IMHO Sunday: A USC son remembers his UCLA Dad on Father's Day

In my humble opinion, cardinal and gold thoughts on what I see, what I hear, and what I think from Los Angeles: Remembering Dad:It’s Father’s Day, a day to celebrate and give thanks to my dad for whom without his assistance, I wouldn’t be here today. Eleven years ago, “Howard” left us at the age of 86, his physical body finally giving out after surviving a quadruple bypass and an above-moderate stroke in that order. Man, he was one tough dude who could have driven spikes into railroad tracks with his bare fists. He was a soft-spoken man but as honest as they come. His only flaw, in my eyes, was that he was a staunch and devoted UCLA Bruins fan.  Remembering Dad – Part 2: Yes, Howard Katz was blue and gold to his core. He was so UCLA that when he was buried, he was covered with a Bruins logo blanket. The only thing missing was an “eight-clap” and the Bruins marching band at his funeral. I remember for years during my first days of loving sports right through my high school years, he was a devout UCLA season ticket holder for both football and basketball. In fact, I remember going with him back in 1965 when Pauley Pavilion opened with the great Lou Alcindor at center and later with Bill Walton.