via www.hecklerspray.com

"NOTE THE TITLE!"

Who amongst us can judge Brett Favre?  Who amongst us hasn't been in his shoes and wanted to do the very thing he just did?  Who amongst us doesn't hold the record for most interceptions thrown? Let he without sin cast the first stone!

Look, I understand it, completely.  I was there just recently.  I was a True Legend (TM) blogger with the California Golden Blogs.  They called me the gun slinger.  No matter how many terrible jokes I threw off my back foot after scrambling around the WYSIWYG Editor, I seemed to be having fun back there.  Always a smile on my face after I flubbed another line about Saint Dumpster Muffin. 

I was ready to go out on top.  I had even thrown a game losing interception in the NFC Championship game!  My time had come to run off into the sunset on my big white horse, Volker Von RunningAyr.

So, with great tears and even greater dependence on pain killers, I announced my retirement from blogging.  Quickly, the California Golden Blogs announced my replacement, Olsonist.  He was young, he was untested, but damn did he hate Nate Longshore. 

But, hey, I felt like I had more in me.  I'm TwistNHook.  Didn't my months and months of mediocre service to this blog mean anything to you people???? 

I let it be known to Ragnarok that I would be willing to come back.  He stood by Olsonist.  He offered me 20 million never to blog again.  I don't do this for the money, though.  I couldn't sit on the sidelines, holding the clipboard,  with so many Berkeley Daily Planet links gone unposted.  What was I to do at 6:30 AM without the fans cheering me on, each interception more laudable than the last?

Eventually, I came back.  I forced my way back in.  Now, things are awkward between Olsonist and I.  He won't even fill my Valtrex prescription for me anymore.  Awkward!

So, look, stop dumping on Brett.  Who amongst us wouldn't do what he has done?

Ok, and now on to some links:

More BDP Letters:

WHAT IS THE PENALTY?

Editors, Daily Planet:

In the event of an earthquake on the Hayward Fault could the university be held liable for any injuries or deaths occurring at or near the (new) sports facility cum stadium given that a reasonable person could (and many have) foreseen such an occurrence and other building options were readily available? Given the likelihood of such an occurrence, would the lack of an adequate disaster plan and evacuation proceeding constitute simple negligence or rise to the level of willful and intentional disregard of human safety and life? Will the liability for any such an event be restricted to the university or can it be extended to any donors, trustees or public officials who knowingly supported the venture despite its risks? Or will the taxpayers be saddled with any liabilities that may occur?

Should the university be liable to the city for any infrastructure damage or public safety costs caused by the project? Should not users of the facility as well as people who live and work nearby be adequately warned of the dangers and likelihood of a major quake? Would warning labels printed (like on cigarette packages) on tickets along with postings in the area be adequate or should users and property buyers be required to sign documents assuming the risk? Should disaster plans be posted at all entrances and exits to the complex? Should half-time disaster drills become a normal part of every game?

At what point does potential risk outweigh potential gain? Should not safety be a primary consideration in the creation of any educational facility? Is a sports facility at that location necessary for the diffusion of knowledge? When and how can an institution be judged guilty of betraying a public trust? What is the penalty for that?

Joanne Kowalski

THREE CHEERS FOR THE PLANET

Editors, Daily Planet:

Our great City of Berkeley is known worldwide for its outstanding progressiveness. When Mike and Becky O'Malley purchased the Daily Planet, they created an amazing newspaper that represents that unique, distinguishing quality. No other publication has now, or ever, done that important job. Without getting too maudlin: Three big Berkeley cheers for the O'Malleys!

Robert Blau

 

Hip Hip Hoo-ray. 

SHAMEFUL BEHAVIOR

Editors, Daily Planet:

Over two weeks ago, Dan Mogulof, executive director of UC Berkeley's Office of Public Affairs, criticized Becky O'Malley's editorial for its "personal animus." As yet, you have remained undefended, until now. How does the spokesman for an organization employing for two months the tactic of starving the young people in the oaks dare to claim the higher ground? And even offer a sarcastic lecture in his July letter to the editor? It is UC who has handled the theater of the last year and a half so poorly, so arrogantly considering the amount of neighborhood and citywide opposition to their athletic project. How often do you see Shirley Dean and Betty Olds climbing trees? Of course, remember Dona Spring's appearance at the tree-sit and unanswered plea for reason (food for the protestors)? However this turns out, UC and Mogulof have without a doubt behaved shamefully with unnecessary disrespect to its neighbors and the citizens of Berkeley.

Charles Pappas

Okanes looks at fall camp. 

Boateng was catching passes from a team manager 45 minutes before practice for the 2008 season began. Commitment like that will help shed a perception that Boateng perhaps wasn’t the hardest worker at practice.

Cal coach Jeff Tedford said he’s noticed a change in Boateng this offseason.

"Nyan seems to be more hungry," Tedford said. "He seems to have fit in really well with the team now. I think he came here with the idea that he was from Florida and he was something different than these guys. He’s kind of found his place here and been accepted and feels like he can just focus on what he needs to do and doesn’t have to put on a show to prove what he’s about. He just knows he needs to fit in by working hard witih everybody else."

Slight injury to Tepper. Hopefully, not too serious:

Biggest news: Projected starting left tackle Mike Tepper is out with a pectoral injury and pulled hamstring. Tepper suffered the pectoral injury while lifting weights in May and had surgery. He originally hurt the hamstring earlier this summer then re-injured it running conditioning drills Monday morning. Tepper probably won’t practice at all for a week, then just do individual drills for a while. Tepper said he hopes to practice in a full capacity by the last week of camp.

Oh yeah, this is kinda out of order, but Cal opened camp:

BERKELEY - The University of California opened its preseason football camp on Monday afternoon at Memorial Stadium, conducting a spirited helmets-only practice which focused primarily on individual drills, along with some late-practice 11-on-11 action.

"We had great energy; the guys are really flying around and doing a nice job," Cal head coach Jeff Tedford said. "I'm really pleased with some of the young guys. Consistency is the thing, as you go through camp there's a lot of information and keeping up with the learning curve is going to be really important for some of the young guys. Overall, I was really pleased with the tempo of practice and the way they all worked together."

Included in the new batch of receivers were freshmen Marvin Jones, Charles Satchell and Jarrett Sparks, as well as juco transfer Verran Tucker. All four had solid opening days with Jones collecting an early highlight-reel catch on a deep pass down the left sideline.

Cal women's swimming kicks butt at the 2008 US Open Championship.

Berkeley - Senior swimmers Madison Kennedy and Lauren Rogers and sophomore Amanda Sims all earned medals at the 2008 U.S. Open Championships, which were held July 29-August 2 at the Minnesota Aquatic Center in Minneapolis, Minn.

The U.S. Open served as the selection meet for the 2009 World University Games, to be held from July 2-7, 2009, in Belgrade, Serbia. The highest placing athlete in each event will to be invited to the World University Games Team. Additional qualifying procedures can be found online at www.usaswimming.org. USA Swimming will post online results as well.

Chronicle article on the opening of camp. 

via imgs.sfgate.com

via imgs.sfgate.com

Iggles might have DeSean return kicks. 

Return On Their Investment
The Eagles have started to experiment with rookie wide receiver DeSean Jackson as a kick returner. Jackson, who was expected to focus on returning punts and learning the offense as a wideout, has begun fielding kickoffs in practice the last several days.

Still, special teams coordinator Rory Segrest made it clear yesterday that Lorenzo Booker is the starter and Jackson is just getting some looks.
"DeSean is taking some reps for us right now," Segrest said. "We've got several options back there. Booker is doing a great job, Quintin Demps is (another) guy. We've still got J.R. (Reed) and (Correll) Buckhalter there as well, so we have a few different guys that bring some different things to the table. We're excited about sorting that out and seeing how that unfolds behind Booker."

Jackson, a 5-foot-10 speedster selected in the second round of April's draft, has had no issues with catching the kickoffs. Now, he's just trying to learn how to use his speed (and his blocks) to his advantage in the kick return game.
"He's not a point-of-attack guy where you're going to just try and ram him up inside," Segrest said. "He's a guy that you're going to utilize the field and try and spread him out some. He brings something to the table in terms of kick returns as well, but right now we feel really good with what Booker's got."

Ok, that's a good start.  Remember, if you see ANYTHING Cal related at all, post it below me here.  Yes, please below me here.  Below me.  Here.  hahahaha, I'm SO funny.

Speaking of hilarious, Olsonist, I can't stop watching the last 30 seconds of Point Break.  SPOILER ALERT!  kinda.  Anyway, the part where Keanu dramatically says "He's not coming back" and then dramatically starts walking.  Then, he dramatically looks at his badge, then dramatically throws it into the ocean, then dramatically continues to walk while the late 80s power ballad kicks into high gear.  It is quite possibly the funniest thing ever.  I still hate you for not telling me about this movie until recently.  See you on the 10th?

Dump away GO BEARS!