UCLA triumph unforgettable for those that stayed to the end

Published: Tuesday, November 26, 1996

Tuesday, November 26, 1996

OPINION:

Bruin victory punishes those that lost faith, left Rose Bowl earlyLet there be no debate ... God is a Bruin.

What else besides divine intervention could lead to such an incredible turn of events in such a short time? Whatever it was, Saturday's game against USC held the greatest finish to a college football game ever.

"What about Doug Flutie's Hail Mary against Miami in 1984, or Cal's kickoff return in the 1980 Big Game against Stanford?" you ask.

I say that nothing could compare to the utter drama and stunning comeback that head coach Bob Toledo's "gutty little Bruins" put together.

It is because of the scale of this comeback that I will never forget this game.

It is also why I will never forgive myself.

You see, I left early.

Yep, with six minutes left in the fourth quarter, after the UCLA offense had had third and goal from the three, only to end up with fourth and goal from the 29 and a field goal, my group of friends and I headed for the parking lot to beat the traffic.

We didn't even turn on the radio.

Shame on me.

The funny thing is, I've never been a premature departer in my life. At the Warriors' basketball games when I was younger, we couldn't leave until the final buzzer sounded, even if the hapless Warriors were losing by 20.

If my mom ever tried to turn off a game with only a few minutes left, I would practically lose my mind.

Maybe that's why she laughed so hard when I told her of my misfortune. Maybe that was my punishment for being a brat when a game was clearly over.

My mom was laughing really hard.

The worst part was I had a premonition of my idiocy as we walked to our car.

"What if we come back and win the game?" Obvious thought.

"What if we score and then recover a fumble?" It happened.

"What if I hear a roar from the stadium as I reach my car?" Heard it.

"I should probably turn on the radio." I didn't.

When my roommates incredulously asked me what I was doing home, I didn't understand. After they told me between gales of laughter about my painful error, it really took me some time to get over it. That night, as my friends and I coordinated the evening's entertainment, I heard that same disbelief and laughter over and over again.

I'm used to being laughed at because I have an older sister and I used to be a pretty hyperactive, weird kid, but everyone was laughing at my misfortune. When I called my parents, who have always been my rock, I had to call them back because I couldn't handle the guffaws.

I've heard all the comments "some fan you are," "shame on you," "you're an idiot," etc.

I just think that I was completely out of my mind, so I'm going to plead insanity and hope that people will forgive me.

Was it really that bad? I mean, I painted my body on national television to show what a big UCLA basketball fan I am two years ago against Arizona.

I really am a big fan. Honest.

It's funny because I could be watching some ghastly mauling on television between two football teams that I don't care about and I will sacrifice study time to watch the inevitable conclusion.

This time, after gutting out 3 1/2 quarters of painfully bad football, I couldn't just stay six more measly minutes?

No, I had to leave, miss the greatest ending ever, get heckled mercilessly, and be tempted to see if their really is an afterlife, and all that I get out of it is a column.

Shame on me.

Mark Shapiro is a Daily Bruin columnist. He also claims to be a die-hard Bruin fan.

Mark Shapiro