I have been a UCLA fan since I was a kid in Los Angeles many many many years ago. I always wanted UCLA to win and I wanted USC to lose regardless ofwho they played. Today I am less critical about USC, but my team is always UCLA....and hooray hooray hooray, we are going to a bowl game---theEmerald Bowl---what the hell is that? I remember the Rose Bowl, and the Sugar Bowl, and the Orange Bowl and the Cotton Bowl where they would have teasms with records like 10-0, 9-1, or even an 8-2 team m,ight slip in.

But in the Emerald Bowl, my team, UCLA, has a record of 7-5, and we are playing a team with a record of 6-6(Florida State).

Did I miss something? Arern't Bowl games supposed to have something to do with EXCELLENCE? Before you jump too hard on me, Let me say that I now live in Ohio and so I have bragging rights for the National Chanpionship.....

Now for a little politics...its about the money, stupid....Excellence has had nothing to do with American society for a long time. Just look at the current administration. The war in Iraq is merely a side show, something to keep the interest of the people concentrated while the Republicans make the rich richer----oh, you think not? Then explain to me how on earth you can fight several wars at the same tinme and lower taxes in stead of paying for the war?

The Bush administration did not want the people to feel the pain, the same way Johnson and the Democrats did not want the people to feel the pain of Vietnam. Let the people participate in the war on television, and-----

Also give the people thirty or so Bowl games and everyone is happy----escept a funny thing happened on the way to Shangri-la. The peoploe discovered that Bush does not have the foggiest idea about how to run a country, a war, and he would probably fail in a food fight. He certainly failed with Katrina. It seems like the whole of America has become one vast playground for thieves, with George Bush as Master of Ceremonies.

Today in America there seems to be more interest in what movie stsars are doing to each other that what this administration has done to the country. So when all is said and done, we deserve bowl games with a 7-5 team playing against a 6-6 team. The winning team will have bragging rights for mediocrity which seems to be becoming more and more a symbol of America.

Go Buck-eyes.

Maybe the sports thread next time, huh?