DON’T STOP ME NOW

Having such a good time, having a ball — Here are 38 photos of the UCLA Spirit Squad from Saturday, taken before and after being dragged off by Security

I hope you like and appreciate these photos.  I don’t make any money off this endeavor — the only thing I get out of it is knowing that the squad members, and their families, and any other readers of this site, enjoy these photo arrays.

I think I’m doing something good — supporting a wonderful organization with terrific people in charge, who run it flawlessly, and who select spectacular people to participate as members of the elite squad.  But so many people watch me taking pictures diligently, and constantly, for 3 and a half hours every game, watching the whole game through the camera lens.  I never stand up any more, unless the people behind me are already standing up (like after a Touchdown), so as not to bother anyone.  But some people… all they see is some jerk taking hundreds of photos of the Cheerleaders, so they think evil nasty things, I guess.  Someone today called Security, who came and forced me out of my seat and “escorted” me into the tunnel like a criminal, forcing me to miss some of the game action.

First, Security FALSELY accused me of having professional zoom lenses that I was hiding from them.  I don’t even have a camera that TAKES lenses!  I told them to search me.  The rule is 3-inch lenses.  My NON-D-SLR point & shoot camera doesn’t come close to that.  They should know the rules before they roust someone, don’t you think?

Then, when they lost that argument, they demanded my ID, and they wrote down all my information.  They said that they received a complaint that I was “disrupting the game with my camera!!!”  What the fuck?  Like I said, I don’t even stand up any more, I don’t make noise, and I don’t bother anyone.  I go out of my way to make sure that I don’t block anyone.

So I tell the Head Security Guard that this is a bullshit prank complaint by someone who has a grudge against me, and that I don’t disrupt anything, and that I am sitting down for the whole game.  He pauses, and thinks about it.  Then he tells his colleagues that when he first responded and came to observe me, I was sitting there peacefully the whole time.

So they look at each other, confused, realize that it was obviously a FALSE complaint, and let me go back in.  And to add some irony to this ridiculous scenario, I had just spent an entire quarter sitting next to a parent of someone on the Dance Team.  I had an extra seat today, which I had offered him so he could have a better view of his daughter and of the game.  So he came when he knew his daughter would be performing in front of my section.  I wish the people who think I am “exploiting” the squad knew this.  Gee whiz… I wish I had a lanyard with a Spirit Squad photo/press badge so badly.

But since I don’t… I should change seats next year, but I don’t want to let the jerks win.  Plus, I have made friends with the people who sit next to me, behind me, and in front of me, and don’t want to leave that little family.  I’m also tempted to just kill the website and just go watch the games without a camera.  But again, I don’t want these people who hate me to think they won.  So I guess I will just keep going forward.  But I really hope that people are getting some satisfaction out of what I do, otherwise, what’s the point?  Anyway, here you go…  And I have about 40 more after these, ready to be shared soon in Part 3.