A Word to the Bandwagoners

I would like to further expound on the thoughtful and compelling arguments of my colleague, Justice 66.

It should be noted that every instance of off-the-cuff critique of the play of some of our players is not automatically viewed by this Court as "venom."  For example, the mere mention of Shipp's shooting troubles or the timing of drives by Mbah a Moute, are not prima facie evidence of improper bandwagoning by BN posters.

However, it is certainly reasonable to find that when such spur-of-the-moment comments descend into the depths of hyperbole or blatant disregard of known facts and statistical data, then such comments can constitute compelling evidence of abject bandwagoning.

For example, I had heard at least one person decry our players during the second half of the Texas A&M game as having 'choked,' even though the outcome of the game was still in question.  While the fan's devotion is certainly buoyed by his alumni status, and his considerable achievement in having multiple children graduate from UCLA, such repeated, exaggerated pessimism can certainly lend itself to a presumption of bandwagoning and front-running in another so-called 'fan.'

Likewise, broad-brush accusations that "Howland can't coach" or "We won't make it past the Sweet 16" are far more demonstrative of childish sulking and defeatism than a more balanced comment would be, such as "Howland needs to adjust the double teams to account for the outside shooting" or "If Luc is hurt, we'll have difficulty in the next round."  

That being said, I concur in Justice 66's opinion.

M

I was a student for the 03, 04, and 05 seasons. Even for most PAC 10 games, I could get to Pauley 30 minutes before tip and be 5 rows up from center court. Some games were so empty you could hear Michael Fey's dunks bang off the rim AND hear the ball bounce after it landed. I can't imagine what it's like there now. I really hope that there is no backlash should a loss come our way in the next ~72 hours.

I had to smile when I read about your obsession with watching Love's outlet passes on video. I was just watching his full court outlet 360 ally-oop to Michael Beasley yesterday. I replayed it at least 5 times.

That I tend to disagree with you on is that the whole concept of the "bandwagon" is that people come when the times are good and, likewise, leave when the going gets rough.  This is the entire concept of bandwagoning in general, and with this comes the unreasonable smack talk that frustrates true fans.  In short, the bandwagoner and the fan are two different animals entirely, but unfortunately they tend to play in the same cage (Bruins Nation, for example) when times are good.

But you lost me by implying that Coach JRW would give two cents what someone else thought of his 1974 season.  You seem to not really understand what Coach stands for, and how he measures success.  The very idea that Coach Wooden would quit because of criticism of him and/or his team for not winning the 1974 title is ludicrous.  He never measured his own success, or that of his team, based on what some "bandwagoners, as you call them, thought, or even the results on the scoreboard.  He measured success by whether he, and his team, gave 100% at all times.

At any rate, I don't understand why so many people on this otherwise wonderful blog get so bent out of shape when occasionally fans get frustrated by our team's play.  Our team plays poorly sometimes.  It can be frustrating.  There are valid criticisms of the team's play and the coaching.  I wouldn't trade Ben Howland for any other coach in the country, but that doesn't mean he's perfect.  He's a human being, of course he's not perfect.  

I suppose now I will be lumped in as somehow the equivalent of someone who is "unpatriotic" toward my Bruins.  So be it.  I love every one of these kids, even though sometimes they drive me a little crazy.  I love Coach Howland for what he has done with this program.  That being said, if we lose to Western Kentucky, as a thinking, reality-based fan, I will wonder, sometimes publically, what, if anything we could have done differently.  I will write about why we lost.  That's why some of us love the game, after all, because it is a difficult game with complex strategies.  We like talking about it, and the idea that we should keep our mouths shut and just take the loss is beyond absurd.

GO BRUINS

As someone who has had to hear far too often through the years "I am a UCLA BB fan and a SUC FB fan". I agree with all you have said.

..a prescient commentator comes along. Class of '66 meet Class of '86; both of you are masters of the coherent rejoinder and any moment now we will be treated to the arrival of a "Fox91".

Great commentary. No, awsome commentary!

Seriously, the work in this place by many is so far above the level of the brain-dead MSM and brain-bereft band wagoners as to not make it worthy of the dignity of such effort. You all are casting pearls before swine.

You touched a nerve in me and I want to diary it if everyone will forgive (yet another) "me too" MSM piece. Today, the the-increasingly-comatose Orange County (California) Ragister produced 2-1/2 hit pieces on UCLA, dredging up the hoary (and imagined) Josh Shipp foul on Sloan, the ref's inability to call closing minutes fouls on the Bruins, and more of the bravo sierra as adroitly outlined by you, Class o'86.

I say, they are all part of the same milieu: they cannot enjoy a truly fine basketball team just as they miss all of the other beauty in their life, condemned to remain awash in a sea of negativity.

Let 'em stew in their own juices, I say.

Wow.  for several years I have been a lurker rather than a poster to this amazing site.  I am also a life-long bruin fan who watched Alcindor play as a kid on local TV(Ch 5 or 13?), so I appreciate your fine words, 66. Sadly, I am currently exiled to Big Ten country...but all of the sports people I know here choose UCLA (perhaps because I talk about them with insight gained from you folks!). I currently teach composition out here to college freshmen.  I am so impressed with the way this site is conducted that I use this site as an example of what blogging is all about to my students. I actually direct my students  to this site so they can check out the posts to see how argumentation is conducted, and what clear writing should look like at its most salient. Needless to say, I read everything printed here, every day. Keep it coming!!!

This was an excellent post by the good professor.  I think it is important to distinguish, however, between the bandwagon fan and the spoiled fan.  The bandwagon fan only follows the team when it is successful while the spoiled fan always follows the team but complains bitterly unless the team wins the championship.  I have admitted in a prior diary to being a spoiled fan and have to guard against the tendency of being unduly critical when my beloved Bruins don't crush the opponent by 40 points.  As I said in that diary, Lavin broke me of my unrealistic expectations for Bruin basketball through his utter incompetence, especially in the last year of his reign of error.  Coach Howland is spoiling me again, but as Class of 66 indicates, no matter how the tournament turns out, we have to appreciate what we have with this wonderful coach and team and the great year they have had.

As for 1974, I think the reactions then were largely from spoiled fans.  And while the internets didn't exist back then, there was some sports talk radio.  I remember listening to "The Steamer" Bud Furillo seriously talking about how John Wooden should retire after that season since the game had passed him by.  Mama Mia!  Even though Coach Wooden focused on the effort his teams put forth in determining success rather than wins and losses, I think that sort of talk and the comments from alumni that year probably had a little bit to do with his decision that enough was enough in 1975.  

I don't post or comment much on here, but ever since I found this page over a year ago, it's been one my daily "must-reads."  I've learned so much from this site, from UCLA history to the rules of the game.  Nestor, M, Ajax, BB, 66 and countless others have shaped me into the Bruin I am today (going for my 2nd degree here).  

With that said, I think we dedicated readers of BN are a fanatical group.  I agree with M in that most fans are not so much bandwagoners, but just clueless about Howland's system and in basketball in general.  They read the headlines, they see the scores, they know we have a great freshman center, but they don't dedicate time to really learn about our team as we have.  So when they watch games like A&M, they panic.  When  shots don't fall, when we're down by 8 at half time, they think it's the end because they're ignorant of how our defense keeps us in games and that CBH is a master of half-time adjustments.  

CBH is changing the perception of college ball.  I, and surely others, used to think it was all about offense (think of the "standard" in the 90s) but that's obviously changed now.  In due time, more and more fans will grasp the concept of BenBall & hopefully the nay-sayers will disappear or keep quiet.  

the bandwagoners aren't listening. Greatness attracts bandwagoners. I don't disagree with your analysis. But they will say what they will say. We just have to root for our Bruins and support them any way we can. Go Bruins!

articulated my exact feelings about the in game thread during the aTm game.  

Call it corny, or whatever else, BELIEVING in your team helps the team, whether you're at the game or not.  

Exactly one year ago while I was walking my dog I noticed a rather large UCLA flag flying above a house in my neighborhood. A few days later, while walking past the same house, I met the homeowner and asked if he was an alum. He said he was not and commented that he was a Bruin fanatic. He appeared to be in his late 20's-early 30's and I asked him how long had he been a Bruin fan. Without any hesitation, he said he started rooting for the Bruins the year before and moved to the area from Georgia a few years before that.

After the loss to Florida (the flag disappeared) I ran into him and he said that Howland had no clue and that AA stunk up the place, etc, etc. I just said the better team won and went on my way. As I kept walking, my blood began to boil. Who was he to criticize the team and the coach after such a successful season?? A bandwagoner I told myself--leave it alone.

I also watched replays of the Alcindor teams on Channel 5. I was in San Diego when Banner No. 10 was won. I really felt bad for Gene Bartow. I do not consider myself to have unrealistic expecatations about the BB program even though I probably attended close to 300 games at Pauley before I saw them lose there in person.

I hated Steve Lavin because his teams were not prepared and failed to play hard for 40 minutes. Be prepared and play hard the whole game. That's the only thing I expect from Bruin teams. That's why I grew to despise KD. He failed my most reasonable expectations -- a very low bar I must say. As long as the teams were well prepared and played hard, I could be proud of them win or lose.

Bandwagoners only expect to win. Their experiences are not tempered by the Hazzard and Lavin regimes. They are always looking for the next bandwagon to jump on. As a SF 49ers fan since the late 60's, I've seen my share of them. If you didn't suffer through the Dark Ages from '74-'80, a period culminating in the OJ trade, don't even bother talking to me about the Niners.

So if the Bruins do not get No. 12 this year, I will take solace both in the fact that they were always well prepared and played hard and that the bandwagon will veer off course.

Lastly, I'd bet the farm that many of these Bruin bandwagoners are also $C bandwagoners who worship Cheaty Petey since he came to town. For that reason alone, I hate their guts and shall refuse to acknowledge them.    

There is a worse set of "fans" at Bruins games:  the always negative.

2 years ago on the SECOND play of the whole season, someone a couple of rows behind me at the Rose Bowl started complaining about play selection.  The SECOND play!  I let him know that was a little early to start complaining.  

While there were lots of reasons to complain given KD, I almost stopped going to football after having season tickets for 25 years because the people around me (Section 3) complain so much.  No matter what we do it is not enough.

You are absolutely right no matter what happens the rest of the year we should be proud of the accomplishments in BB.  A great season already.

There's a danger of becoming a fan-snob.  That, b/c one has been so loyal to and such a long time follower of a team, that person sometimes feels he/she is the only person who can express a legitimate opinion.  All newcomers are bandwagoners; and are critics are defeatists.  

That said, let's face it, banwagoneering (word?) is what happens when a team begins to establish itslef as a premier team (once again in our case), season in, season out.  That's what happens during heated playoffs of any sport.  Most people aren't diehard sports fans, and the'll lose their intersts just as quickly as they came.  This is LA, afterall, where there's so much going on we can't keep our attention on something for more than a minute.  

The less excusable are the spoiled fans.  They love their team, but only when things are good.  They're like that one sociopathically narcissitc girlfried we've probably all had one time of another.  What have you done for me lately?  If you please me, then I love you; if you displease me, I'll throw tantrums and call you names.  Funny thing is, you'll never leave me becuase you love me, but only on your own terms.  The only thing regrettable about the spoiled fan is you can't ditch the spoiled fan like you can your backbreaking GF.

Conclusion:  I'll take bandwagoneers over spoild fans anyday.    

I thought this was an excellent post, and I agree with almost everything in it, except the conclusion.  Speaking as a someone who literally grew up on campus, as a fan, as faculty, and as a taxpayer, Coach Howland (and the team) do owe us something.  Actually, they owe us three things.

First (1) (and I know not everyone agrees with this, and I know it is a complicated issue, but I stand by it 100&), our student-athletes owe it to us to be students as well as athletes.  They owe it to us to go to class, try their best, and get an education.  They also owe it to themselves; even though the commercials are sappy, almost all of them will not make it as pros.  And they owe it to the program to leave it in good academic standing.  There is much more to be said here, but I am trying to be brief.

Second (2), Coach Howland owes both us (as fans, taxpayers, and people committed to higher education), not only to support point 1, but also to run a clean program.  I had other problems with Harrick, but this one should have been a no-brainer.

Third (3), Coach Howland owes it to us to be a good teacher, to have his players improve as athletes, and hopefully to grow as individuals and as citizens of UCLA, the nation, and the world.  This was the biggest problem from the mid-80s through Lavin -- players did not improve (see poor Shon Tarver as a case in point), unless they had their own work ethic (see Ed O'Bannon as a case in point).

Those three things are all I ask of Coach Howland, the Varsity Basketball team, and any team on campus.  And so far, they appear to have been met.  Then, win or lose, I will be proud of my Bruins.  I do not expect a Championship every year, a Final Four appearance every year, even a Tournament bid (though I will of course be depressed every year that doesn't happen).  But if the above three expectations are met, I will ALWAYS carry my head high, and be proud to wear school gear.

Go Bruins!

You make great points.  But when those four letters on the uniform mean what they do,(even with the stupid "yellow c)  there's going to be some heat associated with anything less than a national championship.  My freshman year, Rod and Kiki came within a missed lay up of an 11th title, and you didn't even mention this. And there's a reason.  Any coach who takes the job, and any player who takes a scholarship knows the expectations going in.  I don't blame "the bandwagoners"for behaving the way they do.    I'm thankful beyond belief for a program great enough to make "bandwagoning" possible.   Fair-weather fans are just  part of being the greatest basketball school in history.

I enjoy reading here, but there was a wrong reading of Mr. Wooden's motives for retiring.

Recently a coach asked Mr. Wooden if college basketball, the recruiting wars and pressure to win from alumi, had gone too far.  Mr. Wooden told him something to the effect of "you knew what you were getting into; if you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen."  Mr. Wooden used to tell his players that if there wasn't presure, they were cheating.

The only pressure, however, that Mr. Wooden cared about was the internal pressure you should put on yourself.  When asked why he still lives in the same small condo, he says that it's all he needs and he doesn't care what other people think, and that, "I am what I am."  The creed his father gave him started, "Be true to yourself."  He began every year by demonstrating to his teams' disbelief how to put your gym shoes and socks on properly, and when he was the Indiana State head coach, he quietly refused to enter a fine team in the tournament because an African-American member of the team who rarely played would not have been allowed.

Mr. Wooden would not have consciously retired solely because of one person saying after the 1975 championship game "this makes up for last year."  That did happen, and Mr. Wooden uses it as an example, but Mr. Wooden jokingly phones his successors in an ominous voice that begins, "We the alumni..."  Near the end of his ten championship games, when the games were in hand, he would call a timeout and tell his team, "Now, fellas, don't carry on.  It was just a basketball game."  

Mr. Wooden said that he didn't let fans get to him; he worked with the players every day and was, by far, in the best position to know what was best for the team; so once he had made the best decision he could, he then didn't worry about what other people thought, and he enjoyed that famous Wooden peace of mind that is the apex of his pyramid of success.