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Gobears49

Had a decent time at the Dutch Goose watching Cal convincingly beat Stanford. Gives me hope that Cal will beat UCLA and thus go bowling, but Cal has a good (or bad) track record to break your heart in that regard. If Cal beats UCLA this Saturday the first WFC article should be where Cal will likely go bowling and who they might play.

BTW, the Dutch Goose was only about two-thirds full during the Stanford game. i remember just few years ago the place was packed when I went to watch Cal play on TV. I think the different attendance there was due, in part, because Cal will soon no longer be a part of the Pac 12 in the future, making Cal's future less exciting. That lack of future interest in Cal no longer being a part of the Pac 12, at least not for football (basketball too, and other sports?) makes being a Cal fan not as attractive as it once was.

Just for fun I recently wrote a piece on WFC about an alternative approach that might be considereed to change our football (and basketball) affiliation from the ACC. That would be to create a new conference with nine schools -- Cal, Stanford, OSU, Wash. St., San Diego St, Las Vegas, Fresno St., Boise St., and Hawaii. The result would be called the Pac 9.

I briefly wrote about these choices from the standpoint about how good these schools are likely to be in football and, to a lesser extent, in basketball and how attractive they are, overlll, for Cal fans to visit..

We already know about the football prospects for the last four teams listed. As for the excitement in visiting the last five from a non-football standpoint, San Diego St., except for last season, has more or less been consistent wiinning team in football, I think for the last twenty years or so. I think Las Vegas is now first or close to it in their conference in football. Fresno St. is now, not surprisingly, fying high with Tedford at the helm. Didn't check Boise St.'s record this season, but they are historically very good in football and have consistently been so for the last twenty years or so. Hawaii is listed because playing them in Hawaii every year opens up recruiting possibilities for Cal when we for play them at their house, possibly allowing recruiting possibilities that week, before and thereafter in Hawaii and greater Polynesia.

Regarding incentives for Cal fans to visit these locations to follow their Bears, Las Vegas, with the addition of the A's, is now probably the biggest sports city in the country, when taking into account its gambling industry there. San Diego is a very big tourist town with its beaches and offers great golf. Fresno has, surprisingly, some good nearby skiing, though that probably cannot be utilized till basketbal season. Boise has it country charrms and decent, low key wineries And, of course, Hawaii is a top ranked tourist location. I'd much prefer to watch Cal play football in these locations because of the great tourist possibilities they offer.

Looking forward to comments on this topic. I am sure many will disagree with me.

I realize it is likely too soon to change our current affiliation with the ACC,

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First!

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