FanPost

Tired of the Dorrell Bashing?

Hi Everyone, I am a long time reader, first time poster. I think this site is really great at times.  I love the thorough analyses, the deep down, true to the core love and loyalty exhibited towards my alma mater, and the pure abundance of news and information covering all of UCLA's beloved sports teams.

There are so many things to like about this site.  I find myself coming back multiple times a day to see if anyone has posted anything new and interesting in the diaries section.

The ONE thing that really turns me off though, is that sometimes there seems to be such a heavy cloud of negativity looming over this wonderful terrain.  I understand the frustration we all feel towards the football team and its coach(es).  I even understand us having a certain level of anger.  It is great that there is a forum for us to share/vent this frustration.... but honestly, the incessant negativity can be a bit draining. Simply put, "It gets old."  I just don't think we need to focus our frustration into an all-consuming sense of anger towards the coach, to the point that no comment about any sport or any coach of any sport can be made without making a negative side comment about our horrible "Mr. Dorrell." (I know how you feel people.  There is no need to keep beating the dead horse.)

I know many people have expressed that it is up to the individual reader to choose to visit or choose not to visit, to choose to read or choose not to read the pages on this site.  The problem is, I really like a lot of the things I find on this site.  I enjoy coming back... frequently. But in recent weeks I have found myself skipping over more and more posts because I just do not have any more energy left to be drained by the constant barrage of negative comments.

The negativity has gotten so bad at times that I debate with myself on whether it is worth coming to BN anymore.  Despite all the things I love about the site, I sometimes feel like I am willing to give it all up to avoid the negativity that has become more frustrating to me than my frustrations over the football coaching staff.  I know that this online community is growing, and I know the site hits must be growing exponentially as well, but I also know that I am not alone in having these feelings.  EVERYONE I speak to about this site, all of my friends and family, fellow fans and alumni who frequent these pages as well, express the same frustrations and distaste for the level of negativity that sometimes permeates these pages.

Instead of silently walking away, I decided that I would attempt to do here what I generally try to do with my personal relationships.  If a friend wrongs, hurts, or upsets me, I do not simply walk away without talking things over and giving him a chance to correct his wrongs.  What if he is unaware of how he has hurt my feelings, and he is willing to put in the effort to correct his actions?  If I silently walk away, then I might be unnecessarily losing a valued friendship.

So I bring this up in this forum, not as an attack on the site or any of its numerous posters, but as an act of reconciliation with hope and optimism that there will be a positive outcome.

I would be curious to see the result of a poll here on BN where the readers are asked how they feel about the Dorrell-bashing.  So let me try posting one here.

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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