Standing up

M

y UCLA Bruins win. And while the win was satisfying and decisive, it was against a battered SD State team, so cries of "We're back!" are premature. We will see what happens in two weeks when we play Cal. For those who haven't figured it out yet, I am a passionate Bruin fan, and have been since I was 10 years old, back in 1965-66. Why? Well, I always enjoyed rooting for a team that represented the city I lived in: LA Dodgers, LA Rams, UCLA. I have more pride in LA than I do with some generic notion of a regional Southern California or an overly specific South Central.

I have rooted for these Bruins way before I was a student. I used to love the way they would stand up to the Trojans across the city. True, the Trojans were alway a better football team, they were always ranked higher. But the "Guttly Little Bruins" always fought hard, and I am always rooting for the underdog, win or lose--and admittedly we have been doing a lot of losing lately. Anyone can root for a winner. When USC was losing through most of the 90s, NO ONE admitted to being a Trojan fan. Just compare their attendance record between winning and losing seasons. The numbers don't lie, and it is pathetic. And now when they start winning, they come crawling out of the woodwork. Well, they may win on the field, but those are the athletes. They are winners. But the fans? Well you can come up with your own adjective.

But I am stating the obvious. My true problem with students from the school located in South Central LA is personal and the story would be long and tedious, so I will refrain from boring you. Suffice it to say that there seems to be too many who attend this university that convey an attitude that is at best sophomoric--high school sophomoric. It is self-centered and manifests little regard for others. Some of the evidence is right here on Xanga. There is on USC blogring that introduces its self as:

USC University of Southern California students and for people who fucking hate f/ucla. fuck ucla!!! USC FOOTBALL KICKS ASS!! USC FOOTBALL NATIONAL CHAMPS BABY!! OUR QUEST FOR THE 9TH COLLEGE FOOTBALL NATIONAL TITLES BEGINS NOW

Now, how's that for class? What does it say for a school whose identity is based NOT on their academics, or Nobel prize winners, or cutting edge research--for which, by the way, UCLA is renowned--but on football? Worse, much of this school identity is grounded in insulting another school. What does this say about those who are members of this blogring? Or about the owner of the Xanga site called fuclasucks? If you go to USC and see shit like this, are you proud of those who represent you and your school in such a way? But talking about it is futile. In my experience, every Trojan I have met has claimed to be different, but has simply ignored those who cry "fucla" and never shown the courage to stand up to these people who represent them in such a base manner. Could this define most Trojans? Brave in a mob setting but timid as individuals? Well, I would like to think not, but until proven otherwise...

Speaking of standing up...

Has everyone already made up their mind for whom they will vote? Is everyone watching the debates as if it were a sport and simply rooting for their team? Hmm... more tomorrow. And comments to be used as fodder are welcome...