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UCLA fans ignored warning and look at them now

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Just unbelievable. It has to be the first time every computer owned by a UCLA fan malfunctioned at the same time.

I hope everyone is all right.

I can’t imagine any other reason why so many people haven’t taken the time to e-mail an apology.

Page 2 went out of its way early in the week to tell everyone UCLA is no good, but so far not a single “thank you.”

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The electricity go out back at home? I’d hate to think it’s something worse — like everyone dressed in blue giving up.

Listen, I don’t care what others say, you are not stupid.

You are just UCLA football fans.

You sound clueless only most of the time.

I told you from the very beginning not to pay any attention to Coach Rick Neuheisel, who always has the Bruins sounding like national championship contenders.

How about just a sign of improvement? But you know what he said after the Bruins got demolished by California, 35-7? He said he was proud of the way his players played in the second half.

A Pop Warner coach says that.

If UCLA is getting better, it wins this kind of game against a second-tier Pacific 10 Conference team struggling to find its own identity.

Instead, the Bruins have now lost to both Pac-10 Bay Area schools by a collective score of 70-7. It was 63-0 before UCLA scored on Stanford or Cal.

And Neuheisel is using the “pleased” word, as in “I was pleased with the effort despite the deficit at halftime.”

The word “pleased” should have never come out of his mouth Saturday, unless it was to say, “I’m pleased this game is over.”

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How about making his players accountable? You folks at UCLA have a problem with that?

The Bears had a 28-0 halftime lead and needed to only sit on the ball to record a win. But Neuheisel has it sounding as if the gutty little Bruins played out their hearts to make it 35-7.

“When we played a field position game with people, as we did in the second half,” Neuheisel said, “the score was 7-7.”

You’ve got to be kidding. He isn’t.

There are several Pac-10 teams considered better than Cal, and most of them remain on the schedule. This is a game the Bruins had to win to have a chance for a successful season.

“Cal had two weeks to prepare for this game,” Neuheisel said.

Under Jeff Tedford, Cal went into the game with an 8-6 record after a bye. Apparently, it doesn’t always matter whether Cal has an extra week to prepare, but it was as good an excuse as any.

“We have to have higher expectations in the program,” Neuheisel said. How about beating a Pac-10 team that goes on to finish the season with a winning record? Hasn’t happened yet.

“I know we can be a better football team,” Neuheisel said. And I wonder, do you believe him?

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Page 2 told you before the week began you were better off doing something else rather than being disappointed by the Bruins again. You listen to Neuheisel, and yet don’t accept Page 2 as the gospel?

But then how could you? You’re a UCLA football fan, and you don’t mind being played for a fool. Otherwise you would have to start looking forward to the basketball season.

You want to believe with your whole heart and degree your school will be good in football one day, maybe even in your lifetime.

Some of you might sign on to a message board, and while that would probably certify you as being really ignorant, you know you can remain anonymous and write the meanest, stupidest things without any reasonable thought.

To be honest, I give more credit to people like Sam Cortina, who wrote earlier this week: “It must be fun to write garbage for the L.A. Times and call it journalism. That article you wrote [about UCLA being no good] probably explains why people don’t read newspapers anymore. Enjoy your dismal and declining profession. Write away!”

He signed his name knowing by the end of the week he might appear clueless.

The same can be said for Mitch and Lori Orr, who wrote, “UCLA article — you’re dumb.”

I feel just awful their computer conked out, allowing them no chance to apologize. They must feel lousy for striking out emotionally like that.

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The thing is — and you know this — you just can’t handle the truth.

The Bruins have six remaining games, all against Pac-10 competition. Based on Neuheisel’s history, they win two more this season.

Crazy, I know, that I’m building up your hopes like that. But I know how mad you folks get when someone doesn’t give the Bruins their due. I really do think they can win two more.

That wouldn’t make your guys bowl eligible, but they might end the season with a win over USC. Why not shoot for the moon and think the impossible?

For a while there, it looked like one of the easier games remaining on your schedule.

Cal looked like that, too.

“We’re going into the second half of the season excited about getting better,” Neuheisel said, and he really does talk like that.

You poor, poor Bruins fans.

I would urge you to look on the bright side, as I always do. You just have to get better.

t.j.simers@latimes.com

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