ANOTHER CHAPTER



The 75th meeting. The crosstown rivalry. The battle for the VIctory Bell. The Battle of Los Angeles. Or, LOST's personal favorite, Good vs. Evil. It all happens again today, and it looks, from the front end, to be a barn burner. The beloved Bruins have an outstanding offense, and a defense that truly strikes terror into the hearts of . . . Bruin fans everywhere. $C's got an offense that many have labeled the Best in college football history, and a defense that is good but not as good as last year's, and special teams that sometimes play as though coached by Bill and Ted, or Beavis and Butt-head.

One of LOST's better friends, another fine graduate of the University of California - unfortunately the wrong campus, loves to tell the tell of being at a ball game years ago, and sitting behind a guy watching the game with his family. The guy's mood rose and fell with the fortunes of the (at the time) maligned Golden Bears, as they struggled against Stanford. After nearly three hours of commentary which varied between calm conversation between this fan and his kids and outbursts more likely expected from a demonically possessed longshoreman, this fan was overheard to be whispering in hushed, reverent tones,
"Please God . . . Please let the Golden Bears win . . . " Stanford won the game that year.

Now LOST gave up praying for the Bruins to win games in young adolescence. Okay, okay, just a few years ago. God's got way more important things to address and prayers to answer than that. But its also true that the Bruins have been down on the deck with that smelly red and gold foot on their throats for the last six years. But they've gotten stronger, better, and hungrier while that has happened. Last year's edition was the closest game in six years, and the trOJans were double digit faves then, too. And the Bruins are much better on offense this time around, playing with a lot more confidence. And "you can't win 'em all," like all axioms, comes from a firmly rooted place in historical fact.

It's time for this bunch 'cross town to taste humility again - something most of 'em tend to avoid the way kids avoid cauliflower and Brussels sprouts.

Come on Bruins, get it done today. Win one for Bill Barnes, and Johnny Lynn, Troy Aikman, and Dennis Dummit, and Pepper Rodgers, and George Dickerson, and Zenon Andrusyshyn, and Theotis Brown and Eric Turner, and Eric Ball, and Norm Johnson, Kermit Johnson and James McAllister and all the other great players and coaches who don't know what winning one of these felt like. And, God, I'm not asking for a win. But, please don't let them lose on some stupid fluke fumble, or tipped pass or a phantom penalty or touchdown or multiple turnovers or some other freakish instance. Those flashy guys across town have already got those presents in droves over the years, and according to all the sports pundits, they surely are soooo good that they don't need 'em today.

GO BRUINS! START A NEW STREAK TODAY!!!!!!!!!!!!