It was the best of times, It was the worst of times

By Dave Denicke Daily Bruin Senior Staff From scandal to
celebration, much has happened in the Bruin lair of Westwood. So
take a moment to sit down, forget about 48 across, and reminisce
with me. Because so much has taken place, I figure when in doubt do
something quick and snappy. Thus, here are the top ten most
outstanding memories in UCLA athletics in the past five years. Five
because you’ve got to give some love to the super
seniors.

10. Men’s basketball’s first round 56-53
loss to Detroit-Mercy, March 11, 1999

“We expected a grind-it-out, hard-fought battle, and
that’s what we got. It was two teams competing their fannies
off, and we came up short.” ““ Steve Lavin, UCLA
men’s basketball head coach (Daily Bruin, 3/12/1999) The
Bruins suffered their second first round loss in four years,
busting Bruin brackets and breaking hearts when the Titans defeated
them with a slow-down effort. Coming into the matchup, many thought
the Bruins were not ready for the tournament. They
weren’t.

9. Bobby Roe sets UCLA record for most hit batsmen,
April 9, 2000

“When he hit Trojan Rob Garibaldi…Roe also set a dubious
UCLA record. It was his 15th hit batter this season…”
““ Daily Bruin Notebook (4/12/2000) In one of his best games
of the year, Roe also broke the season record for most hit batsmen
and so epitomized UCLA baseball over the past half-decade: strong,
powerful, but unpredictable. The Bruins made the World Series four
years ago, only to surrender 11 walks to Miami in a first round
loss. You can say this much for UCLA: no matter which team was
ahead, no lead was safe at Jackie Robinson Stadium.

8. Four Bruin squads bring home repeat national
titles

“It’s funny thinking about all the critics who have
been doubting us all year long. They should know by now never to
count UCLA out.” ““ Seth Burnham, UCLA men’s
volleyball player (5/4/2000) Men’s volleyball tops the list
with three NCAA crowns, the last of them the program’s 18th
title. The men’s and women’s water polo dynasties
charge rent when other teams compete in a sport they simply own,
and gymnastics brought home two titles, including its first ever,
in four years.

7. Softball probation and redemption, 1998 season and
May 31, 1999

“The probation was not the issue, it was the (ban from
the) postseason… it affects the current seniors who just want to
play and finish up strong.” ““ Kelly Inouye-Perez, UCLA
softball assistant coach (2/19/1998) In the course of two years,
the UCLA softball program came full circle. After an NCAA scolding
for the misallocation of scholarships in 1995, the 1998 team, many
of whose players were not connected with the 1995 scandal, was
forced to relinquish postseason play as punishment. But head coach
Sue Enquist and company regrouped the following year, and the
Bruins went on to win a national title and reclaim their
credibility.

6. Joe Bruin mascot assaulted, Feb. 22,
1998

“Not only was I degraded by the crowd and had my head
knocked off, but I lost every fight.” ““ John Vasquez,
Joe Bruin mascot (6/12/2000) When John Vasquez travelled out to
Duke with the men’s basketball team, he thought it would be
fun. Instead, after being greeted by taunts such as
“Road-kill” and “ugly mascot,” Joe Bruin
was physically abused. In a mock fight, the Blue Devil mascot
landed a left hook, turning headpiece of Joe Bruin’s costume
sideways. “He hit me in the head and the head fell forwards
when the strap came loose,” Vasquez said. “I had to run
off the court and go behind a wall. All the cheerleaders came after
me to make sure I was okay.” Vasquez wasn’t the only
one to get walloped as UCLA lost the game 120-84. It was the most
points the men’s basketball program ever gave up.

5. Parking placards curb 14 football players, July 8,
1999

“If we had realized then how offensive our actions were
towards the disabled community… we would never have committed
these acts.” ““ Ali Abdul Azziz, UCLA football player
(7/31/2000) Proving that free parking is something best left to
Monopoly, 14 individuals on athletic scholarships used disabled
placards to avoid parking fees. You can bet Campus Express was a
little more crowded this year. As a result, the football team
stumbled through a 5-6 season, and worst of all, gave ammunition to
Trojan fans and novelty T-shirt makers alike.

4. Women’s basketball gets hosed by Alabama crew
75-74, March 15, 1998

“I know that we won. If we were at home, then things would
have turned out differently.” ““ Maylana Martin, UCLA
basketball player (3/16/1998) Apparently the slow southern drawl
spread to the reflexes of the scorekeeper. With just .8 seconds to
go and the Bruins up by one, Alabama officials started the game
clock late, allowing the home team to fire off a game-winning shot.
So that’s why NCAA tournament games are supposed to be played
at neutral sites.

3. Mysterious fumble causes Bruins to cough up a
national title bid, Dec. 5, 1998

“They’re upset right now. They know they let
something slip away. The Fiesta Bowl is gone.” ““ Bob
Toledo, UCLA football head coach (12/7/1998) In a game delayed
because of a hurricane, the Bruins stormed into Miami with a chance
to play for a national title, but crawled back to Westwood
decimated by a 49-45 loss. Though a Brad Melsby
“fumble” left Bruin fans up in arms, Edgerrin James was
everywhere except in Bruin arms, scorching the matador Bruin
defense for 299 yards.

2. Jim Harrick is fired as men’s basketball head
coach and assistant coach Steve Lavin is appointed interim coach,
Nov. 6, 1996

“It’s a tragedy. Steve’s never been a head
coach, he’s never called a timeout…To be sent in during
this kind of situation is really unfair.” ““ Jim
Harrick, former UCLA men’s basketball head coach (11/8/1996)
The man that brought an 11th national championship to Westwood was
shown the door after lying on an expense account report. Interim
coach Steve Lavin led the Bruins to the regional finals, while
Harrick took refuge in Rhode Island. And now, before I get to the
number one sports memory of the past five years, allow me to take a
moment to acknowledge other events that were regrettably left on
the cutting room floor. The majority of UCLA sports are underrated
and do not get the hype they deserve. From men’s tennis to
women’s swimming and diving, almost every sport deserved to
be on the honorable mention list. Two individual events that stick
out from the past year include men’s basketball’s upset
victory over Stanford, and the most thrilling game of the year,
when men’s soccer fell in quadruple overtime to Indiana, 3-2.
As for the top moment of the past five years, drum roll
please”¦

1. Football rallies to beat USC 48-41, Nov. 23,
1996

“I think someone up there likes us. Someone up there is
definitely shining down on us.” ““ Abdul McCullough,
UCLA football player (11/25/1996) Whether you want to admit it or
not, nobody thought the Bruins would win this one. Vying for a
sixth straight win over the men of Troy, UCLA fans covered their
eyes to avoid peeking at a scoreboard that with six minutes to go
read USC 34, UCLA 17. But as the Trojan faithful tried to remember
what it felt like to win,the momentum suddenly shifted. While
trying to ice the game, the Trojans fumbled at midfield, giving
Cade McNown and the Bruins a good field position. After an
astounding comeback tied the game, the Bruins blocked a field goal
attempt as time expired to force overtime. Throughout Pasadena,
there was a faint but distinct thumping sound, as many fans banged
their heads against their steering wheels for leaving the game
early. Those remaining were not terribly impressed by Bob
Toledo’s strategy of giving the ball to Skip Hicks. But just
as the fan next to me yelled, “Why do they keep running the
ball?” Hicks provided the answer. He took a handoff to the
right side, finding daylight under the lights of the Rose Bowl and
giving the Bruins the deciding edge. Many moments could have been
number one, but this game stood for UCLA athletics throughout the
past five years. The teams didn’t always win, and the
programs weren’t always perfect, but there was no other
athletic program in the country as exciting as UCLA’s.