102 Comments

Careerism Is Ruining College

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/24/opinion/college-linkedin-finance-consulting.html?unlocked_article_code=1.NE4.aW_U.pS1ufeZHuh7o&smid=url-share

i have been ranting and raving about this for a while. the actual thing that is wrong w/ the world today that makes college less fun. much better written than i could

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Palm Springs and Joshua Tree

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i have a short trip in early Dec for 4-5 days. any suggestions?

my friend is turning 60 and renting Frank Sinatra's house for the festivities.

https://sinatrahouse.com/

currently the plan is to play tennis, ride bikes, stay outside J Tree for 2 nights and find some hikes

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Staying at Sinatra's place sounds amazing! Tram ride to the top of Mt. San Jacinto is worth the price of admission and I highly recommend it. Depending on weather, you might be able to do some substantial hiking once up there but bring layers. The thermal gradient from valley to mountain exceed the average 3.6F per 1000 feet average. Downtown has great restaurants, and don't miss out on the date shake at Great Shakes in DT Palm Springs. Best shake I've ever had.

For JT, there are multiple short day hikes. We were there for Spring Break 2024 and hiked Skull Rock (Skull Rock itself was a bit of a bust and kind of busy, but the hiking loop is quite scenic); Barker Dam and 49 palms. Barker Dam was scenic. 49 Palms is a cool feature, though the hike out is not as scenic.

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Sep 24·edited Sep 24

thanks for all this.

i think i have been up Mt. San Jacinto once as a kid. it was crappy up on top. i remember that there was a big poster at the top about Mt Pilatus (Switxerland) and we had been up there once too, and it was crappy up on top!

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Weather being crappy up on top is a feature of very tall mountains. Having backpacked more than a couple of such mountains, I can vouch for this. Also, crappy weather is a subjective standard. I have often enjoyed cold, windy, and sometimes wet weather at mountaintops.

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UNDERRATED CITY IN THE US

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Is Salt Lake City, and the surrounding area, under-ratted? I think it is. Every time I'm there or thru there I come away thinking I could happily live there. From Park City down.

Plenty of good everything every where. Great zoo. Lots of a wide variety of restaurants. And it is about as clean as any major city I've been in.

And they recently underwent a county wide infrastructure rebuild, which was a pain at the time, but well worth it.

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those good things are surely good including the world class skiing within 30 min of SLC.

my only real complaint is the recent pollution/smog situation that makes it so cant really see much on many days

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I want to contribute but I can't think of any.

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some secondary ideas of mine that you can steal and take credit for

- Las Vegas NM - the best flautas you can get and cute colonial square

- Marquette MI - home of Glenn Seaborg, cute town on the shores of Lake Superior

- Spokane WA - gateway to eastern WA

- Brevard NC - 20 mi south of Asheville, lots of waterfalls, great cycling, good beer

- Portsmouth NH - pretty New England seaside town, great oysters and lobstah

- Burlington VT - has a beach on the shores of Lake Champlain w/ gorgeous views of the Adirondack High Peaks region

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Oh Portland ME, Milwaukee, WI, Madison, WI

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Pittsburgh

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Agreed!

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Right?!?! I already went to Auburn, but if Cal had beaten FSU, I’d be buying a ticket to PIT.

In the incredibly unlikely event they beat Miami, I still may consider it…

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i would like to say Detroit too but i am not sure it has revived as much as Pittsburgh has. also i havent been to Detroit in 20+ years but i hear good things

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Sac Town baby!

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Providence RI - longest uninterrupted street of federal architecure in New England, lots of other history, fantastic food. Wouldn't build a long trip around it but wonderful for a long weekend.

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we have been there a couple times recently as younger child is looking to apply to RISD (RI school of design) for college. it is sort of a long shot ..

we met up w/ HAG's no 1 as well since it is close enough.

Brown and RISD are literally right next to each other. sometimes you cant even tell which campus you are one.

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It was pretty obvious when I was at Brown ;)

Good luck to your younger child - mine really liked Providence and had Brown as her top choice / early admit school, but alas no dice. She seems to have recovered herself though ;)

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No 1 and his GF live there right now. It seems to be an interesting place to live. Drivers are so so bad, so be careful. I think they'll be there until she's done with her PhD since MIT requires teaching all the way through, not just the first 2 or 3 years. There are lots of restaurants because of the chef school there.

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the main thing to know about driving in Providence is that since there are no left turn lanes, people at the light who want to turn left on green go immediately and it's expected that if you're coming towards them, you'll let the left turners go. Master that and the rest is pretty standard bad Acela corridor driving imo

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No 1's response: 100%, and often people will preemptively let them go, causing awful traffic hang ups and near accidents

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Sep 24·edited Sep 24

I learned to drive in New Jersey. I had to return to California to understand just how insane my driving education was.

Even so, I feel a pull to revert to old habits long ago unlearned when I have visited NJ.

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I find New Jersey a little disconcerting, I think the difference for me is that Maryland drivers are just generally bad in terms of what they think is a good idea / speed at which to execute those ideas, whereas New Jersey drivers are worse for tailgating and the aggressive drivers are _extremely_ aggressive.

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Different areas have different norms, and you HAVE to understand them; being the odd person is very dangerous, even if you are doing the generally sensible thing.

Case in point Phoenix, AZ, where my brother in law and sister and law lived. Scared me to death to ride with her driving, even after I learned that the standard practice if you see a traffic light up ahead turn yellow IS TO FLOOR IT, and not lift until you are thru the intersection, no matter what, lest you get read ended at high speed.

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And now you've hit on just two of the reasons why my driving education in NJ was INSANE. I literally had to unlearn tailgating and calm down, which also references the aggression.

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Insurance is super expensive, probably due to the bad drivers.

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it doesn't help!

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She came from Providence,

the one in Rhode Island,

where the old world shadows hang,

heavy in the air.

She packed her hopes and dreams,

like a refugee.

Just as her father came,

across the sea.

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All time favorite Eagles song.

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Albuquerque, not as well regarded as nearby Santa Fe.

great food and art. the old town in particular is really neat.

also, super close to desert, mountains, amazing American Indian historic stuff and outdoor beauty.

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I think Albuquerque suffers from being in a less amazing spot than everything to the north of it. Food was good, liked the zoo. I didn't especially care for Santa Fe, felt like a posh suburb but with a lot of people who needed help they weren't getting.

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My mother lives out there, and I agree. Albuquerque is a more "complete" feeling city to me. The area around the university is probably the most fun/quirky, as is the old town area.

And of course, all the natural vistas around New Mexico are pretty amazing.

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Santa Fe is not underrated and amazing. i would definitely go back

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Charleston, SC. I don't know if it's underrated here, but it isn't super well known in the West. It's got all the charming parts of the Deep South, interesting history, the touristy good times of Nawlins without the crime, good beaches, and the best food in the South.

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I like it a lot, I think the reason they don't get hit with the reputation of crime is to do with how the historical part of town was built up and the timing of when and where the ports came back into operation - in other words, stronger racial and economic segregation in terms of space, as opposed to everyone living cheek by jowl in New Orleans.

One of these days I'm going to get back down there for some serious eating; first visit was spring break with the family when the kids were young, and the second was for a family wedding after school had already started so we weren't on the ground all that long.

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Just don't go in the summer or early fall. When I had to go there for work, it was 98 degrees and 98% humidity, day and night for several days. But the weatherman assured us "This cold, dry stretch will be over in a couple of days."

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yeah that's going to hit a little harder if you're used to Oregon for sure.

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Used to anything west of the great plains!

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when I first came to the east coast I had a hard time even with the humidity in Rhode Island - after all these years the tables have turned and I feel like I'm drying out after a few hours in any sort of semi-arid climate

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I liked a Vietnamese restaurant on King Street, a short walk from the Francis Marion (Swamp Fox) Hotel. They had giant portraits of Francis Nguyen or similar actresses on the walls. But I just looked for it, it seems to be gone.

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agreed. we had a very nice time the one time we were there for a wedding. we really enjoyed the historical walking tours.

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I thought I had read something about Charleston, I think, that it's become a haven for bachelorette parties.

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yes, you should go.

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I'm in if HAG wants to do a bachelorette party in Charleston. WOOOOOOOOO!

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ELSEWHERE IN COLLEGE

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ACC Men's hoop schedule announced on ACC Network at 4pm PT/7pm ET today!

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Pac-12 is evolving with Utah State. Air Force and UNLV want to join, but they are facing legal issues leaving the MWC. Memphis, Tulane, USF, and UTSA declined their invitations to the Pac-12. AP News says the PAC is looking at Gonzaga.

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It's all going to be a continual mess for many years, imo.

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Pac-12 expansion has officially become a joke.

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Was there ever a scenario with a better outcome once only two teams remained?

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Seems like they really thought they could poach some of the better programs from the American, but it didn't happen. (I'm honestly a bit surprised it didn't, given how many MW programs they had already grabbed.) Now they seem to be scrambling.

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Yes. It required a reverse merger of the MWC with the Pac-2. That looked downright orderly compared to what's happening now.

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Good point, thought you were speaking to quality of opponents, not the chaotic nature with which it is happening, which I just assumed would be the case based on the rest of CFB realignment.

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Ahh...good point. I thought you were speaking more to the quality of teams than the chaotic nature with which it is happening...which is par for course in college realignment.

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UNLV committed to stay, but (apparently) that was contingent of all 8 remaining members staying, and Utah St's departure voided that. UNLV is not re-evalusting its position.

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I wonder if St Mary's would also consider leaving the WCC for the Pac-X as a non-football member? Especially if Gonzaga left. Perhaps they wouldn't be a marquee enough member even though they'd probably be top 3 or 4 in MBB in the Pac-X.

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I think they would absolutely be interested in following Gonzaga wherever they went. Would be a bit of bummer to see the WCC harmed, as it's a really entertaining and well-built basketball conference.

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DBD AV CLUB

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OUR STUMBLING BUMBLING DEMOCRACY

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PRO

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MLB playoffs

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there are no more Mets home games, so hopefully we'll go to a playoff game.

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The Mets will need to be the 1st WC seed otherwise they'll play all the WC games at the higher seed. Currently I think they're 3.5 games back of the Pads. MLB changed the WC setup a couple years back to go to best of 3 at the higher seed stadium only.

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oh right. forgot about that rule change. i figured there would be at least one home game.

now i recall the debate your kids were having about it one of the times i was over recently.

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John Fisher sends A's fans goodbye letter with embarrassing typo

https://www.sfgate.com/athletics/article/john-fisher-as-fans-bye-email-embarrassing-typo-19787212.php

In a Monday email nobody asked for, Oakland A’s owner John Fisher managed to misspell one of the most memorable moments in franchise history.

The typo happened just three paragraphs into the solipsistic letter to the fans, where, after reminiscing about Charlie Finley and his mule Charlie-O, Reggie Jackson, Rollie Fingers, Bill King, and Rickey Henderson, he brought up “the 1989 Loma Preita earthquake in Game 3 of the Bay Bridge Series.”

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Mrs Slug told me this past weekend that she wants an Oakland Ballers hat for Christmas from one of her boys. Context: Mrs Slug has been an A's fan as long as I've known her. So have our sons. Now, they'll root for the Giants.

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i got myself one of these A's jerseys at the game this weekend. the ones that say Oakland across the front

just a generic one, they didnt have any w/ players names and they only had 2XL

https://www.mlbshop.com/oakland-athletics/mens-oakland-athletics-nick-allen-nike-kelly-green-alternate-replica-jersey/t-14563366+p-354478163936396+z-9-449984114

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some of the staff had these cool patches that said Oakland Coliseum 1968-2024 which i have not been able to find online.

i did get a free commemorative pin though ..

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author

Dear Mr. Fisher:

Gofuggyerself

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Larry Beil pretty much nails it:

https://youtu.be/mOV4vo1eo1M?si=WhjAldmzVfbutdiM

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Yup. Said everything I'd say plus one or two other things.

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Green Day singer Billie Joe Armstrong defaces Oakland A's logo in Toronto, Instagram post shows

https://abc7news.com/post/green-day-singer-billie-joe-armstrong-defaces-oakland-logo-toronto-instagram-post-shows/15144155/

TORONTO (KGO) -- The Oakland Ballers are getting some rock 'n roll love.

According to his Instagram post, Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong spray painted a green "B" over an Oakland A's logo at Rogers Centre in Toronto.

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i got this letter in my inbox too

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Dodgers and the A's twiddle their thumbs yesterday.

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Giants continue improbable quest to .500 with 6-3 win in Arizona

https://www.mccoveychronicles.com/2024/9/23/24252847/sf-giants-continue-improbable-quest-to-500-with-win-in-arizona

The 2024 San Francisco Giants are getting hot at just the wrong time. All it took was the team to be eliminated from playoff contention and the boys in orange and black have gone on a rampage against teams that are headed for the postseason.

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Giants only need to win 3 of last 5 to claim . 500 record for the 2nd time ever in franchise history. The first time was 2 years ago, I think.

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49ers Javon Hargrave tears tricep muscle. Out for season

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/41406642/49ers-dt-javon-hargrave-partially-torn-right-triceps

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Well, this explains why he played like crap down the stretch against the Rams.

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CAL

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[MGOLF] Bears Ace First Day Of The Tindall

https://calbears.com/news/2024/9/23/mens-golf-bears-ace-first-day-of-the-tindall.aspx

SAMMAMISH, Wash. – Charlie Berridge and Wenliang Xie carded an ace apiece while Daniel Heo totaled 10 birdies for a second-round score of 63 to highlight the California men's golf team's opening day of the season at The Tindall on Monday. The Golden Bears – playing in their first tournament under first-year Alex and Marie Shipman Director of Men's Golf Michael Wilson – finished the first 36 holes of play tied for second place at 15-under-par (275-278 – 553).

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[WTEN] Passola Folch Wins Qualifying Singles Opener In Cary

https://calbears.com/news/2024/9/23/womens-tennis-passola-folch-wins-qualifying-singles-opener-in-cary.aspx

CARY, N.C. – California women's tennis sophomore Berta Passola Folch won her opening round of 64 match in qualifying singles at the ITA All-American Championships on Monday to advance to the second round. The 106th-ranked Golden Bear defeated Ariana Anazagasty-Pursoo of Texas 6-1, 6-0 at Cary Tennis Park.

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[MTEN] Overbeck Advances In All-American Qualifying Singles

https://calbears.com/news/2024/9/23/mens-tennis-overbeck-advances-in-all-american-qualifying-singles.aspx

TULSA, Okla. – California men's tennis senior Carl Emil Overbeck won his qualifying singles opener at the ITA All-American Championships on Monday at the Case Tennis Center to advance to Tuesday's round of 32. The Golden Bear is attempting to reach the singles main draw, which begins Wednesday.

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[WBB] Back In Camp: Women’s Basketball

https://calbears.com/news/2024/9/23/inside-the-lair-back-in-camp-womens-basketball.aspx

Fresh off one of its best seasons in recent memory, the California women's basketball team held its first official team practice for the 2024-25 season Monday.

Last year was the best of head coach Charmin Smith's tenure with the Golden Bears. The team won its most overall (19) and conference (seven) games in Smith's five years at the helm, played in the postseason (No. 2 seed in last year's inaugural NCAA Women's Basketball Invitation Tournament) and had weekend home and road sweeps of Pac-12 schools (Washington and Washington State) for the first time since 2018-19.

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[MBB] Bears To Host Stanford In ACC Opener

https://calbears.com/news/2024/9/23/mens-basketball-cal-to-start-acc-play-against-stanford.aspx

BERKELEY – California will open its inaugural Atlantic Coast Conference men's basketball schedule against rival Stanford on Dec. 7 at Haas Pavilion, it was announced on the ACC PM show Monday. The contest will tip off at 1 p.m. PT on the ACC Network.

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MBB schedule released today at 2 PM PDT on the ACC Network. Let's go UNC and Dook on the same road trip!

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[WBB] Cal To Open ACC Play Against Stanford

https://calbears.com/news/2024/9/23/cal-to-open-acc-play-against-stanford.aspx

BERKELEY – The California women's basketball team will open ACC play by hosting Stanford on Dec. 13 at 7 p.m. PT at Haas Pavilion, it was announced by the conference office today on its ACC PM show. The game will air on The ACC Network Extra. The announcement was part of the ACC's unveiling of the first conference game for each of the league's 18 teams.

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Sep 24·edited Sep 24

18 teams is a lot. Would be 34 games for home and home to everyone. So I imagine they will split and do home and home with 9 or so and a single game selection of the others. So, I expect a lot of time on the east coast for the team.

I of course didn't look up anything.

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Cal Men's Basketball: Meet The Bears - Jeremiah Wilkinson

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5Nq4vo2bpU&ab_channel=CalBears

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It’s time again for Oski Disciple’s Bear Facts.

Golden Bear running back Chuck Muncie came closer than any other Bear to winning the Heisman trophy finishing second in the voting to Archie Griffin in 1975. This despite outrushing and outscoring Griffin. For his career at Cal Muncie had 3,052 yards rushing, 32 touchdowns, 4,194 all-purpose yards and 15 100-yard rushing games. In the ’75 Big Game (a 48-15 Bear victory) Muncie was responsible for five touchdowns, running for three, catching a TD pass and throwing for another. He had 166 yards rushing on the day.

Oski Disciple’s Bear Facts appears Tuesday through Thursday on the DBD throughout the 2024 college football season. This feature is brought to you by a grant from the Guggenheim Foundation.

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Then and now, >80% of the Heisman voters are in the central & eastern time zone. That was the problem with JJ Arrington as well, and (to Oski Disciple's consternation I'm sure) Christian McCaffrey and Andrew Luck as well.

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I would be that 80% are actually in NYC, regardless of what their bylines/bios say, and that they don't watch all that many games that don't start early afternoon on Saturday.

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...and yet some Heisman winners have been from Pac-8/10 schools: Terry Baker (Oregon State), OJ Simpson (USC), Jim Plunkett (LSJU), Mike Garrett (UCLA), Gary Beban (UCLA), and a few others I can't recall right now.

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Some are just so obvious, especially compared to the competition that year. But if its close, the tie-breaker, so to speak, is the east coast predominance.

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Mike Garrett went to USC (and was also a very bad AD!). Also Charles White and Marcus Allen in the "pre-cable sports" era when west coast players would definitely have been less visible.

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Marcus Allen was the greatest player I had seen personally until Reggie Bush came along. And I did see OJ & Charles in person, as well as Beban & Plunkett. Never saw Garrett except on tv & film. Beban should not have won, IMO. He was very good, but the standard for QBs & RBs in the west, Pac & otherwise, then and now, is quite high.

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Don't forget Ty Detmer for BYU, although BYU is not a Pac-8/10 school.

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I was at that 1975 Big Game. What a fun time!

Muncie clearly conquered the Sports Illustrated cover jinx.

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I still can't believe JJ Arrington didn't at least get invited to the Heisman party his 2K rushing year.

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