Women’s B-Ball has a great new class:

The California Golden Bear’s Women’s Basketball and head coach Joanne Boyle announced the signing of three California athletes to National Letters of Intent. Guards Afure Jemerigbe, Mikayla Lyles, and Lindsay Sherbert will all be wearing the Blue and Gold at Haas Pavilion next season. They look to join Rachelle Federico, Layshia Clarendon, and Eliza Pierre on the perimeter for the Bears.

It is another strong recruiting class for the Golden Bears, ranked at No. 7 overall by ESPN Hoop Gurlz and by Blue Star Basketball. Two of the Cal recruits, Jemerigbe and Sherbert, are ranked in the top-30 overall by ESPN HoopGurlz. Jemerigbe is ranked No. 15 overall and is the No. 2 shooting guard with Sherbert ranked No. 29 overall and at No. 6 among the small forwards. In Blue Star Basketball rankings, Sherbert is ranked as the No. 10 overall recruit and Jemerigbe once again is No. 15. In CalHiSports rankings of the top prep players in the state of California, Sherbert ranks fourth and Jemerigbe eighth. Mikayla Lyles ranks 18th on the CalHiSports rankings and ranks No. 41 in her position on the ESPN HoopGurlz rankings.

Afure Jemerigbe, a 6-0 guard, plays at Saint Mary’s High School in Stockton, Calif. where the Rams went 31-3 in 2008-09 and defeated Inglewood, 71-62, to claim the California Interscholastic Federation Division II state title. Jemerigbe averaged 15.3 points and 8.0 rebounds per contest and is a three-time All-State honoree. Afure also enjoyed a successful club team career for NorCal Elite.

“Afure is one of the top combo guards in the country,” said Boyle. “She is an extremely athletic and physical player with great rebounding skills and the versatility to play multiple positions. She is a slasher who can really get to the rim. Afure knows how to win. She’ll be a great addition to our backcourt next season.”

Women’s B-Ball takes on Idaho State this Sunday at 5:

The No. 13/18 California Golden Bears open up the 2009-10 season with a three-game homestand. First up for the Bears will be the season-opener against the Idaho State Bengals followed by a Tuesday, Nov. 17 showdown against Contra Costa County’s Saint Mary’s Gaels. The homestand concludes on Sunday, Nov. 22 when the Bears host the No. 4/7 Baylor Bears.

The Bears are looking for their seventh consecutive victory in the home opener. Last season, Cal christened the 2008-09 season with a 63-39 victory over Albany. Cal hasn’t dropped a home opener since the 2002-03 season when they fell 56-49 to Rutgers.

Since the 2003-04, Cal has only lost one non-Conference home games, going 34-1 against teams outside the Pac-10 while playing at Haas. There are several ticket promotions running for the game. There will be free Admission for all youth (12th grade and younger). Also, if you show your ticket stub from the Cal-Arizona football game, you will receive one free admission to the game. These promotions are good for the general admission seats. This season, Haas Pavilion will feature more reserved seats for women’s basketball games with sections 1,2, and 3 as well as 15, 16, and 17 all being reserved seats.

Sunday’s game will also feature a post game autograph session with the team.

It will be a different looking team this season in the blue and gold. Cal returns just five players, three of them members of the 2008-09 starting lineup. Senior guard Alexis Gray-Lawson averaged 12.2 points per game last season, earning her first team All-Pac-10 honors and an honorable mention for AP All-American honors. Senior guard Natasha Vital, one of the Pac-10’s leading point guards, was an All-Pac-10 and Pac-10 All-Defensive team honorable mention each of the last two seasons. Senior guard Lauren Greif is the leading returning rebounder. She averaged 5.4 boards per game in 2008-09.

Mens Swimming does well against Stanford:

BERKELEY, CALIF. – The California men’s swimming team performed extremely well in its Triple-Distance Meet versus Stanford Wednesday, Nov. 11 at Spieker Aquatics Complex. Junior Nathan Adrian (sprint freestyle), sophomores Nolan Koon (breaststroke) and Martin Liivamagi (IM) and freshman Tom Shields (butterfly) won their specialty groups, while the Golden Bears captured 11 of the meet’s 18 individual events and placed first in the 200 medley and 200 free relays as well. Adrian, the 2009 NCAA champion in the 50 and 100 free, also set a new Spieker Aquatics Complex record in the 50 free with a time of 19.19, topping the old record of 19.39 set by Stanford’s Ben Wildman-Tobriner on Feb. 10, 2007.

In a Triple-Distance Meet, athletes divide into specialty groups and compete with one another in three races to determine a specialty champion in each of swimming’s six event domains: sprinters (50, 100, 200 free), distance swimmers (200, 500, 1000 free), butterflyers (50, 100, 200 butterfly), breaststrokers (50, 100, 200 breaststroke), backstrokers (50, 100, 200 backstroke) and individual medlyists (100, 200, 400 IM).

In individual races, Adrian not only set the Spieker Aquatics Complex record in the 50 free, but won the 100 free (42.77) and 200 free (1:41.54). Koon had an impressive win in the 200 breast (2:02.36), while Shields defeated defending NCAA champ Austin Staab in the 100 fly (48.57). Liivamagi captured the 100 IM (50.28), 200 IM (1:49.49) and 400 IM (3:59.75). Junior Damir Dugonjic, the defending NCAA champion in the 100 breast, won the meet’s 50 breast (25.07) and 100 breast (55.52).

Men’s Water Polo hosts Pacific:

Bear Bites: No. 2 Cal men’s water polo (18-4, 5-1) continues its quest for another national title as the Golden Bears host No. 15 Pacific (12-13, 0-6) in an MPSF match Saturday, Nov. 14 at 10:30 a.m. at Spieker Aquatics Complex, before traveling to No. 13 Santa Clara (17-10) Sunday, Nov. 15 for a 12 p.m. match. The Golden Bears, who own an NCAA record 13 national water polo titles, will be looking to build on their seven-match winning streak and set up for a showdown with Stanford at the Nov. 21 Big Splash at Stanford (2 p.m.). Of the Bears’ four losses this season, three have come in the hands of defending NCAA champion USC (whom Cal upended in the 2006 and 2007 national championship). Cal’s other loss was 8-7 to Stanford, Sept. 20 at the NorCal Invite at Stanford. However, the Bears have the distinction of handing the Cardinal their lone loss of the year, 10-8, in the semifinals of the UCI Invite Oct. 11. Cal has had three MPSF Player of the Week accolades this season – sophomore Cory Nasoff Sept. 8, junior center Zach White Oct. 12 and sophomore goalie Wil Toppen Oct. 19.

Cal Standouts: Everist’s troops feature senior captains Spencer Warden and Mike Sample, and juniors Brian Dudley and Zach White – all members of the Bears’ 2007 NCAA championship team. Warden and Dudley notched scores during the 8-6 win over USC in the `07 final. Warden, a three-time All-American, garnered second-team All-America honors last year after leading Cal with 40 goals and 68 steals; while Dudley was an honorable mention All-American after scoring 28 goals, including a match-winning shot in overtime at Long Beach State. The Bears also feature sophomore attacker Nasoff, who earned this season’s first MPSF Player of the Week honor when he notched 11 goals in three Navy Open matches. Cal’s other MPSF Players of the Week this season were Toppen when he tallied nine saves in the Bears’ 7-6 road victory at UCLA, and junior center White, who had four goals apiece in both the Loyola Marymount and Stanford wins, and had nine ejections earned in three of the four UCI Invitational matches.

VBall to be the most electrifying home ticket this side of watching danzig save the economy (that good enough for ya, danzy??):

BERKELEY – The Golden Bears close out their regular-season home schedule with matches against Oregon State and No. 16 Oregon this weekend. Cal hopes to build off a five-set upset of Washington on the road and extend its three-match winning streak before completing the year with three matches away from Haas Pavilion. Senior outside hitter Hana Cutura was named Pac-10 Player of the Week for the second time this season and became the only repeat honoree of 2009 after she led the Bears to two pivotal conference road wins last week in the Evergreen State. Cutura became Cal’s all-time career kills leader as she passed 20-year record holder Tiffany Rochelle into first with 1,825 kills. Cutura posted new career highs in kills (33) and attacks (77) against the Huskies. Cal seeks its eighth consecutive win against the Beavers and hopes to avenge an earlier loss to the Ducks while in Eugene, Ore.

THE FACTS: The No. 12-ranked California volleyball team (15-8. 8-5 Pac-10) welcomes Oregon State (12-12, 3-9 Pac-10) to Haas Pavilion for a Friday, Nov. 13, match at 7 p.m. PT, this weekend. Then, after a one-day break, the Golden Bears will close the regular-season home schedule against No. 16 Oregon (16-6, 6-6 Pac-10) in a 12:30 p.m. PT match on Sunday, Nov. 15. Cal will honor seniors Hana Cutura, Kristen Kathan and Mindi Wiley in pre-match ceremonies as a part of Senior Day 2009 when the Bears take on the Ducks.

SIGHTS AND SOUNDS: Comcast SportsNet California will be on hand to broadcast the Cal versus Oregon match live on Sunday, Nov. 15 at 12:30 p.m. PT. Dave Cox will call the plays with Krista Blunk providing commentary. Please check your local listings for availability and times of re-broadcasts. Live statistics and streaming video will be available for both matches via links at www.CalBears.com.

Golf gets some good recruits, too:

BERKELEY – Head coach Steve Desimone and the Golden Bears men’s golf program will get an incredible boost next year with the addition of Byeung-Hun (Ben) An, the youngest-ever U.S. Amateur Champion, and Joël Stalter of France to the lineup.

The Korean-born An, 17 years of age and son of Jae-hyung An and Ji-min Cho, defeated Ben Martin of Clemson 7 & 6 in the finals at Southern Hills in Tulsa, Okla., in August for the Amateur title. Other outstanding achievements from An in 2009 include tying for medalist honors at the AJGA Rolex Tournament of Champions, reaching the quarterfinals of the Western Amateur, being selected to the Canon Cup as well as being an AJGA First-Team All-American in 2008.

Coach Desimone said: “What Ben has accomplished so far speaks volume for his talent, work ethic and toughness. We’re very fortunate to have Ben join us, and I say that with a smile. Not only is he the U.S. Amateur Champion but, in terms of personality, he’s got a great sense of humor and a wonderful spirit.”

In addition, Joël Stalter, son of Jean-Jacques and Sophie Statler of Thionville, France, will bring depth to the 2010-2011 Golden Bears roster. Highlights of Stalter in 2009 include finishing tied for sixth in the French Alps professional event Mirabelle d’Or International Open, shooting 70-66-68-68 (16-under), and runner-up in the Grand Prix de Montpellier of France, with scores of 70-68-68 for a 10-under finish.

VBall signs some great new players:

BERKELEY – The California volleyball team has signed prep prospects Adrienne Gehan and Lauren Loerch to the class of 2010, head coach Rich Feller announced today.

Loerch is a 6-2 outside hitter from Georgetown, Texas (Georgetown HS) who played for Austin Performance volleyball club. She was named to the “Next 30” list of Fab 50 Recruits and was the Prep Volleyball No. 23 Senior Ace. She captained her high school team and was selected to the 16-5A District All-Tournament team in 2008 and 2009. She was also a 2008 All-District selection. Loerch also lettered in soccer and received all-academic recognition four times from 2006-08.

“Lauren comes to Cal as a `high-flying’ outside hitter with exceptional athletic ability,” said Feller. “To me, she is a diamond in the rough. She has elected to graduate from high school early and will enroll at Cal this spring. Joining the Bears for our spring training will give Lauren extra time to develop her skills and strength; and will give her a great chance to contribute in her first collegiate season.”

Gehan is a 6-3 opposite hitter from Dallas (Episcopal School of Dallas) who played for the Skyline Juniors volleyball club. She lettered all four years in high school and was a captain and named team MVP in her last three. She was named to the All-Southwest Preparatory Conference team three times and was selected to the All-Texas team. Gehan was named an AAU All-American in 2007 and 2008 and was a top-50 junior recruit as well as Prep Volleyball’s No. 22 Senior Ace. Gehan holds school records in kills in a season and is the record-holder for career kills with 1,870.

How obvi is it that I just don’t care about writing solid DBDs anymore and hope really really hard every morning when I wake up that I won’t have to?

American APparel is doing clothes for the 40th anniversary of Sesame Street. Check out what one of their shirt says:

Not one, not two, but three Tennessee Volunteers were arrested for attempted armed robbery.

Safety Janzen Jackson and receiver Nu’Keese Richardson, two of coach Lane Kiffin’s most prized signees from his first recruiting class, were among three Tennessee football players arrested early Thursday morning in Knoxville on charges of attempted armed robbery.

The third player arrested was also a freshman, defensive back Mike Edwards. It was not immediately clear if the players have attorneys.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=4647094

Biggins writes he isn’t sure where he should go:

Running back Jordon James (Corona, Calif./Corona) will announce Thursday on ESPNU at halftime of the hoops game of the week. Arizona, Cal and UCLA are his final three, but according to one of his coaches at Corona, James still hasn’t decided where he’s going.

“It doesn’t make much sense because they were on him so hard early so I’m going to call down there and see what’s up. Right now, Jordon is pretty confused about where to go and is still thinking through this.

“I just don’t want him to rush in to a decision and have regrets later. It’s still early, it’s only November and if he doesn’t know when he wakes up in the morning, I really hope he considers putting this off until he’s 100 percent sure of it.”

http://insider.espn.go.com/espn/blog/index?name=West_Recruiting&action=login&appRedirect=http%3a%2f%2finsider.espn.go.com%2fespn%2fblog%2findex%3fname%3dWest_Recruiting

haven’t had time to read it yet, but here it is:

http://thebearwillnotquit.blogspot.com/

YO’s Wednesday night post

"It was great to see him and give him a hug," Tedford said. "He just stopped by and got treatment on his back and said hi to the guys. He was moving a little slow, but it was nice to see him up and walking around."

Best didn’t stick around for meetings and practice and hasn’t yet returned to classes, either. Tedford had no idea when Best might return to school.

"I don’t think anybody knows that," Tedford said. "I don’t think with something like this you say, ‘OK, next Tuesday I’m going to class.’ You don’t know. He could feel great tomorrow and want to return. Who knows? It’s really totally how he’s feeling when he returns to anything around here."

Tedford was also asked if Best might be on the sidelines for Saturday’s game.

"It’s totally how he feels," Tedford said. "I’m sure if he feels up to it, he’ll be there. He’ll take it day by day and see how he does. It would be great to have him there, but this is 100 percent on Jahvid and how he feels and how he responds."

Also, Derrick Hill may play on Saturday vs. Arizona, but Anthony Miller is still out.

http://espn.go.com/sportsnation/chat/_/id/29352/ncaa-fb-with-ted-miller

Nasa clears up difference between Movies, Science. (Re:2012)

Not surprisingly the first comments are:
1)the real story is elsewhere on the crazy part of the internets
2)How much funding was wasted on this (a simple FAQ page to reduce panic).

You guys remember the fanpost I made earlier in the year called Statistics and Records for Cal under Tedford right?

Well I’m thinking of making this a yearly feature, but I don’t just want to update it for the sake of updating it. I want to add more information and look at things that perhaps harder to quantify.

In any case I had an idea but for that I need help. I basically need to know who were the best players for Cal for offense, defense and special teams for each year. By best I mean those who started most if not all games, those who are listed as “impact players” by ESPN, All-americans, etc. But also those who might not be the most heralded but definitely has a strong impact to the team (in a game of course). So for example Best and Mohammed last year. This is what I have so far:

2002
Offense: Kyle Boller
Defense:
Special Teams:

2003
Offense:
Defense:
Special Teams:

2004
Offense: Aaron Rodgers, JJ Arrington, Marshawn Lynch
Defense:
Special Teams:

2005
Offense: Marshawn Lynch
Defense:
Special Teams: DeSean Jackson

2006
Offense: Marshawn Lynch, Desean Jackson, Robert Jordan, Lavelle Hawkins, Nate Longshore
Defense: Damieon Hughes, Desmond Bishop, Syd’Quan Thompson, Thomas Decoud, Zack Follet
Special Teams: Desean Jackson, Tom Schnieder, Andrew Larson

2007
Offense: Desean Jackson, Justin Forsett, Robert Jordan, Lavelle Hawkins, Alex Mack
Defense: Thomas Decoud, Syd’Quan Thompson, Zack Follet
Special Teams: DeSean Jackson, Andrew Larson

2008
Offense: Jahvid Best
Defense: Syd’Quan Thompson, Zack Follet, Worell Williams, Anthony Felder, Tyson Alualu
Special Teams: Bryan Anger

2009
Offense: Jahvid Best, Marvin Jones
Defense: Syd’Qyan Thompson, Tyson Alualu
Special Teams: Bryan Anger

I also need to know who the OCs were for each year: Cortez (2002-?), Dunbar (2006), Tedford (2007), Cignetti (2008), Ludwig (2009).

Rishi, just met with my investment advisors. They claim there is no good reason that the stock market is doing well; rather, in spite of all the crap that is going on, the market is doing well because there are few decent places to invest, so people are throwing their money in the market and that is making it go up. They expect a correction, but given that our economy now has a better safety infrastructure, they expect a slower deflating instead of a bubble bursting. Best bet was to move into high-grade non-growth companies who can better handle flat revenue, along with other non-equity investments. Thoughts? Invest only in lemon-drop and motino futures?