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opinion
UCLA feels the
pain
Bob Toledo is head
coach for the UCLA Bruin football team. The seniors on his team
this year are the first players he ever recruited for UCLA.
Those same seniors were expected to help the Bruins contend
for the national championship at the end of this season.
Instead this year will end in disappointment, and possibly the
loss of a job for Toledo.
This year was a culmination of problems that developed during
Toledo's previous seasons at the helm.
Deshaun Foster was expected to be a Heisman Trophy candidate.
The trophy goes to the best college football player in the country
each year. His future holds the promise of being a first round
draft choice of the National Football League.
Foster's first three years at UCLA were flawless. And like Bob
Toledo this was his year to succeed.
Both Foster and Toledo failed miserably.
Under Coach Toledo's watchful eye, Foster broke an NCAA rule
that led to his suspension from play.
After their first loss of the year to Stanford, the Bruins needed
a good game against Oregon to stay in contention postseason
play.
In the week between games against Stanford and Oregon, Foster
was suspended for driving a vehicle loaned to him by someone
close to the football program. According to NCAA rules this
is considered an extra benefit. An extra benefit is one that
is not available to all students on scholarship at a college
or university.
His suspension lowered a boom on the remainder of UCLA's season
and maybe even Bob Toledo's job.
After going undefeated in the first six games this year UCLA
has lost its last three crucial games. The loss to USC on Saturday
may be all UCLA backers are willing to take.
Toledo has seen his share of problems since joining UCLA. His
teams have had a good quarterback, or running back, or defense.
But he has not been able to get all three working at the same
time. The lack of discipline on Foster's part is only this year's
mistake.
UCLA has seen its share of NCAA rule violations, including players
using handicapped stickers, usage that resulted in players being
suspended.
With losses to USC, Oregon and Stanford in the last three weeks,
UCLA is down and out of contention. With the lapses in judgment
by his players combined with the losses Coach Toledo may simply
be on his way out.
Dwight Flenniken III is a print journalism major at Cal State
Long Beach.
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