[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 62 (Tuesday, April 4, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5108-S5109]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                             UCLA'S VICTORY

  Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Mr. President, I rise today to honor a great team, a 
great school, and a great State. It is fair to say that California has 
had its share of troubles, but it is also fair to say that we have had 
our share of victories.
  We had a great victory last night, when the UCLA Bruins defeated the 
University of Arkansas Razorbacks for the NCAA Men's Basketball 
Championship.
  The victory was all the more impressive because they did it without 
the play of Tyus Edney, their little floor general.
  In his absence, the rest of the team stepped up to the challenge. 
They broke the aggressive defense of the Razorbacks, which has been 
described as 40 minutes of Hell.
  They won with a combination of youthful enthusiasm, guts, teamwork, 
and stamina. And they won under the watchful gaze of the Wizard of 
Westwood--the legendary retired coach, John Wooden.
  UCLA pulled down 50 rebounds, 21 of them at the offensive end.
  Ed O'Bannon, the senior who battled back from knee injury, played the 
entire game last night and was named Most Outstanding Player.
  Toby Bailey, the freshman phenomenon from Los Angeles, had 26 points. 
It was a masterful performance against a great opponent.
  This is the 11th championship by UCLA, and the first for Coach Jim 
[[Page S5109]] Harrick. John Wooden won a remarkable 10 tournaments in 
12 years between 1964 and 1975. Now, for the first time in 20 years 
they will be able to hang a national championship banner at Pauley 
Pavilion.
  Being the Senator from California, it is with great pride that I 
point out that four out of five starting players are from California: 
Tyus Edney from Long Beach, the sensational brothers Charles and Ed 
O'Bannon from Lakewood, and freshman Toby Bailey from LA.
  Other Californians on the team are J.R. Henderson, Bob Myers, Kris 
Johnson, and Kevin Dempsey. I am proud to say that not only is it a 
California school, it is a California team. Other players contributing 
to last night's victory were sophomore Cameron Dollar and senior George 
Zidek, an Academic All-American. The players on this team are worthy 
successors of the greats of a generation ago: Alcinder, Goodrich, 
Johnson, Walton, and Hazzard.
  I would like to extend my sincere condolences to President Clinton 
and the Razorbacks. Obviously, they made a good show. But this win is 
particularly significant because California has been through a period 
of fire, flood, earthquake, and major grief. And when teams like the 
San Francisco '49ers win a Super Bowl and the UCLA Bruins win the NCAA 
Championship, it brings people together and it shows the spark and 
spirit of what made this State so great in the first place.
  It was a special win. My sincere congratulations to UCLA. I know I am 
joined by my colleague, Senator Barbara Boxer, and by every Member of 
this Senate in saying it was a job truly well done.
  Mr. KERRY addressed the Chair.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Ashcroft). The Senator from Massachusetts.

                          ____________________