There’s No Guarantee That It Would Be Any Different

I’m guessing that UCLA’s chances of representing the Pacific 10 in the Rose Bowl game would be better if the Bruins were playing Washington State on Nov. 8.

But I’m not second-guessing.

When UCLA Athletic Director Pete Dalis accepted the opportunity to move the game to Aug. 30 for national television, he did the right thing, even in light of the Bruins’ 37-34 loss.

Now, even if they win their remaining four games, they will be shut out of their own home on Jan. 1 unless Washington State staggers to the finish with a couple of losses.

Dalis, however, doesn’t regret the decision.

Neither does Coach Bob Toledo, although he notes his team’s improvement and says he’d like to have that game back.

Dalis, after polling Toledo and the players, made the move for a number of reasons that haven’t changed since the season started.

Yes, there was the money. UCLA’s share of the television take after it was divided among conference schools was $220,230, which is considerable for an athletic department that has two programs producing revenue and 19 that aren’t.

But there also was the national television exposure, which is good for recruiting. There was no guarantee the network would want the game Nov. 8.

Equally important from Toledo’s viewpoint was that the Bruins were able to avoid the traditionally woeful weather in Pullman during the second weekend in November and will have an open date on that Saturday to prepare for their final two games against Washington and USC.

Besides, Washington State also has improved. There’s no guarantee the Bruins would have won even if the game were its ninth instead of its first.

“We should have won the ballgame anyway,” Dalis says.

No, that’s not a criticism of Toledo’s decision to keep Skip Hicks on the sideline on fourth and goal. It’s a criticism of the official who ruled on the previous play that Jermaine Lewis hadn’t scored.

*

Don Ohlmeyer was right the first time. . . .

After stating the obvious, that NBC would appreciate a Florida or Cleveland sweep so that the World Series couldn’t interfere with Thursday night’s regular programming, the network exec apologized. . . .

Why? You mean NBC would rather have baseball instead of “Friends,” “Seinfeld” and “ER?” . . .

The baseball playoffs haven’t exactly been “Must See TV.” . . .

Major League Baseball was fortunate no World Series game was scheduled against “Monday Night Football.” . . .

An inevitable ratings loss to a game between 0-6 Indianapolis and 3-3 Buffalo would have been embarrassing. . . .

Not even the Braves and Yankees could carry Game 2 last October to a ratings victory over the Raiders and Chargers. . .

It would be my luck to have tickets for one of the Bulls’ final three exhibition games to see a starting lineup of Ron Harper, Randy Brown, Jason Caffey, Jud Buechler and Luc Longley. . . .

I assume Michael Jordan’s toes will heal in time for that Christmas Day television special, “Tiger and Friends.” . . .

Tiger Woods’ friends, Jordan, Ken Griffey Jr. and Kevin Costner, will be allowed to remove one club from his bag after each hole. . . .

Having won his ninth tournament of the year Sunday, Hale Irwin says, “Would it be too greedy to ask for one more?” . . .

Not as long as he gets it in Los Angeles. . . .

Needing one victory to break the PGA Senior Tour record, he’ll announce Friday whether he’s going for it in next week’s Ralphs Senior Classic at Wilshire Country Club. . . .

E-Two: In Monday’s column, I should have reported that Paul Simon’s song from “The Graduate” was called “Mrs. Robinson.” . . .

In Monday night’s HBO documentary on Joe DiMaggio, journalist Clay Felker recounts how Esquire magazine acquired an unflattering scouting report from the Dodgers on DiMaggio in his declining years. . . .

“It was the most embarrassing thing that ever happened to the Dodgers,” Buzzie Bavasi says. . . .

That was before Tom Lasorda’s scouting report on Dave Kingman.

*

While wondering if the NFL let Emmitt Smith take off his helmet when he was baptized Sunday night, I was thinking: I’d take Penn State over Nebraska in a bowl game, Ron Powlus can’t blame Lou Holtz anymore, even Bowie Kuhn would have to wear a coat tonight in Cleveland.