Thursday, April 30


Sports classes more than fun and games

In Washington, Congress is weighing in on steroids. In Hollywood, the Farrelly brothers are glorifying the Boston Red Sox. And at UCLA, the classroom is among those places where sports get dissected so deeply that it seems as though “Fever Pitch” was filmed in a library. Read more...


W. polo: Practice, not competition, keeps water polo sharp

The players may be smiling and laughing, even when going through one of the most grueling practices in collegiate water polo. With arms interlocking and legs eggbeatering for sheer survival, the UCLA women’s water polo team simulates the “drowning” exercise, designed to mimic what occurs in the pool when players tug, lean and pull each other to submerge them under water. Read more...


NCAA working on new policy

It’s an issue that has barely grazed the surface at the professional level and may not even have an impact in collegiate athletics. Nevertheless, the NCAA is working on a proposal to allow transgender individuals to compete in their self-identified gender and plans to present it to the Committee on Women’s Athletics at its July meeting. Read more...


Lucky Break

Luck seems like such a surprising thing to call it. Especially when things like cruel twist of fate, unfair and unjust seem so much more appropriate. Read more...


Bruin digest

UCLA men’s basketball coach Ben Howland accepted a one-year contract extension on Tuesday that will keep him in Westwood through the 2013 season. Howland left Pittsburgh to come to UCLA two years ago, signing a seven-year deal with a base salary of $900,000 per season. Read more...


Coaches voice concerns

While the recruiting process has changed over time, the lengths to which coaches will go to entice recruits has not. Years ago, the perception existed that college coaches lured prized high school recruits with material gifts and financial benefits. Read more...