Even given how the season had gone before the UCLA, I imagined that the scene at the Cal-WSU game would be fairly pathetic. Then, the UCLA game happened. It really burst a lot of people's balloons, I fear, regarding this season. Factor in the rain (which wouldn't actually factor in well into the game) and there were many people who just steered clear of the game altogether.
That doesn't stop our great spirit squads (such as the Marching Band!) from doing their best to promote Cal spirit. For example, here is the Cal Marching Band (donate money to them here!) marching around the stadium to play some songs and bring some smiles to people's faces. Rain or shine, win or lose, they will always be out there, as they have for decades. Even if us fans have faltered in the face of some obstacles, they never will.
After the jump, more photos from the Cal-WSU game. GO BEARS!
I've realized, being at AT+T this year, just how bad the Berkeley tailgating scene could potentially be in comparison to other schools. This is not to say that it is bad. I love the various different opportunities that one has on a Berkeley gameday. However, it's so segmented with people all over the place. Most of the tailgates take place on an official Cal parking lot, which are spread all around the campus. There is minimal tailgating right near the stadium itself.
I know that at other places, all the tailgating takes place in giant parking lots or groves right around the stadium. So, it can bring the energy closer. All your friends are closer. AT+T Park tailgating (all mostly taking place in the parking lots across the bridge) showed what Cal could be.
However, unfortunately, as the year progressed, fewer and fewer people showed up. By now, it's the hardcore ones. And I love that! The people there are all really nice, really into tailgating, and really into just relaxing and having fun, since the game is not likely to be all that amazing.
If the season had better home games, more victories, I bet that the tailgating scene at AT+T would have blown Berkeley out of the water. But it is what it is. I'm still looking forward to being back in the comfy confines of Berkland next year. Even if it's not the "standard" tailgating of so many other schools, it's our tailgating! It's what fans have been doing for decades. And owning that is the most important thing we can do.
These people had some sort of party bus and were tailgating on the roof. It seemed like fun:
Soon, it was gametime. The nice thing about AT+T is that it's a 4 minute walk from tailgating to the park. It's not a 20 minute all uphill walk.
Of course, it is still an hour or so commute from the dorms....and it showed:
And that's at the start of the game!
This is a video on Proverb Jacobs, a Cal athletics booster who is also a football alum. Sadly, the metal bar where they raise the netting behind the field goal uprights was between me and the screen. I used every inch of my yoga abilities to try to angle around it, but to minimal avail.
Am I the only one disturbed by the length of the tail there? What are they overcompensating for????
We saw a LOT of this on Saturday! Good times!
Even Maynard has a solid day. No picks. That is the biggest thing!
Here is DLineman Trevor Guyton talking on the jumbo tron. He had switched numbers to honor a friend of his, which really really confused us.
A pigeon landed to the left of Williams here. He was just hanging out during plays. Eventually, he flew off right before WSU snapped the ball on one play:
Tony La Russa was there. I don't know why they punished him by forcing him to watch this game. He's a champion, he doesn't deserve this!
It looked like he was accepting a donation to ARF, his animal welfare charity.
Keenan Allen was all over the place, as usual. Making tons of DBs look silly and catching hella balls. I believe this was a long bomb where he had a step, but the throw as off line:
CalBear81, any help? I could check one of the two books on Cal football history on my shelf, but off the top of my head, I'm gonna guess 1883.
This was a video about the SAHPC and how it has a special heating/cooling system that is environmentally friendly:
Cal starts marching towards a TD:
Poorly framed (Sorry!), but this is Anderson's TD run:
And that's the first half there. Cal jumped out to a quick lead and never showed any problems with WSU. This was the easy blowout that many Cal fans needed emotionally. Yes, it's just WSU, but they are still showing signs of life recently. Up next, let's look at the second half. GO BEARS!