For newcomers to the area and out-of-state high school students currently weighing the merits of a UCLA education, two programs Saturday provide a helpful demonstration as to why the Westwood university has long been considered "a basketball school" . . .
UCLA at Michigan (Saturday, 11 a.m., Channel 2) and UCLA vs. BYU (Saturday, 5 p.m., ESPN): The UCLA basketball team is 10-1; the UCLA football team is 6-6. The basketball team is ranked No. 8 in the nation and could climb higher if it beats Michigan; the football team scratched out a berth in the Pioneer Las Vegas Bowl, where it is a six-point underdog to a BYU team it defeated by 10 points in September. The basketball team has a head coach who has restored the Bruins to Final Four prominence; the football team has no head coach, and is now scrambling to try to fill that vacancy.
So, incoming freshmen interested in majoring in PE, that's one application you might want to fill out.
You can't stop these Lakers, you can only delay them . . .
Lakers at Philadelphia 76ers (today, 5:30 p.m., tape delay, Channel 9) and Lakers at New York Knicks (Sunday, 9 a.m., Channel 9): Local sports fans in training for the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics can get a head start today on the bizarre regimen of avoiding the radio, Internet, ESPN, CNN, other insta-news outlets, their mobile phones and phone calls from friends to pretend to be surprised and captivated by a Lakers game that will actually tip-off 90 minutes before Channel 9 begins airing it.
Meanwhile, NBC, proud distributor of canned Olympics coverage, reports that several events in Beijing will start early enough in the day so U.S. viewers will actually be able to watch them live. To help get us ready for that wrinkle, Channel 9 is broadcasting Sunday's Lakers-Knicks game live.
If you can wait a minute, more tape delays are waiting for you . . . .
Brian Boitano Spectacular (Saturday, 1 p.m., tape, Channel 4) and Wynonna Tribute on Ice (Sunday, 1 p.m., tape, Channel 4) and ISU Grand Prix (Sunday, 1 p.m., delay, ESPN): Is it merely coincidence that two of these figure-skating events are tape-delayed by NBC? I think not.
In related news, Brian Boitano and Wynonna Judd have declined the chance to be interviewed for the UCLA football coaching vacancy.
College Bowl Mania is in the air! Feel the chill . . .
