LOS ANGELES — Do you believe in curses?

I used to say no. Not a chance. Blah, blah, blah.

But while on my flight to Los Angeles, I started to reflect on my sporting life. It's amazing what you'll find out about yourself at 30,000 feet.

As the second round of drinks came by (this is a four-hour flight) I began to reflect on the losers I've followed over the years. And I wondered, how could anyone wish the amount of losing I've incurred on any fan?

These teams must be cursed. Their bad luck is no longer merely coincidental. It's predestined.

Some curses have been identified. The Cubs curse, for example, is simply the story of a pissed off guy and his goat. They haven't been to a World Series since 1945 and haven't won it since 1908. Coincidence, I think not? Curses.

So I decided to spend my four-hour plane ride deciphering where the Illini went wrong. They must be cursed. And anyway, what else am I supposed to do in a pressurized cabin with three screaming and identically dressed kids in front of me.

Let's call the Illini's curse: the Curse of the Roses.

The Illini haven't been to the Rose Bowl since 1984. They haven't won since 1963.

But why?

Even Big Ten punching bag Northwestern has been to the Rose Bowl more recently. They made it brace yourselves ... in 1996.

But the Curse of the Roses runs deeper.

Two year ago — I know it seems like decades ago now — a little known QB named Kurt Kittner led the 21st century version of the Flyin' Illini to a Big Ten championship. The Illini stunned the Big Ten, the Pac-10 and the NCAA with their run for the roses in 2001.

Except, there were no roses waiting for the Illini come Jan. 1, 2002. But there was plenty of Sugar.

Ah ha! Curse of the Roses strikes again. In any other year, the Illini would have capped their magical run with a parade and a game against the Pac-10 champ in Pasadena. But the cursed Illini, oh no, they were cast away to the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans.

The Sugar Bowl?

Against an SEC team?

Against a team with three initials? LSU. L-O-S-S.

How rude?

Did the Illini feel snubbed with their Sugar Bowl invite? You better believe it. But to be fair, the Rose Bowl was the national championship Bowl Championship Series game that year. Shame on the BCS.

"The Sugar Bowl is a great bowl," Illini coach Ron Turner said. "I'm a traditionalist. The winner of the Big Ten should play the winner of the Pac-10 in the Rose Bowl."

See, even traditionalists can't overcome a curse.

The Illini get redemption in a weird way this weekend. Illinois will make its first appearance at the Rose Bowl since 1984. And they'll be playing UCLA once again.

On that fateful day in 1984, a sophomore receiver named Karl Dorrell torched the Illini. He caught five passes for 61 yards and two TDs in a 45-9 UCLA win, the most lopsided in Rose Bowl history. That must have done it. Curses on you, Karl.

In a strange twist of fate (curses), Karl Dorrell is back to haunt the Illini this weekend as UCLA's first-year head coach.

Maybe it's the Curse of Karl that's kept the Illini Rose Bowl-less for all of these years. Saturday we'll find out.

But Thursday I got a glimpse of the Curse of Karl. As all curses go, strange things tend to happen just as everything seems to be running smoothly. We left for practice an hour and 15 minutes before it was to end. But as curses go, we got stuck in traffic for an hour and a half and arrived at UCLA practice 15 minutes late. Just as we were about to enter the practice field and scour for Karl, he walked right past us. We didn't recognize him at first because he was without the usual coaches' clothes. When we finally realized who it was, he vanished. Just like that, the Curse of Karl strikes again.

I might be exaggerating here. But when you've seen years of losing, exaggeration is the only thing that keeps you sane. Keeps you out of therapy. Keeps you away from the cardiologist.

Exaggerating also convinces you that it's OK to make statements like this ... the Illini have never played in the Rose Bowl twice in the same season. Maybe this is their year.

Or maybe, there wasn't enough pressure in that cabin.