After attending this past weekend's Cal-USC game, CalBearsExaminer's Rob Calonge thinks Bear Backers ought to enroll in Fan 101.
SELL OUT YOUR GAMES
One thing that really struck me was how many cardinal tops I saw in the crowd. Maybe Cal should've had the 'Blue Out' game again, because there wasn't nearly enough blue for a home game. Many of the USC fans I talked to bought their tickets from Bear Backers.
What? Why would you even consider doing something like that?
There was absolutely no home-field advantage for the Golden Bears. How can there be a crowd advantage when one-third of the crowd was rooting for the visiting team? Simply put, there can't be.
...WHEN NOT TO MAKE NOISE
The only time you should be sitting on your hands is when YOUR offense is on the field, in between plays. You see, that's the time that they are actually trying to communicate with each other so that they can score points and win the ballgame.
What does 'in between plays' mean? From the time you see the quarterback trying to get the play from the sidelines to the time the ball is snapped--key word being snapped. Just because your team is set and ready to snap the ball doesn't mean that they have stopped communicating with each other. Offensive linemen are attempting to call out blocking coverage, the quarterback is attempting to point things out to his teammates or possibly calling out a new play altogether, and everyone else on the offense is trying to hear the communication.
When you begin chanting and making noise before the snap, you are putting your own team at a disadvantage.
WHEN TO LOSE YOUR VOICE AND MAKE AS MUCH NOISE AS POSSIBLE
There are two options here. The first option is, every moment that doesn't violate the 'when to make noise' rule. The second option is, every time the opposing team needs to communicate. The first option may be a FAN 201 course so we'll go over the second option for now.
The most important time to go crazy is when the opposing offense is on the field. Don't wait until they break the huddle to begin raising Cain! Think of when not to make noise, and do the complete opposite. Don't let big plays by the opposition silence you either--that's when you should get louder.
When you're loud, you not only make it difficult for the opposition to communicate, but you also make it that much harder for the offensive line to get a jump on YOUR team's defensive players. This usually helps to result in many sacks, interceptions, and sometimes a fumble or two.
After the jump we'll read some doom and gloom from the Daily Cal (and their columnist references a post on CGB!), why Gregory and co are glad to have a bye week, why Tedford Inc is a poor investment right now, and more.
- Daily Cal's Joseph Cannon on doom, gloom, and booing (yes, he defends his decision to boo). But hey, at least he reads CGB:
After the Trojans rolled over the Bears, sunshine pumpers latched onto Mike Tepper's catch and run as a bright spot, leading one blogger to call it the "BEST. LEAP. EVER." And while this was entertaining, let me remind you of football rules-you can't do that.
Forget the rules of football, I was shocked the laws of physics allowed Tepper to hurdle that guy!
- Bob Gregory says the bye week couldn't have come at a better time.
- Wilner gives Cal's performance an F, says Ludwig is wasting Best's last year playing college ball. Wilner also wonders if Stanford is really in the Rose Bowl race (hint: NO).
- BusterSports says Tedford's stock is plummeting and places him at 8th on the Pac-10's coaches rankings for week five.
- No. 41/62 basketball recruit Anthony Brown chose Stanford over Cal and UCLA.
- Men's golf finished 12th (out of 15) at the Windon Memorial Tournament.