UCLA Hires Former Jets Sideline Tripper

Former New York Jets assistant coach, Sal Alosi, is known best for his role in ‘Tripgate’. Let me refresh you on the incident in case you forgot.

During a game against the Miami Dolphins in December 2010, Alosi intentionally tripped the Dolphins’ Nolan Carroll while he was running down the Jets sideline on a special teams play. He also instructed inactive players to  make a wall along the sideline. That was his ultimate undoing. he was soon fired over the infraction.

Since then Alosi has been working as a personal trainer and probably waiting for another shot at a coaching job. That time has come for Alosi.

Alosi was hired to be UCLA’s strength and conditioning coordinator. I suppsose he should be there for a while unless he pulls some of the chicanery that he did while with the Jets.        

UCLA Gets A Bowl Waiver

At 6-6 and going into a conference championship game UCLA has a chance to have a losing record and not make a bowl. At least that’s how it usually works out. Except the Bruins applied for a bowl waiver so that they will be able to go bowling with a more than likely 6-7 record. And for some strange reason they were granted the waiver.

Here’s the reasoning. Since they fighting Neuheisels are the Pac-12 South champ by default since USC is on probation, the Pac-12 is struggling to fill their allotment of bowl slots. So enter UCLA with their meager 6-6 (or 7) record to help out the situation. The Bruins, the Pac-12 South paper champs, are 31 (and counting) point underdogs to Oregon in the Pac-12 championship game. So they’ll probably end up being 6-7 going into their bowl game. Athletic Director Dan Guerrero sounds pleased at the recent turn of events.

“As a program, we appreciate the NCAA approving our petition for a bowl waiver,” said UCLA athletic director Dan Guerrero in a release. “We will be able to give our 18 seniors one more chance to represent their university and end their collegiate careers on a high note, regardless of the outcome of this Friday’s Pac-12 Championship Game. We’d like to thank the NCAA for considering the unique situation in which we find ourselves this year and rewarding us with this opportunity.”

And another chance to catch a beatdown. They’ll be joining some elite company as North Texas went to the 2001 New Orleans Bowl with a 5-6 record. At least the Mean Green won their conference and aren’t a fake champion like UCLA.

Dan Guerrero’s and UCLA’s selfish motivation to bring money into the shcool is a short sighted effort. The embarrassment that playing in the Pac-12 Championship Game, know full well, that they are not qualified to play in that game… then the audacity to petition for a Bowl Game, just to bring in some bucks at the expense of the players, is a joke.

The football team has taken enough grief this season under Neuheisel, but having a 6-6 season, the huge loss to USC (the real Pac-12 South champs), the blow out losses against the other teams, and then to be completely embarrassed on national TV when they play Oregon, as 31.5 pt underdogs, which my money is on Oregon by 50 pts.

Now you want the UCLA players in another potential loss and more embarrassment in a bowl game. Again… Dan Guerrero and the UCLA administration doesn’t show me any style, class nor grace. I guess, if the shoe fits, wear it.

UCLA alumni are furious with this move, Guerrero and Neuheisel. Perhaps Guerrero needs to be fired too.

    

UCLA’s Travis Wear Injured While Snorkeling

UCLA’s basketball season is just five games old and they’re already enduring a trying season. They’ve lost to Loyola Marymount and Middle Tennessee State, had a bad showing in Maui, and are 1-4 with their lone win coming against Chaminade.

Before the season started the coach Ben Howland has had to deal with the Jerime Anderson arrest, Reeves Nelson’s insubordination, and now Travis Wear’s injury.

In a season already gone awry for UCLA, the pain became literal on Thursday when sophomore forward Travis Wear cut his right foot while snorkeling in Maui and required five stitches.

Wear, the Bruins’ second-leading scorer who is averaging 10.4 points per game, will not practice Saturday and will be reevaluated Monday, when UCLA (1-4) plays host to Pepperdine (2-2) at the Sports Arena.

This season could go from bad to worse if the Bruins can’t pull it together and go on a hot streak and win some games.

Quote Of The Week: Charlie Sheen

Charlie Sheen the drug machine was giving a little anti-drug advice to the UCLA baseball team earlier this week. I know it’s strange coming from Charlie Sheen as he’s battled an addiction to drugs and porn stars for years, so when I heard about his latest bender it didn’t surprise me since he’s been fighting those demons since the late 1980’s.

“Stay off the crack. Drink a chocolate milk. Enjoy your moment. That’s all I got.” 

Well said Charlie. Maybe his next stop will be at the local high school.