100% agree on the points re Fernando. Look, he is free to leave for any reason or no reason. But he should have taken a class on existentialism while at Cal. No one is free from the consequences of their own actions. Living with those consequences is the core of the human experience. As you stated well, his departure killed the folk hero Fernando that we had grown to adore. It is unfortunate but it happened and he and we will all go our separate ways now.
As for me, I will root for the guys wearing our uniform, as I always do. Go Bears!!!!
On Wednesday, I plan on being in Inglewood at SoFi to support *our* boys, whatever the result.
To paraphrase Norman Dale in "Hoosiers": "I would hope [we] would support who we are. Not, who we are not. [The] individuals have made a choice to work, a choice to sacrifice, to put themselves on the line...to represent [us], this...school. That kind of commitment and effort deserves and demands [our] respect. This is [our] team."
I, too, referenced Coach Dale when I told myself, "My team is on the court" -- by which I meant my fantasy team is on the field for this weekend's playoff matchup; it's up to them now. And barring a miracle in tonight's Raiders-Falcons game, they will lose & I'll be 1 and done from the playoffs. Talk about circle of life.
Your article captures the conflicting emotions felt by Cal fans the day Cal’s edition of “Fernandomania” died. Just as Fernando Valenzuela came out of no where to capture the hearts and minds of Dodger fans in the 80s, this unheralded, marginally athletic football player did the same to Cal fans. But the Dodger’s Valenzuela didn’t bolt the very next year. Mendoza created a cult worthy following at Cal with his underdog story, play and intelligent/humorous press conferences. The media believed him. The coaches believed him, and so did we. He was “our boy”. A big game hero. We bent over backwards to both praise his successes and blame his shortcomings on someone else (I.e. the OL). But he has now forfeited all of that incredibly good, rare adulation and great feelings (he could have been an actual “Big Man on Campus” at Cal, which is unheard of for a Cal athlete) for the opportunity and money to prove himself all over again at a cut throat football school. He may make the transition but he certainly may not…..it’s not like his athletic ability jumps off the page. But he will never regain or recreate the flat out joy created when he tearfully said “98 yards with my boys”. It’s sad really. Sad for many reasons. I wish him well (and all the usual cliches). He will regret leaving (and the way he left) Cal but he won’t realize it for 20-30 years. His is a story reflecting the 21st century reality of college sports with NIL, the portal and TV control….and short term money for an 18-23 year old kid is very enticing. Where all this leaves the college sports fan is TBD. But one thing is sure: the fans are and will continue to be left behind emotionally, and solidly disillusioned.
I suspect there to be any number of additional transfers out after the bowl game. We can only hope the new coaches can attract some difference makers to come to Berkeley. There are still hundreds of players in the portal, but many (most?) of the real difference makers have already committed. One hope is that other teams in bowls or the championship will also lose players once their season is over. Players in post season games have 5 days after their last game to enter the portal, even though the portal officially closes Dec. 28.
My first season as a Cal fan was 2006 and Cal was great. Do you know who was better? Boise State with Harsin and Wilcox. It's time to spend some months dreaming and pumping sunshine before turning Blue people 😁
I came to Cal specifically because I was a conservative and I thought it would be a great way to learn what other people think. It is a great place to get forged in fire. I think these guys will be fine.
I came to CAL to play football and get a great education. Turns out I played football & rugby and got a great education. My political beliefs are my own (but align with yours). ;-)
Happy for Earby. His team (BSU) awaits the winner of SMU/Penn State. Having a good season with the Broncos on that blue field. Must be nice to win double digit games..
Great column. But it brought back the way I felt when he announced his transfer. The day my wife cried when I told her. Anyway it's over and we must keep going somehow.
So right on a complete rebuild on offense, as well as transitory roles for Harsin and Rolo - either by winning (moving to better jobs) or losing (mass firing). I do appreciate that the heat seems to be on for JW in 2025, this is sorely needed - and he seems to be responding. Praying for a portal miracle, Go Bears!
Nick: Great article but as everyone knows, this is the new normal. Actually, if you can remember back far enough, this sort of thing has been going on for quite some time. Does everyone remember "Toshgate"? His last minute defection (mostly for money) cost us some really good recruits (Shaq Thompson comes to mind) and don't forget, he was a Cal grad! I remember how everyone was moaning about how loyalty to one's alma mater was gone forever. I guess that he was a preview of things to come. Change, as in life, is the only constant in college football. As much as I hate to see Fernando leave, there are lots of other three and two star quarterbacks with his potential just waiting for a shot to prove themselves. Hanging on to them will be our new challenge for the foreseeable future.
Yeah, he was rumored to be a silent commit. He didn't commit to any school before the NSD. He was believed to be 99% coming to Cal, but after toshgate he signed with Maryland.
This whole thing makes me respect Ott infinitely more than before (and I had tremendous respect for him before). He was in a perfect position to bail on Cal last year and get paid really well. But he didn't. He made a commitment to Cal. Hats off to you Jaydn. I was so convinced that Fernando couldn't possibly leave given all he said. Turns out Cal forever really wasn't.
The question is, did Fernando leave because he now believes he is a not NFL prospect and will be better served fighting for the starting spot somewhere else, or did the new OC tell him that he is not the guy? If it's the former, I am very disappointed in him. If the latter, the new OC better be right, because Fernando, while not really an NFL prospect in my view, was certainly the best QB on Cal's roster.
I think he left because he does now think he’s an NFL prospect and it didn’t make sense continuing to be part of a program with a lame duck coach who has shown he can’t recruit or develop offensive lineman to protect him.
He certainly was better than a WR masquerading as a QB, a Mid-American caliber guy that cheats teammates in poker, and a dual-threat guy that struggled to complete passes against P4 competition. ;-)
Mendoza is currently a good-not-great D1 QB…I still think Davis Webb is our best QB post-Goff, followed by Garbers. Mendoza absolutely could have finished atop that list with another season here, as he has a right to continue to improve the more games he plays. He did just that this year.
However, all this talk of him being an NFL QB is such a stretch. The current version still lacks so many tools, namely athleticism and reading a defense.
The Brian Floyd post about Cal going from "joyful media darling" to "barely likable" in the span of only a few months feels accurate and... well, it's not a good feeling, kids. Don't like.
I can't believe Wilcox managed to squeeze two of the game's creepiest, most thoroughly mediocre dill-holes onto the same staff, right at our moment of already feeling down and out. Maybe he's angling for that buyout after all.
Not sure who Brian Floyd is, but I think football wise the new staff is a sizeable upgrade. Whether it will work out quickly enough is another matter. Rolovich and Harsin know ball and have a lot to prove. And neither will be much of a spokesperson for the program, so I'm not overly concerned with either of them embarrassing us. I'll gladly accept certain imperfections to keep this program above water.
That's fair. My comment is definitely more rooted in "the feels" than Xs and Os - it's a statement about the general unpleasantness of a year that began with extraordinary energy and an unexpected outpouring of goodwill, and has ended with a dispiriting loss, Mendoza's sudden departure, and the inclusion of two guys with reputations for being jerks. (I'm not speaking about their similarly embarrassing political attitudes: I'm referring to their well-documented reputations for player abuse.)
Perhaps Harsin and Rolo will prove a wondrous shot in the arm, and a year from now, I'll be agreeing with you. Maybe they're the perfect fit.
Maybe it's a shot in the arm, but at the moment, it happens to feel like little sip of karmic poison.
It definitely took a "nearly everything that could go wrong did go wrong" scenario to make these hires more palatable. Your concerns are valid. Frankly, I'm just desperate to see this program start getting some traction. Hypothetically, Wilcox is the culture setter and should hold them accountable. But we will soon find out.
I don't know exactly what the rules are, but I suspect the answer is 'yes', but that I would have been strategically unwise to declare so late in the game. It's a kind of campaign for these kids, and they need time to promote and negotiate.
I think the transfer "announcement" deadlinedate is Dec 28, or 10 more days from today. I realize you need to get your name/brand out to potential teams, but something happened drama-wise.
If Wilcox is gone this time next year, Harsin and Rolovich will be looking for work with him. Assistants generally only replace the HC if there's been a tract record of success you hope to maintain.
In answer to all your questions: Wilcox hired the best talent available to him under his budget to win. He's not thinking that he's out. He's focused on winning. Whether it happens or not has yet to be seen. Love the intolerance shown for two new coaches because they don't fit with someones agenda (not you Bowlesman). People looking for football coaches who fit their political ideologies will most likely always be disappointed.
My question was not about how Wilcox viewed the hires but how those hired saw their futures here. Also I haven't noted any intolerance for the political positions of the new coaches. I abhor their politics but they're here to coach football and I hope they're successful in their given roles.
That conservative politics would even be brought up as a possible deal-breaker or at all might explain a culture that guarantees middling results in smashmouth football.
No, more a matter of bringing up politics being outside the priorities of Smashmouth football. Why it always seems to be conservative politics brought up as a “red flag” on character is very telling, wearisome, and divisive.
Super extra points for “I did my own research.”
That was brilliant.
I pringled. That was funny.
Same. Very cleaver.
Which cleaver? Meat? Eldridge? Wally? Beaver?
The Beav is a Bear.
Eddy Haskell has been mentioned
Eddy was a cop. Passed away recently. RIP.
Reader’s choice ; )
ditto!!!!!!
100% agree on the points re Fernando. Look, he is free to leave for any reason or no reason. But he should have taken a class on existentialism while at Cal. No one is free from the consequences of their own actions. Living with those consequences is the core of the human experience. As you stated well, his departure killed the folk hero Fernando that we had grown to adore. It is unfortunate but it happened and he and we will all go our separate ways now.
As for me, I will root for the guys wearing our uniform, as I always do. Go Bears!!!!
On Being and Transferness
Whatever Mendoza family at this point.
On Wednesday, I plan on being in Inglewood at SoFi to support *our* boys, whatever the result.
To paraphrase Norman Dale in "Hoosiers": "I would hope [we] would support who we are. Not, who we are not. [The] individuals have made a choice to work, a choice to sacrifice, to put themselves on the line...to represent [us], this...school. That kind of commitment and effort deserves and demands [our] respect. This is [our] team."
I, too, referenced Coach Dale when I told myself, "My team is on the court" -- by which I meant my fantasy team is on the field for this weekend's playoff matchup; it's up to them now. And barring a miracle in tonight's Raiders-Falcons game, they will lose & I'll be 1 and done from the playoffs. Talk about circle of life.
Now you folks are speaking my language.
;-)
Yes.
Your article captures the conflicting emotions felt by Cal fans the day Cal’s edition of “Fernandomania” died. Just as Fernando Valenzuela came out of no where to capture the hearts and minds of Dodger fans in the 80s, this unheralded, marginally athletic football player did the same to Cal fans. But the Dodger’s Valenzuela didn’t bolt the very next year. Mendoza created a cult worthy following at Cal with his underdog story, play and intelligent/humorous press conferences. The media believed him. The coaches believed him, and so did we. He was “our boy”. A big game hero. We bent over backwards to both praise his successes and blame his shortcomings on someone else (I.e. the OL). But he has now forfeited all of that incredibly good, rare adulation and great feelings (he could have been an actual “Big Man on Campus” at Cal, which is unheard of for a Cal athlete) for the opportunity and money to prove himself all over again at a cut throat football school. He may make the transition but he certainly may not…..it’s not like his athletic ability jumps off the page. But he will never regain or recreate the flat out joy created when he tearfully said “98 yards with my boys”. It’s sad really. Sad for many reasons. I wish him well (and all the usual cliches). He will regret leaving (and the way he left) Cal but he won’t realize it for 20-30 years. His is a story reflecting the 21st century reality of college sports with NIL, the portal and TV control….and short term money for an 18-23 year old kid is very enticing. Where all this leaves the college sports fan is TBD. But one thing is sure: the fans are and will continue to be left behind emotionally, and solidly disillusioned.
Nando: The PsyOp
Infiltrate, ingratiate, and insinuate.
98 transfers with my boys
Go Bears forever indeed. It turns out forever ends when you decide to enter the portal.
What do want to bet there’ll be more after the Bowl?
My bet is Cade has a wandering eye.
I suspect there to be any number of additional transfers out after the bowl game. We can only hope the new coaches can attract some difference makers to come to Berkeley. There are still hundreds of players in the portal, but many (most?) of the real difference makers have already committed. One hope is that other teams in bowls or the championship will also lose players once their season is over. Players in post season games have 5 days after their last game to enter the portal, even though the portal officially closes Dec. 28.
Yep.
It’s like bleeding out and getting an IV of fresh blood at the same time.
Good one.
My first season as a Cal fan was 2006 and Cal was great. Do you know who was better? Boise State with Harsin and Wilcox. It's time to spend some months dreaming and pumping sunshine before turning Blue people 😁
Haha - agree. But years of crushing disappointment (including many times this season) has a way of deflating hope. But I shall try!
Well, you never know. We never played them. Cal might have beat them.
“…really saying something.”
Indeed! I laughed out loud literally.
Nick, you capture Cal fandom so well and interpret it masterfully.
Thanks for rolling on you Bear!
You nailed it.
Nando is an emerging talent.
His buy-in from us was his professed love of Cal. A love we may, now, assume was contingent on his monopoly as QB1.
His handler/agent/svengali seem(s) to have spread the talking point/rumor that Nando’s talents were wasted and underutilized at Cal.
Nando, we hardly knew ye.
Fun Fact: Spending a couple of paragraphs denying the intolerant left image is a very intolerant left tell.
Me thinks thou doth protest too much.
Love, love your work, Nick.
Just sayin’
And thank you for bringing the reality check, although, I might think we seem to have hardened our hearts for all the breaks our hearts have had.
I came to Cal specifically because I was a conservative and I thought it would be a great way to learn what other people think. It is a great place to get forged in fire. I think these guys will be fine.
I came to CAL to play football and get a great education. Turns out I played football & rugby and got a great education. My political beliefs are my own (but align with yours). ;-)
Same here.
It was like Ulysses challenging himself before the sirens.
I did come away with a more reasonable, balanced view, but it did take decades to get some of the Leftist sing-song out of my mind.
A bird, with one wing, does not fly straight. A paraphrase of a native American saying.
Actually a bird with one wing doesn't fly. ;-)
I'll let the native Americans know.
Replacing Nohl and Harris at corners is going to be a herculean task. Then if Cabe hits the portal, having to replace not only Teddye.. oofa.
I'll be really impressed if Wilcox and Sirmon are able to get the defense close to the same level as this year.
Also Woodson and the safeties. Big transition year for the defensive backfield coming.
Yep lotta holes to fill, especially on the back end.
If Earby and KEO didn't transfer, they would have been core of 2025 defense
Happy for Earby. His team (BSU) awaits the winner of SMU/Penn State. Having a good season with the Broncos on that blue field. Must be nice to win double digit games..
Yep.
Really hope they can hold onto Cade.
Great column. But it brought back the way I felt when he announced his transfer. The day my wife cried when I told her. Anyway it's over and we must keep going somehow.
I think it will be fine, lets stay positive.
It absolutely will be fine.
So right on a complete rebuild on offense, as well as transitory roles for Harsin and Rolo - either by winning (moving to better jobs) or losing (mass firing). I do appreciate that the heat seems to be on for JW in 2025, this is sorely needed - and he seems to be responding. Praying for a portal miracle, Go Bears!
Nick: Great article but as everyone knows, this is the new normal. Actually, if you can remember back far enough, this sort of thing has been going on for quite some time. Does everyone remember "Toshgate"? His last minute defection (mostly for money) cost us some really good recruits (Shaq Thompson comes to mind) and don't forget, he was a Cal grad! I remember how everyone was moaning about how loyalty to one's alma mater was gone forever. I guess that he was a preview of things to come. Change, as in life, is the only constant in college football. As much as I hate to see Fernando leave, there are lots of other three and two star quarterbacks with his potential just waiting for a shot to prove themselves. Hanging on to them will be our new challenge for the foreseeable future.
And Arik Armstead. That class was supposed to be like top 5 in the country
And Stefon Diggs
Stefon Diggs too?!?! Holy cow, that scumbag Tosh did more damage than I realized.
Yeah, he was rumored to be a silent commit. He didn't commit to any school before the NSD. He was believed to be 99% coming to Cal, but after toshgate he signed with Maryland.
+Jordan Payton, Ellis McCarthy
This whole thing makes me respect Ott infinitely more than before (and I had tremendous respect for him before). He was in a perfect position to bail on Cal last year and get paid really well. But he didn't. He made a commitment to Cal. Hats off to you Jaydn. I was so convinced that Fernando couldn't possibly leave given all he said. Turns out Cal forever really wasn't.
The question is, did Fernando leave because he now believes he is a not NFL prospect and will be better served fighting for the starting spot somewhere else, or did the new OC tell him that he is not the guy? If it's the former, I am very disappointed in him. If the latter, the new OC better be right, because Fernando, while not really an NFL prospect in my view, was certainly the best QB on Cal's roster.
I think he left because he does now think he’s an NFL prospect and it didn’t make sense continuing to be part of a program with a lame duck coach who has shown he can’t recruit or develop offensive lineman to protect him.
Neither.
So what is it?
He certainly was better than a WR masquerading as a QB, a Mid-American caliber guy that cheats teammates in poker, and a dual-threat guy that struggled to complete passes against P4 competition. ;-)
Mendoza is currently a good-not-great D1 QB…I still think Davis Webb is our best QB post-Goff, followed by Garbers. Mendoza absolutely could have finished atop that list with another season here, as he has a right to continue to improve the more games he plays. He did just that this year.
However, all this talk of him being an NFL QB is such a stretch. The current version still lacks so many tools, namely athleticism and reading a defense.
The Brian Floyd post about Cal going from "joyful media darling" to "barely likable" in the span of only a few months feels accurate and... well, it's not a good feeling, kids. Don't like.
I can't believe Wilcox managed to squeeze two of the game's creepiest, most thoroughly mediocre dill-holes onto the same staff, right at our moment of already feeling down and out. Maybe he's angling for that buyout after all.
Not sure who Brian Floyd is, but I think football wise the new staff is a sizeable upgrade. Whether it will work out quickly enough is another matter. Rolovich and Harsin know ball and have a lot to prove. And neither will be much of a spokesperson for the program, so I'm not overly concerned with either of them embarrassing us. I'll gladly accept certain imperfections to keep this program above water.
That's fair. My comment is definitely more rooted in "the feels" than Xs and Os - it's a statement about the general unpleasantness of a year that began with extraordinary energy and an unexpected outpouring of goodwill, and has ended with a dispiriting loss, Mendoza's sudden departure, and the inclusion of two guys with reputations for being jerks. (I'm not speaking about their similarly embarrassing political attitudes: I'm referring to their well-documented reputations for player abuse.)
Perhaps Harsin and Rolo will prove a wondrous shot in the arm, and a year from now, I'll be agreeing with you. Maybe they're the perfect fit.
Maybe it's a shot in the arm, but at the moment, it happens to feel like little sip of karmic poison.
It definitely took a "nearly everything that could go wrong did go wrong" scenario to make these hires more palatable. Your concerns are valid. Frankly, I'm just desperate to see this program start getting some traction. Hypothetically, Wilcox is the culture setter and should hold them accountable. But we will soon find out.
Here's to hoping. Roll on?
Does anyone know if Mendoza could have held off his transfer announcement till AFTER the LA Bowl?
I don't know exactly what the rules are, but I suspect the answer is 'yes', but that I would have been strategically unwise to declare so late in the game. It's a kind of campaign for these kids, and they need time to promote and negotiate.
I think the transfer "announcement" deadlinedate is Dec 28, or 10 more days from today. I realize you need to get your name/brand out to potential teams, but something happened drama-wise.
I wonder if Harsin and Rolovich both took their jobs reasoning that Wilcox would be out in a year and they'd be well-positioned to be his successor.
If Wilcox is gone this time next year, Harsin and Rolovich will be looking for work with him. Assistants generally only replace the HC if there's been a tract record of success you hope to maintain.
Well, even Wilcox might suspect that, but if he gets the sack, what should he care how we do?
In answer to all your questions: Wilcox hired the best talent available to him under his budget to win. He's not thinking that he's out. He's focused on winning. Whether it happens or not has yet to be seen. Love the intolerance shown for two new coaches because they don't fit with someones agenda (not you Bowlesman). People looking for football coaches who fit their political ideologies will most likely always be disappointed.
My question was not about how Wilcox viewed the hires but how those hired saw their futures here. Also I haven't noted any intolerance for the political positions of the new coaches. I abhor their politics but they're here to coach football and I hope they're successful in their given roles.
Wasn't referring to you OD. ;-)
That conservative politics would even be brought up as a possible deal-breaker or at all might explain a culture that guarantees middling results in smashmouth football.
Explain. Are you implying there is a correlation between the politics of a coaching staff and playing “smash mouth football”???
No, more a matter of bringing up politics being outside the priorities of Smashmouth football. Why it always seems to be conservative politics brought up as a “red flag” on character is very telling, wearisome, and divisive.