Drew Bennett may be 1,500 miles away from this Saturday’s
rivalry game, but the USC-UCLA matchup still hits close to
home.
After spending five years as quarterback and wide receiver in
the blue and gold from 1996-2000, Bennett signed with the
NFL’s Tennessee Titans, coached by Jeff Fisher, a former
cornerback at USC.

The year was 1980. It marked the beginning of a new decade.
For the Olympics, though, it was more of the same. The black eye
that the Games had been dealt by the previous decade continued on
unabated.

LONG BEACH “”mdash; At the Long Beach Summer Pro League this
year, it seemed like it was in with the old and the new. At least
for UCLA alumni.

They say Trevor Ariza is too thin, a 6-foot-7 forward walking
around in a guard’s body.
They say his perimeter game is still weak, that his jump shot is
inconsistent, and that he lacks an inside presence.

The calendar reads July. No problem. The NBA Finals
concluded three weeks ago. So what.
As the NBA’s big names continue to trade jerseys and zip
codes, many former Bruins are part of a lesser known group of
players who are using the dog days of summer to prove their worth
to anyone willing to watch.

Jason Kapono left UCLA last spring with the Bruins’
all-time record for three-point field goals and an NBA contract
waiting in the balance.
But after having already made the difficult jump to professional
hoops, Kapono will be making a jump to the podium as part of this
year’s graduating class.

For many players in the NBA, the end of the season means a
six-month layoff until the opening of training camps in
September.
For players like Earl Watson, longer days and shorter nights
mean more time to practice.

One could say that UCLA’s blue and gold run through Kiki
Vandeweghe’s veins.
Just look at the Denver Nuggets’ uniforms. Is it any
coincidence that a striking color resemblance exists between
Vandeweghe’s college team and the NBA team he is currently the
general manager for?

With every tape measure shot hit in ballparks across the
country, the debate regarding the ethics of using ergogenic aids in
the sporting world has grown more heated.

Look who moved in next door. Well, about 15 miles down the road,
down by 11th and Figueroa, anyway.
It’s Matt Barnes.
As he sits at his locker at Staples Center, Barnes sighs,
looking at his Clippers jersey, remembering what has gotten him
there ““ the many nights spent playing in front of half-filled
auditoriums that barely would rival a pre-season game at Pauley
Pavilion, the result of being passed over by numerous NBA teams
over the last two years.