Saturday, May 31, 2008

He said, HE SAID! SHE SAID!!!

He said, and I quote from Lance Pugmire's (UC)LA Times 5/31/08 article as follows: "Special agent Danny Kim in Los Angeles said he is looking into whether 'any funds or credit cards were taken or used under the foundation's name and used for other purposes.'"

HE SAID, and now I quote Lance Pugmire's opening paragraph as follows: The California attorney general's office is investigating whether funds from a sickle cell anemia charity were illegally used to pay for benefits to former USC basketball player O.J. Mayo, a state Department of Justice special agent said Friday."

I'm no lawyer, but Lance Pugmire should be sued for libel. He did not write the adjective "allegedly" before "pay for benefits", and he wrote his own judgment that O.J. Mayo is guilty of taking benefits.

SHE SAID!!! A Bruin would be given the BENEFIT of the doubt. Will the biased (UC)LA Times sensationlism ever end?

Friday, May 30, 2008

Promises! Promises!

After reading Diane Pucin's article "Draft Talk" this morning, I wonder what were the recruiting promises that UCLA did not live up to concerning "one and done" Kevin Love? Will the (UC)LA Times write five sensationalized articles about the unmet promises? Will Bill Plaschke demand "better institutional control" and an NCAA investigation? Will all of Saturday's (UC)LA Times "Viewpoint" letters condemn UCLA for any violations? OH! I forgot...Kevin Love was a Bruin...not a Trojan! WHAT PROMISES?

Wednesday, May 28, 2008

Do You Swear to Tell the Truth, the Whole Truth, and Nothing But the Truth?

I could not believe my eyes when I read Diane Pucin’s May 27, 2008 article “Love works to lift his NBA stock” When Love was a Bruin, he was a perfect SUPERSTAR! Oh, what an outlet pass! Pac-10 player of the year! All-American! Now that he is “one and done” and no longer a Bruin, the unbiased truth is finally being written. What took you so long, Diane? Quotes from her article are as follows: “ to have his (Love’s) game criticized with brutal honesty --- lose weight, refine post game, show a mid-range game, prove you can defend taller, quicker players”. Joe Abunassar, founder and owner of Impact Basketball, who Love has signed up with, said, “With Kevin, it is about playing angles, holding defenders off, defending guys bigger and quicker, and can he get in shape. NBA guys are asking, is he quick enough to guard this guy, that guy? Is his endurance good enough for an 82-game season? My unbiased, TRUTHFUL answer is NO!

Saturday, May 24, 2008

Hold that TIGER!

When the UCLA women won the NCAA Water Polo crown on 5/11/08 over USC, the Briuns got a picture, headline and an article the next day in the (UC)LA Times.

When the UCLA women won the NCAA Tennis crown on 5/21/08, the Bruins got a half-inch headline and article the next day in the (UC)LA Times "Newswire" section.

When the USC women won the NCAA Golf crown yesterday over UCLA by six strokes, the Trojans got a three paragraph mention this morning in the (UC)LA Times "Newswire" section. (I should say two paragraphs since the last paragraph was about a Bruin who finished #2 individually)...NO HEADLINE!

The title of the "Newswire" this morning was "Woods won't play Memorial". A golfer, Tiger Woods, was headlined, just not a TROJAN!

When will the UCLA bias ever end?

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

When is a Compliment really a Compliment?

Kudos to Bill Dwyre on his heart-warming article today about Haley Scott DeMaria, the Notre Dame swimmer who survived a fatal bus crash, overcame paralysis and had two children, against all odds. This is journalism at its best!

Contrast Bill Dwyre's sincere, complimentary article to David Wharton's "This year's school of choice" article on Monday 5/19/08. At first glance it was complimentary to the seven Trojans who went in the first two rounds of the NFL draft. Then, the article digressed to a "back-handed compliment"...Quotes from the article are as follows: "The talk about USC on draft day included murmurs of doubt"; "The concern is that too many of the players who emerge from the Trojan program love the SoCal lifestyle more than they love football"; "pedigree and success in college don't always translate to the next level." I wonder why the (UC)LA Times doesn't write a truly complimentary article about UCLA?...then I realized that no Bruin was drafted in the first two rounds. What's to compliment?

Sunday, May 18, 2008

Six Days of Reckless Sensationalism!

After enduring five (UC)LA Times condemning articles about O.J. Mayo, headlined by Bill Plaschke's "Control Yourself" article on Wednesday 5/14/08, I am disillusioned! I thought that the (UC)LA Times was a reputable newspaper, not a TABLOID! On Thursday 5/16/08, they did print O.J.'s denial that he took any improper benefits, but the (UC)LA Times disgraced themselves again when they published yet another article on Friday 5/17/08 based on the accusations of convicted attempted cocaine seller Louis Johnson. A reliable source, indeed! Worst of all, the six selected Viewpoint letters on Saturday 5/18/08 all convicted O.J. and USC. What ever happened to "innocent until proven guilty"? Six days of pure reckless sensationalism!

Will a USC athlete ever be STELLAR?

Did anyone notice the front page of the (UC)LA Times sports page on Wednesday 5/14/08? There was Bill Plaschke's "Control Yourself" condemnation of USC's Athletic Director Mike Garrett, Reggie Bush and O.J. Mayo, (based on supposition only) Ben Bloch's wishful thinking that basketball recruit DeMar DeRozan will decommit to USC and Diane Pucin crowning J'Mison Morgan (who may commit to UCLA) a STELLAR center. Two negative articles about USC and one, as always, positive article about UCLA. When will the bias end?

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

What Basketball Dynasty?

UCLA is no longer known for its basketball...It is now a Women's Water Polo school! The (UC)LA Times even published a first ever water polo picture of the victorius Lady Bruins... Where was USC's championship picture in 2004? 2005?

Saturday, May 10, 2008

Truer Words Were Never Spoken...and May Never Be Again!

The (UC)LA Times sports commentator Jerry Crowe better stop "crowing" (as he did this morning) that USC's Rodney Peete was better then UCLA's Troy Aikman in college. Truthfully, Peete was BETTER and should be voted into the College Football Hall of Fame also! But... Crowe's "non-biased" journalism may get him fired!

Thursday, May 8, 2008

Kudos to Chris Dufresne

A (UC)LA Times reporter finally labeled Kevin Love as "one and done" today. Thank you, Chris Dufresne! Perhaps I should now view the label "one and done" as a compliment...especially since the (UC)LA Times reporters labeled O.J. Mayo "one and done" the minute he signed a letter of intent to attend USC.

Wednesday, May 7, 2008

Two-thirds is not One

Naturally the (UC)LA Times had a big headline about USC losing two men's basketball scholarships in 2007-2008, after the fact. However, three positive facts were brought forth in the article and one BIG QUESTION. To accentuate the positive: The USC football team has a higher APR (academic progress rate) score than the UCLA football team, O.J. Mayo and Davon Jefferson completed the Spring 2008 semester and the USC Women of Troy cross country, golf and soccer teams ranked in the top 10% of all scores in their sports. Now, the big question. Why do UCLA basketball players only have to complete two-thirds of an academic year while USC basketball players have to complete an entire academic year in order to not affect the APR when they leave early for the NBA?

Sunday, May 4, 2008

Not Fox Sports Net Prime Ticket also!

Dwight Stones and Ato Bolton were the Fox Sports Net Prime Ticket broadcasters for the USC-UCLA Men's and Women's Track Meet yesterday. During the broadcast, the two Bruin alumni constantly said, "If WE are going to win this women's track meet, WE must do this." Then, as the camera showed the dejected UCLA Lady Bruins after the USC Women of Troy beat them and ended their 15 year dual meet winning streak over USC, Dwight Stones said, "That"s something that...Y O U...do not want to see!" Immediately I yelled at the television, "Oh, yes I do!" The Women of Troy triumphantly ran their victory lap around Drake stadium! Will the BIAS never end in the L.A. media?

Saturday, May 3, 2008

Thank you? Sports Viewpoint!

Naturally, the (UC)LA Times Sports Viewpoint printed Jim Zant's letter today that made fun of USC's seven draft picks and loss to Stanford. Meanwhile, I'm still waiting for Mike Ricigliano's parody poem and song about Kevin Love. (Mr. Ricigliano wrote the Calypso song about USC's O.J. Mayo in March 2008.) Can't wait to see if Love's song will be a "SLOW....swan....song"?