The only standing fan in the bleachers was blaring.
“You gotta be consistent! – That was not a foul the whole game and now suddenly…” the man cut himself off and sat back down.
Webster’s Women’s Basketball team was up by 32 points with only 5 minutes left in the fourth period, but that didn’t stop philosophy professor Bruce Umbaugh from rebuking the officials’ call, and the officials did hear.
Reliably sitting courtside at Lee McKinney Court at Fontbonne University for an away game, Umbaugh has been in the women’s basketball team’s corner for 20 years now.
“This is the sixth road game I’ve been to this year,” he mused.
He even drove to Wisconsin for the team’s NCAA championship game last season where he acquired the “4-peat” T-shirt he was wearing.
Umbaugh settled at Webster 20 years ago and began raising his family in the area.
“Shortly after that, I started coming to games,” he explained, his attention never leaving the action. “They were pretty good at the time, then for a while they were not very good at all.”
The team went through a series of coaching changes before 2008 when head coach Jordan Olufson arrived. Metrics and records have steadily improved under his mentorship, and Umbaugh has been there through the highs and the lows.
“I am not a fair-weather fan,” Umbaugh affirmed, while rifling a package of Smarties.
Umbaugh teaches philosophy and tsars over the Global Citizenship program at the university.
“I decided a long time ago – as a feminist and a sports fan – that I had a minor moral obligation to support women’s athletics,” he explained. “I really like basketball. It’s great at this level, too, because you’re right in the action. You’re in small gyms, you’re close to the court – it’s fun!”
On Umbaugh’s right is Kim Kleinman, longtime Webster professor and adviser. The two frequently attend games together.
“The famous UCLA coach John Wooden said, ‘If you want to see the way the game was meant to be played, you should go see women’s games,’” Kleinman chimed.
Umbaugh is especially impressed by the depth of this year’s bench, which remains undefeated as the team heads into the playoffs.
“This year’s team is spectacular,” he said, taking long pauses in step with the game. “This year’s team is really special. They feel really connected. Their defense is tenacious. They’re all fast. They don’t let up, and they play hard from wire-to-wire. They finally got to a place as a team where they’re solid inside and outside. This team locks in, and they have a good time, too.”
Umbaugh has nothing but praise for coach Olufson and the athletics department.
“That kind of effort and kind of excellence deserves everyone’s support,” he said.
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