Check out the full bracket here.

To check out the original nomination thread, click here. 

For those who love the Hall of Fame and want to track all these posts, click here or right next to the timestamp where it says "Hall of Fame".

This post's matchups: Desean Jackson vs Kyle Boller, Michelle Granger vs Morgan Beck

We move onto the bottom half of the Joe Kapp bracket! Top two matchups get posted this morning, bottom two this afternoon. Polls for these matchups close next Friday at midnight. The athlete matchups are above, the athlete descriptions and polls are after the jump. Please read, vote, and debate in the comments!

#3 Desean Jackson vs #14 Kyle Boller

Lingering thoughts from some fool blogger. 

When you were on, you were spectacular. You provided some of the most raucous reactions in Memorial Stadium in recent memory with your big game plays. The fans called for your name in earnest as the 2007 season grew darker, just hoping for a spark to come from somewhere, hoping you’d provide it. It didn’t really happen. But it was a good ride, and I'll miss that excitement and energy that each catch and return presented.

via www.bestsportsphotos.com

Tony M: It took him years to head a winning team, but his impact on the future of the program is vastly underestimated. For one thing, his recruitment was a coup that’s probably unparalleled in in Cal football history. For another, he was a four-year starter who was always willing to sacrifice his body for the Blue and Gold.

...

The Holmoecaust featured such bad offensive production that Cal’s gameplans literally relied on the defense to handle scoring. With a decent coach, that same offensive personell managed to improve exponentially.

Didn't hurt that he was the winning QB of this particular game below (you can see him getting carried off at the end): 

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#6 Michelle Granger vs #11 Morgan Beck

via graphics.fansonly.com

Ohio Bear: Perhaps still the greatest Cal softball pitcher of all time. (Played for Cal 1989-92.) She was also a 1996 Olympic Gold Medalist.

Her Cal Bears bio states the following: 

Granger was the winning pitcher when the USA Softball team that won the sports' first Olympic gold medal in 1996. At the 1996 games, Granger finished with a 2-0 record, a 0.87 ERA and 25 strikeouts. Granger, who now resides in Davis, Calif., compiled a 13-7 record in five U.S. Olympic Festivals, went 4-0 in two ISF World Championships and 9-0 in three Pan American Games. She holds record for most consecutive strikeouts in a Women's Major Fast Pitch National Championship (18).

Granger played for Cal from 1989-93. She is the Golden Bears' all-time career leader in wins (119), games played (183), games started (162), complete games (155), innings pitched (1,202.2), strikeouts (1,640), shutouts (94), no-hitters (25) and perfect games (5).

This whole section is thanks to Danzig here.

MORGAN BECK

(Click to enlarge)

TEAM USA BIO 
CAL BIO
FIVB BIO

Home:  Coto De Caza, CA
Birthday:  3/30/1987
Position: Opposite/Outside Hitter
Height: 6-3/191 cm
College: California
Current Team: Women's US National Team

If an official vote were to be taken today, she wouldn't make the Cal HOF.  No surprise, she only graduated this year.  But why does she deserve to be inducted into our mock HOF?  Because in the following years, we probably won't be able to keep her out. 

She's an incredible volleyball player and a physical presence at the net.  She still has the most impressive overhand jump-serve I've ever seen.  She's got a big time arm and has the feet to play both indoor or go pro-beach.  Her fluid movements remind me of another great player, Gabrielle Reece.

Forecast: MORGAN BECK WILL BE THE NEXT GABRIELLE REECE.  She's got all the tools to attain the female-athlete career trifecta: sports, modeling and broadcasting.  Plus, she's a Cal grad so we should probably expect a book or two.   Morgan and Gabrielle play the same position, are the same height and are both from SoCal.

 

The evidence is starting to pile up:

1999-2000: Gabrielle Reece represented our country in international Volleyball competition.

2009: Morgan Beck will be representing our country in international competition, starting this year.

When you play for the USA, sometimes you have to wear red.

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Gabrielle Reece started modeling during college (FSU).

...Morgan is just getting started.

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Gabrielle's book was, um... I didn't read it.

Morgan's first book was a tour de force.  Her elegant hybrid-asset pricing model started turning heads immediately among the savviest hedge fund traders.  It was also clear that she had a guru's grasp of the fundamentals of value investing.

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Do I detect a pattern here?  Now Morgan just needs to get on TV. 

(By the way: Reece was inducted into the Florida State Hall of Fame in 1997.)

Why does she deserve a spot in our mock HOF?  Because one day she's going to make our school look cool.  She's going to represent Cal and the USA on the world stage.  And we're going to be so proud that she's a Golden Bear.  

via www.dailycal.org

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