MMA. Photo courtesy of thenailbiter.com

By Eric Bonholtzer

Mixed martial arts, or MMA, is one of the fastest growing sports, earning millions each year and having a plethora of fans worldwide clamoring to watch each match. Yet, despite the success of the sport, there is still a grueling fight going on for mainstream acceptance. That battle is now being carried to the legislature, as some states refuse to license the sport, forcing fans to cross state lines if they want to attend an MMA event. While boxing is sanctioned across the nation, some states are reluctant to allow MMA events within their borders. Among the few states still holding out on granting approval are New York, Massachusetts, Michigan Maryland, South Carolina, and West Virginia, with the legislative assembly currently in session in North Dakota with the outcome of MMA licensing to be decided shortly.

Many MMA enthusiasts in America are disappointed that fans in London and Dublin have an easier time attending an Ultimate Fighting Championship event than those in Detroit or Boston, when the “Land of the Free and Home of the Brave” is the birthplace of the UFC. However, while MMA is not legally sanctioned in several states, proponents of the sport are taking the fight out of the cage and straight to the legislature to fix that. Pennsylvania is one of the latest states to come on board the MMA train, as lobbyists have been pushing for the legalization of the sport for years now, and in February, the state approved MMA regulation. Given the green light, the UFC wasted no time and held an event there shortly afterward. But the process of getting sanctioning for the sport was long and arduous, taking more than 19 months in Pennsylvania alone, as voters had to first pass draft regulations allowing MMA events in the state. They did so in July 2007, and the rest of the complex legal process involved getting approval by the House and Senate Committees, the office of attorney general and the Independent Regulatory Review Commission. These entities had to decide on all matters regarding MMA including how the events would happen and who was eligible to compete. While this kind of legislative debate is beneficial, as it ensures the safety of both participants and spectators, the chief concern of MMA proponents is the debate surrounding the dangers of the sport, and they work diligently to combat this stereotype.

Nowhere is this battle for understanding more prevalent than in New York, where despite a history of intense lobbying, MMA is still nowhere near sanctioning, and the primary reason seems to be the stigma attached to the sport. One of the most staunch opponents to sanctioning is New York assemblyman Bob Reilly who, despite a love of football and boxing, is avidly opposed to legalizing MMA, often referring to it as harmful to society and comparing the sport to dog fighting. However, his opposition is quick to point out that Madison Square Garden routinely holds boxing events, a sport that has had more than its share of in-the-ring injuries and deaths, while MMA’s most serious injuries are fractures or lacerations. Despite these arguments, there is still a tough road ahead for the UFC in the states that continue to rally against sanctioning. But the UFC is tenacious, being very active in the legislatures in New York, Massachusetts, and other holdout states, and if there is anything that the UFC knows, it’s how to put up a good fight.

Matt Kemp, Courtesy of dizbuster319 via Flickr

By Matthew McConnell

So the 2009 Dodgers’ season did not have a happy ending. That means it’s back to the drawing board as the front office start starts laying the ground work for next season. However, the Dodgers are in a unique position because they have very few holes to fill. The Dodgers have a young nucleus of talented players in which GM Ned Colletti should build around by adding a couple of starting pitchers and a second baseman. These are the top five guys from 2009 who will play pivotal roles in the 2010 Dodgers’ quest for a World Series.

1. Andre Ethier

Before the season began, manager Joe Torre compared Ethier to his former All-Star Paul O’Neil. For my non-baseball savy readers, O’Neil was Torre’s right fielder during the Yankees’ Championships in ’96 and ‘98-2000. Like Ethier, he was left-handed, could hit, and was never afraid to show frustration (see record for most water coolers thrown onto field.) While Ethier has always carried himself like O’Neil, most Dodger fans figured we would have to wait a few years until he produced like him. However, in 2009 Ethier did his best O’Neil impression and led the Dodgers in homeruns (31) and runs batted in (106) while also serving up six electrifying walk-off hits. Ethier hasn’t even turned 28 yet and is entering the prime of what has the potential to be a stellar career. Just to compare, O’Neil never hit 30 homeruns in a season and didn’t drive in 100 or more runs until he was 34.

2. Clayton Kershaw

When most of us were 21, we were clowning around our college campus celebrating the fact we could finally drink legally. What was Clayton Kershaw doing when he was 21? Oh nothing special. I mean he only led ALL National League pitchers in opponents batting average against (.200), had the fifth lowest earned-run average (2.78), the fifth highest strikeouts per 9 innings pitched (9.74), and second lowest homeruns per 9 innings pitched (.37). Case in point, Kershaw went toe-to-toe with Cardinal’s ace Adam Wainright in game 2 of the NLCS and only allowed 1 run over his first 6 innings pitched. Days later in game 1 of the NLDCS, he held the Phillies to zero runs through the first 4 innings. Last year Kershaw was simply one of the best pitchers in the National League, despite the fact he was the third-youngest player in the league! Once Kershaw conquers his control problems (third in walks allowed and sixth in wild pitches) and pitches into the seventh inning of games, he will be a true “ace.”

3. Matt Kemp

Kemp’s nickname is appropriately “The Bison.” No, not because he went to SW, silly. It is because he is big, fast, and strong. In 2009, Kemp slugged 26 homeruns and drove in 101 runs while playing stellar defense in centerfield. Centerfielders are supposed to be scrawny guys who steal bases. While the Bison is not scrawny, he was third in the National League in stolen bases (34). Once Kemp develops better plate discipline, he will become one of the elite players in the game and form a dynamic duo with Ethier in the outfield. Also, Kemp is only 25 and still entering the prime of his career.

4. Jonathon Broxton

Big Jon (6-feet-4-inches and 290 pounds) is an intimidating closer. In 2009 he ranked sixth in the National League in saves and led all relief pitchers with 114 strikeouts. To cap off his remarkable season, he allowed less than 1 base runner per inning pitched. Because Broxton has blown two straight NLCS game 4s to the Phillies, some critics focus on Broxton’s failures as a closer. That isn’t fair, nor accurate, because more often than not Broxton is one of the premier closers in the game and strikes fear into the hearts of opposing hitters. If Broxton ever conquers his fear of Matt Stairs, or the Canadian slugger gets deported, Broxton has the potential to lead the Dodgers to the World Series. He is also only 25 and should only become more dominating.

5. Chad Billingsley

It was a tale of two seasons for Billingsley. At the All-Star break, he was the Dodgers’ “Ace” and arguably one of the top three pitchers in the National League (3.34 earned-run average and was selected to the All-Star team). However, Billingsley fell apart in the second-half of the season (5.20 earned run average) and wasn’t even given a chance to start in the postseason. Have no fear Dodger fans. In 2007, a left-handed pitcher on the Indians had a 5.38 earned-run average through his first 16 starts, was optioned down to the minor leagues, and eventually left off the Indians’ postseason roster. This lefty came back in 2008 and had an amazing season as he won the American League Cy-Young Award. That pitcher is the Phillies’ Cliff Lee, who pitched an absolute gem against the Dodgers in game 3 of the NLCS. Moral of the story is you do not give up on young talented pitchers too early. Billingsley is only 25, has a career earned-run average of 3.55 and throws hard with a good breaking ball.

By Phil Soon

USC:
Despite a shocking early upset loss at Washington, the USC Trojans find themselves in a familiar position as they enter the second half of the season: in serious contention for the Pac-10 title and a possible shot at the BCS national championship game.  Heading into the season, many experts speculated that coach Pete Carroll’s Trojans were at their most vulnerable point since 2002, due to the loss of eight starters on defense and true freshman Matt Barkley starting at quarterback.

These predictions were seemingly confirmed on Sept. 19, when former USC offensive coordinator and current Washington head coach Steve Sarkisian’s Huskies sprung a 16-13 upset loss on the visiting Trojans.  A flurry of turnovers, the injury-related absences of Barkley and All-American safety Taylor Mays, and superior execution by Washington contributed to the loss, leading many to dismiss the Trojans’ national title game aspirations a mere week after USC’s thrilling win over then No. 8-ranked Ohio State.  However, Carroll’s team has responded with four straight wins, including a rout of supposed conference contender California, an eighth-consecutive win over rival Notre Dame, and a 42-36 shootout victory versus Oregon State, leaving the team with a 6-1 record heading into its Halloween matchup with conference-leading Oregon.

Midseason MVPs:
Offense: Matt Barkley
Despite his status as a true freshman, quarterback Matt Barkley is quickly becoming a star, showcasing next-level talent, poise, and confidence that belie his age.  Barkley has led the Trojans to victory in two memorable road games, leading a dramatic, 14-play, 86-yard game-winning drive at Ohio State and passing for 380 yards against rival Notre Dame.  Offensive coordinator Jeremy Bates has opened up USC’s playbook, and Barkley’s performance over the second half of the season will determine how far the Trojans will go.
Defense:  Everson Griffen & Nick Perry
While All-American safety Taylor Mays receives the bulk of national media attention, defensive ends Griffen and Perry have anchored one of the nation’s most-talented defenses.  Both players have NFL-level talent, with Perry leading the Pac-10 in sacks and Griffen close behind.  Having two defensive ends of this caliber allows the Trojans to generate an incredible amount of pressure on opposing quarterbacks without having to commit extra defenders, helping a Trojan defense that lost eight starters to the 2009 NFL draft remain among the nation’s best.

Second-Half Outlook:
USC’s hopes for the conference title and possible shot at the national championship game remain intact, but several key obstacles remain in their path.  First and foremost is an incredibly important game at Oregon’s Autzen Stadium Halloween night.  The winner of this game will have the inside track to the Pac-10 title, and a legitimate shot at reaching the national title game.  The Oregon Ducks are rolling, relying upon a high-powered offense to win six straight games for first-year head coach Chip Kelly.  Although Barkley and tailback Allen Bradford helped USC score enough points to win, the defense struggled to contain the Oregon State offense in a 42-36 shootout at the Coliseum, a troubling development in the week leading up to the Oregon game, which appears to be the most difficult game left on the schedule.  Carroll’s teams have shown a propensity to win big games but occasionally stumble against lesser foes, and upcoming games against Arizona and rival UCLA could also prove problematic.  If the Trojans can remain undefeated through the remainder of conference play, they will have as good a claim as any team for a shot at the BCS national championship.

UCLA:
Across town in Westwood, a promising 3-0 start has quickly turned into a struggle to save UCLA’s season.  A tough 19-15 win at SEC opponent Tennessee on September 12 showcased the Bruins’ strengths on defense, with Tennessee held to 208 total yards and four turnovers. However, four straight losses in Pac-10 conference play have illustrated the Bruins’ struggles to return to relevance, leaving the Bruins with a 3-4 record and no wins in conference play.

Despite having one of the Pac-10’s most talented defenses, UCLA’s has suffered from a lack of execution and consistency on offense.  Injuries and a lack of productivity at the quarterback position has been the main problem, preventing the Bruins from capitalizing upon the turnovers generated by their defense. In the Bruins’ recent 27-13 loss at Arizona, UCLA’s defense forced five turnovers.  Bruin free safety Rahim Moore, the NCAA’s co-leader in interceptions, picked off his sixth and seventh passes of the season, strong safety Tony Dye returned a fumble 28 yards for a touchdown, and all 13 Bruin points were generated as a result of turnovers.   Bruins coach Rick Neuheisel played three quarterbacks in the game – starter Kevin Prince, backup Kevin Craft, and freshman Richard Brehaut – but none was effective enough to generate consistent offensive drives.

Midseason MVPs:
Offense: Kai Forbath
In spite of UCLA’s inconsistencies on offense, kicker Kai Forbath is quite simply one of college football’s best kickers, having converted 19 out of 20 field goal attempts this season (is this the right word? A word was missing…).  A consistent source of points, Forbath’s range and accuracy have been repeatedly put to the test, given UCLA’s aforementioned inconsistencies on offense.  Forbath has missed only one field goal this season, a 51-yarder against Tennessee.
Defense:  Rahim Moore
Free safety Rahim Moore is the national co-leader in interceptions, having picked off two passes versus Arizona, three against SDSU, and two against Tennessee.  Moore’s presence in the Bruin secondary forces opposing offenses to alter their game plans, and his string of multi-interception games have helped the Bruin defense generate a high amount of turnovers.  On a defense with several NFL-caliber players, Moore is undoubtedly the Bruins’ most visible and valuable performer.

Second Half Outlook:
While UCLA has struggled mightily over its last few games, the fact remains that the Bruins can still reach a bowl game if the offense can step up its production.  In terms of personnel, UCLA is one of the more talented teams in the Pac-10, but Rick Neuheisel and offensive coordinator Norm Chow must find a way to improve the struggling Bruin offense.  Coach Neuheisel is a great recruiter, bringing in several nationally-ranked recruiting classes, but his team’s on-field performance can only be described as mediocre.  Currently, the Bruin offense is unable to capitalize on the turnovers and opportunities its defense gives it, and the team has failed to execute at crucial moments.  UCLA is near the bottom of the Pac-10 standings, but remains a dangerous team, with considerable talent on both offense and defense.  Winnable games against Washington and Washington State lie ahead, but the Bruin offense must improve for the team to have any chance of turning its season in a positive direction.  If not, a season on the brink could quickly turn into a nightmare.

Former UCLA star Maurice Jones-Drew now plays as a running back for the Jacksonville JaquarsUSC alumn Mark Sanchez is starting quarterback for the New York Jets.

By Alexander Mehdipour

USC

1) Mark Sanchez: The fifth pick overall in the 2009 NFL draft has been handed the keys to the team and started off week one with a win and an impressive stat line of18-31 for 272 yards and 1 touchdown. His ability to manage the game and limit turnovers will be the key to the Jets’ season.

2) LenDale White: He supposedly lost weight by eliminating tequila from his diet, but he has to deal with being the backup to Chris Johnson in his contract year.

3) Reggie Bush: He has never lived up to the hype and was not the Saints running back to rush for more than 100 yards in the Saints first game against Detroit – that would be Mike Bell.

4) Carson Palmer: He claims he is finally healed from his arm injury and is completely healthy for the first time in a long time, but the Bengals were only able to put up 7 points against the Broncos and the loss of T.J. Houshmanzadeh might be detrimental to his success.

5) Matt Cassel: He parlayed his chance in New England into a big contract in Kansas City. Now is the time to prove he was worth it.

UCLA

1) Maurice Jones-Drew: With Fred Taylor now in New England, this will be the first time he has to carry the entire workload, and with Jacksonville playing two rookie tackles, yards may be difficult to come by.

2) Marcedes Lewis: Like Jones-Drew, Jacksonville will lean heavily on Lewis to get the Jaguars to the playoffs and score points.

3) Kenyon Coleman: The journeyman lineman followed coach Eric Mangini and is trying to continue his success in Mangini’s defensive scheme.

4) Chris Horton: The second-year safety was impressive in his rookie year, and now is the time for him to show that it was not a fluke and that he is going to be a star defensive player for years to come.

5) Chris Kluwe: Punters don’t often get mentioned, but when you play on the same team as Brett Favre and Adrian Peterson, field position may be the one factor that prevents the Vikings from getting out of the first round of the playoffs.

By Matthew McConnel, 3L

OK, so it is the beginning of October, and we are about half way through the semester, but the real stress is about to kick in. No, I am not talking about LAWS problems or midterm papers, I am talking about baseball playoff season: the postseason. As predicted, the Dodgers finished ahead of the pack and won the National League West. Their rivals, the hated San Francisco Giants and pesky Colorado Rockies put up a valiant effort, but the Dodgers won critical August and September series against each team to extend their lead.

Now the Dodgers need to win 11 games against the best of the best. In true law school fashion, I will brief the case that is the 2009 Los Angeles Dodgers.

Issue: Do the Dodgers have what it takes to win the World Series?

Rule: In order to win the World Series, a team must have starting pitchers who give their team a chance to win, an offense that is capable of scoring runs, and a bullpen that can get outs and protect leads late in the game.

Analysis: Starting rotation: On paper, the Dodgers’ starting pitchers might not be as recognizable as other teams. The Phillies have all-stars Cliff Lee and Cole Hamels, the Cardinals have former Cy Young award winner Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainright. Starting the season, Chad Billingsley was supposed to be the ace of the Dodgers staff. However, his second-half struggles (3.38 E.R.A first half, 5.34 E.RA. second half) have left Randy Wolf (2.87 E.R.A second half) and Clayton Kershaw (2.43 E.R.A. second half) fighting for the “ace” label. While Wolf and Kershaw might not have the name recognition the other teams have, a close look at their stats show that they can get outs and keep the Dodgers in games. A healthy Hiroki Kuroda (3.23 E.RA. second half) and a return to form from Billingsley would give the Dodgers a very formidable 4-man rotation for October.

Lineup: Rafael Furcal, James Loney, and Russell Martin underperformed all year. Leadoff hitter Furcal struggled to get on base all season (.320 OBP in 09 v .348 career), Loney forgot how to hit for power (.403 SLG in 09 v .455 career), and Martin became a glorified singles hitter (.338 SLG in 09 v .469 in 07). As you can see, one-third of the Dodgers hitters were almost automatic outs all season. Thankfully, Casey Blake (.365 OBP, .471 SLG) and Orlando Hudson (.354 OBP) have been solid while Matt Kemp (.362 OBP, .500 SLG) and Andre Either (.365 OBP, .531 SLG) have emerged as genuine offensive stars. The Dodgers will need Manny Ramirez to perform closer to his first half stats (.487 OBP and a .699 SLG) than his second half (.380 OBP and a .492 SLG). Against some of the best arms in baseball, the Dodgers will need contributions from everybody in the lineup, something that has been hard to come by all season.

Bullpen: The Dodgers have the best bullpen in baseball. Jonathon Broxton has arguably been the best closer, averaging less than a base runner per inning and striking out well more than a batter an inning. Throw in the deadly lefty combo of George Sherrill and Hong-Chih Kuo and right-handed flamethrowers Ronald Belisario and Ramon Troncoso, and the Dodgers will be able to get outs late in the game and protect leads.

Conclusion: Last year the Dodgers were not supposed to get out of the first round of the playoffs. This year, they will wind up being the underdog against good Philadelphia and St. Louis teams. However, over a 162-game span, the Dodgers had the best record in the National League not by accident. They had the best pitching staff and an offense that can put some runs on the board. Whatever the outcome, it will be an exciting October.

Los Angeles Lakers star player Kobe Byrant, number 24. Photo courtesy of Guitar Zero via Flickr.

By Troy Mueller

By many standards, last year’s NBA season was a success. In the face of the economic downturn, the NBA’s second winningest franchise – and second wealthiest – won another championship. In addition to the benefits afforded by a title in the major market of Los Angeles, the NBA finals turned out some of its strongest ratings in years. This is partly due to the panoply of highly skilled and well-marketed athletes that were successful enough to make it to playoffs. Additionally, if one is to look at current media projections, interest in the NBA has steadily increased since the early part of the decade when arrogance and thuggery seemed to have polarized much of its demographic.

To the extent that the NBA was able to shrug off that stigma, one must give credit to the players who have acted, willingly or not, as positive figures in the league. Programs such as Basketball without Borders and NBA Cares have been particularly successful in evincing a civility between a sport that is uniquely individual and a community, that is both connected to and distanced from it. In many respects, the league is rebuilding, or perhaps recovering, without the basketball grittiness of the ‘80s or surplusage of the ‘90s. Strangely, and I think contrary to what many people have argued, it seems the league is becoming less idealistic. Standing unequivocally upon this threshold is the Los Angeles Lakers.

Los Angeles is hardly a market for realism. As a center of the entertainment industry, Los Angeles is markedly concerned with aspiration and potential. As such, here are reasons why the Lakers winning a championship is bad for Los Angeles.

No. 1: The Lakers winning the NBA championship has made life hard for coaches. Currently, middle-schoolers all over Los Angeles are heaving three-pointers from much too far away. This is particularly popular with bench players, as their game may be limited where their range is not. Also many children have taken to looking like a ferret, which has seen a strong increase in LA since the NBA finals. As a coach this is frustrating. Giving an inspired speech about commitment and hard work is difficult when all the players have their new game face on. Further, it is embarrassing to be the only one smiling in the team photo.

No. 2: Interest in the Lakers has developed an arm-sleeve market in Los Angeles, but has taken focus away from the ever-important ankle-support market. Led by Kobe Bryant, an interest increase in sliding, spinning, and twirling has subsequently caused an increase in tripping, stumbling, and falling among the basketball laity. Current trends suggest that formerly adequate athletic-wear will not be sufficient to mitigate the potential increase in lower leg injuries resulting from the Lakers championship run.

No. 3: LA is a popular destination on the West Coast. People come from many other states to avail themselves of LA’s large job market, active city life, and pleasant climate. Inadvertently, these pilgrims also commonly become basketball converts. Many proud Clippers families have watched their children turn to the Lakers, but more commonly it is the Blazers, Suns, and former Sonics fans whose conversion deprives the city of its basketball diversity.

This diversity is needed in order to maintain a competitive climate.

Quid Pro Podium: Jordan Still One Upping Kobe.

The Lakers are confused. They won, but it was limited. But is the city in conflict with the direction of the league? I want the good old days back too but how can you have it back. When Jordan takes the podium and tells the league how good he is, we all realize that the feeling was fleeting. sun-bleached out of a 5in thick red fischer price rim or deflated somewhere behind your old bike in the shed. To begin anew is

The city wants largess, but the team is merely convincing. The Lakers are nearest to this when Kobe Bryant eclipses the 50 point mark, but even there the inspiration is lost. Amare Stoudamire, whose game is far less impressive and even then the game looks unorganized. When the Lakers lose, the city gains. Potential for victory, drawing upon

Kobe has made a name for himself as a player with a typically I began by saying the Lakers contributed to the success of the last season, but now I want to talk about why that’s not good. As this is public interest month, I think it only fair to discuss the social forays, misgivings, and the like which the Lakers have brought to the city of Los Angeles.

Above all, Kobe Bryant got a little more acclaim which paradoxically seems to generate less interest in making comparisons to Michael Jordan than does his failed attempts at accolades.

Kobe Bryant has done some amazing things. Kobe Bryant looks to maturing (at 31).

Jordan enters the hall of fame this week as part of a truly remarkable entering class

BY Matthew Welde, 3L

As of this writing, we’re three weeks into the 2009 college football season. What used to be preseason aspirations and hype are now being molded by the actual games into cold reality. Each college football season bestows upon us a whole bevy of upsets and unexpected turns of events. This season is no different.

Now, I could write all day about all of the unexpected things that have popped up so far, but I’m too lazy and there’s not enough room in the paper. Instead, I’ll regale you with a handful of exceptionally startling and unlikely twists of fate.

I’ll start off in the oft-ignored world of Ball State, alma mater of David Letterman. I’m pretty confident that Ball State’s football team doesn’t show up in The Commentator all that often, and I don’t expect it to become a regular practice, but the start of its year warrants some attention.

Ball State’s story is one of monumental collapse. For those that don’t know, which is probably most of you, Ball state went 12-0 last year for the first time ever and was ranked in the top 25 for the first time ever. Life was good.

Then they lost to Buffalo in the MAC Championship Game. Then their head coach resigned to take the job at San Diego State. Then they lost their bowl game. Then they opened the 2009 season at home against North Texas, who was 1-11 last year, and lost. Then they lost to New Hampshire, which is not even a Division 1A football program. That is literally rock bottom. I’m going to venture to say that a team has never before fallen so far so fast . . . ever.

My next stop on the tour of crazy things happening is the very scenic Boulder Colorado. Colorado is in its fourth year under Dan Hawkins, who previously enjoyed great success as head coach of the Boise State Broncos. This past off-season, after a mediocre 5-7 record in 2008, Hawkins proclaimed that anything less than 10 wins would be a disappointment.

Hawkins had reasons to be confident. He had 17 starters returning and an experienced quarterback, which is usually a recipe for improvement. A few pundits were even talking about Colorado as a dark horse candidate to win the Big 12 North.

That sort of talk ended when Colorado State strolled into Boulder and walked out with an impressive win. That sort of talk became the basis for humiliation when Colorado was pasted by Toledo, who themselves had been pasted by Purdue. While the Buffs did manage to beat up on Wyoming, their 1-2 start is a far cry from their lofty dream of 10 wins and caught most of the college football world by complete surprise.

The last stop on this tour of the wildly unexpected is the rainy Pacific Northwest. I think you can all see where this is going. In 2008, the USC Trojans won the Rose Bowl. In 2008, the USC Trojans beat Washington 56-0. In contrast, Washington went 0-12 in 2008. In the process, Washington tied the record for the longest Pac-10 losing streak.

In the second week of the 2009 season the USC Trojans traveled to Columbus and walked out with a win over a highly ranked Ohio State team. That same week Washington beat lowly Idaho to snap a 15-game losing streak that dated back to the 2007 season. The following week the USC Trojans traveled to Washington, and the Huskies sent them home with a loss. . . .Seriously. . . For real.

Some unbelievable things have happened in just the first three weeks of this season. I can’t wait to see the rest of it.

Boomer Sooner

By Tara Radley, 3L

After a rough 2008 football campaign, the UCLA Bruins looked poised this year to get back on their feet and to hold their own in the Pac-10. Relatively speaking, the Bruins did not look half bad in the first two games of the year against San Diego State and Tennessee, both wins. These victories could be largely attributed to sub-par competition, but also to the fact that UCLA finally has a quarterback who can throw a football – a good trait for a quarterback, but something that has not been seen at UCLA since the likes of Drew Olson in 2005.

All signs looked promising in the first two wins until UCLA became faced with the problem that has plagued each of their past three seasons: no quarterback. Redshirt freshman Kevin Prince went down with a broken jaw in the Bruins win against Tennessee and is projected to be out at least three weeks. If you are a UCLA fan, this probably was no shock to you.

In 2008, Ben Olson, a former top-rated high school quarterback of the year, who was at best a flop during his college career, suffered a foot fracture during spring drills and remained sidelined for the entire season. In fact, it seems that Olson was never fated to actually play football during his six-year college career: in 2007, he threw seven touchdowns with six interceptions in another injury-filled season; and in 2006, he played in only five games before suffering a knee injury that kept him off the field for the rest of the season as well. Indeed, when he was invited after his senior season to play in UCLA’s Pro Day in front of NFL scouts – you guessed it – he broke his foot during drills, and his professional football career never saw the light of day.

Unfortunately, this tale of woe is just one of many for UCLA quarterbacks over the past few seasons. When second-string quarterback Pat Cowan, another player who could not stay off the injured list if his life depended on it, went down with a season-ending knee injury, this left the ball in the hands of Kevin Craft. The problem with Craft was that he did not know how to throw a football – which lead to a school record in interceptions.

This string of disappointments did not instill much hope in UCLA fans for 2009. However, with the emergence of Prince and the potential he brought to the team, UCLA fans began to get excited. But when Prince went down, leaving the ball in the hands of true freshman Richard Brehaut – or even worse: Kevin Craft – this can only leave fans wondering if UCLA is ever destined to get a quarterback who can lead the Bruins back to football prominence.

By Matt McConnell

The beginning of law school season is among us. But, more importantly, with more than half of the baseball season over, the Dodgers have an 8-game lead in the National League West. That means our boys in blue should just coast into the playoffs, right? That way we can all just focus on school and not stress about our favorite baseball team, correct?

At the time of this writing, the website coolstandings.com projected the Dodgers likelihood of making the playoffs at 92 percent, by far the highest of any Major League Baseball team. Ask any law school veteran, and they can tell you how stressful law school can be; the long hours, moments of confusion, sprouting gray hair and more, etc. The last thing we need is to worry about the Dodgers during our already long nights in the library. Therefore, the baseball gods have done us all a favor this year, and no matter how well the Giants or Rockies play the rest of the way, it looks like the Dodgers will easily make the playoffs. As a direct consequence, I predict that SW students will have the highest test scores in the school’s history.

However, making the playoffs is only winning one battle. Every baseball fan knows that if you want to win the war, you win the World Series! Seeing that the Cardinals traded for Matt Holliday and the Phillies acquired Cliff Lee, it looks like the Dodgers will have serious competition for the National League Championship. In the American League, as always, the Yankees and Red Sox look like real contenders. Therefore, Dodger fans must prepare for an intense and stressful October as we juggle our scholastic duties with questioning every umpires’ call, gasping at each long fly ball, and second-guessing all of Joe Torre’s unsuccessful decisions. Dodger fans get excited for October because after baseball season, it turns into finals season.

Matthew Welde

Now that the new academic year is under-way, that means one thing: college football is on the horizon. By the time people are reading this the start of the season will be just a few weeks away. So, in the spirit of yearning, here’s a rundown of what I consider the three biggest games of the upcoming season. I am only considering regular season games, so that means no conference title games. Also, the most significant factor in what I mean by “big” is how the games affect the race for the BCS National Title. Away we go.

BRONZE MEDAL – NOTRE DAME VS….

Just kidding.

BRONZE MEDAL – FLORIDA GATORS AT LSU TIGERS – Oct. 10

The Gators are a near unanimous pick as the preseason No. #1 team. This game is almost certainly the toughest game on their schedule. Night games against the Tigers are very hard to win. If Florida is going to lose a game, chances are this will be it.

SILVER MEDAL – USC TROJANS AT OHIO STATE BUCKEYES – Sept. 12

Both teams should be top contenders. The winner gets a big boost from beating a quality opponent and the loser falls to the back of the pack. Thus, two top contenders for the Crystal Football have a lot on the line. This game falls short of the gold because the loser has almost the whole season to climb back into the race.

GOLD MEDAL – OKLAHOMA SOONERS VS. TEXAS LONGHORNS – Oct. 17

Both teams will start the season in the top three. The loser will probably be out of the conference title and the BCS National Title games. Also, anyone who follows college football should be having visions of airplane banners and asterisks right about now because of the way the Big 12 South championship played out last year.

Boomer Sooner.