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What hurts?

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My throat is a little sore. I probably picked up the latest specimen from the germ warfare division of cf-98's preschool.

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Arizona

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Colorado City, Arizona comprises one half of Short Creek (the other half being part of Hildale Utah), established as a fundamental LDS community in 1930 to continue the practice of polygamy.

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My buddy took me to my first breastaurant - Twin Peaks @ Tempe. There were a shocking number of families there, dudes who had parked their tricked out motorcycles in the spots right in front of the place to turn over/rev their engines once per 10 minutes, and ASU students of both genders.

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I also went to my first Hooters in Phoenix with 3 other Cal people on a Cal football roadtrip (Arizona 1995). Completely underwhelming

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We would go to the one in Scottsdale when I lived in Phoenix.

It's an experience....helped put the Tilted Kilt out of business.

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I was surprised that it was able to put the Tilted Kilt out of business.

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Mar 7, 2023·edited Mar 7, 2023

I remember taking Newellbany to his first Tilted Kilt when we banged out a packed Petco Park in summer of ‘14…he was flabbergasted at the display, which admittedly was one of the stronger showings I had observed, and there were quite a few over the years. He must’ve said “this is bonkers” 2 dozen times.

We actually left after the 7th inning stretch to return to the Kilt for the 8th & 9th innings, at Newellbany’s behest. THAT was a heavy day of drinking…we’d begun solid with shots in the Gaslamp a little before 11…we were both passed out by 8.

Incidentally, later experiences with Newellbany to Tilted Kilt’s in Tampa, Central Florida, and Syracuse, NY were all underwhelming disasters. I liken it to that first opioid high that you spend your whole life chasing…Newellbany’s own personal dragon….

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We tried to go there in Texas with my friend's family a day or two before his wedding, but it was too crowded.

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Just came back from Scottsdale/Mesa/Phoenix from watching spring training. Weather was beautiful. The hats kinda suck this year. And you couldn't find an experience that is further apart than the A's and Giants. A's fans are there to eat dogs, drink beer, and fanatically watch mediocre baseball. People attending the Giants games are not fans but are there to hang out, spend a lot of money, and not watch any baseball. Arizona is also turning into the Florida of the West with tons of... uh... colorful characters.

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Can someone explain the appeal of spring training? I like football but I wouldn’t travel to Florida or Arizona just to watch training camp and some preseason games.

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You can watch the prospects too. All the players you want to see, but usually cannot see during regular season games, are there.

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I can't speak for everyone there, but spring training is the perfect venue to catch up with old friends. Mild weather, extremely low stakes baseball that's easy to ignore yet fun to watch when one is actually paying attention, good seats are easily available, other stuff to do, more affordable than regular season, and in areas that have lots of restaurants/airbnbs.

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And booze. Liver destroying volumes of bloody mary and/or beer.

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The original 48 hour bender.

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I won't have time to do the other stuff, but I think you can go see the other fields and see players working out. They're more likely to give autographs. More laid-back games.

Also golf and spring training so probably bro trips.

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that used to be the case i think. i am not sure you will find it too different from a regular season game anymore since they have done a perfectly good job monetizing baseball themed vacations.

to answer the question about the "appeal" .. i think baseball, more than any other sport, still has a nostalgia and feel about it that has something to do with "a day at the ball park" and attending a spring training game is part of that ecosystem.

- you still hear people say "i only have hot dogs at baseball games"

- you still see people keeping score and listening on the radio while watching

- you still see lots of kids and families

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It's the only place I get malts.

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not spring training .. but it looks like the Yankees host the Giants to start the season.

maybe i'll try to go to season opener (Mar 30) if weather permits.

aside from that, we'll be Seattle the first week of the season, and my daughter seems to like the Mets a little more than the Yankees these days because of friends at school

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Never ever been to Spring training game.

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A’s fans > giants fans

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As a Giants fan, I 110% agree with this.

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Seconded.

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Fans, yes - team???? Not likely.

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Oh no, the team is terrible. The level of support the A’s get, despite ownership doing everything the can to drive away fans, is still good.

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Mar 7, 2023·edited Mar 7, 2023

Considering the below average team Farhan has built, it's probably for the best that Giants fans are not there to watch any baseball. They're headed for a 4th place finish in the NL West, while the Pads are resigning everyone and the Doyers are likely gonna get Ohtani.

But he's making money for the owners...guess that's good.

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I still need to find a game to go to the Sat I fly back. Doing two WBC games and also Dodgers/Rangers on Thurs. I'm hoping games aren't already sold out since I imagine Sat is popular.

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Mar 7, 2023·edited Mar 7, 2023

spring training is not what it used to be. you have to plan in advance, get a seat, etc etc.

not like where you just wander around and do whatever you want.

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I was thinking of looking for an outfield ticket for wherever I end up going.

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Peoria Stadium is still a total gem...the park is no great shakes, and it's definitely a little more crowded for Padres games than Seattle, but you can still park for free across 83rd Ave. in the Abuelos Restaurant parking lot and get cheap lawn seats with relatively minimal crowds, at least on weekdays. Highly recommend.

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Hmm...ok. I may need to get a car. I may end up doing that anyways on Fri afternoon since I fly out Sat. Although I have a feeling cars will be expensive since they'll probably all be rented.

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Heh, my first thought when I saw the Arizona topic was "Florida of the West"

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Hahahhh, so true

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have not been to AZ much except a hiking in the Grand Canyon. while the GC was not really high on the list (i prefer mountains), it was a really spectacular hike.

we took 4 days to hike in/out to the base from the north rim. for some reason, we decided to do this in Jul when it was hot. in the 95-105 deg F range, but the dry heat was not as bad as it could have otherwise been. i happened to be in Vegas for a work thing, so we planned a side trip around it.

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Nice! I've been to the bottom twice from the S. Rim. I'd go back in a heartbeat. When hiking up or down in the Grand Canyon, every step averages about 70,000 years of geologic time!

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that was very cool to see.

also, until i got there, i didnt appreciate the huge difference in geology btw the upper and lower canyon.

the upper canyon is all layers of rocks, one on top of another. the lower canyon is all jumbles up molten igneous rock (i think) and you dont see the layers anymore.

i thought that the walk thru the lower canyon to Phantom Ranch was the best part of the experience. it was also a lot less elevation difference, so it was a bit easier in the up direction.

on the final day, we woke up in the dark and tried to leave camp by 600a, so we would be out of the canyon by noon-ish since there was the most uphill sun-baked elevation to cover that day.

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The basement rock is actually metamorphic rock known as Vishnu Schist. It is about 1.75 billion years old, formed by volcanic ash from a mid-ocean rift that was later buried, compressed, and heated into schist. If you ever go back, I'd highly recommend the book in the link below. Both times, I hiked from the S. Rim during spring break when the weather was much nicer. The second time, I took my two kids who were 6 and 9 at the time, along with two other families. We hiked down S. Kaibab stayed two nights at Bright Angel, then hiked Bright Angel up to Indian Garden which breaks the hike out into two days. It also allows you to stay a night in Indian Garden which is an amazing mid-canyon oasis.

Did you hike out the entire way? Isn't that about 17 miles total on the N. Rim? My first time there, I hiked out via S. Kaibab and was on the trail by 6 a.m.. I managed to make it about 6-1/2 miles up the trail before seeing anyone else. It was one of the most amazing experiences I've ever had hiking.

https://www.amazon.com/Hiking-Grand-Canyons-Geology/dp/0898868955

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that sounds awesome, esp w/ the 6 and 9 yr old.

we did it w/ a stop at the Cottonwood campground on both the way in and out. so none of the days were terribly long, 6-7 miles.

we did one little side trip to some hidden lake/waterfall on the way down. we just stashed the backpacks somewhere and did a 1 hr detour to a nice cool swimming spot.

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DBD AV CLUB

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History of the World Part II, there's some fun stuff here, but most the sketches were kind of like Drunk History - which I guess makes sense since Drunk History cribbed off the original.

The cast list is amazing though.

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The Incredible Hulk. (HBO 11/19 WNB). This is the 2008 movie with Edward Norton, Liv Tyler, Tim Roth, and William Hurt. I was whelmed. Not bad, but not good either.

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I finally started Foundation on AppleTV and I really like it. I wasn’t sure how they would adapt the books but so far I am liking the changes and additions they have made. Supposedly they want to make 8 seasons of the show, which seems a bit long but they do have a lot of material to potentially cover.

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Station Eleven (HBO, 17/19, WB). A totally refreshing, unique approach to tell an apocalypse story. Like the Last of Us, it has very little to do directly with disaster and leans heavily into human themes. Great characters, writing, acting. Episode 3 - the one that focuses on Miranda Carroll played by Danielle Deadwyler - the first wife of Arthur - is a masterpiece. There are parts where the writing gets a bit self-indulgent, but if you just go with the flow, it's amazingly good.

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Loved this show. The relationship between the 30 something slacker guy and the kid actor really stuck with me. But really almost every character was dynamic, and the acting, writing, directing were all so well done. There are some moments of artistic self indulgence but it’s like Kerr says with Steph - if you are performing at that high of a level, you get extra rope.

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i read this book recently. i forgot there was a series to go with it

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I second GoldenSD....just an incredibly well done show.

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I highly recommend it. I also read the book and I think this might be one of the rare instances where the show might be better than the book.

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IMO, best apocalypse show of the last 20 years. I think it is better than TLoU.

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Started Rome....I've been a huge Polly Walker fan since Patriot Games, though I didn't have HBO when this show came out so I totally missed it. Gratuitous violence and nudity is a welcome addition to any program, tho I do question the historical accuracy of the incredibly neatly manicured bodies from a grooming perspective, and I understood Rome to be rather dirty but everyone seems soooooo clean...still, a solid first episode.

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i have also only just seen the first episode. need to watch some more since i rather enjoyed it

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Chris Rock's "Selective Outrage" live stand-up special (Netflix) was quite enjoyable. He had his usual sharp, incisive wit but really turned it up in the last 10 minutes of the special to go after Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith.

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Most of the material was from when I saw him in Oakland last Summer. The Smith stuff was new and like the rest of the show, most enjoyable.

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OUR CRUMBLING DEMOCRACY

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Who had "GQP influencer who sides with global despots challenges Kinzinger to a boxing match" on their bingo card?

https://twitter.com/jacksonhinklle/status/1632815075907215361

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PRO

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Potential Rodgers trade from GB to NYJ.

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/35804636/jets-talks-packers-aaron-rodgers-sources-say

The New York Jets have had conversations with the Green Bay Packers and with quarterback Aaron Rodgers this week regarding a potential trade of the four-time MVP to the Jets, according to sources.

The sources said some of those conversations were expected to take place Tuesday, but that it's unclear as of Tuesday morning whether they will result in a trade.

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Rodgers has been out of his mind for quite a while, but if he really wants to got the Jets, then he is definitely under the influence.

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agreed. like, he is following the favre path?? (albeit sans trade) hope he stops before engaging in fraud, or stealing $$ from the government.

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I find these acceptable

https://twitter.com/DSzymborski/status/1632072648657186816

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I tried this for Cal on chatGPT:

here's a slogan for the California Golden Bears:

"Roar with the Golden Bears, California pride everywhere!"

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Here's a possible motto for the California Golden Bears athletic teams:

"Unleash the Golden power within"

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The more I read, the better it got. Although the A's "Hitting is for suckers" hits a little too close to home

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Elsewhere in college

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one of my favorite coffee places has a special UGA coffee edition

https://jitteryjoes.com/collections/coffee/products/national-champions-2022?variant=44402845778201

Champions again!

Jittery Joe's and our hometown UGA Dawgs are once again partnering to commemorate the Dawgs 2022 historic season and Back2Back championships with a special coffee!

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USC O-lineman is feared to have torn is ACL at the NFL combine

https://twitter.com/TomPelissero/status/1632760970333282312

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this was eye catching - "Somehow, Vorhees still did the bench press this morning – and pumped out 38 reps of 225 pounds with one leg on the ground. " DANG etc

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Finlandia isn't just vodka, it's a college in Michigan's UP. Or was.

https://footballscoop.com/news/d-iii-program-announces-school-is-being-shut-down

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"Finlandia" is also a composition by Jean Sibelius. "Finlandia" was written in 1899, while Finland was still a part of imperial Russia. Sibelius' music is credited with helping to develop a Finnish national identity.

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This Finn can verify that.

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Money truly gets its claws into college booze policies.

https://twitter.com/BryanDFischer/status/1632876920860991488

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"College booze policies"? What a concept!

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CAL

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[MGOLF] Cal In Seventh After 36 Holes At San Diego Classic

https://calbears.com/news/2023/3/6/mens-golf-cal-in-seventh-after-36-holes-at-san-diego-classic.aspx

CHULA VISTA – The California men's golf team is in sole possession of seventh place at the Lampkin San Diego Classic after completing 36 holes of play on Monday. The Golden Bears shot 3-over par (290-289 – 579) on the first day of competition at the San Diego Country Club and were led by a strong individual effort from Simon Kwon, who is tied for ninth at 3-under par (71-70 – 141).

San Diego State leads the field at 15-under and is one of five teams under par with one round to play on Tuesday. The Bears are six shots behind fifth-place UCLA (-3) while San Diego sits in sixth at 1-over.

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[BVB] No. 12 Cal Downs No. 14 Long Beach State, No. 18 Pepperdine

https://calbears.com/news/2023/3/6/beach-volleyball-no-12-cal-downs-no-14-long-beach-state-no-18-pepperdine.aspx

MALIBU- The No. 12 California beach volleyball team ended a three-day stretch of matches with a pair of 3-2 wins over No. 14 Long Beach State and No. 18 Pepperdine Monday afternoon. The Golden Bears have now won five straight matches and three against ranked opponents.

No. 12 Cal 3, No. 14 Long Beach State 2

Cal began its morning in Malibu with a battle with The Beach. The team captain pair of senior Ainsley Radell and fifth-year Ashley Delgado got the Bears on the board first with a 21-19, 21-16 win on court two. It was the sixth-straight win for the pair.

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[WGOLF] Bears Complete Rainy First Day At Meadow Club

https://calbears.com/news/2023/3/6/womens-golf-bears-complete-rainy-first-day-at-meadow-club.aspx

FAIRFAX – The California women's golf team began the Julie Inkster at Meadow Club Invitational on Monday, playing through difficult weather conditions for the second straight week. After over an hour-long delay, the Bears finished the first round with the tenth-best team score of 11-over 299. With the second round currently in progress, Cal has moved into a tie for eighth.

It was the Bears' second consecutive Monday that was shortened due to rainy conditions. Competing as an individual, Kristine Tran got out to a good start, carding a first-round even-72 to tie for eighth overall. Just one stroke behind her in a tie for 16th was fellow senior Tzu-Yi Chang.

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[SB] Bears Open Midweek Slate At UC Davis

https://calbears.com/news/2023/3/6/softball-bears-open-midweek-slate-at-uc-davis.aspx

BERKELEY – The California softball team travels north for its first midweek game of the season on Tuesday at UC Davis.

First pitch between the Golden Bears and Aggies is set for 3 p.m. from La Rue Field. Cal and UC Davis met once earlier this season, a 3-1 Bear victory on Feb. 18 at the Wilson Invitational in Long Beach.

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[BASE] Bears Back In Town, Host Villanova

https://calbears.com/news/2023/3/6/baseball-bears-back-in-town-host-villanova.aspx

BERKELEY – The California baseball team makes a brief home appearance this week, hosting Villanova on Tuesday evening for a nonconference contest that will be televised on Pac-12 Network. Tuesday's contest is scheduled to begin at 6:05 p.m. and will feature live stats. Guy Haberman and Dean Stotz will have the call live from Stu Gordon Stadium.

Villanova enters this week with an overall record of 1-9 after getting swept in a weekend series across the Bay at USF. Cal enters the week with a 7-3 overall record after going 1-2 in the Frisco Classic in Frisco, Texas.

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That should be an RPI killer.

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RPI karma, considering Mark Fox and MBB is singlehandedly responsible for the P12 being a 3 bid league.

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[MBB] Bears Clash With Cougars In Pac-12 Tournament

https://calbears.com/news/2023/3/6/mens-basketball-bears-clash-with-cougars-in-pac-12-tournament.aspx

BERKELEY – California will open Pac-12 Men's Basketball Tournament play against fifth-seeded Washington State on Wednesday afternoon at Las Vegas' T-Mobile Arena. The first-round contest is scheduled to tip off at 2:30 p.m. PST on the Pac-12 Network.

Cal (3-28, 2-18 Pac-12) is the tournament's 12th seed and will be seeking a spot in the quarterfinal round for the third time in four seasons dating back to 2020. The Golden Bears enter the tournament on a 15-game losing streak while Washington State (16-15, 11-9) has won six consecutive games, including a narrow 63-57 victory against Cal on Feb. 25 in Berkeley.

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Okay, tipoff is at 2:30pm so Mark Fox should be out of the job at what, 4:30pm?

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Fox gets his tarmac moment hopefully.

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Even as bad as this season has been, I hope not. I don't want a moment in Cal history that equates to what Pat Haden did to Lane Kiffin. We aren't USC.

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Newellbany and I go back and forth on this...he thinks Knowlton moves quickly and Fox gets fired very soon after the season ends. While I hope that decisive action is taken, unfortunately I fear Knowlton will drag his feet and continue to bumble his way through the process like the overmatched nincompoop he is, killing the MBB brand a little more with every passing day as he has done all season.

I'm praying for urgency, because it has to happen, right? There's no way he doesn't move decisively and with a plan, right????

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With the tournament scripting of postgame, and the possibility of a late start if the first game runs long, there is a good chance it could take until 4:45.

Can't envision a reasonable scenario where he hasn't been relieved of his duties by 5.

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I'd say leave him at his postgame interview. Could you imagine telling the team managers to pack everything up during the 2nd half and as soon as he goes into his postgame presser, the team gets on the bus and leaves.

Hope someone has an article pre-written so that publish can be pressed as soon as it's announced.

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🔥🦊

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Proud To Be A Phenomenal Woman

https://calbears.com/news/2023/3/6/deibj-proud-to-be-a-phenomenal-woman.aspx

Hello, my name is Bryah Odom! I am a second-year student here at Cal intending to major in English and Media Studies. I am not a part of the Cal DEIBJ Office, but I would like to thank office member Jasmine Turner for giving me this opportunity to share what Women's History Month means to me.

Bryah Odom of the Bearettes

I am very honored to be writing this blog for Cal DEIBJ and I am even more excited to kick off Women's History Month! As I think about women's history, I am reminded of the resiliency of the many women who have come before me. Whether recognized historically or recognized simply as our beloved mothers, sisters, and friends, I am sincerely inspired by our capacity for fortitude. Despite the odds, women continue to push boundaries, repeatedly paving the way for greatness to come. To me, being a woman means to be capable in every sense of the word. Here at Berkeley, I am truly grateful to be surrounded by incredible women of all backgrounds constantly reminding me that I can accomplish anything I set my mind to—providing great examples of what it means to be divinely feminine.

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Scott Adams doubles down, says African Americans are totally cool with him being a racist idiot

https://www.mediaite.com/tv/scott-adams-claims-black-america-is-actually-completely-fine-with-his-racist-comments/

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Most embarrassing Cal grad.

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Just make sure to run the daily Dilbert strip! (Somehow, this whole escapade seems like a Dilbert strip.)

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Go Bears!!!

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