THE CLEANING POWER OF RIZA

A Riza to Celebrate (like a Mob):  Zalameda-led Bruins sweep up Cal for landmark NCAA Title in Women’s Tennis, and #102 overall

Riza has arrived.  UCLA Senior Riza Zalameda just etched her name into the collosal Pantheon of Great Bruin Champions, by leading UCLA to the NCAA Championship in Women’s Tennis with a 4-0 Shutout of the just-Departed Cal Bears.  The Bruins won the National Championship in 1981, but that was a year before the NCAA became the Godfather of Women’s Tennis, so this Title becomes the historic First-ever NCAA Title for the Sport, as well as being the Nation-leading 102nd for UCLA across all NCAA Sports.

Not only did Zalameda win the Title-clinching Match (getting mobbed for her effort), but she also won the Tournament’s Most Outstanding Player Award, playing both #1 Doubles and #1 Singles (without spaghetti string).   In her Junior Year, the Bruins also made it to the Finals, losing to Georgia Tech.  But this year, the Bruins went 24-5 on the Year, whacked usc (knocking them out of the Tourney), and went on to capture Westwood immortality.

This Title breaks the Westwood National Championship Streak stranglehold that the Women’s Water Polo Team was establishing at UCLA, having won Title #100 last year, and #101 two weeks ago.  Now it’s up to Ben Howland’s bunch to make sure that #103 doesn’t also go to Women’s Tennis… and with his Nation’s Best incoming Recruiting Class, this just might be his year.

While UCLA is celebrating Nation’s Best Teams and Recruiting Classes, their crosstown rivals are getting investigated by more and more interested parties.  The latest organization to pick up the bloody trail of blood money is the NBA Players Association, who is looking into the alleged wrongdoings of O.J. Mayo’s Duffy Agency.  The NBA forbids Agents from luring potential clients with cash, so it looks like Duffy has some ‘splaining to do.  And they may just be clearing a path for IRS Investigators, checking to see what happened to all the tax payments on all these gifts.  You think Riza is tough?  Wait until you see the IRS’ Serve-and-Volley.