Never good when you make the comments like 4 times, I think I'm becoming a little too familiar with this team... along with me being the only 0 (only other time I gave it was UCLA 2018 I think).
How much of a disadvantage is it when the Cal players and coaches on the sideline stand in the blazing sun, with it in their eyes, most of a game while the visiting team stand comfortably in the shade.
My 2nd or 3rd year coming back as an alum and finally upgraded from the East side to the West, I couldnt imagine sitting on the east side again during a day game.
Ever since then I've strongly felt they should move the team to the West side, and put the students and band at the South/South West, visiting section to the North East. Don't think its that important for the students to be directly behind the team.
It feels like we have a home field disadvantage for day games.
I wonder to what degree any of our head coaches over time have felt the same and if they brought it up to the AD. It feels like their default "no excuses or complaining" coach speak mode could have them fooling their selves into thinking the sun doesn't affect them in any way, when in reality it probably does. Even for the coaches, it's hard to stay sharp when you've had the sun in your face for 3 hours.
Not a fair comparison (since they don't actually play on the sideline), but you can see it in tennis when one side of the court is in the sun. They do rotate sides after sets obviously, but based on timing one player can spend more time in it, and I'm sure it has an impact on otherwise close matches. I was thinking this during the US Open in 2005 while rooting for the aging Agassi against Federer. When Agassi had to switch back to facing the sun I remember telling people he was dunzo for that reason. iirc, the loser of each set was facing the sun, with Agassi starting out the match at the disadvantaged side.
I've had this concern for years. The heat, the glaring sun are factors not in our favor. I think it's distinct disadvantage where we need as much going for us as possible.
I have for years advocated for keeping the students where they are in Sections R through SS. I no longer feel that way. Move the student sections to Sections O through PP. The capacity of Sections O thru PP is about 5,500 seats minus the seats reserved for the Marching Band. Compare to the capacity of Sections R through SS (6,600+ *and* another 608 seats taken for the Cal Band in Section RR, Rows 1 through 24).
There are vast areas of the current student section not being used at all by students. Further, Pac-12 regs state that the visiting team cannot be put in front of the home students section. This forces the Golden Bears to stand on the East sideline.
The only reason why things may stay status quo is that the visitors enter and exit the field through a tunnel that spills into the area immediately behind the West bench area. When the West Side was rebuilt, the tunnel was placed essentially in the same spot, only now the visitors do not have to parade themselves on stairs visible from the Main Concourse. The Visitors' Locker Room is under the Main Concourse on the West Side.
did you miss my other response that most big programs dont have their students at the 50 yard line (your comment i was replying is now deleted)? insulting?? However, I would say that with our lousy attendance, the East side would look pretty bare without student/band, and it would be imbalanced and dumb looking on TV, which is a non-issue for big programs, but a different issue though either way that wouldnt affect my decision.
tons of stadiums dont have their student sections at the 50 yard line. (maybe even most big ones?) Penn State and LSU are the first that come to mind, with student sections at the end and corner.
Yes most likely, but I was just providing that perspective in response to your now-deleted comment that seemed to imply having the student section somewhere other than the 50 yard line was not a normal arrangement.
Maybe the solution is building a retractable dome! I'll be the first to donate $10.
Based on how much Cal overpaid to remodel Memorial, I'd have to put the minimum budget projection for a retractable roof addition at $1.2 Billion. That next media deal better be a doozy!
Reading many of the selected comments was a bit surprising. I would have thought Cal fans of all people in the conference would be the ones most likely to understand the plight of Beaver and Coug fans, who have generations of experience with these kinds of events.
I'll keep watching, although it is a painful. I do hope Wilcox can turn it around. Otherwise we are facing a complete rebuild. What I don't understand is how we have been recruiting in the middle of the Pac 12 as far as the annual rankings go but now are in the basement.
We are facing a complete rebuild next season, it’s just a matter of who will be coaching that rebuild.
I agree about the recruiting rankings. Everyone is quick to bring up how Cal doesn’t recruit at the top end of the conference, which I agree. However, our recruiting is about middle of the Pac, which should be good enough to beat teams like WSU, OSU, Nevada and lower end teams consistently, which is sadly not the case.
That was some weird ugly incoherent stuff on display last Saturday, am having trouble shaking it off. I guess we need to accept that what we are really is what our win loss record says we are. I still hope we get a couple wins over the other basement teams and maybe one surprise win further up the ladder. Finally, the contributions made by everyone contributing to these articles and analysis are very helpful to understanding and clarifying what I see at the games. Thank you!
welp this chat would confirm that things are bleak, more chatter about where peeps should sit in an empty stadium (like it matters, sit where ever you want to).
Never good when you make the comments like 4 times, I think I'm becoming a little too familiar with this team... along with me being the only 0 (only other time I gave it was UCLA 2018 I think).
Sun..
How much of a disadvantage is it when the Cal players and coaches on the sideline stand in the blazing sun, with it in their eyes, most of a game while the visiting team stand comfortably in the shade.
My 2nd or 3rd year coming back as an alum and finally upgraded from the East side to the West, I couldnt imagine sitting on the east side again during a day game.
Ever since then I've strongly felt they should move the team to the West side, and put the students and band at the South/South West, visiting section to the North East. Don't think its that important for the students to be directly behind the team.
It feels like we have a home field disadvantage for day games.
Totally agree and have felt this way since 1987.
I wonder to what degree any of our head coaches over time have felt the same and if they brought it up to the AD. It feels like their default "no excuses or complaining" coach speak mode could have them fooling their selves into thinking the sun doesn't affect them in any way, when in reality it probably does. Even for the coaches, it's hard to stay sharp when you've had the sun in your face for 3 hours.
Not a fair comparison (since they don't actually play on the sideline), but you can see it in tennis when one side of the court is in the sun. They do rotate sides after sets obviously, but based on timing one player can spend more time in it, and I'm sure it has an impact on otherwise close matches. I was thinking this during the US Open in 2005 while rooting for the aging Agassi against Federer. When Agassi had to switch back to facing the sun I remember telling people he was dunzo for that reason. iirc, the loser of each set was facing the sun, with Agassi starting out the match at the disadvantaged side.
I've had this concern for years. The heat, the glaring sun are factors not in our favor. I think it's distinct disadvantage where we need as much going for us as possible.
I agree and that’s one reason why I like evening/night games better for the team but not necessarily for the fans.
For real!
I have for years advocated for keeping the students where they are in Sections R through SS. I no longer feel that way. Move the student sections to Sections O through PP. The capacity of Sections O thru PP is about 5,500 seats minus the seats reserved for the Marching Band. Compare to the capacity of Sections R through SS (6,600+ *and* another 608 seats taken for the Cal Band in Section RR, Rows 1 through 24).
There are vast areas of the current student section not being used at all by students. Further, Pac-12 regs state that the visiting team cannot be put in front of the home students section. This forces the Golden Bears to stand on the East sideline.
The only reason why things may stay status quo is that the visitors enter and exit the field through a tunnel that spills into the area immediately behind the West bench area. When the West Side was rebuilt, the tunnel was placed essentially in the same spot, only now the visitors do not have to parade themselves on stairs visible from the Main Concourse. The Visitors' Locker Room is under the Main Concourse on the West Side.
Sections O, OO, P, and PP are in the SE quadrant of Cal Memorial.
Context: Sections M (SW quadrant) and MM (SE quadrant) straddle the South Tunnel.
Section S (NE quadrant) and SS (SE quadrant) straddle the 50 years line on the East side (Big Blue C)
Section O is the 4th section east of the South Tunnel OR the 9th section south of the 50 yard line on the East Side.
Section PP is the 7th section east of the South Tunnel OR the 6th section south of the 50 yard line on the East Side.
did you miss my other response that most big programs dont have their students at the 50 yard line (your comment i was replying is now deleted)? insulting?? However, I would say that with our lousy attendance, the East side would look pretty bare without student/band, and it would be imbalanced and dumb looking on TV, which is a non-issue for big programs, but a different issue though either way that wouldnt affect my decision.
tons of stadiums dont have their student sections at the 50 yard line. (maybe even most big ones?) Penn State and LSU are the first that come to mind, with student sections at the end and corner.
Yes most likely, but I was just providing that perspective in response to your now-deleted comment that seemed to imply having the student section somewhere other than the 50 yard line was not a normal arrangement.
Maybe the solution is building a retractable dome! I'll be the first to donate $10.
Based on how much Cal overpaid to remodel Memorial, I'd have to put the minimum budget projection for a retractable roof addition at $1.2 Billion. That next media deal better be a doozy!
in that case, I'll double my donation to $20
I like it. That or a long articulating arm mounted on the campanile that holds a giant umbrella.
The one thing this has taught me is that I want to watch a game with Old Bear 71.
Reading many of the selected comments was a bit surprising. I would have thought Cal fans of all people in the conference would be the ones most likely to understand the plight of Beaver and Coug fans, who have generations of experience with these kinds of events.
"Game day wings are often supplied by Publix's deli."
I agree. At Myrtle Beach for a week long tournament No 3 and I got wings from Publix at least a few times.
I'll keep watching, although it is a painful. I do hope Wilcox can turn it around. Otherwise we are facing a complete rebuild. What I don't understand is how we have been recruiting in the middle of the Pac 12 as far as the annual rankings go but now are in the basement.
We are facing a complete rebuild next season, it’s just a matter of who will be coaching that rebuild.
I agree about the recruiting rankings. Everyone is quick to bring up how Cal doesn’t recruit at the top end of the conference, which I agree. However, our recruiting is about middle of the Pac, which should be good enough to beat teams like WSU, OSU, Nevada and lower end teams consistently, which is sadly not the case.
Jonathan Smith & the Beavs are coaching circles around Cal. It's pretty pathetic.
why do I still enjoy reading these hahaha
That was some weird ugly incoherent stuff on display last Saturday, am having trouble shaking it off. I guess we need to accept that what we are really is what our win loss record says we are. I still hope we get a couple wins over the other basement teams and maybe one surprise win further up the ladder. Finally, the contributions made by everyone contributing to these articles and analysis are very helpful to understanding and clarifying what I see at the games. Thank you!
welp this chat would confirm that things are bleak, more chatter about where peeps should sit in an empty stadium (like it matters, sit where ever you want to).
Exactly. I was in attendance Sat., and tho I sat in the shade of sec E, it's not like it's July in Phoenix.
This is unfortunately shaping up to be the worst year for the revenue sports of my lifetime, which is 2 score and TD...
I could not give a schitt about the football and MBB program right now. So depressing.
This is why Wilcox might get fired this year:
https://twitter.com/TheoLawson_SR/status/1444417127029510146?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1444417127029510146%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.espn.com%2F
I demand payment for the use of my image.
LOL!
That was depressing to look at. That level of apathy in year 5 of a program means it's time for a change.
That is really sad and even more so that it was our “homecoming game”.
Agreed. What a gut punch Alpha. I was at the game and it didn't look that bad (I guess) that was until I left in the middle of the game.
It looked pretty bad from sec. E...Cal football is irrelevant.