Once is an accident.
Twice is a coincidence.
Thrice is a pattern.
But what does it mean when it happens 14 times?
That is the number of national championships UCLA men’s water polo has won, which accounts for over 10% of UCLA’s 125 NCAA titles.

The modern sports fan hive mind lacks a backbone.
The spineless creature operates on pure emotion in place of a brain.
When things are good, things are perfect – happiness is deserved, hope is everlasting and both the people and processes that made success happen in the first place could never do anything wrong.

The Reft era has been characterized by ups and downs.
Coach Alfee Reft had mustered a 32-27 overall record with no postseason appearances before the start of the 2025 season.

No. 2 seed UCLA (24-2, 5-1 MPSF) will have the opportunity to protect the national title starting Friday at Avery Aquatic Center in Palo Alto, California.

Michigan vs. Ohio State.
Duke vs. North Carolina.
Yankees vs. Red Sox.
Bears vs. Packers.
Ali vs. Frazier.
Some rivalries remain timeless.
You can’t think of Duke basketball without thinking of UNC, the Cameron Crazies, Roy Williams and everything in between.

Interim coaches are often just placeholders to ease the transition from one coaching regime to another.
It is rare they earn the chance to keep their jobs after an abbreviated time at the helm.

This piece is a sequel to “Dizon’s Disposition: UCLA football’s home is better suited to be SoFi Stadium, not Rose Bowl,” which was published Nov. 10.