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One more factor.

On the 10-year anniversary of The Play in 1992, the Cal Band recreated the entire thing during the Big Game halftime show. 7 laterals, half-hearted tackle attempts, even a bent trombone in the end zone. Starkey's play by-play played over the PA system. It was awesome.

Has the Auburn Band recreated the Kick Six? Are they planning to this year on the 10th anniversary? No, and no.

Advantage, Cal.

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Sep 6·edited Sep 7Liked by Avinash Kunnath

The Auburn play was good, but Bama fucked up and it came back to bite them in the ass. 'The Play' was never expected. It was not a result of a stupid decision to kick a really long field goal. It was a kick off at the end of a game with 6 seconds left (I was there and tackled Ron Rivera in the End Zone after we scored) where a fucking crybaby from Stanfurd named John Elway thought they had won and that they were going bowling. After that play was done there was no bowl game and little Johnny was crying. The best moment in CAL football ever (better than our 28-14 win over USC when I was a freshman on the team in 1975)...even better because Elway cried! I apologize for the expletives, but in the history of CAL football and all plays in the NCAA football history, there was never a bigger and more unexpected play. Thanks to the Stanfurd (ridiculous) band and the tuba player!

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Sep 6·edited Sep 6Liked by Avinash Kunnath

"What a beautiful quote. This need to be framed in Memorial Stadium somewhere."

Hmm. 🤔 How about embossed as two lines of text on bronze plaques at the bottom of several trough-style urinals?

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Some have argued the Revenge might be better but I’ve never heard of it.

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Sep 7·edited Sep 7Liked by Avinash Kunnath

This: "The Play” Recreated in LEGO for 35th anniversary of famed Cal - Stanford game

https://youtu.be/DLGDZMj9cz0?feature=shared

Go Bears! 'nuff said.

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Sep 6Liked by Avinash Kunnath

Saw my first Auburn fans today in Pismo Beach all geared up, asked if they were headed to Berkeley. Yes, of course, so I told them Berkeley certainly isn't Pismo Beach, and it's definitely not Alabama.

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Sep 6Liked by Avinash Kunnath

With Auburn: No Bo, no care.

Go Bears!

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Sep 6·edited Sep 7Liked by Avinash Kunnath

"But his knee was down."

-Furd

OMG- I didn't even know a field goal that falls short could be run back. I must admit that was pretty amazing. But, yeah, The Play had so many moving parts and things that could have gone wrong to stop it cold, apart from his "knee being down." LOL

BTW- When one's says "I see a trombonist on the field," is that implying that Furd band member can actually play that instrument? But that's not how a "skat band" works.

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Yes Bob, and it pisses me off to no end that we won all of our opening games and after this year the conference of Champions is no more because of a couple of fucking retard programs (sorry for the politically inappropriate language but I'm an old dude now) like USC and UCLA. Flipping UCLA doesn't even comprehend that had they stayed in the PAC12 the LA market media revenue for the PAC12 would most likely put them in a position where there net revenue would be higher than what they will receive from the BIG TEN. But then they are not CAL, they are FUCLA.

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Here's my question: if we beat Auburn after demolishing UNT 58-21 (it could have been 90-21) should we be ranked?

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Well clearly, it's The Play.

Watching the abbreviated version (i.e. just the kickoff and score) is never as satisfying. Obviously by Stanford kicking off, they had just scored and taken the lead. But there is something more powerful by actually watching Stanford's last drive and score, taking the lead, and leaving Cal in a desperate spot. And what a drive that was. Elway pulled out a miracle, especially the 4th and 18 deep in the own territory. It's the juxtaposition of Stanford seemingly out of it, then clutching a victory from the jaws of defeat and Elway going out on top, to then getting completely deflated by Cal's miracle runback (and the circus that went with it). That's what contributes to making this the best play of all time.

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"There’s Joe Starkey authoring one of the signature calls in college football lore."

The second I started reading, my first thought was the play by play announcing better have a category of it's own, because if it came down to it it would certainly put us on top.

Nothing worse than when something great happens and the commentators are late or lacking the flavor and umph to meet the moment. Starkey undoubtedly added to the lore of this one, and his call is what any non-Cal person I've shared it with over the years immediately comments on and remembers the most.. "Oh the band is out on the field!" (And why ESPN paraphrased it in the special's title accordingly)

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Joe Starkey made "the play". His broadcast made the play happen to all viewers.

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I’ve been trying to get an answer in various places without a ton of luck. Does anyone know how one would go about ordering a print of the Bob Stinnet photo the Play statue is based on? His family still owns the rights, but I’m not aware of how to go about actually acquiring it through proper channels. I’ve wanted a framed copy for basically forever.

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Gobears49

The full The Play is shown in a post below. Greatest game in college football history.

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