The last matchup of the first round! We've had an intense first round with some upsets, some close ones, and a lot of great battles. As we close this round and look forward to the second round, we leave with a very unique matchup. Hardy Nickerson, one of the best defensive players in Cal history, takes on a true Berkeley icon, Dick Reimann, owner of Top Dog! No, Mr. Reimann is not officially associated with Cal athletics, but who amongst us can say they've *never* had Top Dog on the way to a game?
You can view the full bracket here. Voting ends this Friday at noon, so get in there and vote! Full write ups after the jump. GO BEARS!
Joe Kapp Regional
Hardy Nickerson (4)
Scootie lays down the case for one of Cal's finest:
Hardy Nickerson was a badass linebacker from 1983-1986.
From the Cal Hall of Fame writeup:
For three straight seasons from 1983-85, Nickerson led the Golden Bears in tackles and was voted the team’s Most Valuable Player. A first team All-Pac-10 selection as a senior, he reeled off tackle totals of 141 in 1984, 167 in 1985 and 132 in 1986. His 167 stops as a junior remains a Cal single season record, while his 501 career tackles rank second behind David Ortega’s 525 in school history.He went on to play in the NFL for 16 years (primarily for the Steelers and Bucs), where he was a five-time pro bowler, and was named to the 1990s all-decade second team. He is now a coach at Bishop O’Dowd, where his twins (boy/girl) go to school. I am hoping to see him on the Cal staff sometime soon.
Nickerson's son, Hardy Jr., is a highly touted linebacker whom Cal is recruiting.
The elder Nickerson was a member of the 1986 Cal team, which defeated heavily favored Stanfurd 17-11 in one of the biggest upsets in Big Game history. The 1986 Big Game was Joe Kapp's last game as Cal coach.
Dick Reimann (13)
This is Dick Reimann's first time in the bracket for the CGB Hall of Fame. For those who might be unfamiliar with the name, Reimann is associated with Cal football. Sort of. But kind of in an important way.
Reimann is the founder of Top Dog and remains the owner today. In an article last year, Berkeleyside.com discussed Top Dog's origins and rise to icon status
Rewind to fall 1966: the original Top Dog on Durant Avenue began in true mom-and-pop fashion. Dick Riemann, 76, still the owner today, opened Top Dog with a business partner on Saturday morning when "the paint on the floor was still a might tacky."
Within 10 minutes, there was standing room only. However, it wasn't the appeal of the business but the fact that a hot dog seemed like the most logical food to eat en route to the UC Berkeley football game.
"The place was absolutely mobbed," Riemann said. "It was a very fearful moment but we learned from it and many people got to know us."
Three years later, Riemann and his wife opened a second Top Dog on the other side of the university on Hearst Avenue. About eight years ago, a third store appeared near downtown Berkeley on Center Street. "It was a matter of having a presence on the other sides of campus," he said. "The east side had nothing by the way of foot traffic so there was no business opportunity there but the other three sides seemed naturally fitting for the university trade."
