Sports scandals sully reputation of school

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If being notorious for protesting Laura Bush as a commencement
speaker isn’t weighing down UCLA’s reputation enough, a
few Bruins in the Athletic Department are working around the clock
to ensure the rest of us are sullied with national
embarrassment.

Last Thursday, basketball star Matt Barnes threw a forearm at
Cal point guard Shantay Legans while struggling for a loose ball,
leaving Legans unconscious for two minutes. Barnes was suspended
from the Bruins’ 95-92 win over Stanford on Saturday, but the
damage has been done. Barnes’ actions come at a time when
scandal is fresh in the minds of both Bruin fans and observers.
Highlights include disabled parking permits, star running back
DeShaun Foster’s suspension for NCAA violations this season
and his marijuana possession in the 2000 season, quarterback Cory
Paus’ drunk driving convictions and jail time, volleyball
player Kristee Porter’s suspension for NCAA violations, and
men’s soccer coach Todd Saldaña’s fraudulent
bachelor’s degree.

When our players and coaches break rules and show a blatant lack
of respect for their opponents, teammates, coaches and fans, it
undermines everything we work for at UCLA. Most Bruin athletes and
coaches are excellent, respectful and hard-working individuals,
whose effort is being tarnished by the actions of a few.

Whoever takes over for Pete Dalis as next year’s athletic
director will have a lot of cleaning up to do ““ and it
won’t involve polishing NCAA Championship trophies.