21 Comments

Who’s gonna coaching the offense if Spav is leaving for Baylor?

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I'm gonna say Garbers has a separated/strained shoulder. I had that twice in college playing sports, and that "droop" of his is exactly what I was doing both times...... Depending on how bad it is, I'd not think he'd be 100% by mid December.......

And I got my MD at..... : )

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I did not have Cal earning its first ever Sun Bowl bid as a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference on my BINGO card…sigh.

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Any difference in payouts between the two bowls? I would love to see the Bears in SoFi; the attendance by Cal alums from the greater L.A. area would be significant. I think the competition in either bowl will be pretty similar. Boise really should have beaten UCF this year. Either of the MWC teams (BSU, UNLV) will travel reasonably well to L.A. That would be the more exciting bowl for Cal to play in, IMHO. But, before I lobby for one or the other, I want to know which pays more $$$.

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Independence Bowl pays out over $2.2 million. I don't think the LA bowl has ever released payout totals

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As it stands, work is preventing me from attending either. But at least LA en español would be feasible if I could work out a trade.

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I'm hoping for a non-Dec 16 bowl. Fittingly, I already have tickets to see Cal Basketball play in San Antonio.

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One thing to consider. Cal will travel to Los Angeles in large numbers, stay in hotels and dine at restaurants. If one purpose of a bowl is to boost the local economy, that will be a strong lean toward Cal vs UCLA. A game in Shreveport would certainly draw way fewer Cal people. Hoping for Los Angeles.

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Very good point.

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Nov 30, 2023Liked by Avinash Kunnath

Hoping LA the city, for sure, and not LA the state. But will attend either. I love Cal bowl games. I'm a season ticket holder and have not yet been contacted about purchasing bowl tix. Go Bears! I wouldn't want to play this Bear team if I'm not a top 20 team.

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It should have been in your emails on Monday entitled “The Golden Bears are going bowling!” - but now the link leads to a holding page - initially they had purchase links for LA and L.A. and a “any bowl” button but that’s been taken down.

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Even after we burned it down? LOL

Go Bears!!!!!

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A number of folks here emphasized how important it was to be attached to a major conference. Note how Jonathan Smith jumped from the school he attended and played for to go to Michigan State, likely for more money but also because the Spartans are still in the Big 10 while Oregon State heads for limbo.

But contrary to all those here who, perhaps because they gained degrees from our country's finest public university, choose reason over desire and are simply capable of facing hard facts, I'm with you, or at least was when the news surfaced of the ACC reeling in Cal, Stanford and SMU. I thought of adding many of the same schools you mention, but I also thought, after finding a way past the Beavers, giving the Cougars another 37-3 before crushing Stanford, show up in Pasadena with the Pac-4 crown and demand access to the 2025 Rose Bowl.

Regarding your travel ideas and this statement, "Did I mention that Vegas is a can't be beat tourist location," while I welcome that you and others may find this so, personally, there are many places I would prefer to visit, including Lafayette. Did any of your visits there involve the Festival International de Louisiane or the Festival Acadiens et Créoles? Would love to be at one of those!

I recall the 1970 season quite well, from the penalty that negated what would have been Isaac Curtis' first varsity TD (an 80 yard run which I envisioned from the KGO 810 broadcast heading south by southwest along the eastern sideline at Portland's Civic Stadium...or was it north by northwest up the other side of the field?), Dennis Dummit's knee touching before crossing into Memorial's north end zone (as well as the pass interference called on a fourth down throw way over the receiver's hands along the west sideline that extended that fateful drive), Randy Wersching's forty-seven or so yard kick to beat the Trojans as well as the first and only time I was there to see the Bears take the Ax from the Indians. Believe I must have heard either you or Mr. Tuck. I've asked before but I'll ask again, was it either you or him that after graduating and no longer being a yell leader would run out onto the floor during breaks at key moments of Harmon games? Everybody would join in on those!

In any case, as we both reference Lafayette and you read SI, while doing so in the winter of '72 I learned not only about Bo Lamar, Roy Ebron and the Ragin' Cajuns of what was then

Southwestern Louisiana, but also the phrase, "laissez les bon temps rouler!"

Go Bears!

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$$$$ as to why it would never happen.

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RemovedNov 30, 2023Liked by Avinash Kunnath
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That would make slight sense but Shreveport is not in Cajun country and their Cajun food is no better than it would be in say, Dallas. It’s much closer culturally to Arkansas than Baton Rouge or New Orleans.

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it'll be cold in Shreveport and you'll feel like you're in the next season of TRUE DETECTIVE if you make 1 wrong turn.

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Two of the four times I’ve been coldest at Cal games have been at Bowl Games - the 2004 Holiday Bowl and the 2015 Armed Forces Bowl. I’ve learned my lesson and will be packing much warmer

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Yep. Ditto. Didn’t realize San Diego and Fort Worth could be that windy and cold!

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I heard the people on the sunny side were much more comfortable

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Oy the 2004 Holiday Bowl, particularly waaaaaay up at the top where I was sitting was OMG cold and windy. Definitely was not prepared for that.

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The very same experience. I was wearing a hoody and a Marshawn Lynch jersey over that and came close to freezing.

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