Just as the off-season is winding down and the fall season starts up, it is time to finish up our CGB Hall Of Fame Class for 2011.  We've already had the auto entries for Jill Costello and Brent Woodall.  They were automatically added in, because of their importance outside of the Cal Sports Arena.

Today, we talk about the 5 people who made it in based on your views.  Yes, you!  You voted all spring long and many, many thanks!  You can see the full bracket here and see how we ended up with our Top 4.  Plus, after the Top 4 were selected, we had a Wild Card voting round to see who might slip in.  That one came down to the wire, too!

So, without further ado, here are the entrants into the CGB Hall Of Fame:

Deltha O'Neal

Matt Biondi

Kevin Johnson

Dana Vollmer

And the Wild Card winner with another late surge:

Chancellor Tien!

A few thoughts:

For the second year in a row, DeSean Jackson got knocked out by a non-athlete.  First, Glenn Seaborg and now the kind Chancellor.  There were several times when it looked like Chancellor Tien was going to lose, but had a late surge to pull ahead.  Voting irregularities???  Who knows?  All I know is that the votes have been cast and he is in!  The Comeback Kid!

Also, only 1 of the eventual winners was a football player.  We had 1 footballer, 2 swimmers (!), a basketball player, and the Chancellor.  If you look at previous years, you can see that the vast majority of winners are footballers.  What does this years results mean?  That all the elite level footballers have been voted in?  I don't believe so as there are still many great footballers (like DeSean) on the outside looking in?  That the CGB readership loves Cal in general.  It is not just Cal football and MBB to the readers.  They love, appreciate, and respect all the amazing athletes that come through Berkland.  It makes me happy that we have a readership that sees the big picture.  Thank you very much.  

After the jump, the full write ups on the entrants.  I know it is just an unimportant internet poll, but it is a fun off-season activity and many thanks to all the votes and discussion.  GO BEARS!

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via imgs.sfgate.com

Brent Woodall's 1991 Cal football media guide photo

In the inaugural CGB Hall of Fame class two years ago, the late Mark Bingham -- former Cal rugby player and one of the heroes aboard United Flight 93 on September 11, 2011 -- was selected as an automatic entry into the CGB Hall of Fame.  This September 11th will mark the 10th anniversary of the tragic events of that fateful day in 2001.  With that anniversary upon us, we honor another former Cal athlete who was taken away much too early on September 11, 2001: it is with both heavy hearts and pride that we induct former Cal two-sport athlete Brent Woodall as an automatic entry in the CGB Hall of Fame. 

Brent Woodall played tight end for the Cal football team from 1988 to 1991.  Older Blues may still remember Woodall wearing # 31 and starting at tight end for Bruce Snyder's 1990 and 1991 teams that went to back-to-back bowl games, Cal's first such feat on the gridiron since the days of Pappy Waldorf.  Woodall's senior year team, in 1991, went 10-2 and beat Clemson 37-13 in the Florida Citrus Bowl.  Woodall was a key contributor to that 1991 team: he was smart and dependable player for the Bears, a guy whom quarterback Mike Pawlawski could go to in a pinch.  And how smart was he as a football player?  He might have been one of the few inside Memorial Stadium who knew that Russell White had committed a 15-yard penalty when White famously hurdled a Purdue defensive back on this play in 1991.   (Beginning at the 0:38 mark of the video, White says it was Woodall who broke the bad news to him that hurdling was a penalty.)  Woodall was also athletic enough that the Cal coaches once called upon him for unconventional duty -- in a 1989 game against Washington, Woodall unleashed a quick kick on a third down to get the Bears out of a field position pickle.  

Woodall's athletic ability was not limited to the football field.  Woodall was also a relief pitcher on the Cal baseball team.  The hard-throwing left-hander was a member of the 1992 Cal baseball team that went to the College World Series.  Woodall would go on to be drafted by the Chicago Cubs in 17th round of the June 1992 amateur baseball draft and had a good rookie season in A ball.  A shoulder injury the following year ended Woodall’s baseball career.  

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We've been running the CGB Hall Of Fame for a few years now.  Each year, we run a massive tournament with Cal athletes/coaches/randos selected and voted upon by you, the readers.  At the end of the tournament, a few people  make it in to this unimportant internet honor.  Bully for them!  

There have been a few people who we deemed above and beyond "merely" Cal athletes.  Those, we automatically admit without need for weeks of voting.  For example, in the first year, we automatically admitted American hero and former Cal rugger Mark Bingham.  Reader "carp" wrote up a moving piece about Bingham that all enjoyed.

Today, we have another auto admit, rower Jill Costello.  Jill Costello, women's coxswain, unfortunately passed away from lung cancer at the age of 22 after leading the women's rowing team to glory.  Posthumously, Cal awarded herthe Service Hall Of Fame Award.  Sports Illustrated had an article regarding her struggle.  Avinash also wrote a post about Ms. Costello after she passed.  After the jump, the post (with a few edits). 

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Woah!  Who say this coming?  Hello!  Another opportunity for a CGB Hall Of Fame tournament participant to make it in.  Who said there is no second act in America?  They were wrong!  Wrong, I say!  

Now, we have the 4 runners up in the Elite 8 knocking back on the door.  They were not able to make it in on the first go around.  However, one of them will get that second chance to make it in. In the original set up, Matt Biondi took down DeSean Jackson.  Deltha O'Neal defeated Hardy Nickerson.  Dana Vollmer beat Chancellor Tien.  And Kevin Johnson won over Mike Pawlawski.

So, Biondi, O'Neal, Volmmer, and Johnson constitute part of the 2011 CGB Hall Of Fame class!  But wait, there's more.  One more!  Jackson, Nickerson, Tien,and Pawlawski are all back in the ring.  Read the write ups after the jump.  Vote in the poll.  The highest vote getter makes it in.  And to the other 3?  There is always next year!  Thanks to all who voted, discussed, and made the 2011 CGB Hall Of Fame the best yet.  GO BEARS!

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The sole football v. football Elite 8 matchup!  Today, we're looking at two defensive greats:  Hardy Nickerson, linebacker extraordinaire and Deltha O'Neal, one man band.  Mr. Big Game 99 Offense!  

Who is going to enter the Hall Of Fame?  

You can view the entire bracket here.  Voting ends this Friday.  So, go vote AND GO BEARS!

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Interesting matchup here.  Two Old Blues.  Kevin Johnson, former Cal basketball and current mayor of Sacramento!  He is taking on Mike Pawlawski, one of the best Cal QBs of all time and sometimes announcer.  Only one can  move on to the CGB Hall Of Fame.  Who will it be?

You can view the full bracket here.  Voting ends this Friday.  So, go and vote.  AND GO BEARS!

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Yes, the classic 9 v. 10 matchup.  How did we get here?  Well, Chancellor Tien took out Sean Lampley, Ron Gould, and Jahvid Best (picking up  like 40 votes in the last night to take down Best).  Vollmer took out Jerrot Willard, Jerome Randle, and Russell White.  And they say football is king!

But now, only one can make it in.  The swimming superstar or the champion chancellor?  Who is it gonna be?  You can view the full bracket here.  Voting ends this Friday at noon, so go and vote!  GO BEARS!

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This appears to be the only regional where the 1 seed is taking on the 2 seed.  Elsewhere, upsets a plenty, but here chalk chalk chalk.  We have DeSean Jackson, the explosive receiver taking on Matt Biondi, Moraga's greatest export.  Who enters the Hall Of Fame?  This is one of the toughest choices out there.  DeSean, Biondi, DeSean, Biondi???

You can view the full bracket here.  Voting ends this Friday at noon.  So, go and vote.  

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