USC and UCLA Football: Can It Get Any Better?

What is the big deal about Bob Trumpy’s comment that USC is the only football school [in town worth talking about]? Doesn’t anybody get it? Even though UCLA is ranked 12th, has a six-game winning streak, has won the city series the last six years and USC is struggling, the city of Los Angeles would rather watch USC football! So, those of you that were offended--get over it!

UCLA football will never have the tradition nor the popularity that USC has, winning season or not. All you offended UCLA fans need to sit back, relax and just wait for basketball season to start.

KERI CORKWOOD

Irvine

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“A win is a win is a win.� Words of wisdom from lame-duck Coach John Robinson. Well, John, as the disappointed crowd filed out of yet another USC one-half performance, you should thank your lucky stars that the opponents’ kicking games are poorer than your second-half adjustments.

STANLEY RAIF

Los Angeles

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No legitimate business would survive making the kind of ludicrous strategic and financial decisions that characterize Peter Dalis and the UCLA athletic department. Bob Toledo has a two-year record of 11-8, but somehow Dalis sees this as warranting a raise and a two-year contract extension for Toledo through 2001, thus guaranteeing him an additional $2 million of taxpayer money.

Dalis has already provided the promising but unproven Steve Lavin a guaranteed $2 million, and the inept Terry Donahue virtually owned the university before he mercifully retired.

My prediction is that the only major accomplishment of UCLA football during the next five years will be the further enrichment of Toledo and Dalis.

WILLIAM PLATT

Sherman Oaks

Editor’s note: UCLA coaches are paid from funds raised by the athletic department through ticket sales, TV revenues, donations, etc. Taxpayer money is not used to pay coaches’ salaries.