Fans and Pseudofans

Nice win by BU last night against team that shot the lights out...
the kids played hard and did NOT give up...although those facts were simply missed by a few.

I know there are differences of opinion about booing your own team...
some fans think it is perfectly OK since they pay their fee to get in, and on the other hand some think it is terribly bad home team etiquette and defines a really poor sport.
I am not here to tell anyone what to do but I will add my perspective....

At the Bradley game last night I spoke with someone close to the team, someone who actually meets with and counsels the players. And he says most if not all of our players and college players in general are fully aware of what's being said about them. If they don't actively see it themselves, they get told about it in short order.
He said a lot follow the message boards, read the paper, and certainly hear comments in the arena...
So anyone who says they don't read or hear the criticism you are crazy....and they are 18 to 22 years old......they are affected by the criticism.
I think there is a middle ground here.....some fair critique on the players' performance is expected, but there's a point where it gets personal with cracks like "he's not a D-I player", or "he shouldn't be playing", or "a wasted scholarship".
Fans' comments that are directed at the game, the factors inside the game, and the outcome are probably not at all objeciotnable...
but the players do hear the rips, and some are unwarranted.......and just maybe it can get a kid down...and affect his play. This is not coming from me, but from one who actually sees it and counsels the kids to stay away from even reading the criticism accordingly.

We have reasons for optimism.....
some Valley teams simply don't have the talent to compete....at least we know we don't have that problem.
We have the talent, and our guys have shown that there isn't any game we cannot win If we put together two good halves!
And we'll be good again next year with everyone back except Chris Roberts, and we'll have a healthy Dodie who I think he's a more reliable scorer and defender than just about anyone we have. (and a good FT shooter, something we need)


Indeed the criticism comes from a loud and vocal minority, while the majority of BU fans DO show up and cheer loudly. I would categorize the negative element of BU-fandom as being less than 2% but they seem to never tire in their efforts to somehow boost their egos by ripping into and insulting a bunch of teenagers and young men....

I sit right next to the entryway so I have the chance to say things to the players as they enter and leave the court.....at least 6 or more times per game as they run by in and out for warmups, 1st half, then 2nd half...

I constantly encourage the players with positive things..."good game", "great play", "nice defense", "hurry back Dodie", "you rock, Sam", etc...
Hey - I figure they are no different than if I was watching my own kid play in a high school game, and cannot imagine booing him or screaming foul things like "maybe try to play some defense" or "wake up", or even worse..

If I take a beating for standing up and supporting my team then it is my pleasure..
the attacks generally come from wimps who take their swipes anonymously...
I have lived, worked, operated my own business, and raised a family in this community for well over 3+ decades, and most everyone associated with BU basketball knows me and yet the only thing any of them can possibly find to flame me on is that a few chronically miserable BU-bashers seem bothered by my support for BU...
wow, I'd say that defines them as horrible failures.....they can't find a single thing to attack me on except that I support the Braves and write in support of them......
...yet the team, players, coaches, even Dr. Glasser approach me every game to say hi and thanks...so that's all I care about, the others can stew in their own misery.....
But they are an embarrassment to the very program they purport to be fans of...although it's quite obvious they are fans only of themselves and will support BU only if they get something out of it or see the level of play they expect.
Sadly, teams need no fans like this...there are always no shortage of whiners and misanthropes.

And don't look for this to change any time soon....the few dedicated BU bashers lay in wait and have the persistence of a nagging ex-wife when it comes to stewing about BU and finding minutia to flame about. They know who they are and it's obvious they read the writings of the pro-BU people so they can find even more to stew about and get miserable over. In fact, they try to flood the airwaves with their trolling thoughts and attacks as if they can't be happy unless they've made someone else miserable! Yup, misery loves company.
I think there's a jealously and also an inbred bitterness, as many are inept people who have been fired in some capacity at BU and have never been able to succeed at much except being bitter.
Not sure why they are so persistent, but I prefer to dwell on what's good about this team and this program.

So - sorry if my unabashed loyalty and support for Bradley gets under the skin of some folks. Maybe you guys need to find another team to support....check out this one.......
they deserve you and you deserve them.......

http://www.goredbirds.com/