Gary Petersen of the Oakland Tribune has been viewing the Cal athletics struggles from the outside, and he has been less than pleased with the way athletic director Sandy Barbour and chancellor Robert Birgeneau have handled the decisions to cut athletic programs like baseball and men's gymnastics.

What we don't know is how much of this months-long drama was really necessary.

Oh, chancellor Robert Birgeneau and athletic director Sandy Barbour were sufficiently sober-faced on Black Tuesday last September when they announced the cuts. Birgeneau cryptically noted the state's inclination to disinvest in higher education. Barbour bemoaned the shocking amount of cash committed to the college athletics arms race, and invited the world to sing along.

...

It's difficult to imagine any of this being fun for Cal, or being easily done in any respect. To have seen Birgeneau and Barbour as they made the announcements was to understand you wouldn't want to be in their place.

But from the outside looking in, the process has been handled clumsily. In that vein, here's a prediction:

If only some programs are reinstated -- say, the women's programs for Title IX reasons -- it won't stop the noise. The outcry will continue, if in a slightly different pitch.

After the jump, your various array of Cal sports links.

Football

• Cal spring practice is not slated to start until March 29th. Final practice is April 30th.
• DeSean Jackson sat down with Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk to discuss a variety of subjects, including his assistance of a bullying victim and how Aaron Rodgers influenced his decision to commit to Cal (VIDEO).
• Damon Bruce talks to Super Bowl champion Desmond Bishop of the Green Bay Packers (listen to the interview here).

Basketball

• The Cal men lost to Washington by a billion points. Allen Crabbe sustained a concussion and his status for the Washington St. game is in question.
  
• Mike Montgomery was not pleased with the way Cal played. Here is an audio interview Monty conducted with Kevin Calabaro of ESPN.
  
• Lost in the shuffle was another fine performance by Jorge Gutierrez.
  
• The Cal women didn't do much better at home against the Huskies, losing 60-49. Joanne Boyle points to a lack of leadership on the court.

Olympic/Non-revenue Sports

• Mike Silver tweeted that Jack Clark was considering leaving if Cal rugby was not reinstated as a varsity program.
• Cal women's basketball takes on Washington in Haas and tries to redeem a tough loss in Seattle from last month.
• Cal softball is starting the season ranked #12. They'll start things off this weekend in Tempe playing four games in the Kajikawa Classic.
• #4 Cal faces #1 Furd in the Big Meet in Spieker. Senior swimmers Erica Dagg, Kelsey Hoff, Katie Kastes, Ellie Monobe, Amanda Sims, Sara Sun and Hannah Wilson and diver Laura Sanford will be honored in what will be their final home meet.
  
• Cal Track and Field will participate in the Husky Classic in Seattle in preparation for the MPSF Indoor Championships in two weeks.