athletics

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Everett: Where are you?

Byuclafaculty

Everett Dirksen was the Republican leader in the U.S. Senate back in the day who is often quoted as saying (about the federal budget), “A billion here, a billion there, and pretty soon you are talking about real money.”  [I know; nobody can actually point to a source for where he supposedly said it.] We noted in a post yesterday about a plan for a $50 million football facility.  Today’s Daily Bruin has a story about the groundbreaking for a new $120 million medical center teaching building about which the Regents raised some questions but eventually rubber stamped, as they…

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Free Money

Byuclafaculty

From a UCLA media release yesterday: UCLA Athletic Director Dan Guerrero and Head Football Coach Jim Mora announced today a campaign to raise private funds for a comprehensive football training facility to be located on the west side of Spaulding Field, the practice field for the Bruin football team. The planned state-of-the-art facility is intended to house a locker room, athletic training area, strength and conditioning facility, coaches’ offices, team meeting rooms, equipment rooms and video rooms, in addition to several elements that will feature the storied history of UCLA Football. The project, estimated to cost $50 million, will be…

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Unclear Consequences of Ruling on VA Uses for UCLA Sports & Other Events

Byuclafaculty

There is a news report today that a court has ruled that the VA property that is almost adjacent to UCLA has been improperly used for purposes other than veterans’ health care. UCLA rents space at the VA for sports programs. Over the years, there have been uses for theaters and other events for the general public.Some commercial businesses have also rented space. Recently, there was a Shakespeare theater group at the VA in an open-air venue.  Exactly what the ruling – which is temporarily stayed for 6 months – might mean for such uses, including those by UCLA, is…

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UCLA History: Pauley Pavilion (and a report of a bomb threat yesterday)

Byuclafaculty

The photo shows the original Pauley Pavilion under construction in 1964.  It opened in 1965. The Daily Bruin yesterday evening posted a short article at about a bomb threat that closed Pauley Pavilion and other buildings in the area for a time.  Nothing was found.  See http://dailybruin.com/2013/08/03/pauley-pavilion-wooden-center-evacuated-reopened-following-bomb-threat-investigation/ Pauley Pavilion was substantially reconstructed and reopened in November 2012.  A promotional video released for the reopening is below:[vimeo http://www.vimeo.com/57012095 w=250&h=141] Pauley Pavilion Through the Years 1965-2012 from Ariana Berlin on Vimeo. The video has some historical photos of the origins and original construction.  It omits reference to the fact that H.R. Haldeman…

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Business of College Sports Not What It Was

Byuclafaculty

The Sacramento Bee ran a story June 4 that mysteriously reappeared for a time on its website today and that reminds us that the business of college sports is not what it was back in the early 1940s when Jackie Robinson played football for UCLA (photo). Excerpt: Ending weeks of speculation, Eddie Vanderdoes made it official Tuesday: He will not attend Notre Dame on a football scholarship and will instead play at UCLA.Vanderdoes, the 6-foot-4, 305-pound All-America defensive end from Placer High School, expressed gratitude to Notre Dame in a text sent to The Bee for being “gracious” in the…

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Lest You Thought It Couldn’t Happen at UCLA…

Byuclafaculty

Unfortunately, problems of the type that happened at Penn State U apparently can happen at UCLA.  From the LA Times:A longtime UCLA athletics official resigned amid allegations that he “engaged in inappropriate conduct,” the university said in a statement released Tuesday to The Times. UCLA Associate Athletic Director Michael Sondheimer resigned June 27 after being placed on administrative leave June 3, the statement said. CBS 2 reported that Sondheimer “attempted to engage children in sexual chats” online.  Sondheimer graduated from UCLA in 1977 and spent at least 36 years as a UCLA athletic administrator, according to a biography posted on the UCLA Athletics website. For decades…

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Change in Mood(y’s)

Byuclafaculty

Inside Higher Ed and other news media are reporting that the credit rating agency Moody’s is downgrading the outlook for the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) because of a lawsuit filed by Ed O’Bannon, a former UCLA basketball player (photo). From the absolutely 100% reliable Wikipedia: Edward Charles O’Bannon, Jr. (born August 14, 1972 in Los Angeles, California) is a retired American basketball player, who was a power forward for the UCLA Bruins men’s basketball team on their 1995 NCAA championship team, where he was known as “Ed-O”. He was selected by the New Jersey Nets with the ninth overall…

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Not off to a good start

Byuclafaculty

Looks like our new basketball coach should be having some of this formula for breakfast. From the Westwood-Century City Patch today: UCLA Coach Apologizes for Sex Assault Case Comments at Iowa New UCLA head basketball coach Steve Alford apologized Thursday for repeatedly defending one of his players at the University of Iowa in 2002 when the sophomore star was arrested and charged with sexual assault. Alford, as coach of the Iowa Hawkeyes team, made repeated public statements insisting that Pierre Pierce was innocent of the accusation. Pierce eventually pleaded to a reduced charge in a plea deal that a prosecutor on the case said was…

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UCLA History: Pauley Construction

Byuclafaculty

The photo shows UCLA Chancellor Franklin Murphy, basketball coach John Wooden, and donor Edwin Pauley at the groundbreaking ceremony for Pauley Pavillion, probably around 1964.  (The official opening was in 1965.)  Pauley – whose wealth came from oil – was a prominent Democrat.  However, the fundraising drive for the structure (which Pauley matched) was headed by H.R. Haldeman of Watergate fame.  Pauley, a Regent, played a major role in the dismissal of UC President Clark Kerr due to student protests, primarily at UC-Berkeley. Speaking of firing, we haven’t featured sports on this blog.  But there is so much news surrounding…

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Will He Sign It?

Byuclafaculty

State lawmakers have approved first-in-the-nation legislation requiring California universities with the most high-profile sports programs to provide financial protections for student athletes who suffer career-ending injuries…SB1525 would apply to universities that receive more than $10 million annually in sports media revenue. The bill by Sen. Alex Padilla, a Democrat from Los Angeles, would apply this year to the University of Southern California, UCLA, Berkeley and Stanford University…Full article at http://www.sacbee.com/2012/08/22/4749123/bill-would-help-injured-student.html