Nick,Thanks for you thoughts. It's uncanny how you express sentiments that I consistently acknowledge with a "Yes, that's what I was thinking!" But honestly, only after you say it do I register the complete thought. It takes your words to bring out my unformed sentences. That's why I love all of you guys at WFC! Each of you can put thoughts into words in a way that clarify and affirm vague, nagging notions that sit unarticulated in my aging skull. Write On You Bears!
Yes, thanks Nick! Like Vegasbear and many of you others, I've been a long suffering fan. But I'm going in the other direction! Instead of giving up, I've decided to give in...to just enjoying and appreciating who we are. Yes, I get it! Maybe the team is not as good as we hoped. But as I get older, I'm feeling okay with that. The players are young kids doing the best they can. Sure maybe we didn't recruit as well or maybe some players didn't develop or learn as fast as they could have. That's OK! Maybe the coaches didn't make exactly the right decisions or play calls (alright, these guys get paid so they are fair game). The point is, I want to support our team for whatever they are this year. I saw a lot of great signs that they will get better --- the two successful misdirection 4th down calls in the 1st quarter; the extended scoring drives in all 4 games but esp. against the very solid huskies defense; and the defense rising up on occasion as well. I think they will put it all together very soon.
Having watched the first 3 Cal games (Sac St in person), I was completely disheartened how this season was going. Nevada - it seemed like they expected to win, effort was lacking. TCU felt like let's keep it close, maybe we'll win. Sac St felt like a scrimmage & the players just want to get back to their dorm. I am very encouraged by this game, the players finally came to play, this was far and away their best effort. Keep it up, and I now believe it is possible that we could bizarrely win 7 of our next 8. Will we? Unlikely, as each of those 7 games will likely be decided by a touchdown or less.
So many thoughts of “shoulda, coulda, woulda.” Went to bed Saturday night recalling that 2004 Cal-U$C drive of Rodgers and MacArthur. Followed by: How does the best university in the world get snakebit for 60+ consecutive years, and fail to make it into the Rose Bowl? So many thoughts…
I've had over 50 years of this "heartbreak" you speak of. Enough, already. I'm done with any hope that the Cal Bears will ever be in the top 5 teams of the Pac 12, let alone win a Pac 12 championship. I have not seen the WA game yet, but, in the first 3 games this year I saw no real effort, and clearly little joy, from those who were gifted with an extra chance at playing NCAA football. It was rational to believe that the extra experience would make us an even better team than the one that beat OR last year. Until, of course, you factor in the fact that we're talking about the Cal Bears. I won't be fooled again. I flew up for the Sac St. game as I've done for a few years taking my son and his family. It's the last time I make that effort. I'll follow the Cal Bears much as I follow a few NCAA and NFL teams. I will, however, not call myself a fan anymore. There's no more joy in Berkeley for football fans than there was in Mudville in the Thayer poem!
Let's say the Bears beat WSU, Colorado, Arizona, and...Stanfurd. Is that enough to keep Wilcox?......answering my own question...I think yes. But losing to one of the bottom feeders (therefore making us one) and even a furd win might not be enough.
I think it's time to move on from the Wilcox era. Last season is looking less like a fluke than we thought. The defense has deteriorated, the offense is maybe a B-, special teams is an F, and recruiting is suffering. I vote for Holman Wiggins to be offered the job - He has been coaching in the Alabama offensive system, has now worked for Saban and Justin Fuentes, and he is a California native - so can use the ties to recruit. If we lose to WSU I think the AD should pull the plug and get started on the search.
Another pivotal play for me was the defensive holding call in the secondary on 3 and long in, I believe, the 2nd quarter. They did not show a replay at the game so I don't know if it was legit, but Norris had no one to throw to, chucked it out of bounds for a 4th dow.......oops, first and, essentially, goal. 7 points instead of 3. Again, one (minor?) error that helps swing the game the other way.
I had similar thoughts as the game progressed. Our offense seems to be fine - the best in the Wilcox era but we still have execution problems at inopportune moments. I also hope the defense can continue its more solid play as we saw in the second half. I also agree that we are not as physical as we have been in the past. Not much gang tackling, either.
Nick,Thanks for you thoughts. It's uncanny how you express sentiments that I consistently acknowledge with a "Yes, that's what I was thinking!" But honestly, only after you say it do I register the complete thought. It takes your words to bring out my unformed sentences. That's why I love all of you guys at WFC! Each of you can put thoughts into words in a way that clarify and affirm vague, nagging notions that sit unarticulated in my aging skull. Write On You Bears!
Yes, thanks Nick! Like Vegasbear and many of you others, I've been a long suffering fan. But I'm going in the other direction! Instead of giving up, I've decided to give in...to just enjoying and appreciating who we are. Yes, I get it! Maybe the team is not as good as we hoped. But as I get older, I'm feeling okay with that. The players are young kids doing the best they can. Sure maybe we didn't recruit as well or maybe some players didn't develop or learn as fast as they could have. That's OK! Maybe the coaches didn't make exactly the right decisions or play calls (alright, these guys get paid so they are fair game). The point is, I want to support our team for whatever they are this year. I saw a lot of great signs that they will get better --- the two successful misdirection 4th down calls in the 1st quarter; the extended scoring drives in all 4 games but esp. against the very solid huskies defense; and the defense rising up on occasion as well. I think they will put it all together very soon.
GO BEARS!!!
I will note that this is the same administration that hired Mark Fox, so I'm really hoping Wilcox and his team turn it around.
Having watched the first 3 Cal games (Sac St in person), I was completely disheartened how this season was going. Nevada - it seemed like they expected to win, effort was lacking. TCU felt like let's keep it close, maybe we'll win. Sac St felt like a scrimmage & the players just want to get back to their dorm. I am very encouraged by this game, the players finally came to play, this was far and away their best effort. Keep it up, and I now believe it is possible that we could bizarrely win 7 of our next 8. Will we? Unlikely, as each of those 7 games will likely be decided by a touchdown or less.
If we get what we saw in the 2nd half the rest of the season I would not be surprised if we finish 7-5.
By the way, that should be the baseline of an acceptable season in year 5 of the Wilcox era.
Let's just forget the results of September and kill October and November. I believe that we will win!
So many thoughts of “shoulda, coulda, woulda.” Went to bed Saturday night recalling that 2004 Cal-U$C drive of Rodgers and MacArthur. Followed by: How does the best university in the world get snakebit for 60+ consecutive years, and fail to make it into the Rose Bowl? So many thoughts…
I've had over 50 years of this "heartbreak" you speak of. Enough, already. I'm done with any hope that the Cal Bears will ever be in the top 5 teams of the Pac 12, let alone win a Pac 12 championship. I have not seen the WA game yet, but, in the first 3 games this year I saw no real effort, and clearly little joy, from those who were gifted with an extra chance at playing NCAA football. It was rational to believe that the extra experience would make us an even better team than the one that beat OR last year. Until, of course, you factor in the fact that we're talking about the Cal Bears. I won't be fooled again. I flew up for the Sac St. game as I've done for a few years taking my son and his family. It's the last time I make that effort. I'll follow the Cal Bears much as I follow a few NCAA and NFL teams. I will, however, not call myself a fan anymore. There's no more joy in Berkeley for football fans than there was in Mudville in the Thayer poem!
Let's say the Bears beat WSU, Colorado, Arizona, and...Stanfurd. Is that enough to keep Wilcox?......answering my own question...I think yes. But losing to one of the bottom feeders (therefore making us one) and even a furd win might not be enough.
I think it's time to move on from the Wilcox era. Last season is looking less like a fluke than we thought. The defense has deteriorated, the offense is maybe a B-, special teams is an F, and recruiting is suffering. I vote for Holman Wiggins to be offered the job - He has been coaching in the Alabama offensive system, has now worked for Saban and Justin Fuentes, and he is a California native - so can use the ties to recruit. If we lose to WSU I think the AD should pull the plug and get started on the search.
Another pivotal play for me was the defensive holding call in the secondary on 3 and long in, I believe, the 2nd quarter. They did not show a replay at the game so I don't know if it was legit, but Norris had no one to throw to, chucked it out of bounds for a 4th dow.......oops, first and, essentially, goal. 7 points instead of 3. Again, one (minor?) error that helps swing the game the other way.
I had similar thoughts as the game progressed. Our offense seems to be fine - the best in the Wilcox era but we still have execution problems at inopportune moments. I also hope the defense can continue its more solid play as we saw in the second half. I also agree that we are not as physical as we have been in the past. Not much gang tackling, either.