This game was in the middle of USC losing 5 of 6 games and one that absolutely put Clay Helton in a raging hotseat because other games were disappointments, but this was an upset. I love Cal wins that destabilize opponent's football programs.
there's a traditional (which is not the same as interesting) diner called Country View Diner in Brunswick NY, if you're looking for something like a patty melt or traditional breakfast, but otherwise you're right, the pickings are very slim.
Troy itself is kind of a dump in that "NY / New England town where the work left some time ago"
My nice got a scholarship to go there, went to go visit and all the student tour guides were like dropping hints like DO NOT GO HERE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD
as a classics major (now DAGRS - dept of ancient greek and roman studies), i must say that this is a classic and compelling story w/ heroes and treachery, good/bad on both sides.
the fun thing is that there no single book that encompasses the WHOLE story.
there are a lot of modern retellings as well as a new translation of the Iliad that is high on my reading list.
Reminder: While the DBD is generally a pleasant place that doesn't have the problems associated with the Front Page, this is an administrative reminder that the Blog has Community rules that shouldn't be violated.
Now, I am will obsess until I know more precisely what the, uh, Heck, was said that was worthy of banishment. Was he in tights and kill Mercutio in the town square.
The offense 'tis not so deep as the Main Stacks, nor so wide as the South Memorial Tunnel, but 'tis enough. Ask for him tomorrow, and ye shall find him a banned man. [note: t'was a bit of light Civil Rights discrimination].
NC legislators released two proposed redistricting maps - both of which are ridiculous pieces of gerrymandering - essentially dooms 3 to 4 districts to ensure GOP victory. NC has 14 US House seats and the GOP is all but assured of winning 11 of them and leads in a 12th. NC voted 48.6% DEM in the 2020 election.
I literally changed my voter registration 8 days ago to District 6, which was a competitive district. My vote is now getting redistricted to either 13 or 4, both of which are more than 15 points GOP. That allegedly bribed DEM from Charlotte who switched to the GOP and allowed Republicans to get supermajority has fucked us all. She alone allowed the State Supreme Court to be stacked, which allowed the gerrymander rules to be overturned, which allowed all hateful laws to be enacted because all vetoes can be overridden, and my vote to disappear. It has to get a lot worse before it gets any better.
Jim Jordan said he's going to hold a third vote for Speaker today, but none is officially scheduled. Then again, he tends to be hyperbole prone. Regardless, his road to the Speakership seems doomed.
None going to happen. Rumor is they will vote to give McHenry powers for some length of time to do business. Jordan supposedly still wants to be Speaker but, as you say, he doesn't seem to have a way to get there.
At Trump's NYC case, a court employee stood up during the middle of the proceedings - walked toward the front of the courtroom and called out to Trump that she wanted to help him. She was stopped by a court officer and later arrested for Contempt of Court. She was heard yelling that she had the right to do it. What court employee doesn't know that this is Contempt? I mean, besides the crazy cult ones.
This puts pressure on Kenneth Chesebro to also roll over without going to trial. Chesebro is in essentially the same boat as Powell and if she had been on trial at the same time, they could have helped each other. That no longer being the case, Chesebro's lawyer will have to work at least twice as hard and may have an even higher mountain to climb. Chesebro is accused of orchestrating the meeting of alternate electors in December 2020. He is scheduled to begin trial proceedings on Monday (Oct. 23).
If Chesebro rolls over, this puts even more pressure on Trump's co-defendants as it would be logical to assume that Powell and Chesebro will offer testimony to support the prosecution's case. As more pressure is applied to the other co-defendants, Trump's position becomes increasingly isolated and tenuous.
Not just plead guilty - it's a plea deal and she'll testify against Trump and everyone else. She was literally in the room while the stupid plan was hatched and executed.
Mitt Romney reveals in his book small unflattering things that Trump said but seem very very on-brand. Trump's team releases a response that is also very very on-brand.
The Golden State Warriors pulled off an incredible comeback to defeat the Sacramento Kings 116-115 in a preseason game on Wednesday night. Even in a game with no impact on the regular season standings, Steph Curry showed off his legendary ability to take over a game.
Despite missing two of their usual starters (Kevon Looney and Draymond Green), the Warriors leaned on the top of their depth chart more than they had in previous preseason games. In a sign of likely things to come, head coach Steve Kerr finally shifted offseason acquisition Chris Paul to the bench. Paul, Curry, Klay Thompson, and Andrew Wiggins all played roughly 30 minutes of action.
This seemed like a late season/playoff game. Since it's a week to opening day, both teams had starters play 30+ minutes. Steph went steph and scored the last 13 Warriors points and hit the game winner over Fox.
To be clear, I'm not celebrating Neymar's injury, but WOOOOOOO ( a friend of mine was at the game b/c his son has been training with a local team in Montevideo so he had a built in excuse to visit the boy and take in the game in the hopes Uruguay would win)
Down 2-1 in a best of 5 series - the Liberty are down by 1 and get the ball back with 16 seconds left via a blocked shot. They inbound the ball, pass it around, and find a wide open shot in the corner. DO YOU BELIEVE IN MIRACLES?
Jane the Virgin (S1, Netflix 13/19). It's an American tongue-in-cheek telenovela. It sufficiently fills the role of piece of fluff that allows my wife and I to sit next to each other for about 44 minutes before we both pass out from exhaustion at the end of the night.
The last few minutes was bananas. FIU and SHSU are tied at 17. FIU gets stuffed on a 3-2 run, but gets a 1st down on a roughing the punter call. On 3rd and 7 from their own 26, FIU QB Jenkins does this:
Sam Houston accepts the gift field goal range to go up 20-17 with 90 seconds to go. Sam Houston stops them, including a 3rd down sack with four minutes to go to create a 4th and 18. FIU goes for it. Their QB is not very mobile despite being 5'11" and 190 pounds - but he runs for the 1st down as nobody accounts for the QB. FIU goes down the field on Jenkin's noodle arm completing short passes. They kick a FG with 5 seconds to force OT. Both QBs are bad. Sam Houston's backup is [checks notes] ex-Arizona QB Grant Gunnell. Gunnel went from Arizona's starter to Memphis in 2021 where he didn't play. He then went to North Texas where he didn't start. And now he's at Sam Houston. Grant will turn 24 years old in five weeks.
I am holding out hope that, we and Furd, once seated in the ACC with a vote, can campaign for including Wazzu and OSU (maybe SDSU) to give a western pod and ease everybody's travel concerns.
Feels like a bridge too far within the context of the ACC. Not that I wouldn't want it, mind you. Just that I'm still not certain why the ACC deigned to invite Cal and Stanford in the first place. The SF Bay Area media market probably doesn't bring as many eyeballs as one would think because neither Cal nor Stanford are high profile programs.
1. The middling to lower tier programs wanted to guard themselves against the possibility of FSU/Clemson/UNC leaving. If they maintain at least 15 members they still keep their media deal with ESPN.
2. Notre Dame cared about the above (so they can stay independent in football) and also wanted to help the best academic schools find a new home. I'm sure they also cared about keeping their annual Stanford matchup a "power conference" opponent. They pushed hard for the additions.
3. Even with all the negatives, Cal and Stanford were still clearly the best programs left on the market and were a package deal. Getting a foothold in California isn't a bad thing for any conference (at minimum, you get your conference network added to a whole bunch of households there).
1. It strikes me as either (a) grasping at straws or (b) wholly unnecessary because of the Grant of Rights. Are they really wanting to add mediocre FBS programs even if FSU/Clemson/UNC are going to pay something like $120 MM *each* to leave the conference? If FSU/Clemson/UNC are willing to fork over $120 MM each, I don't see them being deterred by the additions of Cal, Stanford, and SMU to the conference line-up.
2. Notre Dame isn't going to fully commit to the ACC. All UND cares about is remaining an independent who can gorge on what NBC pays them for TV rights and a seemingly automatic invite to the CFP, dependent on their ranking.
3. Not arguing that Cal and Stanford weren't clearly the best programs remaining to be had. But now ACC membership seems to be crabbing about the travel factor. The travel factor of one trip to the West Coast every other year for the Eastern schools is very, very small when compared to the travel burden for Cal and Stanford. If travel is an issue, then it becomes a non-starter if you're thinking about adding OSU and Wazzu.
The ACC has an opportunity to grow their market in a way that wasn't possible before, as you note. A lot of that is still dependent on the performance of Cal and Stanford.
ESPN could renegotiate the media payout if ACC membership drops below 15, I believe. This move helps guard against that. Even if those schools leave they still have 15.
More broadly, I think having watched the demise of the Pac-12 they started to understand that if your conference doesn't expand it will die. So they took the best options available. I would agree that they aren't going to add OSU and WSU.
NCAA president Charlie Baker rejected request that James Madison University be allowed to be bowl-eligible, which is currently prohibited because they're so new to the FBS
I've always found that to be an odd rule. It's already hard enough to transition from FCS to FBS, why should newcomers be punished if they find early success?
Any questions for outgoing chancellor? I am going to this tonight in NYC
Please join Chancellor Carol T. Christ for a campus update, followed by an enlightening conversation about the role of artificial intelligence in the workplace
"Hi Carol, if you don't give maximum support to the revenue sports, are you ok with a random person walking up to you on the street and punching you in the face? Asking for a friend. Thanks!"
As our fall sports continue to compete hard and our student-athletes make us proud in our last year in the Pac-12, we are simultaneously preparing for our transition to the ACC. Last week, we hosted a group of ACC senior officials, including the ACC commissioner Jim Phillips for a half-day of meetings, and it was exciting to begin to forge relationships with leaders from the conference and continue our planning for next year. My takeaway is that we are extremely fortunate to have the opportunity to work with a group of experienced and innovative leaders, and I can already feel the partnership taking hold. The wheels are in motion in so many areas already, and I am confident we will be able to hit the ground running when we officially join the ACC on August 2, 2024.
BERKELEY – The California men's tennis team will send six Golden Bears to the ITA Northwest Super Regional Championships starting Friday and running through Monday at Stanford. The Bears playing at the Taube Family Tennis Center are Alex Chang, Derrick Chen, Jonathan Irwanto, Lucas Magnaudet, Carl Emil Overbeck and Tim Stepanov.
The student-athletes competing at super regionals are vying for singles and doubles title as well as the right to advance to the ITA National Fall Championships, slated for Nov. 1-5 in San Diego. The two singles finalists and the two doubles team finalists at super regionals qualify for fall nationals.
California volleyball hopes to maintain momentum from last Sunday's big win over USC into this weekend's road trip, which will feature a tough matchup with No. 8 Oregon on Friday in Eugene, Oregon, at 7 p.m. PT followed by a Sunday duel against Oregon State in Corvallis, Oregon, at noon.
Almost as quickly as she can run a 6,000-meter loop, California cross country freshman Anastasia Snodgrass ran full steam ahead into the realm of name, image and likeness (NIL) opportunities for collegiate student-athletes. Before the San Juan Capistrano native even stepped foot in Berkeley, Snodgrass seized the chance to capitalize off of her newfound status as a Division 1 NCAA student-athlete at Cal.
"The moment I graduated high school, I began reaching out to companies whose products I use to tell them I was very interested in working with them," Snodgrass said.
California sixth-year senior center Matthew Cindric was one of 20 players around the nation selected as a semifinalist for the 2023 Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year on Wednesday. The award honors exemplary leadership by a college football player and Cindric is being recognized for his demonstrated record of leadership by exhibiting exceptional courage, integrity and sportsmanship on and off the field for the second consecutive season.
Three finalists will be announced on Wednesday, Dec. 13, while the winner will be unveiled at the awards ceremony in Frisco, Texas, on Thursday, Feb. 15, 2024. The winner will receive a $10,000 contribution in his name to his school's athletic scholarship fund.
BERKELEY - California men's gymnastics has finalized its 2024 schedule for its seventh season under head coach J.T. Okada.
The Golden Bears will host the Cal Benefit Cup versus reigning national champion Stanford on Jan. 13, followed by a trip to the Stanford Open on Jan. 27 in hopes of qualifying at least one athlete to the USA Gymnastics Winter Cup for a third straight year. The next Saturday, Feb. 3, features a return to Stanford for a dual meet, followed by a trip to Oklahoma on Feb. 10 before the Bears close out the month's slate of team competition with a virtual meet against William & Mary on Feb. 18.
On this day in 2002 in Memorial Stadium the Golden Bears defeated UCLA, 17-12 under first-year coach Jeff Tedford. A then season-high crowd of 46,697 saw the Cal defense stifle a late Bruin drive with a goal-line stand. The visitors had a second chance in Bear territory after a blocked punt but Tully Banta-Cain forced a fumble that Lorenzo Alexander recovered. Joe Iger’s fourth quarter four-yard TD run provided the winning margin. Cal quarterback Kyle Boller completed only 13 of 30 passes for 130 yards and a touchdown. But his 24-yard TD pass to Tom Swoboda in the second quarter gave him the most TD passes in Cal history, 55.
DBD celebrates 100 years of football in Strawberry Canyon with this daily feature appearing throughout the football season.
I was at this game. I ended up going to 4 games that season. Baylor, New Mexico State, UCLA and Stanford. Taking 2/3 against our California rivals was awesome and we really should have beaten USC on the road that season.
I think I was at this game. Was this the game where Cal had the ball with like 8 seconds left with a small lead and the ball around midfield. They had someone lined up like 25 yards behind the LOS and Boller took the snap and threw it backwards. The receiver ran around for a few seconds before time ran out.
That UCLA team was lead by Bob Toledo. UCLA beat ranked Colorado State to become ranked #23, won on the road against a bad Oklahoma State to go to #20, lost to Colorado that was ranked #18 in the previous week and would end up as high as #12, beat SDSU and Oregon State, and then lost by one point to #7 Oregon. UCLA had performed pretty much as expected, except for a minor loss to Colorado. The loss to Cal shook UCLA to the core and put Toledo on the hotseat. Despite winning the next three games against Stanford, Washington, and Arizona - a big loss to #7 USC was too much and Toledo was fired mid-season. I love Cal victories that destabilize an opponent's football program.
Troy
Aikman
I enjoy that pic of the “yikes” SC fan that you guys trot it from time to time. What year is that from?
2018.
This game was in the middle of USC losing 5 of 6 games and one that absolutely put Clay Helton in a raging hotseat because other games were disappointments, but this was an upset. I love Cal wins that destabilize opponent's football programs.
Bound for freezing temps.
Taylor. (oops!). 😬
Helen of
The face that launched a thousand ships, or so the ancient Greeks said.
1182 .. i counted them all in the "catalog of ships"
NY
a small little town home to science/tech college RPI. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
we usually drive thru on the way to southern VT ski resorts and it is a somewhat unremarkable, no good food, etc.
we know a couple people who have gone to school there and they generally really liked it.
there's a traditional (which is not the same as interesting) diner called Country View Diner in Brunswick NY, if you're looking for something like a patty melt or traditional breakfast, but otherwise you're right, the pickings are very slim.
Troy itself is kind of a dump in that "NY / New England town where the work left some time ago"
My nice got a scholarship to go there, went to go visit and all the student tour guides were like dropping hints like DO NOT GO HERE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD
Fall of ___
as a classics major (now DAGRS - dept of ancient greek and roman studies), i must say that this is a classic and compelling story w/ heroes and treachery, good/bad on both sides.
the fun thing is that there no single book that encompasses the WHOLE story.
there are a lot of modern retellings as well as a new translation of the Iliad that is high on my reading list.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/77265004-the-iliad
Looks interesting, I have all the other books! Oops!
DBD Logistics
Reminder: While the DBD is generally a pleasant place that doesn't have the problems associated with the Front Page, this is an administrative reminder that the Blog has Community rules that shouldn't be violated.
https://writeforcalifornia.com/p/write-for-california-community-guidelines
Why are you trying to take my 1st amendment away!?!?!?! Woke woke woke
Someone was banned from DBD? I bet it was Racist Bear or Kal Kal Kal. Then again maybe Ironman33 snuck on here.
Oh it was Ironman33 that got banned?
I would believe that.
I reserve my right to ad hominem attacks directed toward James II
ATTEMPTS TO RESTORE THE STUART MONARCHY WILL BE SUBJECT TO REVIEW BY THE DBD BAN-HAMMER COUNCIL
I will not stand for this coddling of Hanoverian monarchs
Would you support Arthur, King of the Britons?
I din't vote for 'im
Was it just the one user that got the ban hammer, or were there multiple?
Now, I am will obsess until I know more precisely what the, uh, Heck, was said that was worthy of banishment. Was he in tights and kill Mercutio in the town square.
The offense 'tis not so deep as the Main Stacks, nor so wide as the South Memorial Tunnel, but 'tis enough. Ask for him tomorrow, and ye shall find him a banned man. [note: t'was a bit of light Civil Rights discrimination].
Ha, a bitter, twin-edged blade is free speech.
Alas, he is outlaw as his blade is notched.
Exchanges like these are what make the DBD a joy
OUR CRUMBLING DEMOCRACY
NC legislators released two proposed redistricting maps - both of which are ridiculous pieces of gerrymandering - essentially dooms 3 to 4 districts to ensure GOP victory. NC has 14 US House seats and the GOP is all but assured of winning 11 of them and leads in a 12th. NC voted 48.6% DEM in the 2020 election.
Can this be challenged and go to SCOTUS?
Between that and their political police force, the NC GOP has essentially taken the state off the list of "remotely functional democracy."
I literally changed my voter registration 8 days ago to District 6, which was a competitive district. My vote is now getting redistricted to either 13 or 4, both of which are more than 15 points GOP. That allegedly bribed DEM from Charlotte who switched to the GOP and allowed Republicans to get supermajority has fucked us all. She alone allowed the State Supreme Court to be stacked, which allowed the gerrymander rules to be overturned, which allowed all hateful laws to be enacted because all vetoes can be overridden, and my vote to disappear. It has to get a lot worse before it gets any better.
Jim Jordan said he's going to hold a third vote for Speaker today, but none is officially scheduled. Then again, he tends to be hyperbole prone. Regardless, his road to the Speakership seems doomed.
None going to happen. Rumor is they will vote to give McHenry powers for some length of time to do business. Jordan supposedly still wants to be Speaker but, as you say, he doesn't seem to have a way to get there.
Per multiple sources, Jordan has tapped out and the GOP will focus on giving the Speaker Pro Temp more power.
At Trump's NYC case, a court employee stood up during the middle of the proceedings - walked toward the front of the courtroom and called out to Trump that she wanted to help him. She was stopped by a court officer and later arrested for Contempt of Court. She was heard yelling that she had the right to do it. What court employee doesn't know that this is Contempt? I mean, besides the crazy cult ones.
https://twitter.com/frankrunyeon/status/1714692392987590830
Meanwhile, at Trump's NYC civil case:
https://twitter.com/itsJeffTiedrich/status/1714729993178112043
Meanwhile, Sidney Powell pleads guilty in Georgia. Must testify in other trials.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/sidney-powell-pleads-guilty-in-georgia-election-interference-case/ar-AA1ivPAe?OCID=ansmsnnews11
This puts pressure on Kenneth Chesebro to also roll over without going to trial. Chesebro is in essentially the same boat as Powell and if she had been on trial at the same time, they could have helped each other. That no longer being the case, Chesebro's lawyer will have to work at least twice as hard and may have an even higher mountain to climb. Chesebro is accused of orchestrating the meeting of alternate electors in December 2020. He is scheduled to begin trial proceedings on Monday (Oct. 23).
If Chesebro rolls over, this puts even more pressure on Trump's co-defendants as it would be logical to assume that Powell and Chesebro will offer testimony to support the prosecution's case. As more pressure is applied to the other co-defendants, Trump's position becomes increasingly isolated and tenuous.
Not just plead guilty - it's a plea deal and she'll testify against Trump and everyone else. She was literally in the room while the stupid plan was hatched and executed.
Mitt Romney reveals in his book small unflattering things that Trump said but seem very very on-brand. Trump's team releases a response that is also very very on-brand.
https://www.rawstory.com/melania-trump-latest-news/
PRO
NLCS game 3 tickets drop to 15-20 with the Dbacks down 2-0, and a rookie pitching game 3.
https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/38696365/nlcs-game-3-ticket-costs-plummet-diamondbacks-fans
Phillies fans are tweeting about buying up tickets just so Dback fans can't go. No 2 says that's the most Philly fan thing ever.
Steph Curry catches fire in wild Warriors 116-115 preseason win over Kings
https://www.goldenstateofmind.com/2023/10/18/23923532/warriors-lose-kings-steph-curry-klay-thompson-chris-paul-keegan-murray
The Golden State Warriors pulled off an incredible comeback to defeat the Sacramento Kings 116-115 in a preseason game on Wednesday night. Even in a game with no impact on the regular season standings, Steph Curry showed off his legendary ability to take over a game.
Despite missing two of their usual starters (Kevon Looney and Draymond Green), the Warriors leaned on the top of their depth chart more than they had in previous preseason games. In a sign of likely things to come, head coach Steve Kerr finally shifted offseason acquisition Chris Paul to the bench. Paul, Curry, Klay Thompson, and Andrew Wiggins all played roughly 30 minutes of action.
This seemed like a late season/playoff game. Since it's a week to opening day, both teams had starters play 30+ minutes. Steph went steph and scored the last 13 Warriors points and hit the game winner over Fox.
Neymar tears ACL & meniscus
https://www.cbssports.com/soccer/news/neymar-injury-brazil-star-suffered-torn-acl-and-meniscus-in-world-cup-qualifying-loss-to-uruguay/
To be clear, I'm not celebrating Neymar's injury, but WOOOOOOO ( a friend of mine was at the game b/c his son has been training with a local team in Montevideo so he had a built in excuse to visit the boy and take in the game in the hopes Uruguay would win)
Down 2-1 in a best of 5 series - the Liberty are down by 1 and get the ball back with 16 seconds left via a blocked shot. They inbound the ball, pass it around, and find a wide open shot in the corner. DO YOU BELIEVE IN MIRACLES?
https://twitter.com/MusikFan4Life/status/1714836187326615620
Astros build a 5-0 lead off of Ranger's Max Scherzer and hang on to win 8-5
https://www.espn.com/mlb/boxscore/_/gameId/401581151
Raiders Chandler Jones arrested again, this time for violating a domestic restraining order. He needs help.
https://www.thescore.com/nfl/news/2740007
DBD AV CLUB
Jane the Virgin (S1, Netflix 13/19). It's an American tongue-in-cheek telenovela. It sufficiently fills the role of piece of fluff that allows my wife and I to sit next to each other for about 44 minutes before we both pass out from exhaustion at the end of the night.
RIP Burt Young
https://people.com/sylvester-stallone-tribute-rocky-costar-burt-young-death-aged-83-8363687
He was fantastic as Lou in Back to School.
He had a small but significant role in Chinatown which, in my estimation, is one of the great films of all time.
ELSEWHERE IN COLLEGE
Michigan in trouble again for potential recruiting violations
https://twitter.com/RossDellenger/status/1715039870911995951
Thursday night fun. Both games should be good.
Rice @ Tulsa (-3.0)
James Madison (-3.5) @ Marshall
JM is very close to getting ranked.
NMSU wins 28-7 @ UTEP
https://twitter.com/NMStateFootball/status/1714870259470016546
FIU wins first conference game this season 33-27 in OT, keeping FBS newcomer Sam Houston winless on the season
https://www.espn.com/college-football/boxscore/_/gameId/401520331
I caught the last few minutes of this and had completely forgotten that former CU coach Mike MacIntyre is the FIU head coach
The last few minutes was bananas. FIU and SHSU are tied at 17. FIU gets stuffed on a 3-2 run, but gets a 1st down on a roughing the punter call. On 3rd and 7 from their own 26, FIU QB Jenkins does this:
https://twitter.com/thecomeback/status/1714823625843565034
Sam Houston accepts the gift field goal range to go up 20-17 with 90 seconds to go. Sam Houston stops them, including a 3rd down sack with four minutes to go to create a 4th and 18. FIU goes for it. Their QB is not very mobile despite being 5'11" and 190 pounds - but he runs for the 1st down as nobody accounts for the QB. FIU goes down the field on Jenkin's noodle arm completing short passes. They kick a FG with 5 seconds to force OT. Both QBs are bad. Sam Houston's backup is [checks notes] ex-Arizona QB Grant Gunnell. Gunnel went from Arizona's starter to Memphis in 2021 where he didn't play. He then went to North Texas where he didn't start. And now he's at Sam Houston. Grant will turn 24 years old in five weeks.
Apparently, the 2Pac will continue through the 2025 season
https://twitter.com/mattloveless/status/1714778613651005840
I think this just says that it CAN continue, not that it WILL.
I am holding out hope that, we and Furd, once seated in the ACC with a vote, can campaign for including Wazzu and OSU (maybe SDSU) to give a western pod and ease everybody's travel concerns.
Feels like a bridge too far within the context of the ACC. Not that I wouldn't want it, mind you. Just that I'm still not certain why the ACC deigned to invite Cal and Stanford in the first place. The SF Bay Area media market probably doesn't bring as many eyeballs as one would think because neither Cal nor Stanford are high profile programs.
1. The middling to lower tier programs wanted to guard themselves against the possibility of FSU/Clemson/UNC leaving. If they maintain at least 15 members they still keep their media deal with ESPN.
2. Notre Dame cared about the above (so they can stay independent in football) and also wanted to help the best academic schools find a new home. I'm sure they also cared about keeping their annual Stanford matchup a "power conference" opponent. They pushed hard for the additions.
3. Even with all the negatives, Cal and Stanford were still clearly the best programs left on the market and were a package deal. Getting a foothold in California isn't a bad thing for any conference (at minimum, you get your conference network added to a whole bunch of households there).
In response -
1. It strikes me as either (a) grasping at straws or (b) wholly unnecessary because of the Grant of Rights. Are they really wanting to add mediocre FBS programs even if FSU/Clemson/UNC are going to pay something like $120 MM *each* to leave the conference? If FSU/Clemson/UNC are willing to fork over $120 MM each, I don't see them being deterred by the additions of Cal, Stanford, and SMU to the conference line-up.
2. Notre Dame isn't going to fully commit to the ACC. All UND cares about is remaining an independent who can gorge on what NBC pays them for TV rights and a seemingly automatic invite to the CFP, dependent on their ranking.
3. Not arguing that Cal and Stanford weren't clearly the best programs remaining to be had. But now ACC membership seems to be crabbing about the travel factor. The travel factor of one trip to the West Coast every other year for the Eastern schools is very, very small when compared to the travel burden for Cal and Stanford. If travel is an issue, then it becomes a non-starter if you're thinking about adding OSU and Wazzu.
The ACC has an opportunity to grow their market in a way that wasn't possible before, as you note. A lot of that is still dependent on the performance of Cal and Stanford.
ESPN could renegotiate the media payout if ACC membership drops below 15, I believe. This move helps guard against that. Even if those schools leave they still have 15.
More broadly, I think having watched the demise of the Pac-12 they started to understand that if your conference doesn't expand it will die. So they took the best options available. I would agree that they aren't going to add OSU and WSU.
I think adding three west coast schools would certainly dampen travel woes, even if they fall short of the eyeball criteria.
Are you sure that traveling to Pullman actually eases travel concerns?
LOL. Good point.
Someone in the B!G pointed out it's cheaper to fly to Europe than top Eugene.
So, a best of 9 series decides the conference champion?
NCAA president Charlie Baker rejected request that James Madison University be allowed to be bowl-eligible, which is currently prohibited because they're so new to the FBS
https://twitter.com/shane_dnrsports/status/1714770466244526151
I've always found that to be an odd rule. It's already hard enough to transition from FCS to FBS, why should newcomers be punished if they find early success?
CAL
Any questions for outgoing chancellor? I am going to this tonight in NYC
Please join Chancellor Carol T. Christ for a campus update, followed by an enlightening conversation about the role of artificial intelligence in the workplace
"Hi Carol, if you don't give maximum support to the revenue sports, are you ok with a random person walking up to you on the street and punching you in the face? Asking for a friend. Thanks!"
I am also a UC employee, so might not go so well...
Probably none that won't get you kicked out.
Uhh...
[NEWS] Knowlton's Notes: The Present And The Future
https://calbears.com/news/2023/10/18/athletics-news-knowltons-notes-the-present-and-the-future.aspx
Greetings from Haas Pavilion!
As our fall sports continue to compete hard and our student-athletes make us proud in our last year in the Pac-12, we are simultaneously preparing for our transition to the ACC. Last week, we hosted a group of ACC senior officials, including the ACC commissioner Jim Phillips for a half-day of meetings, and it was exciting to begin to forge relationships with leaders from the conference and continue our planning for next year. My takeaway is that we are extremely fortunate to have the opportunity to work with a group of experienced and innovative leaders, and I can already feel the partnership taking hold. The wheels are in motion in so many areas already, and I am confident we will be able to hit the ground running when we officially join the ACC on August 2, 2024.
[MTEN] Bears Play At ITA NW Super Regionals
https://calbears.com/news/2023/10/18/mens-tennis-bears-play-at-ita-nw-super-regionals.aspx
BERKELEY – The California men's tennis team will send six Golden Bears to the ITA Northwest Super Regional Championships starting Friday and running through Monday at Stanford. The Bears playing at the Taube Family Tennis Center are Alex Chang, Derrick Chen, Jonathan Irwanto, Lucas Magnaudet, Carl Emil Overbeck and Tim Stepanov.
The student-athletes competing at super regionals are vying for singles and doubles title as well as the right to advance to the ITA National Fall Championships, slated for Nov. 1-5 in San Diego. The two singles finalists and the two doubles team finalists at super regionals qualify for fall nationals.
[VB] Bears Face Oregon Schools
https://calbears.com/news/2023/10/18/volleyball-bears-face-oregon-schools.aspx
California volleyball hopes to maintain momentum from last Sunday's big win over USC into this weekend's road trip, which will feature a tough matchup with No. 8 Oregon on Friday in Eugene, Oregon, at 7 p.m. PT followed by a Sunday duel against Oregon State in Corvallis, Oregon, at noon.
[XC] Authentically Anastasia
https://calbears.com/news/2023/10/18/cross-country-authentically-anastasia.aspx
Almost as quickly as she can run a 6,000-meter loop, California cross country freshman Anastasia Snodgrass ran full steam ahead into the realm of name, image and likeness (NIL) opportunities for collegiate student-athletes. Before the San Juan Capistrano native even stepped foot in Berkeley, Snodgrass seized the chance to capitalize off of her newfound status as a Division 1 NCAA student-athlete at Cal.
"The moment I graduated high school, I began reaching out to companies whose products I use to tell them I was very interested in working with them," Snodgrass said.
[FB] Cindric A Semifinalist For Jason Witten Man Of The Year
https://calbears.com/news/2023/10/18/football-cindric-a-semifinalist-for-jason-witten-man-of-the-year.aspx
California sixth-year senior center Matthew Cindric was one of 20 players around the nation selected as a semifinalist for the 2023 Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year on Wednesday. The award honors exemplary leadership by a college football player and Cindric is being recognized for his demonstrated record of leadership by exhibiting exceptional courage, integrity and sportsmanship on and off the field for the second consecutive season.
Three finalists will be announced on Wednesday, Dec. 13, while the winner will be unveiled at the awards ceremony in Frisco, Texas, on Thursday, Feb. 15, 2024. The winner will receive a $10,000 contribution in his name to his school's athletic scholarship fund.
[MGYM] Men’s Gymnastics Announces 2024 Schedule
https://calbears.com/news/2023/10/18/mens-gymnastics-mens-gymnastics-announces-2024-schedule.aspx
BERKELEY - California men's gymnastics has finalized its 2024 schedule for its seventh season under head coach J.T. Okada.
The Golden Bears will host the Cal Benefit Cup versus reigning national champion Stanford on Jan. 13, followed by a trip to the Stanford Open on Jan. 27 in hopes of qualifying at least one athlete to the USA Gymnastics Winter Cup for a third straight year. The next Saturday, Feb. 3, features a return to Stanford for a dual meet, followed by a trip to Oklahoma on Feb. 10 before the Bears close out the month's slate of team competition with a virtual meet against William & Mary on Feb. 18.
On this day in 2002 in Memorial Stadium the Golden Bears defeated UCLA, 17-12 under first-year coach Jeff Tedford. A then season-high crowd of 46,697 saw the Cal defense stifle a late Bruin drive with a goal-line stand. The visitors had a second chance in Bear territory after a blocked punt but Tully Banta-Cain forced a fumble that Lorenzo Alexander recovered. Joe Iger’s fourth quarter four-yard TD run provided the winning margin. Cal quarterback Kyle Boller completed only 13 of 30 passes for 130 yards and a touchdown. But his 24-yard TD pass to Tom Swoboda in the second quarter gave him the most TD passes in Cal history, 55.
DBD celebrates 100 years of football in Strawberry Canyon with this daily feature appearing throughout the football season.
I was at this game. I ended up going to 4 games that season. Baylor, New Mexico State, UCLA and Stanford. Taking 2/3 against our California rivals was awesome and we really should have beaten USC on the road that season.
I think I was at this game. Was this the game where Cal had the ball with like 8 seconds left with a small lead and the ball around midfield. They had someone lined up like 25 yards behind the LOS and Boller took the snap and threw it backwards. The receiver ran around for a few seconds before time ran out.
Yup.
That UCLA team was lead by Bob Toledo. UCLA beat ranked Colorado State to become ranked #23, won on the road against a bad Oklahoma State to go to #20, lost to Colorado that was ranked #18 in the previous week and would end up as high as #12, beat SDSU and Oregon State, and then lost by one point to #7 Oregon. UCLA had performed pretty much as expected, except for a minor loss to Colorado. The loss to Cal shook UCLA to the core and put Toledo on the hotseat. Despite winning the next three games against Stanford, Washington, and Arizona - a big loss to #7 USC was too much and Toledo was fired mid-season. I love Cal victories that destabilize an opponent's football program.
No defeat will destabilize Cal and Wilcox.
Go BEARS!!!