Bye-lines: Feeling grateful for four full years

I guess it took me four years to realize just what I had gotten
myself into here at the Daily Bruin, because on March 14, 2003, it
hit me like a ton of bricks.

There I was, standing in a circle of reporters outside the
locker rooms of Staples Center. Steve Lavin, on the brink of his
firing ““ which everyone, including Lavin, knew was only a
matter of days away ““ was answering every question that came
his way. Just like he had done all season.

And so when it came time for Lavin to leave ““ a full hour
after he began answering questions ““ I held out my hand to
one of the great tragic figures in sports over the last decade and
said, “Hey coach, best of luck.”

He looked back at me, knowing full well that I had spent most of
the truly horrible UCLA basketball season trashing his team’s
performance in this newspaper, and said, “I better see you in
Sports Illustrated one day, Jeff. Be the next Jim
Murray.”

I drove home that night and, once I finally accepted that UCLA
had in fact lost to Oregon and that the season was in fact over, I
began to think.

Had this all really happened? Had UCLA really played its worst
season since the Truman administration? Had Steve Lavin really, for
all intents and purposes, fired himself? And had I really been
there to see it all?

Usually these 30 columns are one of two types: (1) the shout-out
column, where writers tell inside jokes to their friends like:
“to GHW and POL, I’ll never forget Wichita and the
Pauley Shore guy from Sizzler. DCT@#5 forever!” or (2) the
serious column, where those who plan to enter the field of
journalism speak about their passion for it.

I don’t know exactly what this one is. I’m afraid
I’d forget someone, so (1) is out of the picture, and
I’m probably writing the last newspaper article of my life,
so (2) wouldn’t make much sense either.

What I do know is that the Daily Bruin has given me hundreds of
moments just like the one with Lavin, and for that I will forever
be grateful.

I have gotten the chance to see the comedy of the first and last
XFL Championship Game, the privilege of interviewing Andre Agassi
and Pete Sampras at the Mercedes-Benz Cup and the opportunity to
meet one of the nicest men in the world, UCLA head baseball coach
Gary Adams.

Along the way, I’ve weathered an apocalyptical rainstorm
(UCLA 4, Cal 1 in women’s soccer, Oct. 29, 2000), suffered a
good old Rose Bowl sunburn (UCLA 23, Michigan 20, Sept. 16, 2000),
been tripped by a member of Stanford’s Sixth Man student
section (UCLA 95, Stanford 92, Feb. 23, 2002) and pleaded with
Jason Kapono to stay for a junior year in my very first column
(Apr. 10, 2001).

But this is it. I’m all done, off to become a fan once
again, though I won’t be surprised if I watch every game now
thinking about a good lede or angle for a story, even though I
don’t have a story to write anymore.

As for Sports Illustrated, don’t hold you breath, Lav.

Agase was a Daily Bruin Sports columnist and staff
writer.