Saturday, February 07, 2009

Signing Day

I am a UCLA Bruins football junkie. Though I live in Singapore, I avidly follow my beloved Bruins (both football and basketball) on internet sites.

This past Wednesday was one of the biggest days of the year for college football fans - National Letter of Intent signing day. My team had their best recruiting results of the past ten years, and I am happy, along with the whole Bruin Nation, who feel we are headed back to where we belong as one the the top programs in the country. Just as Ben Howland has turned around the basketball program to bring in elite talent and challenge for the national championship every year, we feel that Rick Neuheisel will have the football team among the top tier of programs in another year or two.

This article on ESPN gives a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at what goes on in the coaches' office on signing day.

Before the defensive end makes his announcement Neuheisel will have another UCLA recruit on the phone, congratulating him for faxing in his paperwork to the Bruins' office: "Way to go, 'A-bomb'! Can't wait to get you here. You and I are gonna have some fun!"

The day is off to a good start. Upstairs the Bruins' fax machine is humming. But the real dicey stuff doesn't begin for another 90 minutes or so, when the first of their announcements is scheduled.

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