There’s Plenty of Room Left on Lavin Bandwagon

As you know, I expected the Bruins to defeat the No. 1 team in the nation Thursday and pull within eight victories of claiming the national title.

My concern, of course, while sitting behind the UCLA bench in the first round of the Pacific 10 Conference tournament, was that it was going to run up the score on Arizona in overtime, and how would that have looked after holding back all season.

But then I was on the telephone, calling Kinkos and pricing, “Lavin Just Won’t Go Away” bumper stickers -- $780 for 1,000 in “PMS 286” and “PMS 123,” which is printer’s talk for blue and gold.

At first I thought it’d be cool to watch all the Bruin fans caravan to New Orleans for the Final Four driving cars with bumper stickers that read: “Honk If You Were Behind Lavin All The Way,” but then that would be a quiet trip.

And this should be a time for celebration, and getting the “Last Lavin.”

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DAVE GROUT, the assistant manager at Kinkos in Brea, said producing buttons could be a problem, although I could probably get away with two-inch circle “Lavin-azerus Lives” labels and get 1,000 of those for a couple of hundred dollars.

I was ready to place the order when he said it will take three to four working days to complete the project, and the Pac-10 tournament ends Saturday and if the Bruins don’t win it, they’re finished too.

So I went back to UCLA Coach Steve Lavin, and right away I think he misunderstood and thought I was asking him to fund the “Save Lavin’s Job” campaign when all I wanted to do was remind him of the seriousness of the situation. As you recall, I did this with the Angels and they won the World Series.

“Why don’t you see how much faith [Times Sports Editor Bill] Dwyre has in me,” Lavin said, “and put the stickers and buttons on your expense account.”

That sounds like something Lavin might have learned from Jim Harrick when he was coaching at UCLA.

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MINUTES AFTER the Bruins defeated the Wildcats, I began receiving e-mails from fans with bumper-sticker suggestions.

Bruce Hampson offered “UCLAVINDICATED” but I’d like to keep things simple for USC fans, and “UCLA Vindicated” probably won’t work.

Jack Thompson would like to see: “Lavin’s a Survivor: The Tribal Council Has Spoken.” I think we’ll have a better chance of seeing Lavin appear in “I’m a Celebrity -- Get Me Out of Here!”

Laura Jason, meanwhile, was pushing, “For the Love of Lavin.”

At the same time, Fox Sports Net was conducting a poll that had 57% answering the question should Lavin be retained as UCLA coach with a “Yes.” By the end of the weekend, there might be a move afoot to extend his contract.

Obviously a number of people appreciate the genius that is Steve Lavin, arranging it this season so the Bruins would come to Staples Center overlooked to begin the tournament process and playing the No. 1 team in the nation, beating them, and making every other challenge after that appear easy.

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WHAT NEXT? How about a packed house for Saturday’s Pac-10 tournament championship game between UCLA and USC with Bruin fans all wearing T-shirts that have been hastily made with the digital photo of UCLA Chancellor Albert Carnesale hugging Lavin -- as he did after the victory over Arizona?

USC fans, meanwhile, could wear T-shirts that read: “I wish we had Lavin,” given the fact he has won 30 or so more games than Henry Bibby.

“The goal now is to keep winning and run the streak to 88 games and then I’m pretty sure they’ll give me strong consideration in remaining at UCLA,” joked Lavin, “for at least one more year.”

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TELL ME you’re not rooting now for Lavin to pull off two more victories, shock the world and advance to the NCAA tournament.

The Bruins had lost twice to Arizona by a combined 71 points and found themselves trailing by 15 in the second half before bringing everyone in the place to their feet in disbelief with a rousing overtime victory.

It’s a good thing I knew what the outcome was going to be, or I might have lost a few years off my life, and I wouldn’t want to look any older on “Around the Horn” than I already do. And I’d hate to be mistaken for Dwyre.

The Bruins today will play Oregon, who stomped them by 31 points less than two weeks ago, which suggests UCLA has the Ducks right where they want them.

In fact, UCLA probably does. The Ducks, considered a bubble team before the start of the Pac-10 tournament, probably needed the victory over Arizona State to assure themselves of a NCAA bid, and they got that in the final seconds.

And like Arizona, which had nothing to gain in beating UCLA, Oregon will benefit little in beating a team with an RPI of 156. Of course, Oregon also has the Pac-10 player of the year in Luke Ridnour and has beaten the Bruins four times in a row.

What it really comes down to -- is do you believe miracles?

And no I don’t, because I don’t believe Oregon can beat UCLA.

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TODAY’S LAST word comes in e-mail from Cal Waters:

“Your success with the Dodgers, Angels and Kobe Bryant are well-documented. Now that you are 1/9th of the way toward helping Lavin and my hapless Bruins, I am starting to believe in your healing powers. If you get time off from raising funds for your daughter’s wedding and letting Dwyre beat you at golf, any chance you might devote some time to world peace or the cure for cancer?”

Have you see the way the Lakers have been playing?

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T.J. Simers can be reached at t.j.simers@latimes.com