Cal-UCLA 1986: The End of The Streak

if you guys could beat UCLA tonight.

I love how Part 5 has the “This Bud’s For You” ad as the thumbnail.

Was that everyone KNEW that this was the night Cal was going to end the streak, JUST like how everyone knew when Ken Jennings was going to finally lose on Jeopardy (full disclosure: I think THAT show had already been taped earlier…….conspiracy theorists, go nuts). While monumental, people thought it was going to happen and it did.

I didn’t follow Cal basketball then (my dad just took me to football games), so I wasn’t there, but it was ALL the buzz.

I’ve always looked on basketball with polite disinterest – but still, Go Bears!, duh – but this write-up was great. I got curious about the “Cheryl” chant; this is what I found:

Link

Harmon — It’s History And Legacy

The Harmon crowds in the 70’s also had many a fine day, in terms of getting under an opponent’s skin. It’s unlikely Reggie Miller will ever forget the games he played in Harmon when Cal fans would serenade him with melodic chants of “Cheryl” for long periods of time, in reference to his sister who, at the time, had a bigger name as a women’s basketball star.

The Cal fans would also chant a similar melody for a relatively unknown Arizona State guard named (Mike) “Redhair” whenever he was dribbling the basketball in the late 1980’s. When he passed the ball to ASU’s top scorer Issac Austin, who sported a shaved scalp, somebody would chant, “No Hair” and the entire Harmon crowd would join in. Pretty soon, the chant would alternate between “Red Hair” and "No Hair. Even the ASU bench found it hard not to keep from laughing.

That was what a real student section sounded like. Harmon was nuts like that for my whole time in college from 85 to 89. As a seasSeasin ticket holder now, it’s sad to see the Kate arriving and often not nearly full “bench.”

Thanks also for posting the video. Great to see that team play again.

1. I really liked the Johnson/Washington backcourt. Both guys were deadly off the dribble, either pulling up or taking it to the basket. I always felt Campenelli’s system under-utilized them, but from the tape you can see the speed and handles they had in the open court.

2. This was the second best game I saw at Harmon. The 1984 UCLA game (Cal lost a nailbiter) was great: scrappy and young Cal (starting three frosh and sophmore Dave Butler as the only big man, along with Butch Hayes). So it was sweet justice for Cal to win this one. As stated, the 86 game was the most energized game I attended at Cal – lots of people wanted to be part of the big win.

3. I nearly missed the game – I got hit by a car that morning as I was returning to Berkeley up by Wildcat Canyon. Those were pre-helmet days; good thing I ducked my head as I went over the hood of the car. Maybe that is why I don’t remember much of the details.

Is 39% of CGB really 24 or younger? Or do the youngins just vote more?

(53 games in a row!)

Well, nearly everyone under the age of 30 is going to have a difficult time remembering this game, even if they actually saw it.

I don’t really remember sports before 86/87/88 (not quite sure of the date) and the only game in town then was the Dodgers.

Great little lesson on Cal sporting history. Good stuff. Totally would of been fun to watch a game at Harmon, especially in that environment.

I realized, just last night, that watching us beat UCLA never gets old, even if there’s no streak to be overcome. Too bad they’ll never have the chance to end the nearly century-long streak of Cal students being better educated than UCLA students.