Sending Bruins, Harrick Back to the Dictionary

Any coach can teach his players how to handle themselves on the basketball court and learn the “system.” Then there are those coaches who are able to motivate, bring out the best in the talent they have, instill confidence and teach success. That has been the difference between John Wooden and everyone who followed him at UCLA.

Need more proof? Just look at what Magic Johnson is doing with the same group that Randy Pfund once coached.

GARY M. BARNUM

Woodland Hills

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UCLA will soon review Jim Harrick. Maybe they should look at the faculty as well. According to their letters, here is what we have taught our alumni:

Life: An imperfect system designed to provide an endless stream of victories.

Team (see also community ): People supposed to endure our wrath when we encounter life’s imperfections and to sacrifice everything to make sure it never happens again.

Adversity: Any unpleasantness that can teach others that they deserve what they are going to get from us.

Sportsmanship: A contemptuous intolerance of inferiors who provide us the ingredients of victory.

Victory: What happens when we encounter those who are less motivated and more poorly led--and the officials are biased in our favor.

Heaven help us if our graduates are applying these lessons to matters more important than basketball.

KENNETH GRAHAM

Professor of Law, UCLA