HOLY CRAP! I just put together that New Hampshire plays Syracuse the very next week! So I can scout New Hampshire tomorrow night in person, and then we'll get to see how they do against Syracuse on 9/5 before Cal plays Cuse in the dome on 10/12, which I will also be at.
President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday afternoon to change the name of Lake Ontario to “Lake America,” his latest escalation as he engages in a tense trade war with Canada.
“‘Lake of America’ was something I’ve been thinking about for a long time,” Trump said from the Oval Office. “We have a gulf and we have a lake. Now, all we need is an ocean. So, maybe we’ll have to change the name of the Atlantic and/or the Pacific. Maybe we’ll change them both.”
Home Depot has had some great Halloween stuff out for several weeks. Saw a dinosaur skeleton that had movement, sound, and light. It was great. Now, if we only ever had Halloween visitors where we live...
Four Valks will be playing in FIBA World Cup in Berlin next week. So they are -not- traveling with team to PDX for last pre-FIBA game prior to two-week break.
So, (1) they can play til they drop today (help beat the decent NYL) and (2) Valks should still have enough to handle business vs (mediocre expansion) Fire.
Interestingly two players who barely play (juste and sowah) would perhaps get big minutes in PDX…if they weren't also going to join their national teams.
They each got to play almost a full Q last night due to massive blowout of Sun.
OAKLAND, CA – After chasing deficits by as many as eight runs, seven runs and six runs over the last three games, the Oakland Ballers (42-44, 20-18) stayed in front all night long in a 17-5 win over the Missoula Paddleheads (50-35, 26-12) at Raimondi Park on Wednesday night.
I saw that the Giants were up 1 T9 with 2 runners on. By the time I got the stream up, Reds were up 1. Little did I know that Giants were actually up 6 and gave up 7 runs in T9!!
The Dodgers saw another Atlanta Braves comeback against Tanner Scott on Wednesday, this time walking them off in the bottom of the ninth in a 6-5 final score.
Again caught the last part of the game. After tying it in the seventh, Dodgers had bases loaded, no out but didn’t take the lead. Loaded the bases with two out in the eighth but didn’t score.
Yup. They're struggling right now getting clutch hits. I missed the middle of the game but early on, their first runs were led by the bottom of the order.
2025 notable stats: 3,454 passing yards, 22 total TDs
2025 postseason ranking: NR
It took roughly one start -- a three-TD performance vs. Oregon State -- before pundits started speculating about when Sagapolutele would leave Cal for a big payday. It's understandable. His talent is off the charts, and Cal hasn't routinely played top-tier football. But after a coaching change, Sagapolutele opted to stay put, and he has Cal fans thinking big for 2026 as a result. As a true freshman last year, he had 56 completions of 20 yards or more (sixth in FBS) and 10 go-ahead TD passes (fourth). He did that with one of the worst run games in the country. His ceiling might be as high as that of anyone on this list. -- Hale
San Marcos, TX – Ten student-athletes from the California women's gymnastics team earned WGCA Academic Honors for the 2025-26 season, as announced Wednesday by the Women's Collegiate Gymnastics Association. The Golden Bears also posted a team GPA of 3.2533, ranking 71st overall.
The California field hockey team opens the 2026 season at home this weekend hosting American on Friday at 6 p.m. PT, and Central Michigan on Sunday at 1 p.m. PT. This season the Golden Bears will face eight teams that are ranked in the National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NHFCA) Preseason Poll.
The No. 4 California men's water polo team makes its first splash Saturday opening the 2026 season at the Triton Invitational in La Jolla. The Golden Bears will compete in a doubleheader facing No. 15 UC Santa Barbara in the morning before taking on host No. 12 UC San Diego in the afternoon.
Cal men's basketball head coach Mark Madsen has added Casey Hill as an assistant to the Golden Bears coaching staff for the coming 2026-27 season. Hill joins the program after serving five years as an NBA assistant coach for the New Orleans Pelicans. Prior to that, he served as head coach of the Santa Cruz Warriors, reaching consecutive D-League Finals and winning the championship in 2015.
Looking for DBD for Friday, August 28?
I had the scheduling messed up. Then rescheduled it. let me seew hat's wrong.
OK Just published. It's not at the top of the archive list for some reason. Not sure why.
oh because it's sorted by the day it was originally published. Maybe I'll just delete and make a new one.
OK should be up there now.
Puresilence News (DBDer that used to post unnecessary and depressing news - writeforcalifornia.com/p/dbd-02-04-2026-dbd-dictionary)
Videos of the flash flood in Nepal are crazy. Looks like it was due to a collapsed glacier.
Collapsed glacier likely caused devastating Nepal-Tibet floods, scientists say
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cly464k252yo
Other College
Saturday's week zero slate has just 8 games, but features FOUR Cal opponents.
NC State @ UVA (we play both)
Hawaii @ Furd
Memphis @ UNLV
I'm so desperate for college football, I think I'm going to go to the New Hampshire @ UAlbany game tomorrow night.
FCS, but I just need a taste to tide me over, ya know?
HOLY CRAP! I just put together that New Hampshire plays Syracuse the very next week! So I can scout New Hampshire tomorrow night in person, and then we'll get to see how they do against Syracuse on 9/5 before Cal plays Cuse in the dome on 10/12, which I will also be at.
Put me on the scouting payroll, Tosh!
Gameday is never a bad day. And now more than ever, there is a connection between any game or team with another team or game that matters.
Is week 0 this weekend? Oh I guess fUCLA is next weekend so I guess so.
Indeed. Sonny Dykes vs Bill Belichick kick off the FBS season from Ireland, noon ET this Saturday
Digital Diversions
Travle
#travle #1352 +3
✅✅✅🟩🟧🟧🟥✅
https://travle.earth
Order of countries in the area bites me again.
Globle
🌎 Aug 27, 2026 🌍
🔥 4 | Avg. Guesses: 5.6
⬜🟧🟨🟧🟩 = 5
https://globle-game.com
#globle
Worldle
#Worldle #1679 (27.08.2026) 2/6 (100%)
🔥 Current Win Streak: 1 days
🟩🟩🟨⬜⬜⬆️
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🎉
https://worldle.teuteuf.fr/share
One of my favorite places
Octordle
Daily Octordle #1676
🟥5️⃣
7️⃣🕚
9️⃣🕐
8️⃣🟥
Score: 81
Poor showing today.
Quordle
🙂 Daily Quordle 1676
4️⃣9️⃣
5️⃣🟥
m-w.com/games/quordle/
Another poor showing today.
Wordle
For once it looks like I did better than others.
Wordle 1,895 3/6
⬜⬜⬜🟨🟩
🟨⬜⬜⬜🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
Wordle 1,895 5/6
⬜⬜⬜🟨⬜
⬜⬜⬜⬜🟨
🟨⬜🟨🟨⬜
⬜🟨🟨⬜🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
WordleBot
Skill 49/99
Luck 61/99
Possibly the lowest skill level I’ve ever had. Guesses 3 and 4 were “valid words and you have a great vocabulary, but…”
Wordle 1,895 5/6*
⬛🟨⬛⬛⬛
⬛⬛🟨🟨🟩
⬛⬛🟨🟨🟩
🟩🟩⬛⬛🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
WordleBot
Skill 80/99
Luck 40/99
One stupid guess.
DBD AV Club
RIP Tim Curry
DBD Lunch
A chimichanga, followed by an apple straight from the tree in the front yard.
Smoothie, on account of I just went to the dentist
Either a ham sandwich on a baguette or leftover risotto.
Dumb Government
Trump signs executive order to change Lake Ontario to ‘Lake America’
https://www.cnn.com/2026/08/27/politics/trump-canada-lake-ontario-america
President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday afternoon to change the name of Lake Ontario to “Lake America,” his latest escalation as he engages in a tense trade war with Canada.
“‘Lake of America’ was something I’ve been thinking about for a long time,” Trump said from the Oval Office. “We have a gulf and we have a lake. Now, all we need is an ocean. So, maybe we’ll have to change the name of the Atlantic and/or the Pacific. Maybe we’ll change them both.”
While out this morning there was a Marine helicopter around the VP’s residence. Maybe J.D. going to visit Lake America.
Took me a second...I was wondering why I had never heard of Lake America.
Pumpkin
I do not like Pumpkin in food, like Pumpkin pie. More for others I guess.
Don't know how you could have pumpkin pie without pumpkin!
Nor do I like Pumpkin Spice
I see pumpkin spice lattes are now available. Also saw Halloween candy on sale at Safeway.
My local Safeway had Christmas stuff out...CHRISTMAS!!! They even had a few Christmas trees out front. Ugh!
huh? How can trees last that long? Or were they fake ones?
They didn't look fake, but I didn't look too closely.
No 3 noted Costco had their halloween stuff out a couple of weeks ago.
Home Depot has had some great Halloween stuff out for several weeks. Saw a dinosaur skeleton that had movement, sound, and light. It was great. Now, if we only ever had Halloween visitors where we live...
PRO
NFL eliminating Pro Bowl Games, but will still name Pro Bowlers
https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/49735246/nfl-eliminating-pro-bowl-games-name-pro-bowlers
The NFL is eliminating the Pro Bowl Games, instead shifting the focus to celebrating the honor of being a Pro Bowl selection.
Beginning with the 2026 season, 88 players will be named to the Pro Bowl class in late December, with no replacement selections.
Lotta player contracts have bonuses tied to being named to the Pro Bowl, which I suppose is why they still have to name Pro Bowlers.
Yep. It's why the Pro Bowl games, which have in reality been defunct for years, persisted so long.
Took the NFL long enough. I don't think there's been interest in it for forever. At least last year they had the game indoors in Moscone didn't they?
Valkyries play at the NY Liberty tonight.
Four Valks will be playing in FIBA World Cup in Berlin next week. So they are -not- traveling with team to PDX for last pre-FIBA game prior to two-week break.
So, (1) they can play til they drop today (help beat the decent NYL) and (2) Valks should still have enough to handle business vs (mediocre expansion) Fire.
Interestingly two players who barely play (juste and sowah) would perhaps get big minutes in PDX…if they weren't also going to join their national teams.
They each got to play almost a full Q last night due to massive blowout of Sun.
Ballers explode for 17 runs in rout of Paddleheads (17-5)
https://www.oaklandballers.com/sports/bsb/2026/releases/202608277bk0r9
OAKLAND, CA – After chasing deficits by as many as eight runs, seven runs and six runs over the last three games, the Oakland Ballers (42-44, 20-18) stayed in front all night long in a 17-5 win over the Missoula Paddleheads (50-35, 26-12) at Raimondi Park on Wednesday night.
The biggest turd (Giants lose to the Reds, 10-9)
https://www.mccoveychronicles.com/san-francisco-giants-scores-standings/110881/the-biggest-turd
A Bondsian homer into the cove. Single. Walk. Walk. Grand slam. Bunt single, error. Bunt Single. Stolen base. Sac fly. Single.
That, ladies and gentlemen, is one sweet surge of offense and one epic meltdown on defense. Take a guess which side of the ball our Giants were on…
I saw that the Giants were up 1 T9 with 2 runners on. By the time I got the stream up, Reds were up 1. Little did I know that Giants were actually up 6 and gave up 7 runs in T9!!
Braves get to Tanner Scott again, this time in walk-off fashion (6-5)
https://www.truebluela.com/dodgers-scores-standings/122836/dodgers-braves-game-recap
The Dodgers saw another Atlanta Braves comeback against Tanner Scott on Wednesday, this time walking them off in the bottom of the ninth in a 6-5 final score.
Again caught the last part of the game. After tying it in the seventh, Dodgers had bases loaded, no out but didn’t take the lead. Loaded the bases with two out in the eighth but didn’t score.
Yup. They're struggling right now getting clutch hits. I missed the middle of the game but early on, their first runs were led by the bottom of the order.
CAL
JKS, 46th best player in the nation.
https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/49582973/2026-college-football-player-rank-top-100-jeremiah-smith-leonard-moore
46. Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele
QB, Cal, sophomore
2025 notable stats: 3,454 passing yards, 22 total TDs
2025 postseason ranking: NR
It took roughly one start -- a three-TD performance vs. Oregon State -- before pundits started speculating about when Sagapolutele would leave Cal for a big payday. It's understandable. His talent is off the charts, and Cal hasn't routinely played top-tier football. But after a coaching change, Sagapolutele opted to stay put, and he has Cal fans thinking big for 2026 as a result. As a true freshman last year, he had 56 completions of 20 yards or more (sixth in FBS) and 10 go-ahead TD passes (fourth). He did that with one of the worst run games in the country. His ceiling might be as high as that of anyone on this list. -- Hale
[WGYM] 10 Gymnasts Earn WCGA Academic Honors
https://calbears.com/news/2026/8/26/womens-gymnastics-10-gymnasts-earn-wcga-academic-honors
San Marcos, TX – Ten student-athletes from the California women's gymnastics team earned WGCA Academic Honors for the 2025-26 season, as announced Wednesday by the Women's Collegiate Gymnastics Association. The Golden Bears also posted a team GPA of 3.2533, ranking 71st overall.
[FH] Cal Hosts American, Central Michigan To Open 2026 Season
https://calbears.com/news/2026/8/26/cal-welcomes-american-central-michigan-for-season-opening-weekend
The California field hockey team opens the 2026 season at home this weekend hosting American on Friday at 6 p.m. PT, and Central Michigan on Sunday at 1 p.m. PT. This season the Golden Bears will face eight teams that are ranked in the National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NHFCA) Preseason Poll.
[MPOLO] No. 4 Cal Opens Season At Triton Invitational
https://calbears.com/news/2026/8/26/mens-water-polo-no-4-cal-opens-season-at-triton-invitational
The No. 4 California men's water polo team makes its first splash Saturday opening the 2026 season at the Triton Invitational in La Jolla. The Golden Bears will compete in a doubleheader facing No. 15 UC Santa Barbara in the morning before taking on host No. 12 UC San Diego in the afternoon.
[MBB] Casey Hill Joins Cal Men’s Basketball As Assistant Coach
https://calbears.com/news/2026/8/26/mens-basketball-casey-hill-joins-cal-mens-basketball-as-assistant-coach
Cal men's basketball head coach Mark Madsen has added Casey Hill as an assistant to the Golden Bears coaching staff for the coming 2026-27 season. Hill joins the program after serving five years as an NBA assistant coach for the New Orleans Pelicans. Prior to that, he served as head coach of the Santa Cruz Warriors, reaching consecutive D-League Finals and winning the championship in 2015.