71Bear said:Just like any investment I make, I want a clear understanding of why it makes sense. I never invest based on emotion. I only consider factual data and forecasts based upon solid evidence.dimitrig said:Big C said:71Bear said:...and the program will remain in a perpetual state of mediocrity.Sebastabear said:
What I've learned about being a Cal fan is enjoy the wins when you get them. And never let your feelings about the trend of the program or the deficiencies of a team overshadow that joy. To do otherwise is to be in a perpetual state of misery.
Demand excellence! Anything short of that is not acceptable.
Does that mean you can't enjoy the occasional wins? Of course not. But it does mean that you expect to see occasional become regular become sustained. Otherwise why bother even fielding a program?
Perhaps I misread the intent of your comment but it sure sounded like you are satisfied with having four good days a season if your team finishes 4-8. If so, in a word: Yikes! Considering you are a donor, you have painted a grim picture of the current state of affairs.
I can't speak for him, but I'm kind of doubting that Sebastabear is "satisfied with having four good days a season if his team finishes 4-8".
Perhaps you could expand a little bit about how folks like you and I can "demand excellence" and how that would translate into better on-field performance for the Golden Bears. It is a concept I've heard expressed here before by multiple posters and it's just not registering with me how this works, exactly.
If I thought it would help, I'd start "demanding excellence" for Cal Football and Basketball tomorrow morning (would need until then to rest up, I expect), I'm just not sure exactly what it would entail (or how it would bear fruit).
How to demand excellence?
Here's a primer:
If you're not donating, then donate.
If you are donating, donate more.
If you're already donating a lot, then speak up.
When people say that Oregon's fans demand excellence what they really mean is that Phil Knight demands excellence.
Most of these decisions - whether it is facilities or the salaries of coaches - have a financial component to them.
If the academic side of Cal saw a benefit to spending money on athletics in terms of finances a lot of them would strike a different tune, but most of them see Cal going into the red spending money on athletic futility that could be used to enhance academic excellence. In plain terms, they don't see Cal getting a good ROI on its investment in athletic programs.
Unfortunately, the Cal AD has not demonstrated a reason to invest. The recent results are poor and the future does not promise to be any better.
Donate money? No thanks. I prefer to use my resources in other more rewarding activities.
So 71, how are you "demanding excellence"? I mean, you don't have to be, but I recognize you as a legitimate big-time Cal fan and that was your recipe for success, so... ?
As for me, I'm not demanding excellence, only hoping for it, but I never claimed that what will get us to the promised land is everyday fans demanding excellence.