"Let Him Who Desires Peace Prepare for War": An "L"-Shaped Goal

by OswegoBruin on May 7, 2011 10:06 AM PDT

Bumped. - BN Eds.

Vegetius did not mince words. We've won the battle, but we could still lose the war. The success of the students speaking out when finally educated about the misinformation put out by the Morgan Center was overwhelming. Students are firmly in favor of side seats for the students, as they should be. Now we need to ensure that those sideline seats are the ones that were promised: the original, L-shaped student section where students were located along the sideline from baseline to baseline and wrapped behind a single basket. This is certainly not asking much, and most definitely not unfair, as the Morgan Center agreed to the situation in the first place. Knowing their desire for all things money-centric, we are DEFINITELY not asking much.

In all likelihood, the students will be restored to their rightful place. However, there are the following scenarios where this may not be the case.

1) The Morgan Center takes the student survey, and decides that Students shall be split into 3 sections. One along the sideline, one in the bowl section, and one up above. This is unacceptable. This seating arrangement leaves no cohesiveness, and certainly cuts down on any noise that could potentially be created. While cohesiveness is a silly thing around which to base the ENTIRE section, it is important where you can get it. Thus, the cohesive, wraparound L section could provide both premiere seats, actionable noise, and student cohesiveness.

2) The Morgan Center decides to leave the students as they were prior to the new Pauley L shape, eg along one sideline, baseline to baseline. This is unacceptable. Offering something, changing it, then being forced to return to the original offering only to withhold seats is highway robbery at its finest. This is akin to stealing, being caught, then giving back a fraction of what you stole. Fool us once, shame on you. Fool us twice? You're not going to fool us again. The L plan is superior in all possible ways to this plan.

3) The MC ignores the student survey and places all students behind the basket. This is UNacceptable! The students, alumni, players, and former greats have spoken. Anger them at your own peril, Dan.

These are the scenarios, the final of which is the students are rightfully granted their place in the L. Hell, we could call it the "Bear Claw" , as it's curved to eviscerate our enemies. Cheesy? F--- Yes. Awesome? That's sort of up for debate, but a sober (and otherwise) me would think so. Call it the Cub Corner if you want to I don't F------ care. Just give us our L! Students will show up, be loud, proud, and angry. Students First at Pauley!!

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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I could not agree more.

It is imperative that we get what we demanded.

I have heard that the Morgan Center will soon (or has already) approach(ed) the students and ask(ed) them how to make this profitable. This is not the student’s responsibility. (If this is true, it is yet another indictment of the Morgan Center incompetence when it comes to marketing their own program) It is the Student’s job to be loud and create the best home court advantage.

A common refrain I have heard from those who would disagree with us, is that students have not come out and filled the student section in the previous seating alignment. What they fail to realize is that those games have been just as poorly attended by the alumni as the students. That is not the failing of the student body, that is the failing of the Morgan Center.

If we look at last year’s game against Kansas, in which student attendance was severely criticized; it was Alumni who sold their seats and allowed Jayhawk fans to fill the lower levels. Again, this was not the fault of the Student Body.

The problems we are facing with Basketball (and Football) attendance are entirely the fault of the Morgan Center.

The best thing you can do for your children is to love their mother. John Wooden

by MexiBruin on May 6, 2011 5:10 PM PDT reply actions

I've heard the same response

and it’s the most tired comment ever. Alums are part of the problem as well. I’m unable to attend the games due to my not living in LA. What are the other alums’ excuses? Traffic? Give me a break. There is nothing better than attending a UCLA basketball game. When we get back to being a top-tier team, we’ll fill the place again, and guess who will be back in droves? Students. Alums will be lagging behind.

"Every day was a good day at UCLA." -Coach John Wooden

by OswegoBruin on May 6, 2011 5:44 PM PDT up reply actions

Great job, Oswego

I love “Bear Claw”. I love that you combined quotes from Vegetius and W in the same post. I love that you spelled out to MC that we will not back down until they get this right. And that is entirely on them right now.

Make it profitable, MC? Give the students their L like you originally promised, and watch your fans, and their money and donations, come back. Give us a reason to support you.

greg in denver, UCLA guy for life - BruinsNation.com

by gbruin on May 6, 2011 7:23 PM PDT reply actions

Forget the L. Go for more.

Go for the U!

;-)

by Seth Chandler on May 6, 2011 9:39 PM PDT reply actions

We can't ask Coach what he thinks, but we sure can look at where the students sat when Pauley opened

That ought to mean something. Every time there is one of those “throwback” days (which I believe are only to get a new kind of product on the market to be grabbed by the jersey-buying public), then there also ought to be a throwback to where the student seats were, and a throwback to what student seat prices were.

I really, truly don’t think that the students should be satisfied with anything less than what I had, and that was endline to endline, floor to rafters. We probably can’t get Dick Enberg to go back to calling games for us from in the middle of the student section, but that ought to be the goal.

by Fox 71 on May 6, 2011 9:45 PM PDT reply actions

"Student groups" versus student body

Is there a way, utilizing the new FB page, that the entire student body can submit suggestions with backup reasoning for best seating plan to the UCLA administration? And perhaps be polled as to which they most favorable?

According to the DB article of 5/6:

Moving forward, athletics will work primarily with student groups that have already been involved in the development of a seating plan for the new arena, including the Undergraduate Students Association Council, the Spirit Squad and the Den, Harlan said.

Translation? Let’s sweep the student body vote under the rug, and do what we want anyway.

The student body needs to continue providing input that Morgan Center and selective “student groups” must be required to consider.

by BC_Bruin on May 7, 2011 1:16 PM PDT reply actions 1 recs

Sounds like the back stabbing has begun.

The best thing you can do for your children is to love their mother. John Wooden

by MexiBruin on May 7, 2011 8:07 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs

Sweeping under the rug?

If the Moron Center does that then maybe it is time for the AD and his ilk to be swept out. If you ignore the students why should they care or support the program? We need a new poll on the retention of DG> I vote NO!

by john4justice on May 7, 2011 3:17 PM PDT reply actions 1 recs

Is this really the best plan?

With the L-shaped plan, only a quarter of the seats are on the sideline, and about half are in the very worst part of the arena. Having more seats on the floor level will be good, but for those still stuck at the top it’s a huge downgrade.

by bjgreen77 on May 9, 2011 6:03 PM PDT reply actions

It's not the best plan.

It’s better than the thumb in the eye that Morgan Center was proposing, but it’s not the best plan. The best plan is the one Coach used – end line to end line and floor to rafters. And to make it easy, and to make it very noisy, there should be no reserved seats and no saving seats. There is an obvious incentive to get there early.

You younger Bruins are probably tired of hearing about my set of good old days, but that’s my only frame of reference. The way it was done in Coach’s time worked.

by Fox 71 on May 9, 2011 7:41 PM PDT up reply actions

That is best case scenario

But quite frankly I don’t think that’s feasible. The students in the L plan WILL right behind the basket, if not on the floor itself. It’s a better plan to get students closer to the floor than old Pauley’s single sideline.

"Every day was a good day at UCLA." -Coach John Wooden

by OswegoBruin on May 10, 2011 9:01 AM PDT up reply actions