So Michael Wozny from the Daily Bruin has written an article complaining about the lack of attention our students are giving to UCLA's Olympic sports teams:
UCLA has the most dominant athletic program in the nation, but it is missing something that can never be achieved purely by its teams' continued success.
What UCLA lacks is the atmosphere of support for athletics that truly defines a sports powerhouse.
The Bruin softball, baseball and men's golf teams are currently competing for an NCAA Championship, but few students are interested in following the teams on a daily basis. Instead, the majority of the UCLA student body is only concerned with knowing if one of those teams wins the 100th NCAA title.
Even when a Bruin team wins an NCAA title, as both the men's volleyball and women's water polo teams have done in the last month, it receives little recognition from the students.
Despite its 99 NCAA titles, UCLA can hardly be classified as a "sports school." Most UCLA students barely know of the success of their teams, let alone devote their time to supporting teams that aren't football or basketball.
While living in a vibrant metropolis creates diversity in the students who attend UCLA and the opportunities available, it seriously detracts from the sports atmosphere on a college campus.
What is routinely found in small college towns across the country, and missing at UCLA, is an aura of pride in sports teams.
Uhh ... I appreciate Michael's frustration over the lack of attention UCLA athletes who are not coached either by Howland or Dorrell (yeah I know it is arguable if they are being "coached" by Dorrell at all), are getting from their fellow students, but his target here is totally misplaced. It is really not the students' fault that our Olympic sports teams are not getting wide recognition around the campus. It is the fault of an athletic department which probably has one of the worst PR department among the D-1 programs when it comes to promoting its programs not only to the outside world but among the community that truly cares - which is us - alums, students, the members of this Bruins Nation. These guys cannot be really whining about lack of adoration from UCLA students considering what a shitty job they do when it comes to promoting our incredible athletic tradition.What UCLA lacks is the atmosphere of support for athletics that truly defines a sports powerhouse.
The Bruin softball, baseball and men's golf teams are currently competing for an NCAA Championship, but few students are interested in following the teams on a daily basis. Instead, the majority of the UCLA student body is only concerned with knowing if one of those teams wins the 100th NCAA title.
Even when a Bruin team wins an NCAA title, as both the men's volleyball and women's water polo teams have done in the last month, it receives little recognition from the students.
Despite its 99 NCAA titles, UCLA can hardly be classified as a "sports school." Most UCLA students barely know of the success of their teams, let alone devote their time to supporting teams that aren't football or basketball.
While living in a vibrant metropolis creates diversity in the students who attend UCLA and the opportunities available, it seriously detracts from the sports atmosphere on a college campus.
What is routinely found in small college towns across the country, and missing at UCLA, is an aura of pride in sports teams.
News flash for the assclown PR crew at the Morgan Center. People are not going to pay attention if you have your athletes wear just a nifty patch, and put up some graphics on your (difficult to navigate) official site and some posters around Morgan Center/Bruin walk. If these guys truly had any clue when it comes to marketing and promoting our incredible tradition then they would be talking, writing, and spreading the message around it aggressively. How about:
- blasting out press releases every day to the local beat writers providing them daily updates on our road to 100;
- how about providing online video interviews, highlights on these programs, and then loading them up on YouTube. This is one of the only video you can find on UCLA softball on You Tube:
I don't think it is asking a lot from these clowns to do up a highlight reel on these ladies or other Olympic sports athletes and unleash them on online via YouTube and then posting them here or other Bruin online communities; - how about actually reaching out the Bruin online communities and directly engaging us and telling us about the developments re. different teams;
So someone should tell Michael that if he is so concerned about lack of coverage and enthusiasm among UCLA students re. our drive to 100, he should stop complaining about these guys and start badgering these guys, the folks who have been so complacent (to date) when it comes to promoting that magical four letter word.
GO BRUINS.