Apropos of this site I am thankful for California having the Stanfurd Axe. I'm thankful for Fernando Mendoza who has come to embody the Cal spirit. I'm also thankful for the many excellent writers who grace WFC. And I"m thankful for the really cool, intelligent and witty people who are regulars on the DBD.
Agreed on all fronts. I'd highlight that last point. I know of no other open, online platform where rational, civil discussion can still occur and where flame throwers and trolls have no place, unlike all other online-social media ecosystems.
The Dodgers are now defending champions, and work on the title defense has already begun after some well-deserved rest and relaxation.
While offseason work has already started here at True Blue LA, my mind flashed back to the last time the Dodgers were in this position in the offseason after the COVID Cup of 2020.
"Attacking the zone" tends to get you hit. Hard. And often. MLB, and college and high school & legion, for that matter, has really shifted to trying to locate on the edges (with varying degrees of accuracy), with all the recent advancements in hitting.
Maybe it's his pitch sequencing, but except for the end of this last year and even 2 years ago, he's always been a 100+ pitches in 5 and that really taxes the bullpen. Lots of pitches her hitter and walks.
Sequencing is an issue, and not enough pitchers at any level do enough to mix up the sequencing. It amounts to tipping, and even great pitches are only so good if the opponent regularly has a pretty good idea of what is coming, and when and where.
But for the Dodgers, where Dave Roberts hopes to get only 4-5 innings out of a starter on a good outing, and plans, and looks forward to (he can't help himself) use of 8+ pitchers a game anyway (it would be 12 or more if rosters were expanded), Snell approaching 100 pitches in the 5th is not a big concern.
I think the Dodgers want pitchers to go more than 5 innings with 100 pitches. I don't think the desire is to have them go only to 5, especially in the regular season.
The one thing he has done in the past, more so in the playoffs than in the regular season, is pull pitchers when they probably still have more in the tank. However, hopefully in this last World Series, he did more managing from his gut rather than with the strict numbers and left pitchers out there longer. And hopefully he sees that it does work out so maybe in the future he'll trust his gut more than the numbers. Hopefully.
Trump taps John Phelan to be the Secretary of the Navy. He's never been in the military and has essentially be managing Michael Dell's private wealth portfolio for the past quarter century. His primary qualification is that he was a MAGA mega-donor.
The California women's basketball team will wrap up the Acrisure Classic when it takes on former Pac-12 foe Arizona in the third-place game of the tournament on Wednesday at 11 a.m. PT at Acrisure Arena in Palm Springs.
This marks the 77th meeting between the two programs with the series knotted at 38-38, although Arizona holds a seven-game win streak going into this contest. The last time the Bears defeated the Wildcats was in a 55-54 victory on March 1, 2020 in Tucson. In the most recent matchup, Lulu Twidale had her best game as a Bear going off for 24 points (9-of-11) and six triples (6-of-7).
BERKELEY – When Dr. Graig Chow took a phone call from AASP Conference Program Chair Bob Harmison in February, he figured it was another sales pitch to try to convince him to run for president of the organization.
Turns out experts in Chow's field aren't typically asked to give a prestigious lecture while they are still serving as experts in their field.
PALM SPRINGS – The California women's basketball team took a 12-point lead into the fourth quarter but was unable to overcome late foul trouble and costly turnovers, falling to the Spartans (7-0), 78-72, in the first day of the Acrisure Classic in Palm Springs on Tuesday afternoon for the Bears' (6-1) first loss of the season. Michigan State went 11-of-14 from the line in the fourth quarter to help fuel the comeback. Cal turned the ball over 20 times in the game, leading to 20 Spartan points.
California defensive coordinator/inside linebacker coach Peter Sirmon has been named a Broyles Award nominee, the Broyles foundation announced Tuesday.
Sirmon is one of 65 nominees selected from approximately 1,500 assistant coaches representing 131 FBS programs across the country. The Broyles Award selection process includes the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA), broadcasters, a college football hall-of-fame selection committee and current head coaches.
BERKELEY – The California men's basketball team will go for its fourth straight win when it closes a three-game home stand against Mercyhurst on Wednesday night. Tipoff inside of Haas Pavilion is at 7 p.m. PT with a broadcast on ACC Network Extra (ACCNX).
It’s time for the final edition of Oski Disciple’s Bear Facts.
A little-remembered Big Game hero for California was Virgil Kockenlocker who led the Golden Bears to victory in the 1938 contest. Amazingly, it was the only game that Kockenlocker played for the Bears and he only touched the ball but once. The senior running back had ridden the bench for his entire career but when all other Bear runners were sidelined with injuries, Coach Stub Allison had no choice but to summon the diminutive 5’6” 130 pound Kockenlocker. When he took the field California faced a desperate situation. They had the ball on their own three-yard line with seconds remaining in the game and Furd leading 7-3. Bear Quarterback Sal Paradise dropped back to pass but he immediately had to backpedal as a swarm of Indian lineman closed in on him. An instant before being sacked, Paradise heaved the ball in desperation. Standing alone at his own five, Kockenlocker caught the pigskin. “I looked up field,” he recounted to reporters “and saw nothing but green grass. I ran as fast as I could toward the enemy goal line. I ran as if a child being chased by a bully, I ran as if late for the supper bell. My legs felt light and I had the sensation of gliding.” Virgil finally encountered a defender as he neared midfield but did a pirouette which left the Furdie grabbing at air. He picked up several blocks and faced but one last defender. As Virgil neared the Stanfurd goal the Loberstack had an angle on him and dove at Virgil’s legs but the Bear runner back-flipped over him and stumbled into the end zone. The stadium erupted, Long time fans had never heard such a din. The final gun sounded and the hero was lofted to the shoulders of delirious teammates and carried around the field. California had claimed a miraculous victory behind an unlikely hero. After graduating from California magna cum laude, Kockenlocker enjoyed numerous careers and adventures. He was an economics professor at Cambridge, a World War II hero winning the Medal of Honor, ambassador to Bolivia, a village smithy, a U.S. Supreme Court Justice and a lighthouse keeper. He was the best-selling author of the only novel ever published in pig latin. Virgil Kockenlocker died in 2020 at the age of 104 while making love to his 22-year old mistress. “It was our third time that night,” she later told a room full of impressed reporters.
That concludes our series. All of us here at Bear Facts extend our thanks to the hundreds of thousands of you who liked and commented on our posts. Also a special shout out to all our many fine sponsors. And oh by the way….Go Bears!!!
OU's HC Brent Venables wins free Taco Bell for his whole team for sharing a long story about Taco Bell. I am not sure if that's good or bad for the team. Can Wilcox share a rambling story about Zachary's Pizza or perhaps Cheeseboard?
Because nobody watches football on the night before Thanksgiving. The audience is trying to get home or to Grandma's house, or wherever it is they're going on the busiest travel day of the year.
Come to think of it, I was born on Thanksgiving Eve.
I don't know, but my gut feel is that previously they were amateurs and it was a bit much to ask them to skip America's second biggest holiday. But now that they're getting paid, perhaps they should be performing for our pleasure. Bread and circus!
Everyone is either in a car, bus, plane, or train, or in an airport.
Or in the store getting last minute stuff, or stuck in the traffic jam trying to get there, or busy cooking or setting up the dining room. Or working late getting ready for Friday because they won't be working Thursday.
Even more than Christmas, it is the busiest day of preparing of the year for a couple of the busiest days of the year.
On and around most campuses, there is a mass exodus once class is over on Wednesday. Followed by a mass traffic jam. Even if they will be back Thursday afternoon or Friday.
Weeknight games on most campuses are in reality an unmitigated disaster anyway, but on Thanksgiving eve, you would probably draw a raucous crowd of ~225 people total.
Basketball feast week is mostly made for far away hotels and tv events, and only a few draw well. College sports, despite what has happened, is still a college and community event, whereas the NBA is a WHOLE different animal, with a very different audience demographic. As far as hockey, even though its in more USA cities than Canadian ones, it's still a Canada-based backbone, and up there, Thanksgiving was last month.
I watched the Kent State game to see what literally the FBS' worst offense (233 ypg) and defense (516 ypg) looks like. Oh lordy. It isn't just that they are massively outmatched personnel wise, but their coaches scheme like they don't care or don't know where their team strength/deficiencies are.
A case in point. Their offensive line clearly sucks. As a result, they are the worst in the country at rushing at 2.36 ypc, which isn't helped by them generally trying to do inside runs. Their QB is not completely immobile, so he has to scramble a lot. They are last in the FBS having given up 43 sacks, but over 12 games for a 3.58 average. Cal is just 3 sacks away from tying Kent State. But unlike Cal, Kent State doesn't really do short/intermediate throws and their QB isn't accurate enough to try (career 47.9% completion rate).
Toledo gained 465 yards and scored only 14 points. Ex Cal QB has a trick up his sleeve, completing fewer than half his passes but two of them for TDs in Akron's 21-14 upset win over Toledo.
THANKFUL
Apropos of this site I am thankful for California having the Stanfurd Axe. I'm thankful for Fernando Mendoza who has come to embody the Cal spirit. I'm also thankful for the many excellent writers who grace WFC. And I"m thankful for the really cool, intelligent and witty people who are regulars on the DBD.
Agreed on all fronts. I'd highlight that last point. I know of no other open, online platform where rational, civil discussion can still occur and where flame throwers and trolls have no place, unlike all other online-social media ecosystems.
PRO
Dodgers sign Blake Snell for 5 years, $182 million
https://www.truebluela.com/2024/11/26/24306319/blake-snell-dodgers-182-million
The Dodgers are now defending champions, and work on the title defense has already begun after some well-deserved rest and relaxation.
While offseason work has already started here at True Blue LA, my mind flashed back to the last time the Dodgers were in this position in the offseason after the COVID Cup of 2020.
The 2000s Yankees are back.
I don't like this signing. Unless they can get him to attack the zone instead of nibble and not throw strikes like he usually does.
"Attacking the zone" tends to get you hit. Hard. And often. MLB, and college and high school & legion, for that matter, has really shifted to trying to locate on the edges (with varying degrees of accuracy), with all the recent advancements in hitting.
It worked pretty well for Snell with the Giants.
Maybe it's his pitch sequencing, but except for the end of this last year and even 2 years ago, he's always been a 100+ pitches in 5 and that really taxes the bullpen. Lots of pitches her hitter and walks.
Sequencing is an issue, and not enough pitchers at any level do enough to mix up the sequencing. It amounts to tipping, and even great pitches are only so good if the opponent regularly has a pretty good idea of what is coming, and when and where.
But for the Dodgers, where Dave Roberts hopes to get only 4-5 innings out of a starter on a good outing, and plans, and looks forward to (he can't help himself) use of 8+ pitchers a game anyway (it would be 12 or more if rosters were expanded), Snell approaching 100 pitches in the 5th is not a big concern.
I think the Dodgers want pitchers to go more than 5 innings with 100 pitches. I don't think the desire is to have them go only to 5, especially in the regular season.
The one thing he has done in the past, more so in the playoffs than in the regular season, is pull pitchers when they probably still have more in the tank. However, hopefully in this last World Series, he did more managing from his gut rather than with the strict numbers and left pitchers out there longer. And hopefully he sees that it does work out so maybe in the future he'll trust his gut more than the numbers. Hopefully.
No tag backs.
Ex-NHL enforcer has a fair fight at a steak house and CVS parking lot. 7 on 1.
https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nhl/news/paul-bissonnette-news-updates-coyotes-tnt-injury-assault/a7056eaf55b5ef2da560c7b6
Chiefs DL Tershawn Wharton had two tackles in the game against Carolina. And he had one clutch catch.
https://twitter.com/JomboyMedia/status/1861253629048406389
Many City had a 3-0 lead into the 73rd minute against Feyenoord
https://www.sportingnews.com/us/soccer/news/pep-guardiola-stunned-man-city-blow-3-0-lead-feyenoord/807dfb320b7cfea297c3c168
Michael Jordan cut
https://twitter.com/PhilAPerry/status/1861539342939746717?
Lions sack Houston
https://www.detroitnews.com/story/sports/nfl/lions/2024/11/26/detroit-lions-waive-edge-rusher-james-houston/76596239007/
DBD STREET JOURNAL
Biloxi MS has either the brightest or the dumbest idea to draw tourism. Imma go with dumbest.
https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/ms-coast-tourist-draw-giant-110000175.html
SHE BLINDED ME WITH...
OUR CRUMBLING DEMOCRACY
Trump taps John Phelan to be the Secretary of the Navy. He's never been in the military and has essentially be managing Michael Dell's private wealth portfolio for the past quarter century. His primary qualification is that he was a MAGA mega-donor.
https://www.politico.com/news/2024/11/26/trump-taps-phelan-navy-secretary-00191825
Um, yeah.
CAL
Help Trevor win a Dodge RAM (he’s E RAMAGER in this poll)
https://fxtwitter.com/patmcafeeshow/status/1861865666577334596?s=46
E. RAMAGER
[WBB] Cal Faces Arizona To Wrap Acrisure Classic
https://calbears.com/news/2024/11/26/womens-basketball-cal-faces-arizona-to-wrap-acrisure-classic.aspx
The California women's basketball team will wrap up the Acrisure Classic when it takes on former Pac-12 foe Arizona in the third-place game of the tournament on Wednesday at 11 a.m. PT at Acrisure Arena in Palm Springs.
This marks the 77th meeting between the two programs with the series knotted at 38-38, although Arizona holds a seven-game win streak going into this contest. The last time the Bears defeated the Wildcats was in a 55-54 victory on March 1, 2020 in Tucson. In the most recent matchup, Lulu Twidale had her best game as a Bear going off for 24 points (9-of-11) and six triples (6-of-7).
[CAM INST] Dr. Graig Chow Delivers Prestigious Lecture
https://calbears.com/news/2024/11/26/cameron-institute-dr-graig-chow-delivers-prestigious-lecture.aspx
BERKELEY – When Dr. Graig Chow took a phone call from AASP Conference Program Chair Bob Harmison in February, he figured it was another sales pitch to try to convince him to run for president of the organization.
Turns out experts in Chow's field aren't typically asked to give a prestigious lecture while they are still serving as experts in their field.
[WBB] Michigan State Comes Back To Defeat Cal
https://calbears.com/news/2024/11/26/womens-basketball-michigan-state-comes-back-to-defeat-cal.aspx
PALM SPRINGS – The California women's basketball team took a 12-point lead into the fourth quarter but was unable to overcome late foul trouble and costly turnovers, falling to the Spartans (7-0), 78-72, in the first day of the Acrisure Classic in Palm Springs on Tuesday afternoon for the Bears' (6-1) first loss of the season. Michigan State went 11-of-14 from the line in the fourth quarter to help fuel the comeback. Cal turned the ball over 20 times in the game, leading to 20 Spartan points.
[FB] Sirmon Named Broyles Award Nominee
https://calbears.com/news/2024/11/26/football-sirmon-named-broyles-award-nominee.aspx
California defensive coordinator/inside linebacker coach Peter Sirmon has been named a Broyles Award nominee, the Broyles foundation announced Tuesday.
Sirmon is one of 65 nominees selected from approximately 1,500 assistant coaches representing 131 FBS programs across the country. The Broyles Award selection process includes the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA), broadcasters, a college football hall-of-fame selection committee and current head coaches.
[MBB] Cal Takes On Mercyhurst
https://calbears.com/news/2024/11/26/mens-basketball-cal-takes-on-mercyhurst.aspx
BERKELEY – The California men's basketball team will go for its fourth straight win when it closes a three-game home stand against Mercyhurst on Wednesday night. Tipoff inside of Haas Pavilion is at 7 p.m. PT with a broadcast on ACC Network Extra (ACCNX).
Love the team’s recognition of the all-in tackling equipment guy:
https://x.com/MWCherrington/status/1861439051502624857?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1861439051502624857%7Ctwgr%5E3f1a8f23636553482be421c693c1a79ab540e5f7%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.si.com%2Fcollege%2Fcal%2Ffootball%2Fcal-equipment-man-s-heroics-earn-praise-across-the-board-01jdn7wn5knm
It’s time for the final edition of Oski Disciple’s Bear Facts.
A little-remembered Big Game hero for California was Virgil Kockenlocker who led the Golden Bears to victory in the 1938 contest. Amazingly, it was the only game that Kockenlocker played for the Bears and he only touched the ball but once. The senior running back had ridden the bench for his entire career but when all other Bear runners were sidelined with injuries, Coach Stub Allison had no choice but to summon the diminutive 5’6” 130 pound Kockenlocker. When he took the field California faced a desperate situation. They had the ball on their own three-yard line with seconds remaining in the game and Furd leading 7-3. Bear Quarterback Sal Paradise dropped back to pass but he immediately had to backpedal as a swarm of Indian lineman closed in on him. An instant before being sacked, Paradise heaved the ball in desperation. Standing alone at his own five, Kockenlocker caught the pigskin. “I looked up field,” he recounted to reporters “and saw nothing but green grass. I ran as fast as I could toward the enemy goal line. I ran as if a child being chased by a bully, I ran as if late for the supper bell. My legs felt light and I had the sensation of gliding.” Virgil finally encountered a defender as he neared midfield but did a pirouette which left the Furdie grabbing at air. He picked up several blocks and faced but one last defender. As Virgil neared the Stanfurd goal the Loberstack had an angle on him and dove at Virgil’s legs but the Bear runner back-flipped over him and stumbled into the end zone. The stadium erupted, Long time fans had never heard such a din. The final gun sounded and the hero was lofted to the shoulders of delirious teammates and carried around the field. California had claimed a miraculous victory behind an unlikely hero. After graduating from California magna cum laude, Kockenlocker enjoyed numerous careers and adventures. He was an economics professor at Cambridge, a World War II hero winning the Medal of Honor, ambassador to Bolivia, a village smithy, a U.S. Supreme Court Justice and a lighthouse keeper. He was the best-selling author of the only novel ever published in pig latin. Virgil Kockenlocker died in 2020 at the age of 104 while making love to his 22-year old mistress. “It was our third time that night,” she later told a room full of impressed reporters.
That concludes our series. All of us here at Bear Facts extend our thanks to the hundreds of thousands of you who liked and commented on our posts. Also a special shout out to all our many fine sponsors. And oh by the way….Go Bears!!!
The Miracle of Morgan's Creek...oh, sorry, wrong movie, I mean wrong game.
You had me for at least half of it!!
And someone chastised me for not using the sarcasm font for some Wilcox comment!
It was amusing, but does raise some questions about some of Oski D's reporting of other rather remarkable Cal incidents. <wink>
I chastised you and the chastisement stands!
DBD AV CLUB
ELSEWHERE IN COLLEGE
OU's HC Brent Venables wins free Taco Bell for his whole team for sharing a long story about Taco Bell. I am not sure if that's good or bad for the team. Can Wilcox share a rambling story about Zachary's Pizza or perhaps Cheeseboard?
https://x.com/tacobell/status/1861576725471060476
Matt Rhule may be in a bad mood, but he has reason to be if what he's saying isn't hyperbole
https://twitter.com/ClaytonJCollier/status/1861124030843232634
Why is there never any college football games on Thanksgiving Eve?
Because nobody watches football on the night before Thanksgiving. The audience is trying to get home or to Grandma's house, or wherever it is they're going on the busiest travel day of the year.
Come to think of it, I was born on Thanksgiving Eve.
I don't know, but my gut feel is that previously they were amateurs and it was a bit much to ask them to skip America's second biggest holiday. But now that they're getting paid, perhaps they should be performing for our pleasure. Bread and circus!
Yet there are always games on Thanksgiving.
Everyone is either in a car, bus, plane, or train, or in an airport.
Or in the store getting last minute stuff, or stuck in the traffic jam trying to get there, or busy cooking or setting up the dining room. Or working late getting ready for Friday because they won't be working Thursday.
Even more than Christmas, it is the busiest day of preparing of the year for a couple of the busiest days of the year.
On and around most campuses, there is a mass exodus once class is over on Wednesday. Followed by a mass traffic jam. Even if they will be back Thursday afternoon or Friday.
Weeknight games on most campuses are in reality an unmitigated disaster anyway, but on Thanksgiving eve, you would probably draw a raucous crowd of ~225 people total.
Yet there are college basketball games, NBA games and NHL games.
Basketball feast week is mostly made for far away hotels and tv events, and only a few draw well. College sports, despite what has happened, is still a college and community event, whereas the NBA is a WHOLE different animal, with a very different audience demographic. As far as hockey, even though its in more USA cities than Canadian ones, it's still a Canada-based backbone, and up there, Thanksgiving was last month.
I watched the Kent State game to see what literally the FBS' worst offense (233 ypg) and defense (516 ypg) looks like. Oh lordy. It isn't just that they are massively outmatched personnel wise, but their coaches scheme like they don't care or don't know where their team strength/deficiencies are.
A case in point. Their offensive line clearly sucks. As a result, they are the worst in the country at rushing at 2.36 ypc, which isn't helped by them generally trying to do inside runs. Their QB is not completely immobile, so he has to scramble a lot. They are last in the FBS having given up 43 sacks, but over 12 games for a 3.58 average. Cal is just 3 sacks away from tying Kent State. But unlike Cal, Kent State doesn't really do short/intermediate throws and their QB isn't accurate enough to try (career 47.9% completion rate).
Toledo gained 465 yards and scored only 14 points. Ex Cal QB has a trick up his sleeve, completing fewer than half his passes but two of them for TDs in Akron's 21-14 upset win over Toledo.
Mack Brown: It is my intention to return after this season.
UNC: You're fired.
https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/42623049/north-carolina-fires-football-coach-mack-brown
I guess our hate will go with us to our graves.
What if Wilcox hires Mack Brown as an Assistant Coach/Offensive Consultant?
Unless we pour it out on Mack's grave.