UGLY display by fans

yeah its embarassing. I would never boo a player at this level. Its not Prince's fault. I still like him as a player i just think the program cant continue to invest in him as a starter.However, maybe they(fans) weren't booing Prince. Maybe they were booing the coaches, who had decided to go with Prince instead of Hundley? I mean most of the anger fans have had has been to the coaches and the way they have managed players playing time and not really pointed to the players themselves.

UCLA football is about proving everyone wrong (in a good way). Booing him just says we're putting you on a short leash. Don't screw it up and he didn't. You do well, we cheer. You've done badly, you'll hear it from us. Yeah us fans can be fickle. Has there been anything in the Neuheisel era to convince us to be more emotionally invested? Not really.

Win the game and win the fans, Prince. And I doubt he's "rattled" by the fans booing. He's a NCAA starting QB for christs sake!

Seriously? Does Jon have the day off?

I was not surprised, but was a bit disgusted with the response. I understand booing the team for dumb penalties, or the coach after a time out having too many players on the field, but to boo one individual who has always acted with class and has always given everything he has is just simply wrong. I was at the game and beyond the booing I heard an incredible amount of vitriol spewed by several people around me. It's important for the team and Prince to know that it was the minority who booed and while many were nervous about Prince taking over, true Bruin fans only wanted a win.

I am surprised the players/coaches aren't booed more! Not a single game have I seen the players perform to their potential. It takes 2 players to bring a guy down. We rush four times in a row. We fumble the ball all the time. We give up stupid penalties. If they want cheers, I expect them to play as well as they can. This isn't enough for me.

I thought the booing was disgusting. I personally preferred Breuhardt over Prince but what does it matter. This guy is a collage guy playing his butt off. If he was someone who didn't practice hard or wasn't giving it his all that is one thing but Prince is not that type of guy.

In my opinion even if every pass was an interception I wouldn't boo the guy. Boo the coaches yes but boo the player noway.

And to boo the guy just because he is entering the game is disgusting.

Finally it is sad there are people like Zeus. Never new Zeus was part of the team or that how the team played effected the guys life. It is ENTERTAINMENT and that is it.

BTW if Zeus actually was a UCLA grad wonder how he would have felt if he got booed the next time he entered a classroom after getting a "C" on his midterm because he had hit a frat party the night before.

Agreed Anonymous #1. Jill Painter's on the wrong side of the post. Her stuff is more like a comment like the rest of us.

I didn't know there will rules to what I could and could not post on the UCLA blog. I'm a columnist. I have opinions. Throw something out there and debate it. Some people get it.

As a long time UCLA fan (I graduated in '76 and since my dad was a UCLA prof, I began going to games as a 5 year old) I PREFER Jill Painter.

I was embarrassed by the booing of Prince.

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Jill, Jon regularly offers his opinion on this blog. It's a BLOG, not a serious column on international politics in the NYT. It's part of what makes this blog interesting. Forget the "anonymous" haters...

Re: Booing. I agree with many of the other comments. I prefer Brehaut, but that doesn't really matter. It's more based on what I believe he brings to the team in terms of QB skills. Prince, when healthy and focused, is a fine QB. But even if he wasn't it doesn't matter. To boo a player after not having done anything is ridiculous. I understand booing after three interceptions, but wait for him to throw a couple more before you even think of starting the boos again. Classless.

I think you and the rest of the local media are making this a MUCH bigger deal than it actually was. I was at the game and there was a very small smattering of boos.........you dumb media types love to make a mountain out of a mole hill..........just typical that you would even make this a post/question on your blog. It's a non-issue.

I wasn't there but have read enough comments on this board and others to not be surprised at the boos. Someone on this board characterized Prince as having a "bad attitude" which I found hard to believe...moreover many of his teammates were impressed how he handled the aftermath of the Texas 1st quarter debacle.

Most reasonable UCLA peeps root for KP's success as it generally mirrors UCLA's performance but is not unreasonable to "boo" a bad outing or performances. KP even acknowledged as much in his post-game interview this past Saturday. Now there are some fans that lower themselves to the gutter with personal insults at KP but those "fans" are few & far between.

A) The booing was brought up in multiple news and fan sources, so it's not a non-issue.

B) Any recruit considering UCLA is going to be watching everything - wins, morale, coaching, fans, etc. It will likely factor in for many of them if they perceive the UCLA fan base to be fickle jerks.

C) I hope that the booing was aimed at the coaches, not Prince. Prince has had occasional poor execution while trying to play to his potential. The coaches have had consistently poor execution.

D) Jill, while I agree that as a columnist, you are here to express opinion, I think that some readers are taking this post the wrong way because it comes across as a bit chiding. I know I was a bit surprised by the tone of it, and I'm one of your fans.

Just my $0.02.

The booing was more dumb than embarrassing. The game was in the balance and we should have been encouraging him rather than digging up bad memories as he entered the game.

ABSOLUTELY COMPLETELY EMBARRASSED BY THE IMMATURE MORONS WHO BOO'D. HOW DO YOU EXPECT ANYONE TO DO WELL WHEN THE PEOPLE WHO ARE SUPPOSED TO BE ROOTING FOR THEM, BOO THAT UNPAID PLAYER? GROW UP. IF YOU WANT TO BOO SOMEONE ON 'YOUR' TEAM, GO FIND ANOTHER TEAM.

In my OPINION the booing was tacky and sportsman-like. The starting QB was injured. Who did these unknowledgeable fans expect the coaches to turn to?

That said, these fans paid for admission, if they want to vocally display their feelings toward a player, the coaches or the team they supposedly support, they have that right. However, having this "right" does not mean they have to exercise it.

Maybe it's a halloween thing. Or maybe it was the Coug fans booing...

Don't forget to tip your waitress

Agreed. Not UCLA style -- bush league if you ask me.

It would never occur to me to boo a Bruin. Ever. (The only exception I can think of would be if I'd just witnessed an egregious foul or lack of sportsmanship on the part of a Bruin. So far, this has never happened.) I was at the Houston game this year and I was sitting close enough to see the concentration and then the anguish on the face of our kicker. I was also close enough to see the expressions of support and comraderie directed towards him by his fellow Bruins. butt-slaps, tapping his helmet and shoulder pads, some guys simply standing close to him on the sidelines, closing in around him. We were sitting with some diehard Houston fans and one guy was watching all this and he turned to me (in my UCLA cap) and said, 'That's pretty cool.' It's hard sometimes to remember these are still kids, they aren't grown up yet and they aren't professionals.

Jill, booing Prince was totally uncalled for...he is only a kid trying to do his best and how easily the fans(?)...forget Tennesse in 2009 at Neyland Stadium, and Texas in 2010 at their stadium, both infront of 100,000 people...idiots!...I have always liked Prince and feel bad for the guy getting hurt playing for the school and the game he obviously loves

I think the booing was directed at the coaching staff but at the same time booing a junior player that has been up and down is part of the gig.

Last time I checked this is supposed to be big time Division I sports. There has to be accountability, you want the accolades, you get the criticism. Even those fans that booed (I wasn't one of them) don't hold anything against Prince personally it is part of the bigger picture.

Were we supposed to cheer Prince's return to the Rose Bowl surface after his last performance there?

I am glad to see he turned the crowd back on his side but I would say the leash needs to be short because he is a finicky performer.

I was booing Dominic Artis, in case he was watching at home.

I honestly think many of the boos were directed at Neuheisel for not putting in Hundley, although that can be translated as a disapproval of Prince also. That being said, give the guy a few series to see what he can do. Remember, the first quarter against Texas was the only action he's gotten this year outside of the decent first half he had against Houston.

Way too much is being made. I booed. An expression of displeasure that Brehaut wasn't coming back. A residual boo for the coaches that Prince had to toss three interceptions before being pulled the last time. Look...UCLA games leave little for fan excitement. One can only listen to Geoff Strand for 30 years or so before all his patter sounds the same. A team with no pizazz and error-after-error. Got to have a little fun. If you want to get holier-than-thou, then why don't you attack the the swearing I hear in the stands and restrooms? There are little Bruins present everywhere, and the swearing is much more uncouth than occasional booing. Why don't you complain about UCLA being unsportsmanlike when players walk off the field rather than onto the field to congratulate winners after a hard-fought game? Why don't you pontificate about enforcers in hockey, or smack-talk in youth sports? Or the fact that fired coach Todd Howard did a pretty good job on UCLA? The booing was really no big deal.

I'd like to see Hundley get some action, too, but with a bowl game still a possibility (however slim that may be), and with him having gotten hardly any snaps in practice, I don't see the coaches putting him in unless Prince gets injured again. That, of course, is a distinct possibility based on Prince's history at UCLA. Let's hope he continues to play well and stay healthy for his sake and the benefit of the team.

@michaelryerson +1

I like Prince. I thought he was a better fit to get us the most victories this year. He hasn't shown it this year, but he deserved better than what he got. The kid has been through a LOT in his career and he keeps coming back for more. He could have easily given up his career after last year's injury, but fought through a year of rehab to get back in time to compete for Spring. How can you not cheer for a guy like that? Yes, he threw 3 HORRIBLE interceptions (out of 7 att in like 5 minutes), but that was 3 games ago. He's also shown a lot of guts (and talent) before (@texas, @tenn). We needed him to win at that moment. How could you choose to boo a guy when you are relying on him at that point?

So yes, I was disappointed at the boos, but was not surprised. It is very typical of your basic sportsfan (boorish). Yes, we Ucla alumni/fans expect more out of our teams and fellow fans, but there is still a big contingent of the garden-variety sportsfan (fairweather)in our fanbase. In their defense, I understand that fans were wary of Prince going in and that the crowd only has two ways of showing their emotions: booing and cheering. I think it is just too difficult to get 50,000 people to all groan at the same time.

So now with the win and end of the qb controversy, let's go back to what we should be doing in the first place: supporting our team.

On a (semi-)related note, does anyone remember a UCLA game (circa 1997) where the halftime entertainment was two PeeWee football teams and one team of kids was dressed in red? Introduced as "lil' Trojans", those little kids got booed ruthlessly! Sad, but kind of hilarious.

agree with posters above saying it is a non-issue. very small muted booing that was snuffed out quickly. oh no, 10 or so people booed at a football game! get over it. UGLY!!!!!

Jill,
You have every right to bring this up, but by putting UGLY in caps, you have made it a much bigger issue than it really is. It doesn't have to be shouted out. I do think an admission of this error by you is in order.

Seriously Jill don't delete this but you honestly suck at this job and we don't like you for the most part. Please leave :)

Get a life. It's football and if it sucks, watch it on TV like me.

Yeah, let's boo our own players before they even take a snap. I'm sure recruits will be really impressed and just dying to play for us.

If you dislike our player, don't go to games.

Jill, this topic and your puffing it all up on a post like this is really much ado about nothing. It happens everywhere across the country. It's what separates football from, say, golf. Hey, it shows a pulse. There's been a ton of frustration surrounding this program, unless you've been under some rock. We're probably soon gonna be coach-shopping again. Our next recruiting class does not look too impressive. Every facility we have seems to be under construction. So, cut some slack. It's football fans. And this is America, and they paid for their seats. And true to form, those same fans were going bananas for KP when it was all said and done late Saturday night.

Now, onward to what's important:
We are .500 and have a great shot to take a nice step toward at least a toilet bowl by beating AZ on ESPN. That's big for recruiting, even if AZ is 1-5. We are all banged up, yet we are starting to show a pulse as if we really care about all of this.

Jill, maybe you can report on some of that for us.

Definitely a sad display by fans, especially UCLA fans who are for the most part very respectful. I would expect that kind of thing in the SEC, but not at the Rose Bowl. Kevin Prince is a warrior and a true Bruin. I'm hoping his story has a happy ending.

A lot to do about nothing. I was @ the game, yes a few boo's but it happens. As an ex athlete you know if you don't perform boo's can come your way. KP realizes he's playing Div. 1 Football and he understands this and he's fine.

Some people think the boo's are ugly and disrespectful but it's part of the game. If you're @ a Pop Warner game then It's bit too much but Div. 1 give me a break.

Yes, the response was harsh. But I think a player wants his fans to be real and honest. The truth is, Prince has thrown passes this year and despite what JG says about his performance in practice, Prince has not shown consistent development as a starting QB in his third year. That is frustrating as a fan and I'm sure he finds it frustrating as a player. Let fans be fans and show their emotions - that's the right that comes with the price of admission. Kudos to Prince, however, for coming back and winning the game.

"I understand why they were booing," Prince said. "If I was a fan sitting in the stands I might have booed, too."

Now everyone shut up and cheer for your Bruins! ;)

Ya you meanies..... He probably got his feelings hurt...

I just registered for this site but I wanted to comment, sorry it is anonymous for now.

Re: Zeus M's comment: I enjoy reading the comments because I learn different perspectives that help me understand the game but his helps me understand some of our fans.
Maybe some of our Bruins are not performing "to their potential," but I do not think it is because they are not trying hard and giving their all for the team. Sure you have the right to boo but to do so when Prince is going in to try and help?. That kid is a competitor and I believe will do whatever he can to help the team, taking a beating and sacrificing his body. What more can you ask for? Of course I wish we could do better but I am proud of our kids and booing him when he just entering the game is just wrong. My 2 cents. Go Bruins!

PVBruin

I yelled "shut up!" because I thought it was embarrassing. Not sure anyone heard me, but I felt better after doing it.

Maybe next game if there's booing, just cheer louder to drown them out. I actually don't think there will be booing again since Prince already made his critics eat crow (at least in this game) by getting us to 28 pts with a 2 pt conversion.

Go Bruins!

Jill,
Your writing is always on target and good.You raised a good thought on the situation and received some typical moronic answers from some regular posters who probably only played with themselves their whole life,particularly the moron who posts as anonaMOUSE.

I am totally missing the big deal here.

A 21 year old who threw 3 interception in his last quarter of playing time was booed when he stepped on the field?
I think he can handle it and I think he knows why he was booed.

its not a big deal at all.

As far as I'm concerned, I sparked a healthy debate and that's great. Thanks to the people, both those who agree and disagree, who can state their opinion and defend it without name-calling and other such immature tactics that happen too often on this blog.

Was at the game. Honestly, I don't recall it being such a big deal. I wasn't one that booed, but those that did were brief and it wasn't that bad...It's unbelievable that this type of stuff dominates the discussion following a win...did people forget that we won. There are far more negative things said in the stands week in and week out that UCLA fans should be ashamed of versus a few scattered boos. Really, the way it has been discussed, you'd think he was booed the entire game, or a series, or even a play. Nobody talks about how the crowd was rocking in the fourth and cheering our Bruins on as we held on D and drove on O. Once again...focus is always on the negative.

I took it, as others apparently did, as commentary on the coaches for not putting in Hundley, but understood that it would be construed differently. I think it was telling that after the interception at the end of the half (that could have cost a FG) that there were NOT boos for Prince.

Keep up the good work Jill. We love you and the job you do. You raised a very good point, I was embarressed by the boo's myself and was happy to see KP, who is an all around class act, perform well inspite of it.

I wasn't booing Prince taking the field. I was booing Jill while Jon had to leave the blog.

Stay Classy Bruin fans.

Jill...get a clue....ANYTIME you ask yourself something that begins with..."I wonder if" (Farve...etc.), STOP, and think for a moment. You are an accident looking for a place to happen. You were blessed with a BRAIN....try using it.

I wasn't embarrassed, but I thought the booing was distasteful. College kids shouldn't be booed before they take the field.

It's the new classless breed of "fans" fostered by the folks over at BN.

We were booing no-balls Neuheisel. Look at Arizona did today. Now, no-balls Guerrero needs to stop going to the donut shop and fire Neuheisel. Or we will continue to boo at games. Period.

I wish I could boo Jill for this post! Boooooooooo

fans who take the time to attend a game have a right to express themselves. however, as a bruin grad who sits in booster/alumni section it made me cringe when folks booed kevin prince. and if that were my son taking the field i'd be hard pressed not to give knuckle sandwich to the closest jacka$$ making that kind of noise.

I wasn't nearly as embarrassed by the booing as I was by this blog post

Booing new classless breed of fans? Embarassed over a few boo's? Wow! aren't you guys special and better than everyone else. I was there and I was not booing but I will you ask you one question during the Texas game did you feel proud or embarassed?

Booing is a show of displeasure for what's happening or how someone is performing! Now if someone is shouting and cursing at a player that is classless and distasteful.

Maybe they were booing the choice by the coaches to put Prince in the game instead of Hundley. I think the fans have a right to be dissatisfied with the choice of a QB who lost us the game against Texas in the first quarter.

MoeBruins took a really pathetic shot at posing as a Bruin and misspelling every other word to make us look bad. He must be a trojan in reality because, at UCLA, they actually teach students how to write (unlike at Fig Tech).

I often run into sc grads that still have self-esteem issues because they couldn't get into UCLA. It's sad, really.

ha! Love it.

Jill,

Any Kahlil Bell/Brett Favre updates?

Just imagine... Brett Favre on set shooting a Wranglers commercial and Kahlil Bell shows up...and catches a pass from Favre. It could happen.

Jill are you one of those vendictive SC grads who was not accepted at UCLA? Sometimes the perspective you take in your writings makes me think so. You never miss a chance to take a dig or put UCLA in a bad light.