Remember, Those Weren’t Real Bruin Fans

The most depressing part of UCLA’s loss to Princeton was knowing that the Saturday sports page would be full of anti-Harrick, anti-Bruin letters. How did “Viewpoint” disintegrate to where it has become a printed version of sports talk radio?

JIM WOODARD

Woodland Hills

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The worst thing about UCLA’s first-round defeat is having to endure another round of whining from bandwagon fans who probably would be hard-pressed to dribble a basketball themselves. For those “supporters” who think UCLA had such a bad year, why don’t you follow USC next season?

BAXTER SCRUGGS

Encinitas

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“Champs to Chumps?” Excuse me? This year’s UCLA squad, a team dominated by sophomores and a freshman, 18- and 19-year-old kids, easily wins the Pac-10 title and racks up another 20-win season. Even a Trojan all-star can see the job Jim Harrick did this year was even better than the one he did last year when the Bruins won the national championship. How about a little reality check?

MICHAEL and

CHARISSE LAZAROU

Encino

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Why is it that any time UCLA loses, all the idiots come out of the woodwork and criticize Coach Jim Harrick? Why do they expose their ignorance and small-mindedness to the world. I am an alumnus and season-ticket holder, so if anyone has a right to complain, I do. I wouldn’t trade Harrick for any coach in America. He had a tough hand to play this year, which, with injuries and illness, didn’t get any better. Yet I don’t believe anyone could have played the hand better than he did.

JACK ALLEN

Pacific Palisades

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It’s amusing to see how people jealous of UCLA’s success appear like worms on a rainy day whenever the Bruins exit the NCAA tournament. I was disappointed after the Princeton loss, but reading Greg Hatfield’s pathetic attempt to belittle the 1995 championship based on Edney’s shot somehow made me feel better. If all he can do at tournament time is gloat over UCLA’s loss, then the school he roots for probably didn’t make the NIT.

GARY ARCEGA

Torrance

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Thank God for fax machines. How else could all those loyal Bruin fans get their what-have-you-done-for-me-lately letters into Viewpoint so quickly after the Thursday night loss to Princeton?

Thanks, Coach Harrick, for an admittedly frustrating but very exciting year. Some of us are actually grateful for the job you’ve done at UCLA.

STEVEN F. EPSTEIN

Beverly Hills

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You get the feeling that our local anti-fans can’t wait for UCLA to stumble so they can bash someone. They must have been miserable last year, and this season’s Pac-10 championship must have really put them in a funk.

WILLIE SUZUKI

Torrance

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Surprise upset? Not to anyone reading the L.A. Times the day of the game, when the Bruins were talking more about next year than about the tournament they were about to enter.

The real surprise was the team’s lack of preparedness for the style of ball everyone knew they would face. UCLA wound up playing Princeton’s game with a result that was all too predictable.

JAMES V. KOSNETT

Los Angeles

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Even though I am a UCLA alum and an avid Bruin basketball fan, I was not disappointed by UCLA’s loss to Princeton. I had very low expectations of Jim Harrick’s ability to coach the most talented team in America--and he met them. He is 4.8 seconds away from being fired.

KARL GERMAINE

Tucson

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Will Lorenzo Romar become the next Rick Neuheisel?

EDWARD STRONG

Brentwood

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You know that letter I sent last week complaining about UCLA’s seeding? The one where I said the NCAA wasn’t giving the Bruin basketball team any respect? Where I said the Bruin players were right to sound off?

Never mind.

JOHN THOM

Los Angeles