A national championship has come to Westwood, and the real
tragedy of the whole situation is that no one seems to know it.
Well, not students that is.
Sure there were people at Pauley Pavilion last night to see the
Bruins advance to tonight’s NCAA Women’s Gymnastics
Super Six. But there certainly weren’t many college folk
there.
And come to think of it, there simply weren’t many people
there at all. If it wasn’t for all the gymnastics equipment
on the floor and all those gymnasts competing, I could have sworn I
was at a relatively meaningless midseason women’s basketball
game.
And that’s just a damn shame.
UCLA was given the honor and the privilege to host this
year’s national championship, and in typical Los Angeles
fashion, we filled Pauley to about one-quarter capacity Thursday
night.
Men’s basketball exhibition games draw more fans than last
night’s NCAA preliminaries, which I find really, really
sad.
The UCLA gymnasts are all world-class athletes, athletes who
deserve the support of Bruin students just as much as Dijon
Thompson and Drew Olson, maybe even more.
Actually a lot more.
But such is the life of a small sport in the city of Los
Angeles, the wonderful city which we call home.
So was UCLA coach Valorie Kondos Field at all disappointed with
the relatively meager attendance?
“Not at all,” she said. “On a Thursday night
in L.A., no way.”
And that’s the qualifier. On a Thursday night. In L.A.
There are just so many other things to do that important things
like gymnastics championships are pushed to the back burner.
UCLA Associate Athletic Director Betsy Stephenson understands
the Los Angeles mentality even further. It is the same mentality
she sees reflected in this city’s almost non-existent regular
season embrace of the Lakers.
“In this town people want to see a champion
crowned,” Stephenson said.
That’s the primary reason Stephenson and Kondos Field
expect to see Pauley packed tonight for the Super Six. Los Angeles
fans want championships, and we’ll be satisfied with nothing
else.
But that still doesn’t explain why the UCLA student body
doesn’t embrace the gymnastics team with more vigor and
enthusiasm.
If we want championships, they have given us championships.
Three in the last four years, to be exact.
“I don’t understand why the student body
doesn’t get behind us,” Kondos Field said. “If
they would come to one meet, they would have a ball.”
Kondos Field talked about how special it is when her team
receives attention from the student body at basketball games and
other events, but for some reason, it doesn’t reflect in
student attendance at gymnastics competitions.
It is something Stephenson would undoubtedly love to see
chance.
“This program deserves huge crowds,” she said.
“It would be very special if they had big crowds for every
meet.”
And they really should. Frankly, the basketball team and
football team haven’t exactly been getting it done lately,
and it would seem to be Los Angeles nature to latch onto a
winner.
Especially when that winner is so appreciative of any support
they receive.
After last night’s dominating performance, Kondos Field
took the time to recognize the UCLA softball team, who she said her
team noticed cheering and singing far up in the seats of
Pauley.
“That means the world to us,” Kondos Field said.
And these incredible athletes really should mean the world to us
as students.
They have the opportunity to do something incredible tonight,
and even if you won’t be inside Pauley Pavilion watching, try
to be outside cheering.
They’ll appreciate it.
E-mail Regan at dregan@media.ucla.edu.