Like everything else, New Years was different this year. On a typical New Years Eve, the day includes a visit to the Rose Bowl, to watch float decorating and enjoy all the preparations for the game and parade. This year there was no parade and no game. New Years Eve could have been any other day of the year. I saw a few tourists that were noticeable for their out of state school gear. Otherwise, all I saw were the normal joggers, walkers, bikers, and skateboarders. It was a beautiful sunny day.
So, instead of negotiating the crowds to watch floats getting their final touches, I walked around the stadium with just a few others around. Turns out the Rose Bowl is a great place for pubic art. Now good public art is fantastic. But, in my opinion, too often public art just is not very good. The Keith Jackson statue at the Bowl entrance is very good especially for those of us who remember Jackson’s announcing career and even, like me, hear his voice in our head. But, the Jackie Robinson statue is extraordinary. It is the unusual statue and display that is itself worth the trip to see. The statue depicts Robinson in the uniform and gear he would have worn when he played football for PCC in1937-38. Of course, he was a four sport star at both PCC and UCLA.
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