Peace, Love and UCLA

As a service to his loyal readers, Bracket Boy is breaking down the Final Four teams. Today: UCLA

“Ohhhhhhmmmmm.”

The noise was loud and constant, and finally, after 20 minutes, Bracket Girl had enough. She stormed into the secret lab to find her man sitting with his legs folded on a yoga pad, meditating.

“Ohhhhhhmmmmm.”

“Bracket Boy!” she yelled. “What in the world are you doing? You’re supposed to be breaking down UCLA today, remember? The team you picked to win the national title?”

“No worries, dude, I am,” BB replied.

“Did you just call me ‘dude?’”

“It’s cool, dude. This is the far-out UCLA Bruins. This team is all about Peace, Love, and Happiness. Well, mostly that Love will bring us Peace and Happiness in the office pool. Groovy!”

Yes, as his loyal readers know, our resident expert is smitten with Kevin Love, the star player for the West Regional champs. Love is a 6-10 freshman who plays like he’s been around for years – his 29 points, 14 boards, four blocks and four assists in the victory over Western Kentucky in the Sweet 16 is one of the most complete games in the tournament.

This is not a one-man team, of course, but Love could be the player that turns the Bruins from a Final Four team the past two seasons to the actual champions. The way he moves around the basket, the way he passes the ball for a big man, he reminds BB of another former UCLA center.

One who kept his red hair long and saw more than 650 Grateful Dead shows in his career.

BB is not alone: “I haven’t seen anyone (like Love) since Bill Walton,” the legendary UCLA coach John Wooden said earlier this season. “And the one before him was Wes Unseld.”

Walton, Unseld … pretty good company for a teenager. But Love is used to the comparisons and the attention. His uncle is Mike Love, the leader singer and Beach Boys founder, who catches games in between his gigs.

“Bill Walton and the Dead … Mike Love and the Beach Boys … Even John Wooden, the Wizard of Westwood had that totally awesome Pyramid of Success!” our resident expert told Bracket Girl. “UCLA is the grooviest team in the Final Four by far, dude.”

“If you don’t stop talking like that,” BG told him, “I’m going to dunk you in the toilet.”

“Your tension is upsetting my biorhythms,” Bracket Boy said. “I must return to finding my inner BB.

“Ohhhhhhmmmmm.”

E-mail of the Day

Apparently, BB’s loyal readers are having as much luck with his relationship advice as they are with his picks.

“I should have consulted Dr. Phil,” writes Greg from Morristown. “I found the bar with the TV at the wedding and all was going exactly as you said and my wife Amy was none the wiser – until her cousin ratted me out. I now have to make up for it with a Saturday dinner at her favorite restaurant. Lobster is at market price. Can I assume you will send some Bracket Bucks to pay for this feast?

BB responds: “A Saturday dinner? THIS Saturday? Have you considered putting a tiny TV under the lobster tail? I promise you – this plan will work!”

Bracket Boy would love to hear from you about love or Kevin Love or even basketball. He can still be reached at boy@bracketboy.net, or at his world-famous brog, BracketBoy.net.