32 Comments
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Walter's avatar

It is a shame for us old guard college football fans. Now, it is all about the money. NIL has forever changed college sports.

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Andrew P's avatar

The transfer portal is making college sports less fun. Every year we don't know who is coming or staying.

I'm almost to the point of not following college sports.

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goldenone's avatar

Yeah some agreement here. Watching the "kids" grow up from freshmen to burly seniors and knowing they've navigated classes like other students who don't have the same demands on their time was always nice. Now it's all a mercenary system of payments and shuffling around. Plus you've got to win nowadays or you've got more problems just maintaining the state of the program in this new world.

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goldenone's avatar

That said I think I have made four NIL donations by now. Will keep going but we need light at the end of the tunnel

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J S's avatar

"Navigating classes." What's a syllabus?

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AKBear's avatar

Or I might be following the Olympic sports now than before especially in Cal’s case with these programs seemingly stronger now in ACC than they were in PAC-12.

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AKBear's avatar

I meant to write “following them more.”

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KetamineCal's avatar

Endries is a beast. Losing him would suck.

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Take off that Red Shirt's avatar

Well, He's not in the portal yet! I saw this guy at Tap Hause in Berkeley last week he seemed so all in from our conversation. I'd be absolutely heart broken if Endries heads out

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Dominick Damiani's avatar

If it is about the money I hope that The Bears can find it in time before Endries makes a final decision to leave. There was just a few good things with the offense LY and He was one. In hopes, that our new QB is as good as advertised and the new additions on the OL that Jack will able to see a positive side in staying in Berkeley for us and maybe his potential career in the NFL if that his future intentions.

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justbearly's avatar

I sure liked watching Jack Endries play football, he is kind of an old school type playmaker. He is progressing nicely. If he does go, I wish him well, but damn, this carousel portal bullshit sucks it.

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ThePlay's avatar

No!!! Not the best TE in the league. When are we going to dump Wilcox? Is Jaden next? Let’s make it a trifecta! The 3 best players from last year, why not? What a joke the entire athletic department is becoming.

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Bryan Ramona's avatar

Don't underestimate the impact of "agents" - they don't get paid if their clients don't. So if Miami or some other mercenary program flashes a mid six-figure payday, these vampires are gonna push the kid that way. College revenue sports are going the way of the dinosaur.

I'm involved with a mid-major D1 school. Average basketball team with a couple decent players. Three hit the portal & were gone within hours. The best one, really good kid but not a top prospect, got near $500k to go to an ACC school. Two others transfered to Big East programs for low six figures. One is at best a rotational 2, the other a 6-8 post player who'll be expected to turn around his new team. But he'll get swallowed up with the pressure and increase in competition. Many of these kids will lose out in the long run. Sad.

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NGOBears26's avatar

Given the huge money being offered to these 19-22 year olds, Cal can not compete if the athlete is not convinced of the tremendous value in life of a degree from Cal Berkeley. Athletic careers are usually over by the time you’re in ur early 30s (at best). But it’s very difficult for 19-22 year olds to fully understand this reality. Most of these guys only got admitted to Cal Berkeley because of their athletic potential. Many thousands of 4.5gpa students are refused admission. So I would not blame a coach, a “general manager” or an AD for any of this craziness created by the simultaneous creation of the portal and NIL. No other public university in the USA can compete with a Cal degree: it’s up to the individual athlete to realize that value.

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Toohandy's avatar

Let's see if Rivera is really as good a General Manager that a lot of our fan base think he is. His first real test.

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TKE Prytanis 79's avatar

Agreed...he made mention of his role in ensuring he retains top talent in his interview with the Chronicle...now is the time!

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EchoOfSilence's avatar

Hope he stays.

Times are different now, we must embrace the NIL chaos… The sooner the better, NIMBYing this will hold us back. Dont be a zealot

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Heino's avatar

Zealot here, the continual hamster wheel of players in both revenue sports is eventually going to wear down non-SEC/Big 10 fan bases to the point of no support (if your money is doing nothing, why keep contributing?), and eventually WAC status for this program.

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EchoOfSilence's avatar

Ok let’s fire Ron Rivera and give up until the moneymakers come to their senses.

Or better yet do nothing and stay in middling mediocrity

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Heino's avatar

Play well, upgrade program/car, repeat. You think Cal donors are going to pay Bentley money? Please.

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doncal's avatar

Heartbreak

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Bhec's avatar
Apr 13Edited

Harsin and Rolovich run a spread offense, that doesn't often work well with a pro style TE. Another good players time wasted, because Wilcox has no offensive identity.

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Justbear's avatar

They can be "inside receivers"

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Jimmy Chitwood's avatar

Sure but if you’re an offensive skill player with designs on playing in the NFL, you don’t play for Justin Wilcox.

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Jimmy Chitwood's avatar

Bummer.

Money and Wilcox’s lack of getting any offensive players to the NFL…

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Justbear's avatar

Noooooo

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EchoOfSilence's avatar

Texas

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