Cal Fans: Remember Our Roots
by kolwave on Oct 5, 2009 2:18 PM PDT
119 comments
Posted on behalf of a friend who lurks on CGB, hasn't opened an SBN account, and loves to brag that he was born 10 days after The Play. My first FanPost, even if it's written by someone else -- I'll call him Nonymous Bear.
When I told him to open his own account, he said, "This is the only rant I will be giving because after I give it, all other Cal fans will agree with me and we will present a united front and help lead Cal to glory." All righty then.
Let me explain.
Michael Silver said it best. We control the crowd, and the crowd controls the game. We can't do anything about Tedford's love of field goal attempts, or Riley's innacuracy. All we can do is help Cal by being loud. And for the first U$C possession, we were loud. Afterwards....not so much. Why? Why should one drive quiet a sold-out crowd that booed the $C band with such enthusiasm just minutes before? My sense is that Cal fans were demoralized. That's sad, and needs to stop.
When I was a kid, I went to most of the Cal home games I could. It wasn't because I thought Cal could win a national title. There were no national title contending teams in the mid to late 1990's. We mostly sucked. One year, Deltha O'Neal scored all of our touchdowns, and he didnt' even play on offense. I went because I loved Cal football. And it was fun! Sometimes we even won. But no matter how bad we were, the fans who were there were loud when they needed to be.
Then came Tedford.
Our expectations went sky-high. And to me, that's a good thing.
But on Saturday night, when things started to go bad, you could see the bubble bursting all over the stadium. Our season is over. We're out of the BCS hunt. We're probably out of the Rose Bowl picture. And so we sat quietly and watched U$C run over us (the quietly part does not apply to the Student Section and its surroundings, which were awesome as usual). What Cal needed was a fired up crowd that didnt' relent. We needed Matt Barkley to be rattled. We needed our players' fragile phyches to be reinforced by thunderous support. It didn't happen.
Which makes Cal fans look, honestly, like they have a sense of entitlement. This is our turn to win, and it should be handed to us. We deserve it (of course we do). And when we dont' get it, we cry quietly.
In my mind, we don't need to lower our expectations, but we need to change our mindset. Forget the polls. Forget the Heisman. Let's go support the Bears because we love the Bears. Remember that time when we played Arizona back in like 96 and it went to 5 overtimes and the student section kept running back and forth across the otherwise empty bleachers to be closer to whatever endzone the overtime was happening in? THAT is Cal football. We have character. We have fun. We're not $C and we dont' want to be. And when that day comes that we finally break through and play our way into a Rose Bowl, it will be truly glorious. In the meantime, it should take more than 1 $C touchdown drive to quiet us.
So let's send the Golden Bears a simple message: We love you. Maybe everyone who reads CGB could respond to this post with a note of support for the team, to remind them that no matter how much they sucked the last two weeks, we support them, and we have faith that they will come back and destroy UCLA. And then maybe a collection of those notes can be sent to the Athletic Department. We cant control the crowd in Pasadena, but maybe we can help our players before they even arrive. Just a thought.
Go Bears!
------
My message of support:
Don't worry about the last two weeks. You guys are fine. You had bad games against good teams....it happens. But there's a lot of season left. Go whip UCLA. It'll make you feel better....
The opinions expressed in a FanPost are, in every way, reflective of the opinions of every California Golden Blogs Marshawnthusiast. Moreover, they are reflective of every employee of SBNation, including Tyler "Blez" Bleszinski.
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I love this post. I was born in 1990 and grew up a Cal fan and loved going to the games. Needless to say, it wasn’t because we won a lot. It was about the whole experience, the band, the fans, and the football. I hope that if there is anything good about the last two weeks, that it can teach all the new fans that have come on board during the Tedford era that there is more to Cal football than winning.
Here is the facebook group generally related to this post:
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/group.php?gid=181898796448&ref=nf
"It's going to be a long season" - Old Blues from 1868-present
by AVNevis on Oct 5, 2009 2:58 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Great post!
I too remember the student section shuffle! That was a great game, I remember chanting 8th quarters ours! 8th quarters ours! 8th quarters ours! Hell we established a CFB rule that day (have to go for two after 3rd OT)
I feel this sense of entitlement may be creeping in as well… And although I too am guilty of high expectations, I always go back to 2001 (where I went to all the home games) and think, we certainly have come pretty far, even with this loss… And no matter how bad we feel after this loss… Imagine how bad the players and coaches feel at this very same moment… (one reason (of many) why booing home teams pisses me off)
Heck I remember making it to the 96 Hawaii Bowl as (at the time) one of the best Cal football achievements I’d ever seen (I don’t remember the Citrus Bowl year as I was 5 or 6)
Sure I’m disappointed when these let down games of recent seasons occur, but hey we are living it up in the Top 25 every year (hopefully we’ll get back this season) and someday we’ll break through to the tippity top…
Until then my message of support to the team:
Men bust your ass in practice these next two weeks, you’ve worked too hard to give up on this season, some of he biggest games are ahead of you and its time to step it up and have some fun… We’ll be here to support you every step of the way! Put these past two weeks behind you, the real season starts here and now. It’s time to go down to Los Angeles and make a name for yourself as the first Cal team under Tedford to break the L.A. curse… Because in all honesty, what’s a Bruin anyways? Besides a small dick-less bear
I hear El Paso is beautiful in December....
by CruzinBears on Oct 5, 2009 3:38 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
As I was sitting in the student section
Listening to a lot of whining, all I could think was, “Fuck you, you band wagon assholes. You’re cheering with no heart and making noise at the wrong time. It’s not the team that has no heart, it’s you fools!”
I’m actually more angry at the crowd than the team at the moment. I feel like we could’ve made a difference, and the majority of fans decided to be silent, whiny bitches.
by BleedinBlue on Oct 5, 2009 3:43 PM PDT reply actions 2 recs
The players need to give us something to cheer about, be excited about.
When you go 60 minutes without doing anything like that, I don’t know what kind of crazy person it will take to stay loud. It’s pretty hard.
by nickle on Oct 5, 2009 3:44 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Pardon me
I need to make a distinction between cheering and making noise.
You cheer after a big play or a touchdown, you make noise during every defensive play, REGARDLESS of how the team is playing, because WE’RE THE 12TH MAN. Fine, offense does nothing for 60 minutes; that’s an excuse not to cheer, because there’s nothing to cheer for. But there’s still something to make noise for, ie the defensive stands. I do agree that we feed off the players to some extent, but the players also feed off of US during defensive stands. We failed the players in that respect.
From the 3rd defensive stand and on, the Cal student section was underwhelmingly quiet. It was ridiculous. And during the first drive that ended in a Riley interception, the students were damn near interrupting every goddamned huddle. Really, wtf? You didn’t see this shit when OSU failed to produce productive drives against USC. The crowd was right in it during OSU defensive stands to help their team, even when the OSU offense was doing squat!
IMO, the mic men need to stop teaching new cheers and teach the crowd when to make noise prior to the start of every game. We’re an academic institution first and it shows when all the of us nerds and geeks show up for big games.
by BleedinBlue on Oct 5, 2009 4:03 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I guess I’m replying to both you and CruzinBears below.
First off, about the mic men. This is the worst bunch I’ve seen since, well, last year. Last year’s mic men were pretty bad but this year they spend too much time either 1) watching the game 2) making speeches like they’re william wallace about why we should be excited 3) like #2, making speeches why the game was a moral victory 4) being loud when we’re NOT suppose to (ie. on offense while our guys are in the huddle) 5) just not doing their main job, which is to lead the student section while being careful not to get TOO involved.
I couldn’t believe how little football / fan IQ the student section had last game. It was embarrassing.
Not only that, the PA guy always yells, “FIRST DOWN BEARS!” like we won a national championship. Not saying it’s bad to, but whenever he says it in the tone he says it in, people naturally start clapping or cheering, adding insane noise to the field when our guys are hustling and getting in the huddle, the huddle of OUR TEAM. This problem’s been around for many many years now, but it wasn’t as bad as it was this past weekend.
And re: the main point about “something to cheer about.” I agree with both of you wholeheartedly. 100%. I don’t find that to be in disagreement with what I first said. There’s nothing I hate more than seeing people in the student section while they’re watching the game without cheering, making noise, etc. I want to scream in their face to just go home because you can do that there without taking up space for someone else to be a fan. I also don’t sit at the other sections because I can’t see myself watching the game while sitting down WITHOUT making noise. I understand that some people are older, have kids, etc. and there’s nothing wrong with that. I just can’t do it.
But to watch the team blow opportunity after opportunity, watch USC celebrate like it’s the coliseum, score 3 points all game. I don’t know. We SHOULD be making noise yes. But there aren’t many games like that game this past weekend. The score was 30-3. It wasn’t a fight back and forth. Hope faded real quick.
What I’m basically saying is, this cheering / making noise thing doesn’t go only one way like (BleedinBlue) alluded to. But to say the players didn’t fail us and we failed the players (only), that is something I disagree with. The crowd feeds off the team and their play as well. And you can’t blame the fans 100% being quiet when they see a performance like we saw. You can call it what you want, say “true fans NEVER stay silent” and they’ll “always believe no matter what circumstance it is.” But I’ll disagree. You go to any of the biggest football stadiums with the loudest fans, and if they watch their team play like we did (not in terms of heart but just in production and execution), I can put a lot of money that they won’t be as rabid as you might think. [The quickest example that I can think of is when Oregon rolled into the Big House and silenced the entire stadium very early in the game.]
by nickle on Oct 5, 2009 5:47 PM PDT up reply actions 4 recs
Bingo. A silent stadium in a 30-3 blowout isn’t anything that reflects badly on the Cal crowd. Any stadium would have been silenced in those circumstances.
That’s why they say it’s important to get ahead early on the road, to “take the crowd out of it.” They say that because it happens everywhere; if you put the home team down big, the crowd will stop making noise.
by sycasey on Oct 5, 2009 5:58 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Eh, you've kinda missed a key point I mentioned
We didn’t gradually quiet down throughout the game. Even our intensity at the start of the game was lackadaisical. I didn’t hear any impressive noise making after our 2nd defensive stand. That’s not the time to give up! Not THAT early in the game! We were louder at the start of the Maryland game, FFS.
If we’re 30-3 in the 4th quarter, fine, I’ll concede that the crowd is going to be quiet. But going into the second, when the team still has a chance? When Matt Barkley called us out for being not loud enough? As a fanbase, we were insulted, and we just took it like a dude weighing 120 who just dropped the soap.
by BleedinBlue on Oct 5, 2009 6:25 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I'd like to add
One lesson that my dad taught me, that’s made a lasting impression on my life, came when I was ’round 10-12 years old at a family and friends softball game.
I had either just hit a fly ball or wasn’t going to make it to first without the baseman tagging me out. Seeing that I wouldn’t make it, I slowed down and trotted off the base path, veering towards the dug out.
My dad laid into me, right there and then. I was in tears and thought it was completely unfair at the time. But, after giving it some thought, he was absolutely right. He reasoned that I had no idea if the baseman or outfielder, whoever it was getting the ball, would catch the ball soundly. If that player dropped the ball, I could’ve made first and been safe. Instead, I quit before I even got there.
Saturday night, I felt that Cal fans, collectively, were all 10 year old me’s, quitting when they still had a chance. Screw it, they were me at 10 years old, quitting before we were surely down and out.
As fans, we are the 12th man. As students with seats spanning 20 yard line to 20 yard line (ok, roughly), our role in making noise is even more important. As Cal students, we’re supposed to have more backbone than those red wearing sissies across the Bay, pampered and babied at their JC. We’re not supposed to quit, we’re not supposed to die.
Saturday night, we quit early. Shame on us.
by BleedinBlue on Oct 5, 2009 7:12 PM PDT up reply actions 3 recs
Rec’d, for providing an alternate, honest, but rational point of view. Guys, this is a perfect example of a respectable disagreement, and I’d love to see more of them on our site. All we need are gloves and a handshake!
Email: bearsnecessities@gmail.com
by Avinash on Oct 5, 2009 6:37 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I'll shake nickle's hand
I don’t believe in ad hominem attacks and am glad that most discussions here avoid them. CGB (typically) is a bastion of civil discussion.
by BleedinBlue on Oct 5, 2009 6:55 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Fuck you.
PS Fuck you.
President Emperor Warlord Of The Sun!
www.CaliforniaGoldenBlogs.com
by TwistNHook on Oct 5, 2009 7:18 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Despite your inanity
You’re still civil!
Does that make you TwistNFail?
Honk.
by BleedinBlue on Oct 5, 2009 7:39 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I recently engaged in physical relations with your wife or other loved one.
President Emperor Warlord Of The Sun!
www.CaliforniaGoldenBlogs.com
by TwistNHook on Oct 5, 2009 7:58 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
That was an utterance made by her!
President Emperor Warlord Of The Sun!
www.CaliforniaGoldenBlogs.com
by TwistNHook on Oct 5, 2009 8:54 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Ahem
You’re walking yourself into a tarp!
by BleedinBlue on Oct 5, 2009 9:14 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I strongly disagree with this statement…
Sure its tough… You know what’s tougher? Playing against U$C while 70,000 people ho hum about everything you do…
Get off your ass and make some noise (at the right time of course) regardless of what’s going on down on the field… Some times I feel like the only people in my section (HH) making noise are me my sister and my mom (and whichever friend I bring to the game and force to yell when I yell)
Its hard to do something great when the only people that are supposed to believe in you have seemingly given up on you and are now apathetic to the game
I hear El Paso is beautiful in December....
by CruzinBears on Oct 5, 2009 4:06 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I'm contemplating bringing a huge sign that says:
“GET IN THAT HUDDLE!” and “DISRUPT THE SNAP COUNT!”
Maybe those’ll make good shirts. Hrm.
Front-
CAL:TWELFTH MAN
Back-
Aforementioned slogans
by BleedinBlue on Oct 5, 2009 4:48 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
great idea!
my only qualm being the use of 12th man as it is very much a Texas A&M thing, but we beat them so whateva….
As I sit in the quiet alumni section, I’d want one that on the back says:
“I know I’m blocking your view… Stand the fuck up and make some noise!!!!”
I hear El Paso is beautiful in December....
by CruzinBears on Oct 5, 2009 5:19 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I'm sorry but I disagree (for now anyway)
A sense of entitlement is the attitude that the USC fans brought with them to the game. The arrogance and pretentiousness that the exhibited.
A sense of entitltement is not to be confused with high expectations. Cal fans have high expectations.
When you get creamed two weeks in a row, its not because the fans have a sense of entitlement. Its because we played bad.
At CGB, we whine because we care
by dballisloose on Oct 5, 2009 3:45 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
I don’t know how I’d feel about Cameron Jordan sending me romantic poetry.
Email: bearsnecessities@gmail.com
by Avinash on Oct 5, 2009 4:02 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Are you telling us that you sent Cameron Jordan romantic poetry?
What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. What happens in California makes the world go round.
by Spazzy Mcgee on Oct 5, 2009 4:38 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
You don’t?
Email: bearsnecessities@gmail.com
by Avinash on Oct 5, 2009 4:49 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
shit!
What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. What happens in California makes the world go round.
by Spazzy Mcgee on Oct 5, 2009 5:00 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
TWSS
…before she broke up with me…
I hear El Paso is beautiful in December....
by CruzinBears on Oct 5, 2009 4:08 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Do you feel unloved?
President Emperor Warlord Of The Sun!
www.CaliforniaGoldenBlogs.com
by TwistNHook on Oct 5, 2009 4:27 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Cause, you know, DavidsonBear
Twist will honk you, if so.
by BleedinBlue on Oct 5, 2009 4:46 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
le sigh
We needed our players’ fragile phyches to be reinforced by thunderous support.
I was watching the game from a friend’s apartment, about two blocks from the stadium. Every so often we could hear noise coming from the stadium, but not very often. Our main statement throughout watching the misery on the field was “Bears, get out of your heads! Play some football!” We thought that the Cal players were hindered by their huge brains; that they were thinking too much about their feelings and their sad state of affairs and weren’t playing enough football.
Perhaps if the crowd had been louder, they could have drowned out the fragile Bears’ tumultuous thoughts. Perhaps if the Bears were dumber, or had been paid more to play football for their school, they wouldn’t have had any thoughts to begin with. Either way, I think the Bears need to think less and play more. And maybe block a few of the opposing team’s runs.
Alas, foiled by brains.
by RemorsefulBruinBabe on Oct 5, 2009 5:06 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Interesting point
James Blake is one of the top US tennis players on the ATP tour, and he’s also mofo’in smart; dude graduated from Harvard. Aside from a few years where he was top 10 player (foiled many a time by Rodger Federer), his play has been less than stellar (for a top player, at least). This has largely been attributed to his being too smart and overthinking things.
Of course, drawing comparisons between tennis players and football players may be overly foolish.
by BleedinBlue on Oct 5, 2009 5:09 PM PDT up reply actions 3 recs
rec’ing because I believe this is the first time I have made an “interesting point” on this blog!
by RemorsefulBruinBabe on Oct 5, 2009 5:14 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
People at Cal like Tedford because he is really smart – but I think that he suffers from this as well. When he articulated his reason for attempting the field goal with 12 seconds left in the first half, it almost made sense. But objectively, it never makes sense to do that.
by Tedfordisgod on Oct 5, 2009 9:24 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I don't agree
but I do concur.
www.californiagoldenblogs.com
by CBKWit on Oct 6, 2009 2:45 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I don't concur
but I do conquer.
What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. What happens in California makes the world go round.
by Spazzy Mcgee on Oct 6, 2009 2:53 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
These two weeks have been like finding out the love of your life is cheating on you
Its going to take some time for me to re-define my expectations. You can’t expect people to feel better the Monday after something like this.
Yes, I will eventually feel the way I did when I attended Cal during the late 90s, and will be content just to see my team play. But it’ll take a while before I don’t regret spending all the money to fly up to Berkeley, get a hotel, spend money on new Cal gear….etc
Tickets: $71 incl fees
Airfare: $160
Hotel: $130
New Cal gear: $50
Just coming up for the game, not including other entertainment and food, cost me over $400.
At CGB, we whine because we care
by dballisloose on Oct 5, 2009 5:08 PM PDT reply actions 1 recs
On the other hand, what would you have spend the $400 alternatively? That’s the big thing, the opportunity cost.
Email: bearsnecessities@gmail.com
by Avinash on Oct 5, 2009 5:11 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Maybe tickets to take my wife to Hawaii?
At CGB, we whine because we care
by dballisloose on Oct 5, 2009 5:29 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Or I could spend the $400 on a new XBox and a handful of games?
At CGB, we whine because we care
by dballisloose on Oct 5, 2009 10:23 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I was in Hawaii for the Oregon game
that dulled the pain
I was in the stands, though, for last week’s game. I yelled my heart out and gave myself a splitting headache in the process.
How can you not love a team that does this?
by LovinBlue on Oct 7, 2009 9:20 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Dude, you met me. Priceless. STFU.
YOU SHOOK MY HAND!
President Emperor Warlord Of The Sun!
www.CaliforniaGoldenBlogs.com
by TwistNHook on Oct 5, 2009 5:18 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
And probably washed it repeatedly as soon as possible.
dboneisloose
by HolmoePhobe on Oct 5, 2009 5:19 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
"Cleanest hands in America.... Unless your Twist"
I hear El Paso is beautiful in December....
by CruzinBears on Oct 5, 2009 5:22 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
You gave me the limpest fucking handshake EVAR. Handshake PHAIL.
At CGB, we whine because we care
by dballisloose on Oct 5, 2009 5:28 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
YOU LIE!
President Emperor Warlord Of The Sun!
www.CaliforniaGoldenBlogs.com
by TwistNHook on Oct 5, 2009 6:28 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I agree. I’m exhausted from this shitty weekend and today absolutely sucked.
I don’t regret it for a single moment. But it’s still a pretty shitty monday.
by nickle on Oct 5, 2009 5:30 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I’m just glad the only game I was planning to travel for this season was against Minnesota.
CGB: Wasting Your Potential, Your Time, & Your Life Since 2006.
by BearStage on Oct 5, 2009 7:37 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Let’s see:
$90 on gas to and from Oregon
$180 for tix for the USC game
$24 for parking car at SeaTac
Total for losses: $294
$271 for tix for Maryland game
$31 for parking car at SeaTac
$270 for flight tix to Minnesota
$73 for hotel room in Minnestoa
$24 for parking car at SeaTac
Total for victories: $669
Total spent due to my obsession with Cal football: $963
Damn
In other words, Go Bears!
by royrules22 on Oct 5, 2009 9:40 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
At least you didn’t pay as much to see Cal lose. And hey, experiences like the CGB tailgate are priceless.
So, basically, you gotta Go Bears!
by ragnarok on Oct 5, 2009 10:15 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
YOU GOT TO SHAKE MY HAND!!
President Emperor Warlord Of The Sun!
www.CaliforniaGoldenBlogs.com
by TwistNHook on Oct 5, 2009 10:37 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
You need a traveling buddy so you can halve some of those costs.
CGB: Wasting Your Potential, Your Time, & Your Life Since 2006.
by BearStage on Oct 6, 2009 12:34 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Hear, hear!
I agree, and I drive from Chico for the games.
by DavidF on Oct 5, 2009 8:03 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
I think there's just too much expectation...
…not over the team’s prospects, but over the crowd’s.
Memorial Stadium will never be a “loud” stadium. It just won’t. That statement isn’t a condemnation, it’s simply fact.
There are two factors in crowd noise: the stadium itself, and the people that inhabit it. Some stadiums have the architecture working for them, giving an advantage: The Horseshoe. The Swamp. Rocky Top. In these kind of stadiums, the sound really has nowhere to go but down onto the field. Plus, these teams have a rabid fan base, so that just puts them over the top. Other open-style stadiums depend on their amazing fan base to make all that noise. The Rose Bowl. The Coliseum. Autzen Stadium. (well, they have a little help from the architecture, but you get the point)
Cal doesn’t have a fancy super-high stadium, so we must rely on our fan base – and there’s the issue. Cal has never had, doesn’t have, and probably never will have the kind of fan base to make ear-splitting, thunderous noise. The thing is, we’re just not that kind of school. I mean, look at Oregon, Florida, Tennessee, Ohio State – what else is going at those places? Fuck-all, that’s what. College football is the only show in town – there is literally nothing else to get excited about. No arts, no sports, nothing that requires actual interest. So these places develop an incredibly rabid fan base, who by and large never leave town and live and die on the fortunes of these teams.
This sort of fanbase just won’t develop at Cal. There’s no much to do in the Bay Area, and more importantly, our student and alumni base is just too damned diverse and too damned interested in the world around them to focus their everything on a single sporting team. Are there some of us who are rabid fans? I still don’t think that Cal rabid fans are of the same caliber as Texas rabid fans, pretty much because we have interesting lives that by definition cannot revolve 100% around Cal football.
CGB: Wasting Your Potential, Your Time, & Your Life Since 2006.
by BearStage on Oct 5, 2009 8:20 PM PDT reply actions 3 recs
I don't know if I demand too much of Cal crowd noise
But I remember Tennessee 07 as pretty damned loud, and the Maryland game (section south of the band) sounded pretty loud too.
I understand that outside of the student section you’ll have families with kids what want to watch the game, hence sitting down, or older folks without the physical or vocal stamina, but the student section? That section spans the south 15 yard line to the north 35, probably some of the best seats in college football. Freshman, in Unit 3 at least, are given a 1 night introduction with Cal football starting with the video of the play. We have mic men addressing our student section. We have a rally committee (stupid, stupid, exclusive cult like committee whose job is apparently to suck at rallying the crowd). Does it really take that much to get the student section rocking? Especially with the premium seats we get; this is a privilege that DEMANDS some effort on the part of the students.
I expect the student section to be rocking. I know it can be. I’ve heard it, felt it, seen it. I’ve been outside the stadium and remarking at how loud our crowd was. I mean, come on! How many of us have taken crap from USC fans, fans without a college affiliation that can pick a winning program and have it easy?
But maybe you’re right. Maybe we have too many fair weather student “fans”. Maybe student ticket prices should be upped to dissuade these people. Either that, or rally comm and mic men need to start doing their jobs.
Speaking of which, maybe we should set up a Google spreadsheet and grade them too, then send the results to whoever’s in charge.
by BleedinBlue on Oct 5, 2009 8:38 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
On this note…the fact we are one of the few schools that still puts the students at the 50 makes it seem really loud. Also, everyone has old alumni, so we shouldn’t consider ourselves too unique in that way. I think over the next 25 years or so Memorial will get a lot louder. Why? Alums are much more likely to buy tickets if the team was good when they were in school. The team has been good for quite a while now. Gamedays are a lot more fun than they were 10 or 15 years ago, rather than just being death marches for diehards.
But IMO, Memorial will never be one of the loudest stadiums in the country but like some other stadiums that have a reputation for not being loud (Texas, Michigan) it always seems to be plenty loud when it needs to be.
I think Ted Miller on his live blog of the game Saturday did reference the fact that even in the fourth quarter down 27, pretty much everyone was still there. That to me is just as impressive as teams that would have fans screaming their heads off during the E. Washington game.
by Tedfordisgod on Oct 5, 2009 8:57 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Just a heads up: Freshmen (in Unit 3, at least) aren’t given a 1 night introduction to Cal football (unless this is something that started within the past few years) anymore. Also, Rally Committee isn’t organized to rally fans, they’re organized to put on rallies. You have committees for events, not to get people riled up. However, if you want to grade them, grade the card stunts, the flag waving, the cannon, and the spellout in the front of the student section, because that’s what they do for games.
by Yes We Cannon on Oct 5, 2009 9:43 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Must've just been my year, then.
That would’ve been 2004. Come to think of it, I guess it was organized by the Hall Association. Eh, and Kate Troescher was the Security Coordinator for my building, so that might’ve had something to do with it.
Damn. I miss Kate. Best mic woman, ever.
In any case, I’m thinking that grading the mic men might be a good idea. I see people screaming at the mic men all the time, but do they get any real feedback from fans?
by BleedinBlue on Oct 5, 2009 10:12 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
do they get any real feedback from fans?
You mean constructive feedback? Probably not.
So, basically, you gotta Go Bears!
by ragnarok on Oct 5, 2009 10:16 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
We were only a year apart in Unit 3, and yeah, Kate would’ve been the difference. Fun fact: Kate was in Rally Committee before she became a mic woman.
Also, I know at least a few of the mic men read CGB somewhat regularly. I don’t know how in depth they read it or whether they mine through the clusterfuck that is the DBD, but they’ve likely seen some of the criticisms. If it helps, I have no idea.
by Yes We Cannon on Oct 6, 2009 8:14 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Kate was my RA
I asked her on a date. She declined.
www.californiagoldenblogs.com
by CBKWit on Oct 6, 2009 4:14 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Also Chris – the guy who does all the time-out contests and whatnot – was an awesome mic man. One of the best I’ve heard. Also a fun guy, we ran in the same circles freshman year.
CGB: Wasting Your Potential, Your Time, & Your Life Since 2006.
by BearStage on Oct 7, 2009 1:18 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Maybe student ticket prices should be upped to dissuade these people.
That’s the most stupid suggestion anyone has made so far. Maybe you should consider the fan base is what it is. BearStage is spot on in his assessment of the average Cal student/fan. One of the great things about our university is that the students are so diverse, and so interested in the world around them, that their life doesn’t revolve around just corn and football.
At CGB, we whine because we care
by dballisloose on Oct 5, 2009 10:30 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
The suggestion was meant to be more flippant than you took it to be
And was seriously discussed earlier on CGB. I’m frustrated and didn’t meant for the suggestion to be an insult. My bad.
Furthermore, I agree that it’s a good thing that Cal fans are a diverse bunch, but that doesn’t mean they can’t learn when and when not to cheer, and when and when not to make noise. That’s selling the student body short.
by BleedinBlue on Oct 5, 2009 10:57 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Well, the only exception I can think of are the LA schools. There’s tons of everything to do in Los Angeles, but both those schools have long winning traditions (USC in football, UCLA somewhat in football, but there’s a lot of basketball carryover) that fuels the rabidity of their respective fanbases, hence the loudness of their stadiums. But I think that’s much more the exception than the rule.
CGB: Wasting Your Potential, Your Time, & Your Life Since 2006.
by BearStage on Oct 6, 2009 12:45 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Eh….USC fans are not really that rabid. Entitled yes, rabid no.
Email: bearsnecessities@gmail.com
by Avinash on Oct 6, 2009 1:08 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
They may not be rabid, but the Coliseum gets looooud.
CGB: Wasting Your Potential, Your Time, & Your Life Since 2006.
by BearStage on Oct 6, 2009 3:09 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Once every six games (usually against big teams, like Ohio State or their rivals). They’ll get up for the UCLA game this season and that’s it.
Email: bearsnecessities@gmail.com
by Avinash on Oct 6, 2009 3:14 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Maybe the Collesium gets loud because they WIN
And the Collesium is filled up with a healthy mix of entitled pricks and loud vocal thugs, who just go to the games because LA doesn’t have a professional team and they live 2 blocks away anyway.
At CGB, we whine because we care
by dballisloose on Oct 6, 2009 9:17 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
loud vocal thugs
That’s no way to talk about the fraternity members!
by DC Trojan on Oct 6, 2009 2:38 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
eh, it's not that loud
Having attended very big games in the coliseum, husky stadium, autzen, and memorial, I would place the coliseum last. Husky stadium trumps autzen, in my experience as well. And the rose bowl…please.
www.californiagoldenblogs.com
by CBKWit on Oct 6, 2009 4:30 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I would actually rate it Autzen > Husky >> Memorial > Coliseum >> Rose Bowl.
So, basically, you gotta Go Bears!
by ragnarok on Oct 6, 2009 7:00 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
>>Funeral parlor>>Furd Stadium
Email: bearsnecessities@gmail.com
by Avinash on Oct 6, 2009 8:01 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
You experience a lot of cheering at Funeral Parlors??
President Emperor Warlord Of The Sun!
www.CaliforniaGoldenBlogs.com
by TwistNHook on Oct 6, 2009 8:20 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
“I haven’t seen this many tear-stained dollar bills since my dad hired a stripper for my uncle’s funeral.”
They’re probably be some cheering – at the very least, catcalls.
CGB: Wasting Your Potential, Your Time, & Your Life Since 2006.
by BearStage on Oct 7, 2009 1:22 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
They’reThere’d
CGB: Wasting Your Potential, Your Time, & Your Life Since 2006.
by BearStage on Oct 7, 2009 1:22 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Really? The times I went to the Rose Bowl and the Coliseum, both seemed louder than Memorial.
CGB: Wasting Your Potential, Your Time, & Your Life Since 2006.
by BearStage on Oct 7, 2009 1:20 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
well, the coliseum was pretty loud for the 2004 Cal game
but really, only at then end for the goal line stand and they were using piped in music. I think Memorial was louder at its best (Oregon 2006) than that, but perhaps I’m wrong.
The rose bowl isn’t even in the conversation, in my opinion.
www.californiagoldenblogs.com
by CBKWit on Oct 7, 2009 10:02 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I've been to Husky stadium when they were good
beating #3 Miami in 2001. My brother went to Autzen for the Michigan game 5 or 6 years ago, when they set an attendance record. Both of us say Husky stadium is louder.
www.californiagoldenblogs.com
by CBKWit on Oct 7, 2009 10:00 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Those raccoons of Yosemite High, though.
by Yes We Cannon on Oct 6, 2009 8:18 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Sigh. Even UCLA had a bit of a funk last year.
I have a good friend at UCLA who is a pretty rabid fan, rabid to the point of being insufferable. He was complaining about lack of fan enthusiasm at the games last year and it was one of the few football related items we both agreed with. Then again, to be clear, I’m talking about student support at games. I acknowledge that UCLA and USC, due to their winning traditions, have a wider appeal to rabid fans who are not college students. But, even if the greater Cal fanbase isn’t football rabid, I feel like there’s enough tradition (and it doesn’t have to be football tradition! Simple school spirit will do) for there to be an expectation for the students to have some school pride and support the team through cheering and making noise at the games.
I guess what I’m saying is this: I could care less if the entire stadium is loud, but the student section should have a bit more pride and get things rocking. If the students don’t even care, and if the Bay Area doesn’t care enough, do we even deserve a top 25 football team, much less talented recruits and College Gameday? Ivan Maisel’s comment rings in my head: “Berkeley football. Who cares?”
by BleedinBlue on Oct 6, 2009 1:15 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Just to add one thing, I’ve heard that part of the Memorial Stadium renovation will involve lowering the field several feet, which, at least in my sketchy, pop-science understanding of acoustics, will make it easier to trap sound in our enclosed bowl. More fans shouting down on the field, fewer shouting across and over them.
OK, and one more thing. Remembering my time in band, I was always surprised when I went down on the field for halftime shows and such before the half was over at just how loud it is down there. A good bit louder than you can tell from the stands, especially if you’re high up and behind most of the people yelling directionally.
So, basically, you gotta Go Bears!
by ragnarok on Oct 5, 2009 8:59 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
If only we could convert some of the Black Hole
and distribute those guys (sans Kiss outfits) throughout the stadium to get it rockin’
How can you not love a team that does this?
by LovinBlue on Oct 7, 2009 9:22 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I have struggled a bit the last two weeks
There is much about this team, and what happened that I do not understand, but these things I am relatively certain of…
1. I went to CAL because it is a great university, and I strongly believe in public education. Although I played football, I knew there was little calling for 5’11", 245 lbs. guards (at least those not named Fuzzy Thurston or Jerry Kramer), even in the seventies. Whether the team wins or loses does not change my pride in the institution all of us have help build, and that gave me an unmatched education, at an unmatched price (total tuition for 4 years, just over $2,500).
2. I love college football. Although it is sacriledge on this board, I came of age in college football during the Plunkett, Bunce and Borelya (sp?) years for Stanford in the late 1960s and early 1970s. I remember admiring Texas (I had a picture of Tommy Nobis on my wall), Nebraska, and the great Michigan teams. I love it because it is played by kids, most of which know that this is their last chance to play football. I love the environment, the mistakes, the heroic efforts, and the fact that teams beat teams they are not supposed to.
3. I believe that Tedford is the right coach for CAL. He is ethical, has improved graduation rates, and (although not publically — which I think is a good thing) I believe he holds his players accountable. I do not care that he does not yell in public. Although no one is entitled to their job for life (Bobby Bowden should have been gone awhile ago), I want to see Tedford continue to mold his teams. I see him learning every year, and it will take everything he learned from 2007 to have this team ready for UCLA. We will find out a lot about the man, and the team on the 17th.
4. I will be more upset if CAL ever loses its ranking as the top public university, than I will with any football loss.
5. What Silver said last week struck a cord with me — I want to see the team “play the kind of tough, focused and unrelenting football that is befitting of our great University.”
6. I will be in the Rose Bowl on the 17th, and I will make noise until my voice gives out.
Go Bears.
by GoldenBear 77 on Oct 6, 2009 9:00 AM PDT reply actions 6 recs
Thanks
Here are some things I would use to evaluate the program:
1. is it world-class, like the rest of the university?
2. are the players growing to their potential as athletes, and as students?
3. is the football team complementing the other departments and the broader objectives of the institution? (rather than under-mining them)
4. is it run with class and consistent with the highest ethical standards?
I’m on the wrong coast so not close enough to say, but it seems like good marks on all of these. Sure, Rose Bowl is awesome, but if they take care of 1 – 4 the team will have its opportunity to compete for it regularly, which is all an athlete can ask for.
jh
by Jake88 on Oct 6, 2009 9:42 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
“I love it because it is played by kids, most of which know that this is their last chance to play football. I love the environment, the mistakes, the heroic efforts, and the fact that teams beat teams they are not supposed to.”
That is exactly why I love college football (college sports in general) more than professional sports… Also, I love the fact that these kids are playing for their education (ok not the Joe “I need $” McKnight types)…
Also, “I believe that Tedford is the right coach for CAL. He is ethical, has improved graduation rates, and (although not publically — which I think is a good thing) I believe he holds his players accountable[…] I see him learning every year, and it will take everything he learned from 2007 to have this team ready for UCLA. We will find out a lot about the man, and the team on the 17th.” are the main reasons I really like Tedford as a coach…
I’m glad my feelings are shared with Old Blues, even though I’m only 23 haha
I hear El Paso is beautiful in December....
by CruzinBears on Oct 6, 2009 9:45 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I don't think we're going to learn anything on the 17th
Really, what is playing on the road at UCLA going to teach us about Tedford or the team? At this point, we should know better than to expect anything extraordinary. Sorry if I sound bitter but I’d hate for you to continue to get your hopes crushed again.
At CGB, we whine because we care
by dballisloose on Oct 6, 2009 9:54 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
dballisloose, was trying to think of something snappy...but...
All I can come up with is that I have seen too many extraordinary things happen in my days as a Blue (Vince Ferragamo to Steve Sweeney in the end zone to win the 1972 Big Game, Joe Roth playing with cancer, Aaron Rodgers with 22 straight completions at USC, Marshawn on two bad ankles winning the game in overtime over Washington, Riley’s touchdown passes in the Armed Forces Bowl, etc., etc.) not to want to be there when it happens again (and it will). I simply can’t let an attitude I control take that away from me. As Jimmy Buffet says, “You have to take the weather with you.”
by GoldenBear 77 on Oct 6, 2009 10:13 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I’ll be there at the Rose Bowl, cheering and shouting as loud as I can, just as I did during the USC game. I’m not one of the quiet ones just taking up a seat.
I’m just trying to be realistic, as I encourage everyone to be going forward. Hopeful? Yes. Naive? Not anymore.
At CGB, we whine because we care
by dballisloose on Oct 6, 2009 10:46 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
dballisloose, you never sounded naive to me...
Disappointed, Yes.
by GoldenBear 77 on Oct 6, 2009 11:11 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Thanks. But I feel like I’ve been really naive. In hindsight I should have kept my emotions and expectations in check leading into the season.
At CGB, we whine because we care
by dballisloose on Oct 6, 2009 1:54 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
But are you any worse off for having high expectations?
We’ve all been here before, dreams get crushed on the reg as Cal fans, but why not enjoy the good times and the potential when its there, and believe in the come back, or an W in LA, or a far off Rose Bowl…
I can deal with disappointment, I’ve grown used to it. But I’d much rather be hopeful and believe everytime the opportunity presents itself, then sit there and be pessimistic about the Bears future, so at the end of the day I can say, well I at least expected this… Fuck that… I’m no better off by doing that, as I am no way worse off by believing Cal can win every game the rest of the season and being disappointed in the end… Its no skin off my back… Personally I think its A LOT more fun to believe and cheer like the Rose Bowl is on the line every game regardless
I hear El Paso is beautiful in December....
by CruzinBears on Oct 7, 2009 8:32 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Coaching Talent
The UCLA game will tell us what our coaching staff is made of. If you’ve got talented players (and we DO have that) that aren’t winning games, it’s up to the coaches to a) figure out what’s wrong, and b) solve it (Okay, I thought I’d have a longer list; if I’d known it was just two points I’d probably not have done the a, b thing….). If you’re QB doesn’t have time to throw, change o-line personnel or call some roll-outs to give him more time. If your lightening fast running back isn’t effective between the tackles (HELL-O!!!!!!) do some counter plays or an option where he gets the ball on the outside and zips past the corners. If instead you keep calling the same stale plays that are losing you games (and you better believe UCLA will stack the box……………………………………………again), then you shouldn’t be coaching at this level. REALLY good coaches are effective at making those changes during halftime. At this point, any similarities between future games and the USC/UO games has to fall on the coaches.
I'd like to smell the Roses before I die.
by BTown85 on Oct 7, 2009 9:11 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Hear hear!
Even with no ranking (damn not even any votes), no heisman, no Rose Bowl, back-to-back crushing losses, playcalling that drove me a little bit insane, seeing Riley run out the clock in a 3pt loss on the cusp of #1, watching Nate throw off his backfoot to clinch a 7 game slide at Washington in 10 degree weather in Seattle,…
GODDAMIT I WILL STILL ROOT FOR THESE BEARS and continue to have high hopes and faith in them each and every single time. After all, it’s love. And love lasts a lifetime.
by since1997 on Oct 6, 2009 11:57 AM PDT up reply actions 3 recs
Guilty
I definitely could have been louder … I spent most of the first quarter looking for friends, occasionally yelling when USC was on offense, but I really needed my guy friends nearby in order to be terrifyingly loud. I’m an early yeller (I don’t really like the clapping on 3rd down deal; I’d prefer to start yelling while the opposing team is in the huddle) and once I start, it triggers the guys and usually the people in front as well. So, any loss of volume in the 1st quarter was partially my bad. Once I got settled in, I yelled, but then — we missed that field goal!
So I didn’t boo and I didn’t leave early, but I definitely could’ve done a better job as a fan (which means meeting my friends before the game instead of expecting to find them quickly in a crowd of 71K. Duh. Stupid.) I spanned half-Holmoe, half-Tedford, and am wholly pessimistic by nature (which is why I balance Nonymous Bear, who annually plots out Cal’s road to the national championship), so I have built-in defenses against Cal football hurting me too much; I never want to feel as awful as I did after Big Game 2000.
And I love the Bears. I road trip to LA and face the annual hostility (and, well, futility). I wear those bear paw face stickers. I skip out of Bengali pujas to cheer them on at Memorial. I’m a staunch Tedford gal. I helped my roommate plaster our living room with Cal posters going back to 1990 (we have a lot of wall space). I helped her make football t-shirts since the official ones are, again, kind of lame. And GoldenBear 77 put it much better than I could ever have.
Go Bears! I’ll come to the games and cheer you on no matter where you are in the Top 25 (or, uh, if you’re out of it altogether)! I have short-term amnesia and hold no grudges for what may or may not have happened last week! I really dislike going to LA, especially because they’re responsible for Roscoe’s, so help me help you … and Go Bears! Beat the Bruins!
by kolwave on Oct 7, 2009 11:34 AM PDT reply actions 2 recs
What do you have against chicken and waffles? It’s a classic combination!
CGB: Wasting Your Potential, Your Time, & Your Life Since 2006.
by BearStage on Oct 7, 2009 1:32 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I was always skeptical...
Then I tried a forkful of waffle, fried chicken, syrup, and roscoe’s hot sauce…
My life changed at that very moment…
I hear El Paso is beautiful in December....
by CruzinBears on Oct 7, 2009 3:57 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I condemned it without ever trying it. But given your protest, and the fact that Gussie’s opened around the corner from my apartment building, maybe I should give it a go. I mean, I cooked chicken with blueberry ice cream once — it came out oddly sweet — so clearly I have no intrinsic principles about pairing chicken and sugar. It’s just … waffles! The perfect breakfast food! Why on earth would you ever add chicken?!
by kolwave on Oct 8, 2009 4:47 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Because you are missing out on the epitome of comfort food….
If ever at Roscoe’s, I’d recommend the main special (one giant waffle, and one giant brest of fried chicken) and a side of macaroni and cheese, I can guarantee you will love it, your heart? that’s another story…
I hear El Paso is beautiful in December....
by CruzinBears on Oct 8, 2009 5:02 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Great stuff. I’ve heard pujas are off the hook though.
Email: bearsnecessities@gmail.com
by Avinash on Oct 7, 2009 1:59 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I’ve heard they are off the chian.
President Emperor Warlord Of The Sun!
www.CaliforniaGoldenBlogs.com
by TwistNHook on Oct 7, 2009 2:14 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
… yeah …
For Durga Puja ‘09, I left the city and went to a Berkeley temple and helped out in the morning, skipped out on the puja and caught BART back to SF and watched the Cal-Oregon game at a sports bar (wearing a salwar), returned to Berkeley in time for anjali, and finally back to SF to watch the USC-WSU game. I was hoping the Bears (or, the goddess Durga) would reward me for the dual devotion with a ’W’ but … oh well …
by kolwave on Oct 8, 2009 4:52 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I’ve wanted to get ahold of either high kwality photos of the posters or her posters themselves to scan them in for a while now. That’s like a treasure trove of Cal history!!!
President Emperor Warlord Of The Sun!
www.CaliforniaGoldenBlogs.com
by TwistNHook on Oct 7, 2009 2:15 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Cheer up NB, I'll email the compiled msgs of support to Cal Athletics later today
Decided to share part of my conversation with Nonymous Bear as he obsessively tracked his first FanPost (by proxy):
I got a “seal of approval”!!!!
…
I want people to respond to my message of hope and faith!
…
Did I get a 2nd positive comment?
Yes, I did.
Am I going to tell you everytime I get a new comment?
Yes, I am.
[kolwave:]
Are you convincing me to post your jubilant comments as comments to the post?
Yes, yes you are.
…
[kolwave:]
I told you you’d get inanity. 76 comments and counting, better than I thought.
Yeah, but few of them are even partially related to my post anymore, and my great plan to start a Cal football love-in revolution has failed.
…
I shall never post again!
Nonymous Bear will go hibernate.
by kolwave on Oct 7, 2009 12:03 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Nooooooooooo!
Tell him it’s all Twist’s fault.
Email: bearsnecessities@gmail.com
by Avinash on Oct 7, 2009 2:04 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Thoughts after reading the thread
1. A loud crowd is not something our players necessarily ‘deserve.’ I want people to be loud, because it helps the team win. Having said that, when the team does very very little to prompt any loudness, they’re not going to get it and I’m not going to feel sorry for them. Every other team on campus other than men’s basketball and women’s basketball (when Stanfurd comes to Berkeley) have to play with no real crowd support the majority of the time.
2. I actually think the crowd was louder than the players ‘earned.’ When USC had consecutive 3rd and 4th downs, the gold zone was much louder than it typically was, and everybody stood up, which is also rare, particularly when Cal is losing 17-0. During the 1st series, Cal fans were plenty loud and it didn’t stop USC from running all over Cal’s defense. And frankly, we’re pulling out hair for no good reason – Cal could have been as the loudest stadium in college history and and the Bears still would have lost, probably still decisively.
3. The booing is different. While loud cheering isn’t a birthright of being a football player for Cal, neither is getting booed. It will never be justified to boo a Cal player unless he’s a felon . . . which makes it very unlikely that he would still be on the team. But I’m sure that everyone booing was just “booing Tedford, not the players.” Sure.
4. As closely as I follow (or, more accurately, obsess) over our teams, I’ve been making a very conscious effort to avoid anger after a loss – weather that anger is directed at players, coaches, opposing fans or our own fans (USC band excepted). I want my football to be fun, dammit. The Oregon game sucked. But I got to spend the 2nd half at a bar with fellow Cal fans. The USC game sucked. But the CGB tailgate was a blast. Hell, I even enjoyed making sarcastic comments towards our team with rollonubears. Consequently, I’m significantly happier than I was a year ago after we lost in Arizona, or when Texas Tech almost ruined my day when I was on a cruise in the Caribbean. And, I’m still anticipating being able to watch us play UCLA and be reasonably happy afterwards. . . or at least not crushed.
The #1 greatest threat to America: BEARS
by norcalnick on Oct 7, 2009 10:56 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Dude, Saturday was pretty good times. It is comforting having another knowledgeable person nearby. Better then loogie guy that sits behind us.
All aboard the Jahvid Best rickshaw!
by rollonubears on Oct 9, 2009 11:31 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
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