In what may be a very controversial decision, Cal Athletics has decided to place the famed Andy Smith bench outside of the new Memorial Stadium:
When it returns to Strawberry Canyon at the end of the summer, the Andy Smith Bench will command a new location outside the north entrance of the stadium, where fans will have access to it on game days and every day as a feature of the campus park being created there.
The spirit of Coach Smith, who set an all-time record of 74 career wins before his death on Jan. 8, 1926, permeates Memorial Stadium. It's been called "The House that Andy Built" in tribute to the success of his teams, which filled the stadium with ticketed fans after it opened in 1923.
After Smith died, his ashes were spread on the field. Almost two years after their coach's death, on Dec. 31, 1927, his players introduced the bench prior to the game between Cal and Pennsylvania, which was Smith's first stop as a collegiate head coach.
Am I the only one who thinks this is an epically bad idea? I think the bench will get tagged and defaced in no time.
Olympics
- Cal alum Graeme Moore is looking forward to representing his home country, South Africa, and Cal, in the 2012 Olympic Games.
- CalBear81 educates us on Cal's most Heroic Olympian, Harry Liversedge.
Football
- Cal vs. Ohio State will be televised nationally on ABC. Also, the game time is 9 a.m. PT.
- Cal vs. Ohio State tickets will go on sale June 20th to ESP people, and then ticket season holders in the two following days.
- Ted Miller thinks that while the Bears don't have a clear dominant pass rusher, that the team will still have a handful of guys with three to five sacks.
- Cal is 6th in the Pac-12 in terms of how much money it spends on recruiting.
- Antoine Davis, linebacker, out of local Contra Costa College, commits to the Bears -- presumably to fill the spot of Cecil Whiteside who was removed from the team.
- Bill Connelly of SB Nation gives a detailed statistical analysis of the Bears' outlook in 2012.
Softball
- Cal Softball finishes 3rd in the nation! Congratulate them on their epic season!