The heart pounding suspense of almost every game could be the actual demise of many of we gray haired fans.
But, seeing every member of the team so passionately trying, and witnessing Madsen so earnestly willing the team to victories….. it reincarnates our love of the game, of making the efforts to come, of the cal Bear kids, of life itself. We go home emotionally & cathartically cleansed of any inner-garbage and ready to take the day with newly inspired courage, outrageous optimism and zeal.
D*mn right we care! Thank you for articulating what we care about. Give us solid coaching, decent players willing to put it all on the line and we will show up and scream and shout our lungs out. Even though he is the spark that lit the fuse, Mad Dog doesn’t need the focus on him.
It’s easy to fall into the trap of worrying about what the future holds but I believe this year was/is about righting the ship and plotting the course. Stay tuned!
Well done article. Summarizes key issues/factors leading to the good place we are in now….quality basketball, exciting basketball and role model players and coaches. The one key factor I’d add is to give props to Jim Knowlton for thinking of and smartly pursuing Madsen….convincing him to take over a failed program. My educated guess is that Knowlton took the time to reach out to inspirational alums such as Jason Kidd to get their input and help. He has also supported Madsen in his fan/community outreach efforts, and gave the green light to the Cal band doing its thing at games, and inviting a full contingent of Cal’s cheerleader and songleader squads to set up shop court side. He has also turned Madsen loose to do his thing with all fans…..students, alums etc. Knowlton has taken a lot of heat for his decisions. Madsen was a great one…one that will hopefully last well into the future. Go Bears!!
This post is exactly how I feel. I trust Madsen to keep rebuilding the program and, hopefully, fix some festering issues within our talent-deficient administration through the power of hope.
I was one of those people who suffered through the 7 lost years in Haas. At least I could stretch my legs!
but besides my wing man, I rarely would ask others to attend games with me because it really wasn't a good show for anyone besides a cal basketball diehard as it was uninspiring play, and almost always a loss
this season, besides the Arizona games, it's been pure energy and nail bitting
Has anyone suggested that it would be interesting to see if there is any relationship between the average money spent on average NIL payments per player (separately for football and basketball to results on the field and court, perhaps adjusted by past years playing in college? Would that indicate a relationship between NIL money spent to college sports results?
I was including the new guys. They transferred to Cal and started the season in an empty Haas. They're watching the student body react to their success in real time.
Hypothetically people should be more compelled to reach for their wallets this year because Coach Madsen has shown proof of concept. But it’s crazy that you have to recruit HS players, portal adds, and also keep your roster guys happy year to year. Exhausting for coaches and fans! Definitely not a job for any coach who is remotely complacent.
And he will likely get it. Word going around was he made it clear when he was hired that NIL money was a top priority. Then Cal Basketball topped the football program in NIL monies raised
I would think that is per player and not in total. Many more players on a football team than a basketball team. BTW, I have been and will ocntinue to be against NIL funding.
It's honestly helpful to know that the money does make a difference directly.* Really appreciate hearing that. We can no longer equate "working for free" as being a "high character" trait. The Bay Area is expensive and athletes may have family members they're trying to support. We know Mark values character and trust he can identify it even when money is involved.
*Edit: Helpful to the point that I just set up a monthly payment to the NIL collective.
Transfer portal and grad transfers can be a quick fix but we need player development and HS recruiting to build a strong program. Once we start winning, HS recruiting should improve. Next year he should be able to fill the roster just as good or even better than this year.
Agreed. Tipping my hand to my Burbank/LA roots, two reasons my beloved Dodgers are so successful is the purchase of talent (not unlike the transfer portal) and a marvelous farm system many decades in the making. May it ever be thus with our even more beloved California Golden Bears Mens and Women’s Basketball programs.
The Dodgers are a pro team. Cal is not one of them. Big difference. I hate NIL as there will be no end to it and the dollars necessary to fund it and compete should just up and up. In Europe, do colleges there fund their sports teams with NIL-like money. I have no idea but I'm guessing not. I'm guessing the pro teams there are the only basketball teams that pay their players.
I need to read the court decision which imposed NIL on colleges. Maybe somebody could post it. Perhaps it did not require unlimited NIL amounts, so there could be a limit on it, though I suspect there is no NIL limit.. If not, allowing unlimited NIL amounts allows teams willing to pay unlimited NIL amounts will very likely be the best teams in the land.
I expect some responses so I should point out I have read nothing about NIL and the history of it.
I would love to see what the Nil (I presume in an hourly wage, but maybe a yearly amount per year is for teams that have posted them (have not seen anything posted) -- NIL is the most hidden number for each school in the world.
You make a fair point. It was just an imprecise analogy. NIL is a game-changer, for sure. That, and seeing a kid in “our” uniform who’s already suited up for three or four other colleges, is taking some getting used to. As my late father used to say, “No one ever said it all had to stop once we got here.”
Wonderful article!
Oh! The euphoric ups & the devastating downs!
The heart pounding suspense of almost every game could be the actual demise of many of we gray haired fans.
But, seeing every member of the team so passionately trying, and witnessing Madsen so earnestly willing the team to victories….. it reincarnates our love of the game, of making the efforts to come, of the cal Bear kids, of life itself. We go home emotionally & cathartically cleansed of any inner-garbage and ready to take the day with newly inspired courage, outrageous optimism and zeal.
You speak the Truth my friend!
D*mn right we care! Thank you for articulating what we care about. Give us solid coaching, decent players willing to put it all on the line and we will show up and scream and shout our lungs out. Even though he is the spark that lit the fuse, Mad Dog doesn’t need the focus on him.
It’s easy to fall into the trap of worrying about what the future holds but I believe this year was/is about righting the ship and plotting the course. Stay tuned!
Well done article. Summarizes key issues/factors leading to the good place we are in now….quality basketball, exciting basketball and role model players and coaches. The one key factor I’d add is to give props to Jim Knowlton for thinking of and smartly pursuing Madsen….convincing him to take over a failed program. My educated guess is that Knowlton took the time to reach out to inspirational alums such as Jason Kidd to get their input and help. He has also supported Madsen in his fan/community outreach efforts, and gave the green light to the Cal band doing its thing at games, and inviting a full contingent of Cal’s cheerleader and songleader squads to set up shop court side. He has also turned Madsen loose to do his thing with all fans…..students, alums etc. Knowlton has taken a lot of heat for his decisions. Madsen was a great one…one that will hopefully last well into the future. Go Bears!!
This post is exactly how I feel. I trust Madsen to keep rebuilding the program and, hopefully, fix some festering issues within our talent-deficient administration through the power of hope.
Uplifting story on this Monday morning. Thanks. Fyi. It's Devin Askew not Devin Curtis.
Amen, brother!
Go Bears!
Nicely articulated. Thank you.
100% ! It is so nice to be competitive in basketball again. GO BEARS!
Just imagine the possibilities if we end up with a more plugged in and supportive chancellor and a higher functioning athletic department.
another good article and not just a game rehash
I was one of those people who suffered through the 7 lost years in Haas. At least I could stretch my legs!
but besides my wing man, I rarely would ask others to attend games with me because it really wasn't a good show for anyone besides a cal basketball diehard as it was uninspiring play, and almost always a loss
this season, besides the Arizona games, it's been pure energy and nail bitting
Cal hoops is back!
Gobears49
Has anyone suggested that it would be interesting to see if there is any relationship between the average money spent on average NIL payments per player (separately for football and basketball to results on the field and court, perhaps adjusted by past years playing in college? Would that indicate a relationship between NIL money spent to college sports results?
Go Bears! now. Go Bears! forever.
Must be validating to the kids, to experience that transition from empty home games to what they're seeing now.
Only, very few (Celestine, Newell, Okafor, Robinson, Askew) of the kids who were here during Mark Fox season(s) are still on the roster.
I was including the new guys. They transferred to Cal and started the season in an empty Haas. They're watching the student body react to their success in real time.
Gobears49
Any indication from Madsen as to how he is going to replace Aimaq, Cone, and likely, Tyson next season?
He needs big money. Players call him willing to come if the price is right.
So hard.
Hypothetically people should be more compelled to reach for their wallets this year because Coach Madsen has shown proof of concept. But it’s crazy that you have to recruit HS players, portal adds, and also keep your roster guys happy year to year. Exhausting for coaches and fans! Definitely not a job for any coach who is remotely complacent.
And he will likely get it. Word going around was he made it clear when he was hired that NIL money was a top priority. Then Cal Basketball topped the football program in NIL monies raised
Gobears49
I would think that is per player and not in total. Many more players on a football team than a basketball team. BTW, I have been and will ocntinue to be against NIL funding.
There's no point in being against it. If we refuse to participate, we may as well fold our entire athletic program and become U Chicago.
I don’t think that is true.
It's honestly helpful to know that the money does make a difference directly.* Really appreciate hearing that. We can no longer equate "working for free" as being a "high character" trait. The Bay Area is expensive and athletes may have family members they're trying to support. We know Mark values character and trust he can identify it even when money is involved.
*Edit: Helpful to the point that I just set up a monthly payment to the NIL collective.
Does this mean we have Aimaq, Cone and Kennedy for next season?
No; that must have been a mistake. They'll all be gone after this season. Unfortunately.
Thank you. I trust Madsen to fill the roster impressively.
Transfer portal and grad transfers can be a quick fix but we need player development and HS recruiting to build a strong program. Once we start winning, HS recruiting should improve. Next year he should be able to fill the roster just as good or even better than this year.
Agreed. Tipping my hand to my Burbank/LA roots, two reasons my beloved Dodgers are so successful is the purchase of talent (not unlike the transfer portal) and a marvelous farm system many decades in the making. May it ever be thus with our even more beloved California Golden Bears Mens and Women’s Basketball programs.
Gobears49
The Dodgers are a pro team. Cal is not one of them. Big difference. I hate NIL as there will be no end to it and the dollars necessary to fund it and compete should just up and up. In Europe, do colleges there fund their sports teams with NIL-like money. I have no idea but I'm guessing not. I'm guessing the pro teams there are the only basketball teams that pay their players.
Gobears49
I need to read the court decision which imposed NIL on colleges. Maybe somebody could post it. Perhaps it did not require unlimited NIL amounts, so there could be a limit on it, though I suspect there is no NIL limit.. If not, allowing unlimited NIL amounts allows teams willing to pay unlimited NIL amounts will very likely be the best teams in the land.
I expect some responses so I should point out I have read nothing about NIL and the history of it.
I would love to see what the Nil (I presume in an hourly wage, but maybe a yearly amount per year is for teams that have posted them (have not seen anything posted) -- NIL is the most hidden number for each school in the world.
You make a fair point. It was just an imprecise analogy. NIL is a game-changer, for sure. That, and seeing a kid in “our” uniform who’s already suited up for three or four other colleges, is taking some getting used to. As my late father used to say, “No one ever said it all had to stop once we got here.”
Europe doesn't have college sports. But Premiere League is possibly the most money driven professional league in terms of being an open market.
Amen, brother!
No. Their eligibility has expired.
Thanks Avi!