Pride Goeth...?

by OCBruin95 on May 2, 2008 8:42 AM PDT Comment 9 comments

May 13, 2007. Women's Water Polo secures national championship #100.

We are coming up on the first anniversary of that momentous occasion. The buildup to that was palpable. People asking all the time, which team would do it? Who would bring us up to 100?

And I can even remember posts that showed up from idiots, er, folks saying how football might do it last year with so many returning starters and a (relatively) easy schedule. Remember those?

Or maybe our second final four trip would do it. Or soccer. Or softball. Or whoever.

Even then I struggled with myself with the various disappointments of teams falling short and not delivering #100. I didn't want to be greedy, and Lord knows how many schools don't even have one championship, but how cool getting to 100 would be? I wanted it, too.

But even with wanting to get to 100 national championships, I never expected quite the fanfare that getting to 100 first brought from the school. I know it was designed to help with recruiting (not just players, but applicants to the school), but couldn't we show some restraint? Yes, 100 was great, but did we have to have it shouted from the rooftops at every opportunity? Did we have to boast so much? Where was the idea of winning with humility?

I probably would have been ok with a little bit of recognition of the feat, but it just went too far for me. The C being changed in UCLA for the Rose Bowl end zones and the basketball jerseys was really over-the-top for me.

And so it has been almost a year since #100, and with all that bragging, where does our tally stand at now? Oh yeah. Still 100.

We had been having quite a run.

2003 -- three championships
2004 -- five! championships
2005 -- two championships
2006 -- two championships

And across the board recruiting was going stellar for most sports after all that. We were going extraordinarily well (if you don't get too focused on only football and basketball -- which I can do sometimes, too).

2007 -- Struggled to get 1 and none since.

The rational part of me says that there will be natural peaks and valleys with this.

But for all the boasting we did about it, a good portion of me would rather say, "Karma is a bitch."

So now I officially blame our loss in the final four this year to karma. That's got to be the reason. It's very logical and rational.

And gosh doesn't it feel good to blame something else...

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.

0 recs | Comment 9 comments

Story-email Email Printer Print

Comments

women's water polo

is looking like they may bring #101

by jjreicher on May 2, 2008 8:49 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Never thought of it that way before

I gotta admit that I never quite got used to the C on the basketball uniforms.

by Tydides on May 2, 2008 9:05 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

When you're #1 you're entitled to some swagger

You sound like you're embarrassed or ashamed of our success. Hey, we're #1!. I like the gold C, the "First to 100" Logo on the Wooden Court, etc. Besides, this is Hollywood. What else would you expect?

Go Bruins!

by mark the bruin on May 2, 2008 9:30 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Yeah whatever

What would the public reaction have been if we won the 100th and then did not celebrate at all? Would people really think we didn't care?

so Karma's a bitch. I would rather win the 100, be loud and proud and pay the price vis a vis the resultant slump. Gee, we haven't won a championship since last year! Things could be much much worse.

A coach is someone who can give correction without causing resentment. John Wooden

by MexiBruin on May 2, 2008 12:42 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Disagree

I don't have a problem with anything UCLA does in connection with the 100th title. It was a momentous occasion, and one that was and is worth celebrating. We can all nitpick, and I know some (not I) don't love the "C", but the recognition of the accomplishment hasn't been something I thought of as needing restraint.

Also, I think your post overlooks the accomplishments of the many sports that just barely missed titles in 2007 and since. You say you didn't want to get greedy, but forgive me if it sort of sounds like you have. I, for one, am immensely proud of those teams, like the men's and women's Soccer teams and Women's Volleyball team, among others, that fell just short of the goal.

This has nothing to do with karma and boasting (and I don't consider what UCLA as falling within that category). We had a hellva run in hoops and got our third consecutive Final Four. If that's bad mojo; I'd like another helping, please.

by Menelaus on May 2, 2008 2:36 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Agreed

I also had no problem with the Gold "C"

by Nestor on May 2, 2008 2:48 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

UCLA Has Won 100 Team Championships

This is a school where the athletes also actually have to be students, too.

I just don't see bad karma in being proud of all of those teams, especially the ones who are a bit unheralded. That "C" cheers their accomplishments to an audience larger, unfortunately, than one which will probably ever see them compete at their various sports.

We seem to consistently attract superior atheletes who are humble, proud to be Bruins but not prideful, truly team players, and good citizens. Watch the video of Aaron Afflalo after the Bruins' "miracle" win over Gonzaga and try to imagine a better example of good--no, great--karma. This is something to be very proud of, in my opinion.

I think our karma is terrific...hence, we have atheletes like Lorenzo Mata-Real, Tasha Schwikert, Lisa Fernandez and Maurice Jones-Drew...and...100 national championships.

I, for one, am way more alarmed by the notion that going a year without a national title means we might be somehow cursed.

Love My Bruins

by Bruingirl83 on May 2, 2008 3:18 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Seemed Appropriate to Me

I think the celebration for being the first to 100 was handle appropriately. It lasted a year, so all sports could be involved and make it a celebration for the entire program. I think it also allowed for more recognition of the accomplishments in what is termed the "minor" sports. A nice jesture, since the celebration for championships in the "minor" sports does not usually come close to what is done for a major sport championship.

by Bruin77 on May 2, 2008 4:44 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

I think

This will not be the same next year for each of our respective sports. Remember, this also gave lots of new ways to sell jerseys, t-shirts etc.
Also, I absolutely love how they have brought players from old championship teams. I mean its great! We learn all about Bruin sport history.
We deserve to celebrate it, and we've been spoiled with more than one championship a year for awhile. Its not like we haven't come close, because we have...
As said, people would be happy at other schools with just 1!~

This is what's pop'n

by PopnFried on May 3, 2008 10:10 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs