FOR THE RECORD: In the sake of fairness and integrity, I don’t think that last check swing from Flores was a full one; I think the umpire blew that call, but you know what?
As an over forty year Dodger fan, I’ll gladly take it.
Particularly since the Dodgers have been victims of calls like that, and especially due to something I learned about sports long ago:
Bad Calls Are Part of the Game.
It just happened that a bad call decided a postseason series.
And I would have said the same thing if the situation was reversed and a Dodger batter made the final out the same way.
All right, now that I’ve gotten that out of the way…
I’m particularly glad that history did NOT repeat itself in what is one of the most storied rivalries in sports;
No Bobby Thomson’s 1951 “The Shot Heard ‘Round The World”, “The Giants win the pennant!!” heroics this time, Giant fans.
No scoring four runs in the 9th inning in Game 3 of that three-game playoff at a then-brand new Dodger Stadium in 1962 to knock the Dodgers out of the World Series, either.
And no Joe Morgan hitting that homer off of Terry Forster in Candlestick Park twenty years later to knock the Dodgers out of the N.L. West race.
This is definitely a case of the Dodgers being “The winner, and still champion!”
At least for now.
Though I must be honest;
During the game I posted this on Twitter:
“…an #INSTANTCLASSIC as expected; One of those games where (and I sincerely mean this) it’s REALLY too bad that a team with 109 wins on the season will have to lose and end their season tonight.”
I also posted,
“Of course I hope the Dodgers are NOT that team.”
As well as this,
“…as I said, it’s too bad that a team with 109 wins is having their season end. BUT I’M GLAD IT’S NOT THE DODGERS!”
Mookie Betts, who went 4-for-4 in the Game 5 Dodger win; the first Dodger to get that many hits in a winner-take-all playoff game. Photo courtesy of thestar.com Cody Bellinger, whose RBI single was the difference in the Dodger triumph. Photo courtesy of bestinau.net
OK, now that the Giants have been vanquished, let’s chat about the Dodgers’ next opponent:
National League Championship Series.
For the fourth time in the last five seasons.
The Atlanta Braves.
In a rematch of a 2020 NLCS that went the full seven games, where the Dodgers came back from a three games to one deficit.
Who will undoubtedly be seeking revenge for that extreme heartbreak.
Who will have an ex-Dodger in their midst in the form of Joc Pederson, who incidentally happened to hit a three run pinch hit homer to beat the Milwaukee Brewers in their NLDS and clinch that series, setting up this rematch.
And – though it may not necessarily be in the forefront of their minds – playing for an all-time baseball great, the greatest Brave of all time, who passed away earlier this year (Hank Aaron for those who don’t know).
And who will be an even hungrier bunch of players than the last time they and the Dodgers played for the National League pennant.
It starts on Saturday, October 16th in Atlanta, with Games 3, 4, and 5 at Dodger Stadium on October 19th, 20th and 21st.
I know we are all still on Cloud Nine over this Giant conquest,
But we as Dodger fans need to put that completely behind us and focus on those Braves.
Else we may be feeling the opposite of how we are feeling now.
It must be kept in mind that as great as this win over the Giants was, it is only one step in the Dodgers’ ultimate goal…
To repeat as World Series Champions.
If that doesn’t happen, this Giant triumph will mean absolutely, positively, nothing.
Remember fellow Dodger fans,
We need #EightMoreWins.
Los Angeles Dodgers’ Chris Taylor (3), Cody Bellinger (35) and Mookie Betts (50) celebrate after the Dodgers defeated the San Francisco Giants 7-2 in Game 4 of a baseball National League Division Series, Tuesday, Oct. 12, 2021, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis) Photo courtesy of starpost.com
Cody Bellinger (left), Will Smith (#16), Justin Turner (right), and other Dodgers wait to welcome Chris Taylor after his walk-off home run beat the St Louis Cardinals, 3-1, in the National League Wild Card game at Dodger Stadium. Photo courtesy of minifeednews.com
A LOOK AT ONE OF THE GREAT RIVALRIES IN SPORTS AS THE DODGERS EMBARK ON THEIR QUEST TO REPEAT AS CHAMPIONS IN EARNEST
It goes back over 130 years, the first time these teams played against each other being on May 3, 1890, the Bridegrooms (what the Dodgers were called then) winning 7-3.
It spans opposite coasts, two New York City boroughs, and three cities.
As of this moment, here’s how the all-time series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Francisco Giants stands:
2,535 games played (and counting)
Giants lead 1,269-1,247-17
Dodgers lead 577-548 since both teams moved to the West Coast in 1958
Now, thanks to Chris Taylor’s walk-off home run that beat the St. Louis Cardinals, 3-1, in the Wild Card Game at Dodger Stadium,
For the first time ever, one of baseball’s two most fiercest rivalries (along with the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees, who incidentally met in this year’s American League Wild Card Game, the Red Sox winning 6-2) will renew in the postseason when those Dodgers and Giants meet in one of the two National League Division Series, starting on October 8th in San Francisco.
With no disrespect whatsoever to the Cardinals, I think it’s safe to say that this was the postseason series that everyone wanted, and not just because they are two teams whose intense rivalry goes back well over a century.
The Dodgers, with 106 wins in the regular season, and the Giants, whose 107 wins were good enough to break the Dodgers’ eight-year streak of being N.L. West champions, were clearly the two best teams in baseball this season.
In fact, I would go so far as to call this best-of-five clash the real World Series, as whoever wins this round of the playoffs will be the overwhelming favorite to win the Commissioner’s Trophy at the end of this month.
Austin Barnes crossing home plate vs the Giants. Photo courtesy of businessfast.co.uk
Though they have technically met in an official postseason, there has been a history between these two teams where the season has been decided in epic games;
Which unfortunately has provided the Dodgers and their fans both in Brooklyn and L.A. some very rueful memories – please bear with me on these first three points, fellow Dodger fans…
The “Shot Heard ‘Round The World” courtesy of Bobby Thomson in 1951, devastating the Dodgers and inducing broadcaster Russ Hodges to repeatedly scream, “The Giants Win The Pennant!” after the Dodgers had a 4-1 lead in the ninth inning
History repeating itself in 1962, when the Giants beat the Dodgers in a best-of-three playoff to decide the N.L. pennant, the Giants scoring four runs in the 9th inning in game three at Dodger Stadium, winning 6-4
Joe Morgan breaking Dodger hearts with his home run on the final day of the 1982 season, knocking L.A. out of playoff contention
Mike Piazza returning the favor with his two home runs in a 12-1 blowout of the Giants, on the final day of the 1993 season, knocking San Francisco out of the playoffs despite them winning 103 games
The Dodgers clinching the N.L. West in 2004 at the Giants’ expense thanks to Steve Finley’s walk-off grand slam home run
As anyone can see, this rivalry has had a lot of excitement over the decades.
My personal hope for this NLDS, besides the Dodgers winning,
Is that both teams and especially their fan bases stay cool with each other;
No one will ever forget Juan Marichal whacking Johnny Roseboro upside the head with his bat during what is arguably the worst baseball fight in history in 1965.
And no one will ever forget Giants fan Bryan Stow being viciously attacked by Dodger fans in the Dodger Stadium parking lot and beaten to within an inch of his life right after the game on Opening Day in 2011;
It was the only time that I ever felt shame in being a Dodger fan.
It’s hard to believe that was ten years ago.
In fact, I’m about to make a statement that will shock my fellow Dodger fans…
Though I’m (of course!) rooting for the Dodgers to beat those Giants, and though I’m not a Giant fan, will never be a Giant fan, and will be devastatingly upset if the Dodgers lose this NLDS,
To the best of my knowledge, I am the only Dodger fan in existence who does not hate the San Francisco Giants.
THE REASON:
Willie Mays, who as far as I and many others am concerned was the greatest baseball player who ever lived.
I have personally seen the Giants at Dodger Stadium more than any other opponent in the forty-plus years I have seen the Dodgers in person, so I think I have a good idea of what this rivalry is like.
Besides hoping and praying for civility at minimum among the two fan bases; the Dodgers’ Jamey Carroll saying in front of the crowd in San Francisco before the teams’ first meeting after the Stow incident,
“What happens on the field, stays on the field,”
Though I of course would love to see a Dodger sweep,
A hard-fought NLDS that goes the full five games with the Dodgers winning Game Five at Oracle Park and breaking the hearts of Giant fans in a devastating fashion would suit me as well.
In fact,
I would not be surprised if this series indeed goes the full five.
And neither should you.
Here’s to what is expected to be a GREAT new chapter in this historic and epic sports rivalry…
Another shot of Chris Taylor (#3) after his heroics. Photo courtesy of racenettips.com
Day/Date/Time: Saturday, February 6, 2021, 7:00 p.m. at the Galen Center
All-Time Series: UCLA leads 143-112
Last Meeting: USC won, 54-52, on March 7th, 2020 at the Galen Center
Records:
UCLA: 13-3, 9-1 and first place in the Pac-12 Conference
USC: 13-3, 7-2 and second place in the Pac-12 Conference
Rank:
UCLA: #21 in the AP and Coaches Poll
USC: Not Ranked
Leading Scorers:
UCLA: Jaime Jaquez, Jr., 12.6 ppg
USC: Even Mobley, 16.4 ppg
Leading Rebounders:
UCLA: Jalen Hill, 5.9 rpg
USC: Evan Mobley, 8.9 rpg
A Few Brief Thoughts:
From a pure SoCal basketball standpoint, everyone should be excited on a pronounced scale over this upcoming renewal of the basketball edition of the Crosstown Rivalry.
After all, we’re talking one vs. two.
First place vs second place, a battle for superiority not only in L.A., but in the conference.
If not for this ongoing pandemic, the Galen Center would be sold out for this match-up;
Not that it would be regardless as more or less the only time all 10,258 seats at that on campus arena are filled – or even close to it – is when the Bruins are the opponents.
Personally, from an objective view this looks like an epic match-up when you look at the win-loss records.
However,
From the standpoint of a UCLA alum and member of Bruin Nation, I’m being honest when I say that when I crunch the numbers and the match-up comparisons,
The Trojans have the edge as Evan Mobley, along with his brother Isaiah, form a not quite twin towers (as they’re not twins; Isaiah is older) at seven feet for Evan and 6′ 10″ for Isaiah, which gives them an advantage over UCLA.
Plus – and this is an important factor,
Although they beat Oregon State in their last outing and have lost only once in conference play so far, the Bruins haven’t been playing that well of late, not only losing to Stanford on a last second shot but also letting Washington and California, the Pac-12’s two bottom feeders, give them scares when they should have been able to name the score against them.
This is the first of the two annual clashes between these two crosstown rivals, with the second clash on March 6th at Pauley Pavilion.
At least those Bruins won’t have the Trojan Family and “Fight On!” faithful to deal with, as no fans will be allowed at the Galen Center due to COVID.
I have a feeling that the winner of Saturday’s game will probably end up winning the conference.
And on a final note, I honestly don’t know why ‘SC is not ranked.
Cody Riley #2 of the UCLA Bruins controls the ball against Nick Rakocevic #31 of the USC Trojans in the first half of a NCAA basketball game at Pauley Pavilion on Saturday, January 11, 2020 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG) Photo courtesy of dailynews.com A King and a Duck going for the puck at Staples Center. Photo courtesy of oddsshark.com
THE ANNUAL FREEWAY FACEOFF – LOS ANGELES KINGS vs ANAHEIM DUCKS
THE 152nd MEETING
Day/Date/Time: Tuesday, February 2nd, 2021, 7:00 p.m. at Staples Center
All-Time Series: Ducks lead 72-68-11;
Kings beat Ducks 4 games to 3 in 2014 Western Conference Semifinals
Last Meeting: Ducks beat Kings, 3-1, on February 1, 2020 at Staples Center
Records:
Kings: 3-3-2, eight points, tied for fifth place in the NHL West Division
Ducks: 3-5-2, eight points, tied for fifth place in the NHL West Division
What I see as the biggest prize of this 2021 campaign for these two SoCal hockey teams is beginning tomorrow, as the first of seven games between these Kings and Ducks will commence.
With both clubs in full rebuilding mode, this is one season in which the only thing that either team can potentially hang their helmets and skates on is whether they can beat their I-5 rivals.
At least, that’s how I see things.
With pretty much nothing else to play for this year but bragging rights in SoCal, unless of course one team plays WAY above their heads and actually become playoff contenders,
These seven games should be a fun affair.
If nothing else, it’s a safe bet that there will be some fighting on the ice over these next seven contests, as these are two SoCal rivals who, to put it politely, do not like each other.
ANAHEIM, CA – APRIL 5: Carl Grundstrom #38 of the Los Angeles Kings battles for the puck against Cam Fowler #4 of the Anaheim Ducks during the game on April 5, 2019 at Honda Center in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Debora Robinson/NHLI via Getty Images) Photo courtesy of hondacenter.com USC’s Ethan Anderson (left) and UCLA’s Tyger Campbell (right) battling during a Crosstown Rivalry game last year. Photo courtesy of pickdawgs.com