Time for Bruins to Stop Offering Lavin a Lifeline

Who wants to be a contract-buyout millionaire . . .

$100 answer: Yes, UCLA can make the tournament, because with Steve Lavin, the next hallelujah, this-proves-it-forever moment is always around the corner.

A game soon will end with the Bruins in giddy, teary victory, proving that the Lavin coaching lifeline will last forever, or at least until . . .

$1,000: The Bruins blow it, because, as Saturday’s free-fall loss to California followed the Stanford stampede, with Lavin as coach, the next stammering, no-clue, no-chance squashing is sure to follow.

$16,000: Though Lavin could convince himself, the New York Times (who incredibly picked UCLA to win the title) and even some who should’ve known better, now that February is here, UCLA is not better without Baron Davis, because, well, he did hold the team on his shoulders last season.

$64,000: Athletic Director Peter Dalis didn’t screw up the program when he fired Jim Harrick or even when he hired Lavin permanently in the middle of that energetic interim season, since a lot of people believed Lavin had earned his shot.

Dalis’ great blunder was caving in after Lavin collected Davis’ commitment, made a tournament run, then refused to sign the fair contract he was offered (and said he would accept) and demanded much, much more.

That’s when Lavin showed that his tenure would be more about shortcuts, fast explanations and cash grabs than about teaching and higher pursuits.

Dalis could’ve fired Lavin in summer 1997 (Cal, in another tight situation a year earlier, fired Todd Bozeman and quickly came up with the excellent Ben Braun), but feared a backlash from the same Bruin alumni core that, 30 months later, would move heaven and earth to be rid of Lavin.

$1,000,000: As much it would seem to be the right decision, UCLA probably won’t fire Lavin, since he’d get a fat buyout under the terms of his recent extension.

But without the toughness of Davis, Toby Bailey or Kris Johnson, without the leadership of Cameron Dollar, Lavin-at-UCLA, by his own hand, has become an accounting arrangement, dollars for days, and the clock is ticking.

THE BIG PICTURE

Enjoyed the Pro Bowl on Sunday, since you can never get enough of Tom Coughlin in a Hawaiian shirt or superstar quarterbacks running for their lives behind exhausted offensive lines.

Other than that, though, there’s not much more to it. Can you remember one moment of a past Pro Bowl, any Pro Bowl, anything other than lazy plays to bored receivers in front of jogging defensive backs?

I attended one, years and years ago, and I can’t remember anything, except blurry images of Bruce Smith and Cornelius Bennett chasing Randall Cunningham until they were ready to collapse.

Baseball has Reggie Jackson blasting one into the Tiger Stadium light tower or Bo Jackson to the Anaheim Stadium tarp.

Basketball has Magic Johnson’s return or Michael Jordan being shunned in his rookie season.

Hockey has a lot of stuff involving Wayne Gretzky.

The Pro Bowl has only . . . pros.

But I’m even more eager for the Con Bowl, which, judging by the recent news, should have an even fuller roster than the all-star game just completed.

Let’s look at the rosters:

* Pro Bowl: Kurt Warner, Jevon Kearse, Randy Moss, Edgerrin James, Warren Sapp, Jason Hanson. . . .

* Con Bowl: Rae Carruth (case pending), Ray Lewis (allegedly), Bam Morris and Tamarick Vanover (under investigation), Leonard Little and Darryl Henley, with, I am certain, many more illustrious names to be added and contemplated.

You could hold that second game at Folsom, Attica, or pretty much any maximum-security stadium, though I believe the Coliseum no longer qualifies, with the Raiders no longer in tenancy and all.

WEEKEND TALKING POINTS

1. The XFL, a better idea: For a second there I thought the WWF’s Vince McMahon was gathering all of Georgia Frontiere’s former husbands... the “Ex-FL.” Now that would be wrestling.

2. U.S. Davis Cup comeback: Capt. Mac gets them through the night.

3. Andre Agassi, battling the altitude: Pete Sampras couldn’t make it, but apparently his spirit did.

4. Stanford basketball: Don’t know if the Cardinal is going to win it all, but anybody who gets in its way is going to end up bruised and seeking pain-killers.

5. Ken Griffey Jr. trade update: So now the Reds are offering Dmitri Young, Denny Neagle and Dennys Reyes. That’s not a trade, that’s a hostage situation.

6. Allen Iverson scores 50: Allen, the three-point competition (20 shots in 30 seconds) is next weekend.

7. Rasheed Wallace, 21 technical fouls in 46 games: With Rodman readying for his return, Wallace needs to keep his focus and determination or else he could lose his league lead.

8. America’s Cup: Italian-entry Prada knocked off all the Americans. Gucci was second, Armani third, and the Gap was nowhere to be found.

9. Rich Kotite, E-trade commercial pitchman: Former Jet and Eagle coach has found outlet for sketchy strategy, bad temperament and small-mindedness . . . acting!

10. The new Clipper era: Jim Todd’s fast-tempo style is fascinating--watch a young team go nowhere faster than ever.

LEADING QUESTIONS

Will everybody please calm down a little now about the Lakers?

Can we agree that they probably aren’t the best team in the league, but they’re better and more disciplined than last season? Isn’t that the best measurement?

That they aren’t in serious trouble, and that most everything--as we knew three months ago--depends on what they do or don’t do with Glen Rice by the Feb. 24 trading deadline?

And whatever adjustments are necessary after that?

Is it the right time to settle down, let Phil Jackson nudge Shaquille O’Neal, Kobe Bryant and whomever else fits into the right roles at the right time, and actually see what happens in April, May and June?