Cal v. EWU 9.12.09 Photo Essay II

by TwistNHook on Sep 15, 2009 1:00 PM PDT in California Golden Bears Football

Last week, I bemoaned the lack of near professional photographers in my midst. TheNick was back for a cameo appearance! And, fortunately, a "Monica's Dad" contacted me with some great photos to use. I've never met this Monica's Dad before. The only Monica I know is a 63 year old Vietnamese woman. So, I have no idea how old her dad is.

But his photos are really great. You can see them all at his Flickr site, but I'll also be liberally sprinkling them throughout these photo essays. When I left off, the game was just about to start. We merely had some final warm ups to finish:

via Monica's Dad at farm3.static.flickr.com

And with that the first half action began. GO BEARS!

Remember when that Cal guy just ran over the EWU defender? Ya, that rocked. Monica's Dad was ALL over that!

via Monica's Dad at farm4.static.flickr.com

Epic shot, look at the shoes:

via Monica's Dad at farm3.static.flickr.com

TheNick also got some great shots of Cal players demolishing EWU players:

via TheNick

via Monica's Dad at farm3.static.flickr.com

Jahvid making a cut:

via Monica's Dad at farm3.static.flickr.com

He's good at that:

via Monica's Dad at farm4.static.flickr.com

via Monica's Dad at farm3.static.flickr.com

SydQuan sometimes couldn't really work with the punts he was receiving

via TheNick

But, finally, he was able to get one going:

via Monica's Dad at farm3.static.flickr.com

Well, that ended poorly for #21.

Good shot of Brian Holley after a reception:

via Monica's Dad at farm3.static.flickr.com

Ok, ok, so, there's some early action shots there from the always great Monica's Dad and TheNick. But the real action was happening in the stands. We were in section R. It looked like this.

via Ragnarok

So, for some INSANE reason, some of the security people started booting people out of the section if they didn't have student wrist bands. Technically, it is a student section and has been so since, I dunno, 2006. I have personally stood in it for every single home game since that time and before. Without a problem.

These guys were the two main culprits:

via TheNick

It was an exercise in abject stupidity and made me very frustrated. Very few students stand there, because they all want to be on the other side of the band. Better seats over there. So, it has never been a problem. But what is the point in trying to kick out 1,000 people out of a section? They'd harass people, who would move to the other side of the section. Then, the security guards would make it over to where the group had moved and the group would move back to the ORIGINAL part of the section.

We moved to a more packed part of the section, but they eventually did make it to us. They might not have ever made it to us were it not for the odd choices of another fan. After being booted, he came up to us and asked us if we had a wrist band or not. I said we did not and we never had. So, what does this Cal fan do? IMMEDIATELY GO BACK TO THE SECURITY GUARD AND TELL HIM ABOUT IT!?! WHAT?!?!?! It wasn't like a tattle thing, it was more like a "Why did you kick us out when those guys over there don't have wrist bands???" Well, thanks a lot guy, because then the security guard made a bee-line for us. Ai!

One of the yellow jacketed thugs asked me if I had a wristband. I said I did not. He said that if I did not have one, I would have to leave the section. I told him I appreciated that and thanked him. My whole thing is just keeping a low profile. Even interacting with them was more than most, I know some just literally ignored the security guards as if nobody was there.

AndBears took a different tact, trying to argue with the security people about the existential uselessness of their task. Eventually, it got to the point where they threatened to call the cops on her. She disappeared at that point, apparently to a different part of the section. Sometime later, she reappeared. It was a little unclear to me what happened there, because we had just moved up about 15 or so rows up. Never left the section, just went up from Row 25 to like Row 45. Different angle up there, for sure.

We stayed there for most of the second quarter and then came back down. It was such stupidity. There were many people who I had seen in the lower part who came up. I did get to chat briefly with the dude who has the Tony Gonzalez throw-forward jersey. He claims not to have sown the T. Gonzalez on, but he definitely looked like a seamstress to me.

Plus, I got to see the unique foodstuffs at a Cal game. I told you, it's not always about stuffing your belly full of meats. Or shotgunning twinkies. It's often about tarts. What wine goes with that, I do not know.

Man, looking at this photo makes me hungry.

via Monica's Dad at farm3.static.flickr.com

Vereen has no trouble:

via Monica's Dad at farm4.static.flickr.com

Here's the big sack and Kendricks' return of the fumble:

via Monica's Dad at farm3.static.flickr.com

Stunningly, Taiwan Jones, sprinting superstar, caught him from behind:

via TheNick

via Monica's Dad at farm4.static.flickr.com

Taiwan Jones was a speedy guy, but never had much running room on the day:

via TheNick

In fact, it was a long day for many EWU Offensive players:

via TheNick

via The Nick

One of the people really beating up on the EWUers was Mike Mohamed, who helped us better understand him. He helped us understand where his last name came from:

He told us his greatest regret:

He even showed us his TD dance:

So, there you go. The ups and downs of the first half. And believe me, there were many downs. The whole thing with the security guard really ruined giant portions of the second quarter. So frustrating. And for what purpose? After a while, they realized it was useless and gave up. We moved back down and stood 10 rows away from the security guards who did little more than glower at us. Their yellow jerseys and giant beanie hats were powerless once again.

Up next, second half action. GO BEARS!

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Comments

My post hereby acknowledges that I have read this through the incredible marketing campaign of TwistNHook.

It's spelled "S-H-U-B-L-O-W-O-F-F"

by JShufelt on Sep 15, 2009 1:16 PM PDT reply actions

They call me the one, the only, the BLOGVERTISER!

ALL HAIL SUPREME LEADER AVINASH!

www.CaliforniaGoldenBlogs.com

by TwistNHook on Sep 15, 2009 1:20 PM PDT up reply actions

Your ability to combine the words blog and advertisement are matched.

It's spelled "S-H-U-B-L-O-W-O-F-F"

by JShufelt on Sep 15, 2009 1:29 PM PDT up reply actions

Thanks for the photos.

"It ain't over till it's over." - Yogi Berra

by 49er16 on Sep 15, 2009 1:39 PM PDT reply actions

It should be noted that Nichols got Pain Trained on that play.

Mohamed’s helmet went squarely into Nichols’ cawked throwing arm.

Didn’t Pain Train do that same thing to Rudy C?

"We lose to Stanford in many sports, but if you want to make a Cal team quit, bring a weapon."
--Coach Clark

by carp on Sep 15, 2009 2:04 PM PDT reply actions

Rudy C, Tennessee and the Huskies!

by CaliforniaCMB on Sep 15, 2009 4:20 PM PDT up reply actions

After the whole student section eviction debacle, I predict a crackdown during the $C game. While yes, it is technically the student section, I’ve attended all the high-profile matchups ($C, Furd, fUCLA) of years past with nary a yellowshirt checking for a wristband, and plenty of room for students. Speaking of students, those who did fill the seats after we were removed promptly…SAT DOWN. C’mon. We paid more money AND we stand up. I claim priority seating over these brats. Hopefully this silly situation will blow over, but after being snubbed by the likes of AndBear, TheNick, and being run down by a bass drummer, I suspect the yellow shirts/security will be back…

by saavvybeaar on Sep 15, 2009 5:05 PM PDT reply actions

I disagree actually. USC is going to be a mad house. They couldnt control the 500-1,000 people there on Saturday. They won’t be able to do anything to the thousands and thousands of people at USC. I mean they might try, but they’ll just give up quicker.

ALL HAIL SUPREME LEADER AVINASH!

www.CaliforniaGoldenBlogs.com

by TwistNHook on Sep 15, 2009 5:48 PM PDT up reply actions

Yeah, I was in the same section and had the same experience. If “AndBears” is the person I think she is, she came over to where I was for awhile.

The whole thing was just retarded. You’d rather have empty seats than have people stand there? Really? Twist’s first picture of the section doesn’t really do it justice, IMO. It was bare.

by wearecb4life on Sep 15, 2009 5:12 PM PDT reply actions

Nice, ’Monica’s Dad’ has always had good stuff on Flickr. Glad to see it getting spread around.

by turkey on Sep 15, 2009 5:59 PM PDT reply actions

Great pics! I like the addition of this Monica’s Dad too.

by trisweb on Sep 15, 2009 6:16 PM PDT reply actions

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