Beautiful writing, Avi. I am very grateful for you.
I cried for the first 15 minutes of GameDay. It was so awesome. I live in Ohio now and it was great to get many texts from my friends here who wrote to say, "I get CAL now and I get you too! Go Bears!"
Hope lives. Football has to keep winning, sure, but the hope generated by GameDay last week will last a long while.
Thank you so very much, for all you do and have done to give voice to so many of us and rally us toward a better place. Leadership. That's what I'd call what you do. Thank you.
Old Blue out in Boston here. No one cares about CFB out here! I was streaming GameDay on my laptop at the ballet studio where my two little daughters dance on Saturday mornings. Other people were wondering why I was laughing so hard, so I introduced them to the Calgorithm. Everyone was cheering for us by the end of the morning.
I’d become so used to the knee-jerk resignation and cynicism of our fanbase. I’ll be honest—this is so much better! It’s the perfect Cal cocktail—FSM expression, intelligence, humor, and by god, breadth. Couldn’t be more proud as an alum. And as a Cal Band alum, glad the country gets to see how awesome the band is, too!
This is beautifully written. It was an amazing morning -- even for those of us who watched on television. From the emblazoned Campanile, to the passionate crowd, to jokes about red ties, to a kid kicking a 35-yard field goal in Vans, to Berkeley being a national story. It was fabulous. And then the football team did what all Cal football teams do: played well enough to lose horribly. The game left a scar, replacing the joy of the morning. (I have yet to be able to even read about the game.) For those of us old enough to know, it takes a miracle (read: The Play) for Cal to win an important game. Sadly, those miracles are few and far between. What we learned yet again last Saturday is that we can throw a terrific party, but can't deliver a win when it's most needed.
Alan totally agree with your stated sentiment. What a day from 6 am till the missed flagrant foul call. If anything a learning lesson for the current student body and wagon hoppers to know the thrill and pain of a "history of playing well to lose so painfully".....it's how we roll on Bears. Manny '85
Really. Since when is a player who launches himself at a ball carrier, hits him helmet-to-helmet with the crown NOT called for targeting -- especially when it's the QB running with the ball. (I know he's a runner at that point, but the rules and refs nearly always do all they can to protect a quarterback, given the player's strategic importance. But not last Saturday, not when it's a ranked Miami team against Cal.) Even so, it shouldn't have come to that. Btw, I've never liked the 'Roll on you Bears' chant, largely because the Bears either get rolled by the opposition or roll over. I've always preferred 'Kick ass, Bears!' or some variation on that theme.
Disagree, Roll on you Bears! is one of the greatest chants in college football. It's loud, haunting and when done properly is demoralizing to the opponent
It's simple, First and 10 before the 50, Roll on after the 50.
Also a funny aside, my mom was chatting with an Auburn fan at the game and mentioned that Cal doesn't have to most successful football history and his response was "Yeah, I figured that a team that has two different first down chants may not have the best history"
I agree completely. The only problem with it — and it’s a significant one - is that the chant is followed by an inability of the team to complete the drive and win the game. Had I kept closer track of this over the many years I suffered through Cal football, my bet is that that failure rate to complete the drive with any points after that chant is heard is in the 70-80% range. Said another way: it might be a good chant BUT IT DOESN’T WORK. Just saying. We need something new, something more motivating.
Beautiful writing, Avi. I am very grateful for you.
I cried for the first 15 minutes of GameDay. It was so awesome. I live in Ohio now and it was great to get many texts from my friends here who wrote to say, "I get CAL now and I get you too! Go Bears!"
Hope lives. Football has to keep winning, sure, but the hope generated by GameDay last week will last a long while.
Go Bears.
Thank you so very much, for all you do and have done to give voice to so many of us and rally us toward a better place. Leadership. That's what I'd call what you do. Thank you.
Thank you for your consistent readership over the years!
Old Blue out in Boston here. No one cares about CFB out here! I was streaming GameDay on my laptop at the ballet studio where my two little daughters dance on Saturday mornings. Other people were wondering why I was laughing so hard, so I introduced them to the Calgorithm. Everyone was cheering for us by the end of the morning.
I’d become so used to the knee-jerk resignation and cynicism of our fanbase. I’ll be honest—this is so much better! It’s the perfect Cal cocktail—FSM expression, intelligence, humor, and by god, breadth. Couldn’t be more proud as an alum. And as a Cal Band alum, glad the country gets to see how awesome the band is, too!
We're hoping to keep the vibes going for as long as they seem suitable!
Hey CBG01, you can see Cal visit Boston College next year!
https://bceagles.com/news/2023/10/30/acc-announces-future-conference-football-schedule-model.aspx#:~:text=The%20Eagles%20will%20face%20new,in%201986%20in%20Chestnut%20Hill.
That's awesome but we have to WIN and the feeling will come back again and again and again!
Yes, of course, without winning we won't be able to capitalize. But GameDay will be huge for NIL which should help with future winning efforts!
This is beautifully written. It was an amazing morning -- even for those of us who watched on television. From the emblazoned Campanile, to the passionate crowd, to jokes about red ties, to a kid kicking a 35-yard field goal in Vans, to Berkeley being a national story. It was fabulous. And then the football team did what all Cal football teams do: played well enough to lose horribly. The game left a scar, replacing the joy of the morning. (I have yet to be able to even read about the game.) For those of us old enough to know, it takes a miracle (read: The Play) for Cal to win an important game. Sadly, those miracles are few and far between. What we learned yet again last Saturday is that we can throw a terrific party, but can't deliver a win when it's most needed.
Alan totally agree with your stated sentiment. What a day from 6 am till the missed flagrant foul call. If anything a learning lesson for the current student body and wagon hoppers to know the thrill and pain of a "history of playing well to lose so painfully".....it's how we roll on Bears. Manny '85
Really. Since when is a player who launches himself at a ball carrier, hits him helmet-to-helmet with the crown NOT called for targeting -- especially when it's the QB running with the ball. (I know he's a runner at that point, but the rules and refs nearly always do all they can to protect a quarterback, given the player's strategic importance. But not last Saturday, not when it's a ranked Miami team against Cal.) Even so, it shouldn't have come to that. Btw, I've never liked the 'Roll on you Bears' chant, largely because the Bears either get rolled by the opposition or roll over. I've always preferred 'Kick ass, Bears!' or some variation on that theme.
Alan '74, '81
Disagree, Roll on you Bears! is one of the greatest chants in college football. It's loud, haunting and when done properly is demoralizing to the opponent
Unfortunately sometimes the mic men don't know when to do it.
It's simple, First and 10 before the 50, Roll on after the 50.
Also a funny aside, my mom was chatting with an Auburn fan at the game and mentioned that Cal doesn't have to most successful football history and his response was "Yeah, I figured that a team that has two different first down chants may not have the best history"
I agree completely. The only problem with it — and it’s a significant one - is that the chant is followed by an inability of the team to complete the drive and win the game. Had I kept closer track of this over the many years I suffered through Cal football, my bet is that that failure rate to complete the drive with any points after that chant is heard is in the 70-80% range. Said another way: it might be a good chant BUT IT DOESN’T WORK. Just saying. We need something new, something more motivating.