On the in-game chats
Hey guys,
First off, I just want to apologize for letting tonight's chat get out of control. I told myself I was going to moderate the whole thing, but that just became too difficult on deadline, and things got a little crazy in there. Also want to apologize to BruinFaithful, a very good poster on this blog, and someone whose opinion I respect, for booting him out of the chat. You're more than welcome to join the next one on Saturday, and I would be disappointed if you let what happened tonight keep you away.
The problem is - as it should be expected, certainly by me, by now - the pack mentality that occurs when UCLA starts its inevitable in-game slide is just overwhelming. Obviously, I'm just trying to keep things in perspective, and I oftentimes (RE: always) forget that you guys have a lot more invested in the games and the team than I do. And, honestly, I can't believe that UCLA let a 23-point lead slip away, so when things are going sour - 23 becomes 19 becomes 15 becomes 11 - and the negativity just starts downpouring in, it gets to be a little much.
I will try to be more patient and remember that these games mean so much to you. Quite frankly, I haven't really been that invested in a single team in a long time - the Denver Broncos have been so disappointing for so long that I'm just kind of numb to it now - that I kind of forget what its like sometimes to live and die with your team. Part of it is being a sportswriter. Part of it is the Broncos suck. Thank God I have my Thousand Oaks Lancers, who can never, ever, EVER, do anything wrong, and if anyone says otherwise, you're not only banned from the blog, but I might just put sand in your gas tank.
But I will ask that people have some more perspective and some more patience, and try to be a litttttle less aggressive during the chats. The moderating is just, well, impossible during a game, and I know it's a lot less fun for you guys when I'm only OKing the questions and the polite comments. I don't want to do that, and I know you guys don't want it done.
Lets work together on this. Or it's sand in the gas tank.
Jon, at least you don't have to put up with the current Denver Broncos stench from within the area code ... And, I hope you get to see something many of us never have: Gator revenge.
Much more class than Nestor ever showed.
Well done, Jon.
After this post if I ever see a disrespectful we are going to have some serious problems. I rarely post but this guy works his a** off for a team he he isn't a fan of just so us fans have something to talk about. I have talked to professors, TA's, graduate assistants, writers (not Jon) and all have told me just how self entitled us UCLA students are. I am an alumnus and honestly we suck. We are so negative and so difficult to respect that the TRUE Bruin faithful have a hard time respecting us. It is time to grow up...to believe in our school...to represent what we hold dear.
UCLA is the best school in the world...this school is gunna be better than anybody ever knew...
But somewhere along the line we changed... we stopped being us... we let people stick a finger in our face and tell us we are no good... and when things got hard we started looking for someone to blame...like a big shadow...
Let me tell you something you already know...
The world aint all sunshine and rainbows...It is a very mean and nasty place and I dont care how tough we are it will beat us to our knees and keep us there permanently if we let it...
You, me, or nobody is gunna hit as hard as the game...but it aint about how hard you hit...its about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward...how much you can take... and keep moving forward...THAT IS HOW WINNING IS DONE!
Cause if you are willing to go through all the battling
you gotta go through to get where you wanna get...who's got the right to stop you...It is your right to listen to your gut...and it aint nobody's right to say no... until you earn the right to be where you want to be and do what you want to do!
Now if you know what you are worth then go out and get what you are worth! But you gotta be willing to take the hits! And not be pointing fingers saying you arent where you wanna be because of him or her or anybody!
COWARDS do that and that aint us BRUINS!
WE ARE BETTER THAN THAT!
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSYtQy9EqTA)
Jon,
One difference that isn't going to carry over to another team or sport is that the standard or point of comparison is the Wooden coached teams. Some of those teams were more talented than the others but they all consistently demonstrated a high level of mental discipline, execution, and conditioning throughout the game. *That* is the difference between a thirty or forty point win and a two point win against a mediocre team.
Thaaaaaaank you Jon. Finally you understand that the only way to get this to stop is to moderate the comments and ban guys who don't meet the standard you set for your blog. It sucks that people can't control themselves, but they cant. They just can't (or won't is probably more accurate). Anyway, thanks for keeping it clean and focused for the rest of us.
Was an observer and not a participant in the carnage that was last night's chat...remember that this Bruin team has no seniors and still beat a Tom Izzo-coached team albeit by two points...I'll take the win and we'll take our chances with Florida tomorrow. Next year's team will be better even without Honeycutt...
And this is why I rarely go to sports bars (unless I'm with Benny) and have only checked into your in-game chat a couple of times. Set the bar higher Jon, most of us will appreciate it.
MRyer: Ah, Benny ... just that thought has made my day.
Me neither, VB. The whole system is falling apart. We are supposed to be the protagonists! If we can;t put the burr under everyone's saddle, then life is just not worth living. BTW, too bad I can't post pictures here. I was scrolling though some old FB tailgate photos, and I found a couple of VB chatting it up with Jon. Whatever happened! LOL
Yes, it has been peaceful, but other 'wisecrackers' have filled the gaps! LOL. No rest for GOLDen Boy.
You guys should probably get that megalomania checked out...
Jon, as I said in the chat last night, I find the in game chats to be a lot of fun and have participated in a bunch of them in both FB and BB season this year.
It is very cool of you and the daily news to sponsor these for us fans.
I also think we are privileged that we get to directly interact with the reporter covering our team - that's a pretty neat benefit of this whole new media thing.
I am glad to see that you have directly stated in this blog post the difference between you - the reporter, and us - the fans. Of course we have different perspectives on the game and play in the game, that's why we are fans and you are the reporter. I think that distinction is why many of us on the chats have not understood why you have often seemed disgusted at times with us fans on the chats (although in some cases, comments have been so over the top that even us fans were disgusted with that particular commenter) - we know you are a reporter, not a fan, but you seemed to not recognize that we are fans, not unbiased observers. In fact we must be pretty rabid fans to be sitting on our computer, DURING A GAME, typing while we watch, right?
As I said last night, you shouldn't feel a responsibility to respond to (or even read) every comment - we realize you have a job to do in watching the game so you can report it. You also don't need to take our statements as fans personally. We are fans and we just do what we do, like fanatical fans everywhere. I think we all appreciate your comments, and even if they were less frequent that would be fine. The only other thing we really need you to keep an eye on is blatant trolls that ruin the experience for everyone else.
Thanks again for the chatroll, and the blog - you certainly have earned many faithful readers (and chatters) including me - so by any definition you have done a great job!