Hollywood has long held a special place in its heart, should it be proven to have one, for UCLA athletics.
Legendary alum Jackie Robinson famously played himself in “The Jackie Robinson Story.”
Former Bruin quarterback Mark Harmon, who naked bootlegged his way into UCLA lore by leading a stunning upset of Nebraska in 1972, has taken his knowledge of the shotgun to the CBS crime show, “NCIS.”
And few performances in cinematic history rival that of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in “Airplane.” Roger, Roger.
Thanks to its proximity to Tinseltown and the fact that it doesn’t boast OJ Simpson as an alumnus, UCLA has emerged as a mecca of sorts for screen stars, a blue and gold oasis where Jessica Biel can channel her inner Jackie Joyner-Kersee on the Drake Stadium track.
Sightings of Jaleel White, the actor who famously played Steve Urkel on the ’90s TV show “Family Matters,” at UCLA basketball games in Pauley Pavilion never cease to excite fans.
And then there’s Adam Sandler. I figured I’d play a few pickup games in the Wooden Center one Saturday last January. Little did I know that I would end up on a team with Billy Madison himself, who pays our Westwood campus an occasional visit for hoops. And why wouldn’t he? The basketball competition in the (Holly)Wooden Center is some of the best in the Los Angeles area, and thus makes it appealing for local luminaries.
Jack Nicholson, where art thou?
Back to Sandler. The man may not be blessed with the physical gifts of say Denzel Washington (who played a year of collegiate basketball at Fordham), but he’s no Danny DeVito. I got to play a pair of games with Sandler before our team was beaten, and I was pleasantly stunned by his scrappiness. Here was the man who brought us “The Tackling Fuel” and went all LeGarrette Blount on Bob Barker, showing some of his more physical film exploits were not the stuff of fiction as he dove for loose balls, fought through screens and clawed for every rebound.
The idea of star-gazing seems rather shallow and cliche, but it’s different when people like Biel and Sandler come to us.
As UCLA students, we feel a sense of ownership for venues like Drake and Wooden, and it is something of an honor when an escape from Ryan Seacrest and the paparazzi constitutes an afternoon playing ball with some college students or working out on a collegiate track.
Behold, one of the most satisfying elements of attending school in Westwood: A chance to enjoy the greatest athletic scene to be had in the nation, with the opportunity to land just the slightest taste of the Hollywood existence. No other school in the nation provides that kind of one-two punch. Sure, there are other good sports programs, but call me when George Clooney shows up for a pick-up game in South Bend, Indiana.
Embrace this experience, keep your eyes sharp, and you never know who you’ll spot. My buddies and I are predicting who we’re going to spot next: I’ve got Mickey Rourke showing up for Tuesday night ping-pong.
Nobody expects to find themselves playing one of their favorite sports with one of their favorite actors, but remarkable things can happen here. Dorothy, we’re not in Kansas anymore.
If you think he would make a good Sandler stunt double, e-mail Eshoff at reshoff@media.ucla.edu.