[GOCAL73]

Originally Posted by BleacherBear

Thanks, Stu, for the update. Unlike some of the people here, I for one enjoy hearing about how former players are doing. Once a Bear, always a Bear. If a player leaves the team without drama or scandal, like Erika did, I don't have a hard time rooting for them in their present circumstances.

Not to mention: are you censoring what people are allowed to post about and care about, GOCAL73? If you don't want to know about this sort of thing, DON'T READ THE POSTS. Just because someone posts about or reads about a transfer player doesn't mean they don't care about the current team. There isn't a limit to the number of threads, so posting about former players has exactly zero impact on information or interest in the present team.

I come to this site to read about Cal's players, not those who left. There are plenty of Tarheel sites if you really want to know how Erika is doing. Sure they can provide more than a few stats.

Erika said she was leaving to be closer to home. So, she enrolls at North Carolina. Stayed less than 1 year at Cal. A real Bear alright. I'm sure she bleeds blue (Carolina blue). BTW, how is Heater doing with cosmotology school?

As for your Once a Bear mantra, did you remember to send Tosh a holiday greeting card?

I'm not a moderator so I can't censor this board. Sounds like a great Christmas wish, though.

[stu]

Originally Posted by GOCAL73

BTW, how is Heater doing with cosmotology school?

Probably specializing in BLUE mascara.

[concordtom]

Originally Posted by GOCAL73

I come to this site to read about Cal's players, not those who left. There are plenty of Tarheel sites if you really want to know how Erika is doing. Sure they can provide more than a few stats.

Erika said she was leaving to be closer to home. So, she enrolls at North Carolina. Stayed less than 1 year at Cal. A real Bear alright. I'm sure she bleeds blue (Carolina blue). BTW, how is Heater doing with cosmotology school?

As for your Once a Bear mantra, did you remember to send Tosh a holiday greeting card?

I'm not a moderator so I can't censor this board. Sounds like a great Christmas wish, though.

do you have a problem?
No, don't answer that.

Thank you to the folks who updated me on Erica Johnson AND Erica Payne. I enjoyed watched her at DLS (down the street).

GoCal: please start a new thread about your favorite current bears so we can enjoy more content of interest.

[dtrain34]

Dang, playing women's basketball for Cal is not a sacred calling. Every kid you get is heavily recruited, they made a basketball decision to come to Berkeley, nothing more. When basketball didn't work out as they'd hoped, they left. Erika was 18 when she said she wanted to play closer to home -- do we all want to be held to everything WE said when we were 18?

The angst portrayed by some over girls transferring reminds me of when I was little kid and a couple of friends and relatives renounced their vows and left convents. In those days, becoming a nun was still a viable choice for young women and walking away from a life of service to the church carried implications of sin.

Changing universities to play basketball in a different-colored jersey is just something that happens. We all like to think of our alma maters and other favorite schools as special but in most cases they are simply a way for these young women to pay for school and play their favorite sport at a high level. We go to a two-hour game every week or so. They live inside the basktball program for six, seven hours a day including the allowable practice times, mandatory study halls, fitness workouts, injury treatments, travel, etc. If a place ain't right for them, it ain't right for them.

And, as I have mentioned before, it works both ways. I can think of two regular posters to this board, one being me, who are related to kids who DID think of Cal as special but weren't offered and are now doing well at other schools. It's a business, folks, for the coaches and for the kids.

[stu]

Originally Posted by dtrain34

And, as I have mentioned before, it works both ways.

Also pertinent to our two incoming transfers Brittany Shine and Kyra Dunn. I don't hold it against them that things didn't work out at their former schools.