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UCLA Coach Jim Mora Thinks Joking About Shootings Near USC Is Funny

Jim Mora is the new coach of UCLA. They’re rivals with USC, except that USC has Lane Kiffin and woos recruits with fancy planes, and like, has really good players and stuff. Jim Mora wants to stop those darn Trojans from stealing all the talent, so when asked about his own recruiting, he decided to make a joke about their enemies.

“When you’re talking about UCLA, it’s one of the great schools in the world — not just America, but in the world,” Mora said. “It’s a safe, beautiful campus in a great area of town. I mean, we don’t have murders one block off our campus.”

Get it?! Murders! LOL!

Oh wait, that’s not even the slightest bit funny. Two students were murdered right outside of USC in April. This seems like a (very) thinly veiled reference to that, which is undoubtedly insensitive and uncalled for.

I’m sure Jim Mora didn’t mean to be an insensitive asshole. But he was an insensitive asshole. He tried to make an edgy joke, and failed miserably. Just apologize, and move on. He did “apologize,” but only after pleading ignorance. And he continued to sound like an asshole.

“I just said our campus is safe,” Mora told The Times. “I didn’t say anything about anyone else’s campus. I just said it about our campus. I didn’t mention another campus. We don’t have anybody getting murdered a block off of our campus.

“If anybody, whether USC or Cal State San Bernardino, is offended by the statement, then that’s their insecurity, not mine.”

Right. USC is insecure about a tragedy that occurred right outside its campus. That you used as ammo for a joke. Cause you’re rivals. So funny.

Kiffin didn’t have much to say himself, but he said enough.

“I don’t really think that’s something to joke about,” Kiffin said Thursday, when asked how he felt about what Mora said. “That’s all I got to say about that.”

Please, Coach Mora, work on some funnier jokes. You’re talking about the school widely known as the University of Spoiled Children, for God’s sake. The school that has Lane Kiffin coaching it. The school that has committed NCAA violations. If you really want to be a funnyman, make fun of things worth making fun of. Try Matt Barkley’s Aaron-Carter-like hair. It’s really not that hard.

I mean, at the end of the ESPN article, Kiffin said this:

“It’s the greatest place in the world, so there’s no need to talk about other places.”

Now that’s joke ammo, Jim. Get your thinkin’ cap on. Second time’s the charm.

[ESPN]

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