Political Gumbo: I’d Rather Have a Winner

UCLA got molly whopped by the Washington Huskies in what some say could be the Bruins’ last game in the Rose Bowl.

It’s well documented by now, the Bruins want to take their ball and run to SoFi for suite revenue and closer proximity to campus, for some reason I said that in baby’s voice when I typed it.

Now, the UC Regents are demanding the case be placed on hold while the two sides go through arbitration.

Based on most of their games this year, it looks like the Men of Westwood didn’t play much football in the iconic stadium at all.

On Saturday, The Bruins had three first-half turnovers, including two fumbles and a turnover on downs and just 208 yards in the entire game.

Also, a fake punt led to a touchdown. By the Huskies.

Things were so bad that by the third quarter, many of the Bruins fans had already seen enough and headed for the parking lot.

Ouch, no wonder they want to leave town.

Of course all of the turnovers issues and poor play are somehow the fault of the Rose Bowl Operating Company and the City.

And moving to SoFi will cure all of those issues.

Highly unlikely.

Maybe everybody is looking at this the wrong way.

Instead of trying to keep them in the greatest stadium in the world, maybe we should them out of town with a broomstick.

Truth be told, UCLA is not the only ones that want to make some coin off college football.

The City wants a winner in the stadium that will attract fans to Pasadena. Fans that spend their dollars in the stadium and at local restaurants.

Of course, the braintrust will have to figure out what comes next.

Yes, the City has every right to defend its lease, and if UCLA wants out of that lease — hit them hard in the pocketbook.

The university makes millions off that Big Ten media rights deal they signed off on when it joined the Big Ten.

They are still paying Berkeley $10 million a year for decimating the Pac-12 and according to the New York Times, at a UC Regents meeting in May the school claimed a $51.8 million athletic department deficit in 2024.

Obviously, Pasadena’s mismanagement of UCLA’s funds led to the deficit.

There is no pot of gold in Inglewood.

The cure is winning and that comes with accountability.