UCLA whistle-blowers

After getting called for 22 fouls and having their second-best player foul out, I guess we can dispel the “UCLA gets all the calls” talk at least for one game.

Craig L. Dunkin

Los Angeles

If the UCLA Bruins should win the NCAA championship this year, it would only seem appropriate that the trophy presenter be wearing a striped shirt with a whistle around his neck.

Doug Hays

La Canada

One axiom I repeat to anyone who complains about officiating is that over the course of a game the bad calls will even out. So, because I caught only the final three minutes of the UCLA-Texas A&M game, can someone please confirm that A&M got every call for the first 37 minutes?

Mark Backstrom

Redondo Beach

As I die-hard Bruins fan, I was ecstatic over UCLA’s last-second heroics over a deserving Aggies team.

As a true sports fan I prefer to see my teams win fair and square. No tarnish or controversy, thank you.

From last Sunday’s photo Josh Shipp undoubtedly fouled Donald Sloan. But of course, according to Bill Plaschke, “there was no way any official would make that call.”

Really? Why not? It was a foul, wasn’t it?

Rick Solomon

Lake Balboa

Enough already! Why is it that every time UCLA wins a game it is attributed to some phantom missed call? Missed calls are a part of every sport and rarely decide the outcome. To read The Times, you would think that UCLA is incapable of winning without divine intervention. How many games are they going to have to win before we can say that they are, just maybe, a good team and treat them as such?

Bill Bocash

Camarillo

Dear Stan Love,

Please have more kids. Then give them middle names like Kareem, Magic and Kobe. Then send them down to Westwood.

Thank you in advance.

Paul Jeong

Beaumont

Short porch

When the historic Red Sox-Dodgers game being played at the Coliseum is over, what time will the local Little League take the field for its game and home run derby?

Mark J. Featherstone

Windsor Hills

I’m really looking forward to the Dodgers taking on the Red Sox this weekend at that ancient Los Angeles sports facility.

I understand they’re also playing a game at the Coliseum.

Ron Reeve

Glendora

Don Newcombe says he remembers seeing Humphrey Bogart in the stands when the Dodgers played in the Coliseum in 1958 [March 25]? Bogie passed on to the big movie theater in the sky in January 1957.

Richard Potthoff

Los Angeles

Bad start

I have been waiting for someone to tell me it is all a joke, but nobody has said a thing. At 3 a.m. on Tuesday, Major League Baseball’s 2008 season officially began on the other side of the world – and no one made a peep.

We are expected to take out loans to pay for outrageous ticket, parking and hot dog prices every day for six months; we have to endure spoiled athletes’ complaints about not getting paid what they’re worth; we have to sit through congressional hearings where supposed heroes are exposed as drug-abusing frauds – but we don’t get to attend or watch opening day of the Major League Baseball season.

Nobody asked us if we’re OK with it.

Michael Isaac Shokrian

West Hollywood

Frankly, I was somewhat surprised that no team picked up Barry Bonds as a DH for this coming season. But upon reflection, I realized that a 44-year-old, one-legged, steroid-swollen cheater awaiting trial on perjury charges would most likely be a distraction in any clubhouse. Kudos to the owners for turning away from Bonds. It might even mark the beginning of the end of the steroid era.

Joel Rapp

Los Angeles

Keep gold at home

The horror in Tibet, only the latest example of Chinese human rights violations, has once again placed the boycott option into conversation.

Would a boycott have been better than memories of Jesse Owens basking in the glow of heat coming off of Hitler’s head?

I say we find a better way. We should boycott with our wallets, not athletes. Send the athletes, nothing else. No U.S. dollars.

Let’s bring home the gold but first have it tested for lead.

Jayson Romero

Highland

Out of bounds

When is The Times going to give other golfers their due? Despite leading throughout the entire Doral tournament and eventually winning, Geoff Ogilvy never received a headline. All The Times reported about was Tiger Woods. Look at the headlines from March 21 through the 25th. Ogilvy is never mentioned. Sure, Woods had a chance to set a record, but Ogilvy outplayed him. Give him some credit.

Mike Blundell

Roskilde, Denmark

Good as gold

Regarding the passing of Art Aragon, I remember one of Jim Murray’s many great columns. I can only poorly paraphrase. Art had been knocked to the canvas, one of many times, at the Olympic Auditorium and the referee needed to see if the bout should be continued.

Standing over Aragon, the ref asked his name and the Golden Boy replied correctly. He asked if he knew where he was and Art was indeed aware he was at the Olympic. The final and determining question was, do you know what’s happening? And Art declared, “Yeah, I’m getting the crap beat out of me.”

God bless them both.

Bob Coburn

Calabasas

Red card

As Denzel Washington’s character in the movie “Philadelphia” would’ve said, “Explain this to me like I was a 6-year old.” David Beckham plays in his 100th game for England and you guys put it on the front page? He averages nine games a year and the soccer world goes bonkers? Lou Gehrig is rolling over in his grave and Cal Ripken is smirking to himself somewhere in downtown Baltimore.

I think a more appropriate front-page headline would be when this grossly overrated and overpaid footballer, better known here as Posh’s dim-bulb husband, ultimately plays in his 100th minute for the Galaxy, should that ever happen.

John R. Grush

Mission Viejo

Bottoming out

As the end of Year 2 of the Kings’ rebuilding plan nears, they have gone from the third-worst team in the league to the worst. Coincidentally, I am in Year 2 of my plan of not attending Kings games. I can hardly wait for next season.

Mike Gamboa

Buena Park

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