Bruin Fandom

So UCLA won last night over Kansas in a really exciting game to watch - Kansas was so strong during the first half but something just happened to the Jayhawks during the second half. Their fast game turned sloppy and then Arron Afflalo ignited.

Rooting for UCLA around here isn't that easy though - as most of my friends following the tournament don't want them to win. It is kind of weird being a UCLA and a Lakers fan living in the Midwest. Okay, it's weird being a Lakers fan period. Both teams have a lot of funding and long histories of success that include eras where they just kept winning, so it's not like I'm rooting for the underdogs. In fact, with the case of the Lakers, I'm rooting for a team filled with inflated egos (P.J. and Kobe being the worst and the only two left over from the years when it was so much fun to watch the Lakers play) that little resembles the days when I would get so excited to see Robert Horry, D. Fish, Rick Fox, Shaq, and Kobe work together (but not Devean George!). I guess what I'm wondering though, is what makes UCLA so hated? Is it because they will often be overrated in the media, just like Duke or UNC? I just don't get it. The bruin mascot is so cuddly.

- Basketball Martha