Golden Nuggets: Press Luncheon Tuesday

I think Tedford answered why there were very few passing plays for the backups. But what about when we’re not up by 50, maybe put them in when we’re only up by like 21-28 or something? Before the game is locked up and really give them a feel.

I’m getting bad emails for running the ball with a 50-point lead – you know, [they suggest] we should have a taken a knee.

Seriously? Wow. Of the things that could be criticized about the Eastern Washington game, this shouldn’t even make the list.

So today, I was making a longish drive to a court appearance in another county. Ordinarily, I don’t listen to Columbus sports talk radio, at least not the shows with the local personalities, but I was drawn in today because I happened to be driving when they were airing sound bites from the Jim Tressel presser. I didn’t hear the triple negative quoted above. But I heard this gem, when asked about the e-mail he’s been getting from irate OSU fans:

“When I read some of them I feel terrible for them because there’s no way they’re happy,” he said. “They’ve got to be some of the most unhappy people in the world, and I feel bad because we just made them less happy, and I hate to be a part of making someone less happy. I mean, they’re already miserable.”

Classic. Basically, he was telling these fans to get a life. Hilarious.

When the average Cal fan thinks back to the last few seasons, they curse your name as if you were Steve Bartman and thank their deities that you are gone.

I really hope that’s not true after an off-season of perspective. At the very least I’m glad that’s not the case around these parts.

Please remember that some people view the blog from work and other public places. All pictures of scantily clad men and/or women should just be linked to, and appropriately labeled with a ‘NSFW’ warning.

Before Tedford’s arrival in 2001, however, few anticipated Cal would be a team that could challenge for a national title. Its record in the three years before the former Oregon assistant took the job: 0-11, 3-8 and 1-10.

I don’t if they didn’t do their homework or whether it just made the Tedford rise more dramatic for their article, but they are shafting us by not mentioning that we had to vacate the wins from our 1999 season. Have the decency to mention that our team was actually able to achieve wins, please.

I like the way Mike Price used to handle his 2nd string QBs at Wash St.: In every game, the 2nd string would get the first full offensive series in the second quarter.

The starter knew it was going to happen and hence is not “looking over his shoulder”. If the starter was struggling, it also helped him get a blow, allowed him to get a view of things from the sideline, and some coaching.

It is usually early enough in the game that the 2nd string wouldn’t be limited by the score/playbook, but not so late that if he (2nd stringer) struggles that the mistakes can’t be overcome (e.g. turnover).

The tough decision for the coach is if the starter struggles, but the 2nd string catches fire. But even when I’ve seen the 2nd string light it up under Price, the starter always went back in afterwards. I remember this most vividly when Jason Gesser was QB.

I apologize, wasn’t thinking clearly, NSFWing all females from now on.