SB Nation User Blog: Dante

Being Thankful

Dante — Sat, 09 May 2009 08:13:19 -0000

For some reason, until very recently, I have taken most of my experience as a UCLA fan for granted. Of course the Dorrell and Lavin eras were painful to endure, but when Coach Howland and Coach Neuheisel took over, I somewhat EXPECTED the bruins to achieve greatness, without really appreciating the magnitude of this unique time in UCLA History ...... Though we haven't won a football or baketball championship in the last 10 years, we are at a place where we can consistently fight for Pac-10 titles, and after that, whatever happens happens.

Ultimately, I would just like to remind everyone that, despite our (perhaps unwarranted) frustration with a 2nd round exit in basketball, and, despite our occasional anxieties about the coming football season, we have our two major sports in the hands of dependable caretakers who will, week in and week out, make us proud to be Bruins (not to mention the non-revenue sports who also bleed blue and gold).

Fellow Bruins, just take a moment to acknowledge, to appreciate how fortunate we are to be able to compete for conference championships in basketball and (soon to be) football. As a younger Bruin fan, this is the first time in my life that I have felt so confident in the Bruins ..... let's just take a moment and appreciate what we have.

GO BRUINS

Offense in the Final Stretch

Dante — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 04:18:12 -0000

I might just be caught up in the post-game emotion of that thrilling, but uncomfortable victory over Wazzu ..... but it seems pretty clear by now that we have 2 different offenses - 1) our normal perimeter-oriented offense that features lots of screens, ball-movement, and spacing, and 2) our "5 minute drill" offense, in which, during the last 5 minutes of the game, DC dribbles for 25 seconds, gets a ball screen, then either gets separation for a jumper, or takes it to the hole.

I know the old adage is that you can afford to shoot jumpers at home, but should drive to the hole on the road .... not sure how much truth there is in that, but at least today, I was really glad DC took control of the game in the last 5 minutes.

My concern, however, is that when DC is playing 35+ minutes a game, it is not going to always work, having him take the whole burden of the offense at the end of games, especially when playing against more physical PG's (like Derrick Rose).

So ..... should the Bruins stick with the perimeter game, even as possessions grow scarce and the clock starts to run down? Maybe, but not necessarily. I think that to succeed, we must have both perimeter capabilities AND the ability to create off the dribble, and this is where JS and JH come in. Even though they are great offensive threats, MR and ND won't do much off of the dribble, and I think that in order to have a more diverse offensive attack, JS and JH need to step up, as DC has done, and create offense.

Not to denigrate MR and ND, as they are great offensive threats who can make big 3's as well as mid-range shots, and really help spread the floor. But in the end of certain games, especially in hostile environments, I would like to see JS and JH step up and take control of the offense (or at least take some of the burden off of DC)

JS and JH are both really unselfish, intelligent basketball players, who have shown the ability to score within the flow of the offense. But in certain situations, it seems, these guys could stand to be a little more assertive, a little more selfish.

UCLA Law

Dante — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 03:11:24 -0000

So I have realized from the posts that a lot of BNers are UCLA Law grads. I am a freshman in college this year, studying econ at MIT. I am hoping to go to law school in a few years, and I would really like to go to UCLA.

Do you guys have any tips on the applications process. I know this is early for just a freshman, but anything in particular I should be doing? Also, my college is very rigorous academically (no grade inflation). Will UCLA take this into consideration?

Also, I would greatly appreciate if you care to share some of your experiences at UCLA Law.

Thanks, and ...

GO BRUINS

(I am under word count, so here are some random thoughts on UCLA basketball: I am actually pretty excited that some of the guys may go pro, because that will give more PT to some of my personal favorites .... I have always been a big fan of Roll and Aboya, and to have both of them getting significant minutes, and leading the group of talented freshman will be really fun)

go bruins go bruins go bruins go bruins go bruins
go bruins go bruins go bruins go bruins go bruins
go bruins go bruins go bruins go bruins go bruins
go bruins go bruins go bruins go bruins go bruins

The Reporting of the Game

Dante — Sun, 02 Dec 2007 01:31:19 -0000

Like N, and many of the rest of bn, I wasn't too excited to watch this game. Usually, the UCLA/USC game gets everyone fired up and excited, but I just didn't get that vibe this afternoon. On the whole, in the bigger scheme of things, I think this game is totally irrelevant to the characterization of the Dorrell era ... just another meaningless Saturday. But with the national coverage of the game, I was interested to see how our situation would be presented to the country.

Ultimately, the way this game was presented was horrendous. ABC/ESPN's coverage was an insult to all Bruins, and any notions of impartiality or solid reporting were destroyed.

First of all: how is it that one of the announcers for the game was a former teammate of Dorrell? There is absolutely no way that a television network can purport to give objective analysis of a coaching situation, when the reporter is so obviously biased!

Second: the general sentiment of both announcers reflected the culture of excuse-making and scape-goating that pervaded the Dorrell era. The announcers based their observations on the presumed superiority of USC (not in this particular game of course, but rather, suggested that in general, UCLA will never be able to compete with USC). This was just an excuse for Dorrell's failures. Furthermore, the injury excuse was brought up again and again, but nobody mentioned that in Utah (44-6), we had no injuries, and Utah was the one plagued by injuries.

All of this incompetence, though offensive, paled in comparison to the ultimate slap in the face of the broadcast ... allowing Steve Lavin to weigh in on the Dorrell situation. Lavin is the slime of the sport world, and it is ridiculous that his comments went out without even a comment from the announcers of Lavin's shortcomings as a coach. But then again, what can we expect from ESPN, who would never go so far as to criticize on of its own employees.

In short, the coverage was sickening, and potentially poisonously disinformative for young Bruin fans who don't know any better. We blame Dorrell for UCLA Football's culture of mediocrity (and rightly so), and instead of exposing the mediocrity of the Dorrell era, ABC/ESPN is helping perpetuate it.

Boston Bruins

Dante — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 04:52:11 -0000

Not the hockey team.

Do any of you BNers live in the Boston/Cambridge area. If so, how do you watch the games on tv?

I have been watching the games online through bruinville, but for the sc game, I would much rather watch on a real tv.

Does anybody know of any sportsbars that are likely to show the game on saturday? Is there a regular place that Bruins congregate on saturdays in boston, or is it just week to week?

Go Bruins!!! Go Bruins!!! Go Bruins!!! Go Bruins!!! Go Bruins!!! Go Bruins!!! Go Bruins!!! Go Bruins!!! Go Bruins!!! Go Bruins!!! Go Bruins!!! Go Bruins!!! Go Bruins!!! Go Bruins!!! Go Bruins!!! Go Bruins!!! Go Bruins!!! Go Bruins!!! Go Bruins!!! Go Bruins!!! Go Bruins!!! Go Bruins!!! Go Bruins!!! Go Bruins!!! Go Bruins!!! Go Bruins!!! Go Bruins!!! Go Bruins!!! Go Bruins!!! Go Bruins!!! Go Bruins!!! Go Bruins!!! Go Bruins!!! Go Bruins!!! Go Bruins!!! Go Bruins!!! Go Bruins!!! Go Bruins!!! Go Bruins!!! Go Bruins!!! Go Bruins!!! Go Bruins!!! Go Bruins!!! Go Bruins!!! Go Bruins!!! Go Bruins!!! Go Bruins!!! Go Bruins!!! Go Bruins!!! Go Bruins!!! Go Bruins!!! Go Bruins!!! Go Bruins!!! Go Bruins!!! Go Bruins!!! Go Bruins!!! Go Bruins!!! Go Bruins!!! Go Bruins!!! Go Bruins!!! Go Bruins!!! Go Bruins!!! Go Bruins!!! Go Bruins!!! Go Bruins!!! Go Bruins!!! Go Bruins!!! Go Bruins!!! Go Bruins!!! Go Bruins!!! Go Bruins!!! Go Bruins!!! Go Bruins!!!

Dorrell and USC

Dante — Sun, 07 Oct 2007 06:02:35 -0000

It seems every now and then that Karl Dorrell is pulling some strings within SC. First of all, last year Dorrell saved himself from getting fired because of UCLA's victory over a better USC team. And now .... USC steals the national spotlight that even Notre Dame vs. UCLA can't compare with.

USC's loss is the best thing that could have happened to Dorrell. Say what you will about the media, but I think it is brutally clear that they pick up certain stories and tie them together in irrational ways. Instead of the story being "Winless Notre Dame beats Dorell's bruins", the story will be about how this is "THe Year of the Upset", and how anything can happen.

Also, get ready for the scapegoat machine to begin... how BO was hurt and we were left with only a walkon, how Notre Dame really isn't all that bad, how hell usc lost its ok if we lose once in a while .... I wouldn't be surprised if the gears of the spin machine are already turning....

go bruins go bruins go bruins go bruins go bruins go bruins go bruins go bruins go bruins go bruins

The New Duke

Dante — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 04:57:36 -0000

I was reading a book by Hunter S. Thompson called "Hey Rube." The book is a compilation of the sports columns he wrote for espn.com, and a few original pieces. For those of you unfamiliar with HST, he is the writer of such classics as "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas," and his "gonzo" style journalism is more about how he experiences certain events than the events themselves. At any rate, the sports columns are more about politics and gambling than sports, as these are some of HST's lifelong interests.

There is a column in the book, in which HST talks about betting with your heart instead of betting with your head. He thinks that the sucker is someone who always bets for his hometeam, or bets against a proven winner, like Duke. This column came out in 2000 (to provide background, it is the same column in which HST predicts for Gore to have no more future in politics, haha). Anyways, this is what got me to start having those oh-so-pleasant thoughts about Bruin basketball.

We have a team that no rational person would bet against - the best team defense in the country, the top freshman in the country, the best coach in the country, back to back final 4s, and the list goes on. I just thought it would be relevant that merely 7 years ago, Duke was THE national powerhouse, and UCLA was a second thought.

After reading HST's column from 2000, I thought about college basketball, and I thought about politics. My, how the times have changed.

Emotion

Dante — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 04:09:37 -0000

Hi, I've been reading BN since 2005, but I'm a first time poster .... My decision to get a BN identity and join in on the discussions is a reflection of how Dorrell's Bruins changed me as a fan.

For me, UCLA sports used to be about emotion. Following the Bruins was about falling in love with a team - the freshman, the seniors, the benchwarmers, even the juggler.

This purely emotional approach worked for basketball. Though I did not know much about Coach Howland, or his systematic renovation of Northern Arizona and Pittsburgh, I had blind faith that my Bruins would succeed. I was rewarded by back-to-back Final Fours, by a team that does not give up, by a consistent approach and beautiful Bruin Defense.

In football, too, I was not analytical or critical ... I was just your everyday emotional fan. I would believe that UCLA would win every game ... as a fan I thought I could just will them to victory. And what broke my heart wasn't getting embarassed by Arizona or Utah, or losing to Washington State, what killed me was punting in enemy territory, falling into the prevent defense in the 3rd quarter, and - oh god - the infamous "run run pass."

Simply put, I was fed up with it. I cannot live like that kind of fan. I think in this world that blind faith is a beautiful thing, but how many times can you do the same thing, while expecting a different outcome?

So now I am analytical. I do not think Karl Dorrell is a bad man, but I think it's time for him to go. And when I can go back to being an emotional fan, when I can cheer for my team without worrying if they will be properly prepared, or if the coach will give them a chance to win ... then all will be well.

Is it basketball season yet?