UCLA alum Chase Utley had a big night Thursday in Game 1 of the National League Championship Series. Here's a shot of him smacking a two-run homer to propel the Philadelphia Phillies to a 3-2 comeback victory over the Dodgers.
You may recall that Utley was raised in Long Beach and selected by the Dodgers in the second round of the 1997 draft. He grew up watching the team and was in the stands during the 1988 World Series. Utley turned down the boys in blue for a chance to don the Bruins' true blue.
Earlier this week, Utley told the Associated Press that it wasn't an easy decision. "Obviously, playing professional baseball was a dream of mine, but at
that point I thought I was better suited going to college first. The
money was there, but for me, it was about growing as a person and the
college experience."
The fates would not turn Utley into a Jordan Farmer story. The Phillies drafted him in 2000, and he's been with them ever since.
Horton leads the National Football Conference and is tied for the National Football League lead in takeaways. He has 10 tackles, three interceptions, a fumble recovery and has defended three passes.
He also is getting it done on special teams, with three tackles on that unit. Not bad for a seventh-round draft pick!
The rookie has started two games this season and has quickly made a big impression.
Chris Horton (S, Washington) continues to impress in his rookie season, making three tackles and an interception in a 26-24 victory over Dallas.
Chris Kluwe (P, Minnesota) boomed six kicks for an average of 54 yards each. The Vikings fell to Tennessee, 30-17. Random fact: Two-thirds of ESPN fantasy leagues have a team with Kluwe on the roster.
Ricky Manning (DB, St. Louis) made three tackles and was credited with half of a sack in a 31-14 victory over loss to Buffalo.
Maurice Jones-Drew (RB, Jacksonville) played despite an ankle injury, picking up 32 yards on seven carries and two receptions for 17 yards in a 30-27 overtime victory over Houston.
Matt Ware (CB, Arizona) had four tackles, matching his career high, in a 56-35 loss to the New York Jets.
Jarrad Page (S, Kansas City) made four tackles in a 33-19 victory over Denver.
Maurice Jones-Drew (RB, Jacksonville) had his best game of the year, running for 107 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries and picking up 59 more yards on four receptions. Jaguar Coach Jack Del Rio had been talking about getting Jones-Drew more involved and did just that in a big, 23-21 victory over Indianapolis.
Brandon Chillar (LB, Green Bay) had eight tackles and forced a fumble in a 27-16 loss to Dallas.
Travis Kirschke (DE, Pittsburgh) gave his best performance of the season with seven tackles and an assist on a sack. The Steelers fell to Philadelphia, 15-6.
Chris Kluwe (P, Minnesota) punted five times for an average of 52.6 yards in a 20-10 victory over Carolina.
Marcedes Lewis (TE, Jacksonville) made receptions of 12 and 9 yards in the victory over the Colts.
Jarrad Page (S, Kansas City) made four tackles in a 38-14 loss to Atlanta.
Ryan Nece (LB, Detroit) had four tackles in a 31-13 loss to San Francisco.
I was in San Francisco last weekend and caught up with former UCLA tailback Deshaun Foster, now playing in his first season with the 49ers. He was wearing a Bruin hat in the Niner locker room and sounds happy to be back by the Pacific after a few seasons with the Carolina Panthers.
—Adam Rose
AR: You grew up on the West Coast. Then you spent six years playing for Carolina. What's it like being back?
DF: It feels really good. It's been awhile. It's exciting that people can watch me play now ... my high school coach, my parents. It's easier without having to travel as much. It's just exciting.
AR: What's the biggest difference between NorCal and SoCal?
DF: Weather. It's been hot up here [recently], but those night games are pretty cold!
AR: What do you miss the most about your time at UCLA?
DF: The fan support. The games we played. We had some real good teams when I was there. Hopefully [Coach Rick] Neuheisel will turn it around.
Chris Horton (LB, Washington) started the game and had three tackles, two interceptions and a fumble recovery in a 29-24 win over New Orleans. Yes, Chris Horton — the Bruin picked in the seventh round of the draft this year. He found out Sunday morning that he was starting because Reed Doughty was sick. Horton told reporters he "just started sweating" when he found out. He later clinched the victory with his second interception.
Maurice Jones-Drew (RB, Jacksonville) apparently hurt his ankle and had only 17 yards on seven carries, thought he did score a touchdown. He added 25 more yards on three receptions in a 20-16 loss to Buffalo. Jarrad Page (S, Kansas City) made seven tackles and forced a fumble in a 23-8 loss to Oakland. Donnie Edwards (LB, Kansas City) also had seven tackles in the loss to the Raiders.
Kevin Love has spent a good part of summer training in Los Angeles, but soon he will head back to Minnesota, where he will be a rookie with the Timberwolves.
He was at UCLA today for the official unveiling of the new EA Sports NCAA Basketball '09 cover, which features the former Bruin center.
During a news conference, Love mentioned that his teammates always used to play last year's version of the game, and the first person would pick UCLA as their team. He hesitated when asked about his backup team, then answered either Pitt or NAU — the former teams of Bruin Coach Ben Howland, who also was on hand.
We'll write more about the video game, which comes out in December, in another post. In the meantime, here's a fun conversation with Love about orange chicken, California girls and who he'd like to dunk on in the NBA ...
Adam Rose: When you head back to Minnesota, what are you going to miss the most about L.A.?
Kevin Love: The sunshine. I won't miss the traffic, but I'll miss the sunshine. I'll miss UCLA; I'll miss my teammates ...
AR: Wait. My bad. Terrible question. Let's try this. Rank these four: Diddy Reise, In-N-Out, the girls and the weather.
The first time Junior Taylor touched the ball for UCLA, he hit the afterburners for 49 yards and scored a touchdown. Over the next few season, he continually proved that he could get down field.
Today, he's helping spread things out for the Bruins in a different way.
UCLA's annual "I'm Going To College" event for elementary, middle and high school students in Southern California is the nation's largest collegiate community outreach effort. Taylor is now the athletic director at a charter school where his students — many of whom come from underprivileged backgrounds — could really benefit from the experience.
The tricky part? Summit Elementary (a Champion school) is in downtown Phoenix.
Undeterred, Taylor has set out to raise enough money to send 25 kids to visit UCLA for three days in early November. The trip runs about $300 per student and includes a campus tour, college fair and ticket to the UCLA-Oregon State game. As a player, Taylor used to speak to kids in the program and saw the difference that it made. As much as he inspired them, perhaps they inspired him — to find his current job.
Maurice Jones-Drew (RB, Jacksonville) picked up only 13 yards on five carries, but added four receptions for 37 yards in a 17-10 loss to Tennessee.
DeShaun Foster (RB, San Francisco) ran four times for 11 yards and caught a 12-yard pass in a 23-13 loss to Arizona.
Marcedes Lewis (TE, Jacksonville) made three catches for 29 yards in the loss to Tennessee.
Jarrad Page (S, Kansas City) had seven tackles against New England in a 17-10 loss. Kenyon Coleman (DE, New York Jets) made a tackle and forced a fumble in a 20-14 victory over Miami.
Update: On "Monday Night Football," Chris Kluwe (P, Minnesota) punted five times for an average of 43.4 ypk, landing two inside the 20 with a long of 50 yards. Brandon Chillar (LB, Green Bay) made two tackles. The Packers won 24-19. Also, we neglected to mention the contributions of Matt Ware (CB, Arizona) in a 23-13 victory over the 49ers, which included a tackle and a fumble recovery.
The UCLA Athletics Hall of Fame will grow to 223 members this year with the addition of the following eight Bruins:
Traci Arkenberg (women’s soccer)
Peter T. Dalis (administration)
Leah Homma (women’s gymnastics)
Kurt Krumpholz (men’s swimming and water polo)
Robert Seaman (men’s track and field)
Jackie Tobian-Steinmann (women’s golf)
Eric Turner (football)
Todd Zeile (baseball)
The group will be formally inducted Oct. 3 at an invitation-only ceremony at Covel Commons. They also will be honored during halftime at the UCLA-Washington State football game Oct. 4 at the Rose Bowl.
Individual athlete bios can be found on the UCLA website.
Former UCLA Bruin and current Jacksonville Jaguar Maurice Jones-Drew is on one of the regional covers of this year's Sports Illustrated NFL Preview.
If you look at the cover (with a picture by Sam Greenwood of Getty Images), then click on this link, you'll understand why the 5-foot-6 tailback is nicknamed Mighty Mouse.
Last year, Jones-Drew piled up just shy of 2,000 all-purpose yards in his second NFL season. This year, he'll play a key role in Jacksonville's explosive backfield.
The New York Times had an interesting article this week about what happens to athletes after their Olympic days are over.
But for certain Bruins, the Olympics remain a part of their
professional lives. We're not just talking about coaches and
behind-the-scenes personnel. In fact, some UCLA alums might get more
camera time than the current athletes. UCLA has an impressive
contingent of Olympic broadcasters helping cover the Beijing games.
Here's who you're hearing on NBC:
Ato Bolden — The third-most decorated sprinter in Olympic history, Bolden was a
two-time collegiate champion for the Bruins and still holds the NCAA
100-meter record at 9.92 seconds. This is his first Olympics as a track
and field analyst.
Tim Daggett — While a student at UCLA, Daggett earned a gymnastics team gold and an
individual pommel horse bronze at the 1984 Games, which happened to
be held at Pauley Pavilion. He clinched the upset victory for the U.S.
over China with a perfect 10 on the high bar. Daggett started
broadcasting during the 1992 Games in Barcelona, Spain, and also has covered
the Winter Olympics. He's a gymnastics and trampoline
analyst.
Karch Kiraly — There might not be enough room on the entire Internet to list all of
Kiraly's accomplishments. The three-time Olympic gold medalist is a
beach volleyball analyst for a second straight Games. While at UCLA, he
was a four-time All American and won three NCAA championships. He
graduated in 1983, and had a legendary AVP career.
Ann Meyers — A member of multiple hall of fames, Meyers is general
manager of the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury and vice president of the NBA's
Phoenix Suns. She earned a silver medal with the U.S. women's
basketball team in the 1976 Games and graduated from UCLA in 1978. She
signed with the Indiana Pacers in 1979 and is the only woman to try out
for an NBA team. She's been broadcasting since 1984.
Dwight Stones — In one of the greatest multitasking accomplishments ever, Stones
competed in the 1983 world championships and covered the event as a
broadcaster. He also has performed double-duty at the Olympics, and is
now covering his ninth Games. Stones owns a pair of bronze medals in
the high jump and set several American records during his carrer. He
won the U.S. trials in 1972 at the
age of 18, when he was a freshman at UCLA.
For a full Olympics broadcast schedule, keep an eye on the NBC site. We've also got a great Olympics blog.
A couple of months ago, the New York Times did a great review of ballpark food in every baseball stadium in America. Jerry Crowe just pointed out that one of the highlights of that series — the BBQ brisket sandwich at Angel Stadium — has a Bruin connection.
The sandwiches are made by Beach Pit BBQ, an Orange County restaurant owned by former UCLA catcher Tim DeCinces.
What to order: The brisket sandwich at Beach Pit BBQ, at two
locations including the outdoor plaza behind the right field bleachers.
The meat is fall-off-the-bone tender and served on a soft white bun,
just as they do down South. Only one complaint: ask for an extra side
of barbecue sauce; the smoky and tangy sauce is that good.
Oh, yeah ... he plays in the NFL too. But it looks like his mastery of a video game is earning him a cult following.
About to enter his fourth season as the the Minnesota Vikings' punter, Kluwe last year averaged 44.7 yards per attempt and landed 34-of-81 inside the 20-yard line (only nine went for touchbacks). He also set a career long with a punt that rolled for 70 yards. Showing even more of his skills, he managed one tackle on a return, threw a pass for 27 yards (he doubles as the holder on field goals) and kicked off a couple times.
Wikipedia reports (so take it with a grain of salt) that he's always been an avid video game player, but he's not too good at the sports game. Kluwe is also mentioned as one of the NFL's top 10 paid punters.
Even though he has always played in Los Angeles, Jordan Farmar seems to be constantly moving.
On Tuesday, he was hustling down the hallways of Mattel Children's Hospital UCLA, signing hats and other memorabilia just before bringing them to the kids. More important, he was bringing smiles.
One girl wasn't so sure she liked hoops. "I play for the Lakers," Farmar beamed as he handed her a shirt. He looked over to some of her family members in the room. "But you can give this to your brother if you don't like basketball." She grinned. And kept the shirt. Not wanting to leave anybody out, Farmar invited her brother to his inaugural basketball camp being held next month in Pauley Pavilion.
Family is clearly important to Farmar. He was joined in the hospital by his mom, sister and stepdad. His sister plays basketball for Taft High School, where Jordan led his team to the Los Angeles city championship before going on to play in the NCAA Finals for UCLA and NBA Finals for the Lakers. She'll join him on an upcoming trip to the Middle East to launch another basketball camp — with a unique goal.
UCLA alum Jordan Farmar recently was serving as an ambassador for his sport in Korea and soon he's going to the Middle East to unite waring factions. At least for a few days, he's back in home Los Angeles. Not satisfied to rest on his laurels, he's scheduled a visit Filipinotown to pitch in for a community cleanup day.
If you're feeling a little guilty after reading that, might I suggest you get off the couch Saturday and participate in one of the mayor's CommUNITY events?
Also, it's getting hard to keep track of everything Jordan's up to (don't forget the speech he made on behalf of Barack Obama), so we've added a Farmarmania category to the blog. It'll be on the right column of this page any time you want to keep up with Mr. Los Angeles.
In his first two games for Minnesota, Kevin Love has a solid 36 points and a very impressive 30 rebounds. On Wednesday, he lined up against former teammate Lorenzo Mata-Real, who had 12 points, seven rebounds and a steal in the game for the Lakers. Cedric Bozeman did not play in that game.
Earlier this week, Arron Afflalo put up 18 points along with five rebounds and four assists for Detroit. The Pistons were playing Milwaukee, which got seven points, six rebounds and two assists from Luc Richard Mbah a Moute.
Things didn't work out too well for Alfred Aboya and the Cameroon national team. They lost their Olympic qualifiers 93-79 to Croatia and 81-72 to Puerto Rico. Aboya played just 10 minutes against Croatia, missed three shots and had four fouls. Against Puerto Rico, he played 21 minutes, made a basket, a steal and pulled down eight boards. He also five fouls and three turnovers. Luc Richard Mbah a Moute did not make the trip because of his NBA obligations. Keep in mind that Cameroon is ranked 50th in the world, which is the equivalent of a 12 seed in bracketology.
If there weren't enough reasons to root for Jordan Farmar (I lost count awhile ago), here's another one: He's trying to unite Israelis and Palestinians. Children. By playing basketball.
Lakers point guard, UCLA alum and all-around nice guy Jordan Farmer has got a deal for you.
Enter his Jordan Farmar Foundation NBA Championship Experience Raffle. The grand prize is a pair of lower-level, center-court seats to game four of the NBA Finals (plus a bunch of ridiculously cool perks). Even if you don't get the tickets, all proceeds will benefit UCLA Mattel Children’s Hospital, Special Olympics, the Metropolitan YMCA and other charities serving children.
That's what I call a win-win.
Tickets are cheap too. They are only $2 each, with a minimum purchase of five. The more you buy, the cheaper they get. I'm putting my money where my mouth is and purchased 10.
What are you waiting for? The deadline is 9 a.m. (EDT) Tuesday.
Adam Rose grew up in a house divided between UCLA and USC ... now he's writing about both. He served as Sports Editor for LAist (covering a wide range of local action) and is also a regular on KNBC 4's News Raw. Adam manages special events in the sports community when he isn't participating himself (he staggered through the LA Marathon and can often be found on local soccer fields). If you have a question about the Bruins, Trojans, or just want to give him a piece of your mind, email: adam@laist.com.
Undeterred, Taylor has set out to raise enough money to send 25 kids to visit UCLA for three days in early November. The trip runs about $300 per student and includes a campus tour, college fair and ticket to the UCLA-Oregon State game. As a player, Taylor used to speak to kids in the program and saw the difference that it made. As much as he inspired them, perhaps they inspired him — to find his current job.
If there weren't enough reasons to root for Jordan Farmar (I lost count awhile ago), here's another one:
Lakers point guard, UCLA alum and all-around nice guy Jordan Farmer has got a deal for you.
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