Football Rant

by ranelar on Nov 25, 2007 12:40 AM PST Comment 12 comments

This is an absolutely personal rant that no one should really care about, but I wanted to write it down somewhere. Maybe someone will find it interesting.

I'm a relatively recent sports fan, I didn't care for sports until I started at UCLA in 2002. But after becoming a member of the Drumline, and going to every home game for football and basketball (and a lot of the away games where the band was present) I became a huge fan. I ended up going to as many sporting events as a could, including women's bball, volleyball, tennis, track, soccer, swimming, waterpolo, and so on, because I couldn't get enough of our Bruins. I was the Bassline section leader, and the guy you saw screaming at the camera during the NCAA Tournament commercial breaks for basketball.

Just before I graduated last spring, I bought season tickets to football (basketball was too expensive) along with my friend. In between that spring and the start of football season however, I started to become more observant within the Jewish religion, which meant observing Shabbat (no "work" Friday night to Saturday night, which for the purpose of this rant, translates to no football). I made myself a deal though, that since I already bought tickets, I would only break Shabbat for the 6 home games, and that I wouldn't schedule anything else on Shabbat -- ever. This was to be the last season that I would ever get to go to the Rose Bowl, and to stand and cheer the entire game. It would be my only season to watch the marching band from the stands instead of from within. My only season to experience tail gating. Believe it or not, I am choking up with tears while I am writing this.

This season meant a lot to me, and because of that I invested way too much hope into Karl Dorrell. I knew he would find a way to screw things up, but everyone held us in such high regard with our 20 returning starters, and our high pre-season ranking.

So how was my last game at the Rose Bowl ever? We lost 24-20. This morning, at 9am, I couldn't make myself get up and go to the Rose Bowl. My friend was sick and said he couldn't go; I could have called some other people and hung out with them, but I just didn't think it was worth it. I was so depressingly fed up with Karl Dorrell and this meaningless season that I decided to stay home and watch the game from here. I realized that I was more excited to see Dennis Dixon than I was to see our Bruins, and since he wasn't in the game, it wasn't worth it to me. This is coming from a self proclaimed hardcore fan for life. The guy who annoys his fiance by pointing out every time UCLA is used as a backdrop in a movie, and who says inappropriate things at inappropriate times to whatever trojan is in ear shot.

You might think that this makes me a fair weather fan, but anyone who knows me knows that there is nothing further from the truth. I've sat through Lavin and Toledo and Kathy Olivier and yes, Dorrell, and I've never boo'd, I've never stopped cheering, I've never even sat down (until someone from the NCAA tells me I have to). But Dorrell's ugly coaching has finally taken its toll on me. I just couldn't get myself up for the game today, not at all.

Okay, end rant.

This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of BruinsNation's (BN) editors. It does reflect the views of this particular fan though, which is as important as the views of BN's editors.

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So I'm not the only one...

Your story is a tragic one (not in the worldly sense, unclench your rectums Dorrellistas), and it makes me angrier that the Doofus has ruined it for you. Today was my last home game as a student and, like you, I simply could not muster up the enthusiasm to watch another Dorrellian performance. Although what we saw on the TV ultimately proved that our investment of time was wise, it is beyond sad that this is simply the state of affairs.

The half-wit morons can label whomever they want as a "fair weather fan" but honestly I don't give a damn. My card has been scanned enough times going into Pauley to see a real team led by a real coach that there is simply no way that I can stand by and pretend like we have anything similar going in football. I know where I stand, and I couldn't in good conscience support the race card playing Doofus by being in the stands today.

Not once today did I regret the decision to skip my final home game as a student. But that fact, in and of itself, is regretful.

Alright I'm just rambling here, but your story resonated with at least one other Bruin.

by Tydides on Nov 25, 2007 1:10 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

It also resonated with me

First, Ranelar, I feel your pain. None of us want to swim in the cesspool of Dorrellian mediocrity.

If I may piggyback my own little rant, please forgive me but this feels cathartic.

We have driven 5-6 hours south for each of the home games this year. We also sat in the miserable heat of the Stanford Stadium for a noon game. We only lasted until halftime of that game because I'm fair-skinned, couldn't tolerate the intense sun and we live on the coast so we're not used to it. We paid a lot of $ for our family's gold seats. In addition, we spent two nights in suites (we bring the kids and the dogs) at either the Westwood W or the Ritz Huntington. We dine well, too. So, you can imagine the financial toll this has taken on my physician-husband's hard-earned income (I haven't worked outside the house for 12 years). He's a UCLA grad, too, by the way. He's too exhausted to drive so I do it all. I'm exhausted by Sunday evening but was consistently hopeful, each Friday, that we'd have a good game.

Why would we do this? Well, we bleed blue and gold. Our oldest is graduating from UCLA this year. Even though she sits with her fellow Den mates/sorority sisters, we wanted to make the most of her final undergrad year. You may not yet know it because of your youth but life is short. Our family experiences life in what we refer to as Mame Moments. To steal from her, "Life is a banquet and most poor sons-of-bitches are starving to death!"

Can you imagine how we feel? Dorrell sickens me. The last emotional nail I was holding for his coffin was placed this past week when he pulled the race card. He proved that he can stoop lower than a cockroach strolling the streets of Tijuana. DG needs to squish this bug and put us out of our misery. To do anything else would cause Bruins, like our family, to lose faith and not purchase season tickets next year. If he keeps Dorrell for another season, we're not going to be suckered again. Since we not only suffer from mediocrity on our football field but also in the White House, I think it is only fitting that I end my share of the rant with: "There's an old saying in Tennessee - I know it's in Texas, probably in Tennessee - that says, fool me once, shame on - shame on you."

Alumnus/Parent '08/ Chancellor's Associate

by BruinMum on Nov 25, 2007 2:15 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

I forgot to mention...

We didn't attend yesterday's game. We hosted Thanksgiving so I couldn't muster the energy. I sold our tix so between that and the win, the day wasn't a total loss. Besides, we got to sit home in our sweats and watch it on the big screen. Too bad Fouts was the commentator. He's been hit in the head too many times.

Alumnus/Parent '08/ Chancellor's Associate

by BruinMum on Nov 25, 2007 2:20 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

also skipped my final game at ucla

I also skipped my final football home game as a student. I was scheduled to work, and probably could have gotten out of it, but it just didn't seem worth it. which is really sad. especially considering that my last game as a student here was that notre dame disaster.

thank god for basketball, though. Kevin Love in person on friday night was an absolute blessing.

by radiorahim on Nov 25, 2007 2:38 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

Imagine

being a fan of this team for 37 years, like I have. You know, it's to the point where I just don't care anymore. I went to the game yesterday, and I can tell you, the atmosphere was dead. Anyone who tells you anything different is wrong. There wasn't the normal enthusiasm that's there. And it wasn't just the game. There was a definite apathy in the crowd.

I look at what this season could have been like, and it's just another wasted year in my opinion. Even if we beat SC, a change needs to be made. And by the way, if you were part of the drum line, let me tell you, you guys are excellent.

by NickBruin on Nov 25, 2007 6:45 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

One thing you are not ...

... a fairweather fan.

Great post ranelar. You drove the point home.

by Nestor on Nov 25, 2007 10:00 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

Nestor - don't you remember SoCal weather?

EVERYONE in the Los Angeles area is a fair weather fan, because the weather is always nice.

by Fox 71 on Nov 25, 2007 12:11 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

I feel your pain

I was also excited when I thought we could watch Dennis Dixon. (I can't believe he's not even being mentioned in any Heisman talk!) I know exactly what you mean about watching the band as an ex-member - I was part of the band over 10 years ago, and still got goosebumps just reading your post and thinking about it. I also found it next to impossible to get excited about the game.

Do the restrictions of Shabbat allow to to tape/DVR the Saturday basketball games and watch them after sunrise on Sunday, as long as you program the taping before sundown Friday?

by AZBruin on Nov 25, 2007 10:20 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

yea

I can program the DVR before Friday night, which is what I've done a number of times already, then watch them after sundown Saturday, or on Sunday if we get home too late.

by ranelar on Nov 25, 2007 1:03 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

I had up to 5 tickets

My dad's friend had two extra tickets around the 50, and my wife's uncle had 3 extra tickets, around the 20. I usually sit in either of these two sections. But . . .

I didn't go . . . 'cause I had more important things to do like run errands. Yep, running errands is now more important than seeing KD lead our time. Thanks DG for the great hire.

by TheStick on Nov 25, 2007 10:01 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

I watched the game on DirecTV

and I wish I hadn't wasted my time.

The soul sucking numbness that has become the UCLA football program has taken its toll.

Since 1979 I have invested time, money and comfort (overnighting outside Pauley in the 80's ain't what it is today) as a Bruin sport fanatic, and the ineptitude displayed by CTS has worn me down. This year, for the first time in many years, I did not made a financial donation to UCLA. I just couldn't do it.

Living 3000 miles away does not lessen the pain.

Bob O. (Signholder #3)

by TuneMan7 on Nov 26, 2007 11:53 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

Y'all didn't miss anything

It was an absolutely beautiful day for football at the Rose Bowl. Too bad we didn't see any, the "game" was pathetic. We completed four passes - not on one drive, the entire game. The only guy put in a position to make plays was Perez. Our first scoring drive was minus four yards.

Remember the "Come early, be loud, stay late" motto? Ha. We got a late start but still parked in Lot H. It never got loud, what was there to yell about? And like many others we left early. Such a shame on a day when so many seniors were playing their final home game in a Bruin uniform.

by haywood nighttrain on Nov 26, 2007 4:02 PM PST reply actions 0 recs