Letters to Sports: Is UCLA doomed with Bill Plaschke’s bold prediction?

I was feeling good about UCLA football, until Bill Plaschke promised Bruin greatness. Hey, Uncle Bill, could you please retract your prediction, considering your track record? Maybe then, the Bruins will have a chance!

Jack Wolf
Los Angeles

Despite his middling record, Times columnist Bill Plaschke has once again entered the prediction business. Unrestrained as ever, he predicts greatness for UCLA football, courtesy of its new head coaching hire, Bob Chesney. However, Bill fails to quantify what he expects the team to achieve? Is it simply a winning record? A victory over crosstown rival USC? Or, dare I mention, a national championship? I guess we’ll all have to wait.

Rob Fleishman
Placentia

Bob Chesney has won before. Winning at UCLA is another matter. But when Bill Plaschke starts pumping sunshine, history warns against climbing aboard the Bruin bandwagon unless it comes with an extended warranty and roadside assistance. Until then: “Westwood Ho!”

Steve Ross
Carmel

Rich Paul, the master of spin, cryptic messages and diversion, was in full force during this entire long, drawn out soap opera/charade involving LeBron James.

July 14: LeBron is not looking for another championship. He just wants to play where he and his family will be most happy.

July 24: LeBron takes his talents to arguably (now) the best team in the Eastern Conference with a “shot” to go to the NBA Finals and possibly win another ring.

So much for “candid honesty” from Paul, James and company.

Rick Solomon
Lake Balboa

LeBron James is a 76er. Ironically, that’s also the number of games he might play over a two-year contract.

David Marshall
Santa Monica

I still don’t understand Andrew Friedman paying Kyle Tucker $60 million a year for four years. Over Tucker’s previous five major league seasons, he averaged .269 with 26 homers and 86 RBIs. That sounds like a $30 million a year guy in these inflated salary times. What gives Andrew?

Allen Schanhaar
Redondo Beach

While letter writers debated the Dodgers’ visit the White House the last few weeks, two milestones involving Dodger players occurred on the field in July. Max Muncy overtook Ron Cey for second place on the team’s career home run list. Also, entering their weekend series against the Red Sox, Freddie Freeman had moved into a tie for 25th on the MLB career doubles list, and at age 36 was batting .301 and was tied for the MLB lead in doubles this season.

Now those achievements deserve to be celebrated.

Ken Feldman
Tarzana

John Mozeliak’s first foray into upgrading the Angels is off to a rocky start. Trading two young, team-controlled players for a 19-year-old hitting .247 in Class A doesn’t seem like an upgrade any time soon. Mozeliak probably won’t be around to see the folly of this trade as he will leave this winter and his successor will have to pick up the pieces.

Ken Blake
Brea

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