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WHERE DOES THIS LAST NIGHT RANK FOR YOU ON HAPPIEST MOMENTS AS CAL FANS? (EXCLUDING EVERYTIME JIM HARBAUGH MOVES HIS BODY)
TwistNHook - We were discussing this after the game yesterday. I was at Oregon last year, which was great. I couldn't make it to ASU in 2010. I figured that before last night, it was probably Oregon in 2002 when Mossad agent Amit Tamir went off on the Ducks for 40 in a classic win. That was a great game and a great opportunity to showcase Cal, because if I recall correctly, it was on ABC. However, I was not able to rush the Court, then, because I was in the marching band. Last night, I did rush the court, it was amazing. We got Oski up on our shoulders, we ran around yelling "GO BEARS!" it was all just amazing.
So, as far as basketball is concerned, I would put it up at the top. #1 basketball moment of all time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ruey Yen: Watching this game unfolds on my phone while on a bar crawl in DC with a bunch of very young Cal alumni, I was very happy to have shared that moment with other Cal fans (and that my phone battery didn't give out until almost immediately after the game has been won).
Still I have got to put more weights to the Cal moments that I experienced in person. Number 1 will always be the Big Game win in 2003 in Tedford's first year. Also up there is the men's basketball game in 2002 where we finally beat 'Furd after losing in both football and men's basketball for 6 straight years at that point. That game wasn't anywhere as thrilling as this one though. The most thrilling win that I have experienced first hand is probably the Amit Tamir-Fred Jones double OT shoot out that Twist has alluded to above. When I think back to the number of times that I have rushed the court at Haas Pavilion between 2000-04 (two wins over UCLA, two over Furd, one over Oregon, and one over Arizona), I think it is arguable that we rush the court a bit too often. Nevertheless, I don't think anyone can say that the court rushing on Saturday is not well deserved.
Scott Chong: Keeping in mind that I get happy about things like field goals not hitting the uprights, or successful punts, this game was special. For basketball, I'd put it below seeing Cal win the Pac-12 title and cut down the nets amidst glee and confetti.
Avinash Kunnath: This is really high up there, and definitely at the top when it comes to basketball. In the Monty era, I don't think there is a greater moment. As great as that Pac-10 championship was, that season was full of so many blowouts and decisive wins that we never really got a chance for any sort of grand emotional outburst. It was an historical season with a wonderful payoff, but it wasn't quite a moment. It was one more one of those great satisfying movies you're happy to experience and maybe consider reliving again.
Monty's Cal teams have rarely shown that they're capable of that elite quality that could topple national title contenders. They've had their chances (Duke, Kansas, Wisconsin, UNLV, Missouri, Creighton, Syracuse a hundred times) and have usually either fallen flat or come up far short. The best has come from him taking advantage of his fellow conference-mates by out Xing-and-Oing Miller, Romar, and Howland. But this Arizona team is on a whole 'nother level.
This time the Bears stood up and showed that they could bring their best against the best. It was inspiring. It was wonderful. It was happy.
Vincent S: My perspective is much more recent, but I'll do my best.