Big C said:

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Thanks for checking in with us, Jirao. The Golden Bears should be decent this fall and give you a good game... maybe even pull the upset. Outside of the final score of the game, hope you have a great trip here!

Do you get the sense that there will be a lot of Auburn fans in attendance? (combination of alums who work in the Bay Area and folks making the trip)

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I went to the Penn State game a few years ago and we had a really good crowd (Guessing 13-15K) for the game. Would expect a Little less then that but still around the 10-12K range.

gatorz1209 said:

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Auburn fan here from the same site Jirao comes from. Appreciate the recommendations! Looking forward to exploring Berkeley after some time in Santa Rosa and wine country.

Big beer guy, so excited to drink at Fieldwork, Great Notion, and the new Cellarmaker. Will I be making a mistake going over to Oakland? There's a brewery over there as well called Sante Adairus I'm interested in hitting up.

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if you don't want to drive around, Triple Rock is within walking distance from campus. The S.F. Giants are also in town during the week.

I just want to say it's great to see opposing fans posting here in a (mostly) constructive fashion. Adds a lot to the site and the fun of these types of games. Hopefully that will continue through game day and beyond - there are still a few Tennessee fans who stop by after our home-away series years ago.

Hornacious said:

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Hiking on your vacation? That sounds miserable. Where can I smoke cigs, drink bourbon, and rip bongs?

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The Bay Area has something for everyone:

For the cigars and bourbon, definitely San Francisco Financial District, easy BART ride from Berkeley (or if you are staying in SF, likely an easy walk from your hotel. Try Occidental Cigar Club or Cigars Bar and Grill.

For bongs and weed, no place better than Berkeley, Wheelan's Smoke Shop on Bancroft has been selling bongs probably since the Beatniks and around the corner on Telegraph is a high end legal dispensary.

calumnus said:

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Hornacious said:

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Hiking on your vacation? That sounds miserable. Where can I smoke cigs, drink bourbon, and rip bongs?

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The Bay Area has something for everyone:

For the cigars and bourbon, definitely San Francisco Financial District, easy BART ride from Berkeley (or if you are staying in SF, likely an easy walk from your hotel. Try Occidental Cigar Club or Cigars Bar and Grill.

For bongs and weed, no place better than Berkeley, Wheelan's Smoke Shop on Bancroft has been seeking bongs probably since the Beatniks and around the corner on Telegraph is a high end legal dispensary.

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I, for one, am looking forward to smoking legally while enjoying Pliny the Elder

Wait a minute. I'm excited to come out and visit the campus and stadium, as well as spend a few days in Napa/Sonoma (that's always nice no matter when I get to do it), but you honestly think 5.5 o/u is remotely comparable to 6.5 o/u in the SEC? I can't wait to get back out there and get that **** you're smoking/eating on.

CenterRotation said:

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Auburn fan here. I know nothing about Cal's 2023 squad. I know that Auburn was awful last year. We have a coach known for turning programs around (amongst other things). We have 42ish new players on the roster.

We have a retooled OL. We have a transfer QB that would be third in auburn all time passing yardage. We have a retooled DL but will likely struggle to pressure the QB. The LBs will likely be average. Corners are amongst the best in the country. Safeties are average. RB room is stacked.

Can we put it together on the road, across the country and late at night? No clue.

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Cal has been mired in mediocrity (or worse) for years since the days we had Aaron Rodgers, Marshawn Lynch and Desean Jackson and now our long time rivals in L.A., including our satellite campus, have jumped to the Big 10. We need to win NOW.

Since we fired Sonny Dykes and hired Justin Wilcox we have been known for decent to good defense (last year excepted) and horrible offense (the opposite of when we had Dykes). This year we have brought back Jake Spavital, who was our last OC under Dykes, after he got fired as HC at Texas State. We also got TCU's "QB of the future" the speedy diminutive Sam Jackson V in the transfer portal. We are hoping he is the next Kyler Murray (who Spavital coached at aTm). Our star, Jadyn Ott returns at RB. The question is our OL, and how well Spavital and Wilcox mesh and like you guys, how quickly.

So two teams with a lot of unknowns, new coaches, new players through the portal, etc.

Crazy how readily available that stuff is out there. Think I'm most excited for the food and wine leading up to gameday. You for your Tesla charger map planned out?

Hornacious said:

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Hiking on your vacation? That sounds miserable. Where can I smoke cigs, drink bourbon, and rip bongs?

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You'll have an easy time finding bongs, bourbon, magic mushrooms, and psychedelics. Smoking cigarettes however is frowned upon.

Sir Hiss said:

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Crazy how readily available that stuff is out there. Think I'm most excited for the food and wine leading up to gameday. You for your Tesla charger map planned out?

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We're taking Elon Airlines out there and leaving the TESLA behind.

Sir Hiss said:

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Wait a minute. I'm excited to come out and visit the campus and stadium, as well as spend a few days in Napa/Sonoma (that's always nice no matter when I get to do it), but you honestly think 5.5 o/u is remotely comparable to 6.5 o/u in the SEC? I can't wait to get back out there and get that **** you're smoking/eating on.

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tldr I think oddsmakers are overrating Auburn a bit (great remake in the portal but you guys have a tough SEC schedule) and underrating Cal a bit (we also had a huge overhaul in the portal and upgraded nearly everywhere, while getting a higher ceiling lower floor QB and losing a great WR, but replacing the WR with a lot of great guys to round out the corps). Also don't underrate the Pac this year, there are a lot of very good teams. Maybe no Georgia Bama types, but a very solid conference.

In any case, while I don't think we'll necessarily win, I conversely don't believe it'll be the smackdown that many of you Auburn fans seem to expect. Wilcox defenses, when healthy, tend to keep games close even vs super highly ranked teams. This is the highest talent defense WIlcox has ever had and Spav, our new OC, has put up prolific numbers as a coordinator (we also have some really great skill position guys).

Looking forward to the matchup in the fall! Hope y'all have a great trip out here (but go home sad from the game). Enjoy

https://www.on3.com/teams/auburn-tigers/news/will-auburn-be-among-college-footballs-most-improved-teams/

eastcoastcal said:

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Sir Hiss said:

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Wait a minute. I'm excited to come out and visit the campus and stadium, as well as spend a few days in Napa/Sonoma (that's always nice no matter when I get to do it), but you honestly think 5.5 o/u is remotely comparable to 6.5 o/u in the SEC? I can't wait to get back out there and get that **** you're smoking/eating on.

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tldr I think oddsmakers are overrating Auburn a bit (great remake in the portal but you guys have a tough SEC schedule) and underrating Cal a bit (we also had a huge overhaul in the portal and upgraded nearly everywhere, while getting a higher ceiling lower floor QB and losing a great WR, but replacing the WR with a lot of great guys to round out the corps). Also don't underrate the Pac this year, there are a lot of very good teams. Maybe no Georgia Bama types, but a very solid conference.

In any case, while I don't think we'll necessarily win, I conversely don't believe it'll be the smackdown that many of you Auburn fans seem to expect. Wilcox defenses, when healthy, tend to keep games close even vs super highly ranked teams. This is the highest talent defense WIlcox has ever had and Spav, our new OC, has put up prolific numbers as a coordinator (we also have some really great skill position guys).

Looking forward to the matchup in the fall! Hope y'all have a great trip out here (but go home sad from the game). Enjoy

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It <could> be a smack down by Auburn, it <could> be a smack down by Cal. It could be a hard fought contest. It will be relatively early in a season where both teams will have new coaches and a lot of new players on the field. No one on either side should make overly confident predictions.

I never bet on the Bears, but in my experience with Cal, no mater who is favored, it is a good bet to take the underdog and the points or even bet the underdog to win outright. We play to our opponents level, play good teams tough but lose too many games we should win.

gatorz1209 said:

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Sir Hiss said:

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Crazy how readily available that stuff is out there. Think I'm most excited for the food and wine leading up to gameday. You for your Tesla charger map planned out?

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We're taking Elon Airlines out there and leaving the TESLA behind.

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Curious as to how long it would take to get to California from Auburn in a Tesla? We have extended family a few doors down from us with Georgia plates visiting for the fourth. I haven't been able to catch the son and DIL to ask the same question of them. All I know is that they did drive out.

gatorz1209 said:

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Auburn fan here from the same site Jirao comes from. Appreciate the recommendations! Looking forward to exploring Berkeley after some time in Santa Rosa and wine country.

Big beer guy, so excited to drink at Fieldwork, Great Notion, and the new Cellarmaker. Will I be making a mistake going over to Oakland? There's a brewery over there as well called Sante Adairus I'm interested in hitting up.

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No you wouldn't be making a mistake going to Oakland. I've lived there for 30 years. Some of the best food, bars, and sights in the Bay Area. It might have a bad rap nationally but honestly I prefer it to hanging out in San Francisco.

If you need some recommendations for places to go just ask. Some great Michelin star restaurants (including one of the only Michelin star BBQ joints on the West Coast), a bunch of great trendy restaurants of any cuisine, some incredibly fun bars and clubs (cheaper than the city too), if you're into hikes or just great natural settings a lot of it is preferable to SF (hiking in the Oakland Hills, Lake Temescal, Lake Merrit, etc. IMO better than most of SF which has the palace of fine arts but not a lot of gorgeous locales within the city limits), and if you want taco trucks there's some of the best Mexican food of anywhere in the country.

Honestly I hang out in SF sometimes but mostly it's just a grey, bland, piss-smelling city, there are some parts of Oakland you don't wanna go but anywhere you'd likely be stopping is going to be pretty with no crime.

Anyway that's just my take and you'll see Berkeley on game day (park a little away from the stadium and walk down Telegraph through the Sather Gate) and probably worth stopping by SF's famous Chinatown but other than that Oakland is a much better city to hang out in during the week. Again, just my opinion but knowing what I know growing up and living in the Bay Area for most of my life that's how I'd play it

Bearly Clad said:

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gatorz1209 said:

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Auburn fan here from the same site Jirao comes from. Appreciate the recommendations! Looking forward to exploring Berkeley after some time in Santa Rosa and wine country.

Big beer guy, so excited to drink at Fieldwork, Great Notion, and the new Cellarmaker. Will I be making a mistake going over to Oakland? There's a brewery over there as well called Sante Adairus I'm interested in hitting up.

---

No you wouldn't be making a mistake going to Oakland. I've lived there for 30 years. Some of the best food, bars, and sights in the Bay Area. It might have a bad rap nationally but honestly I prefer it to hanging out in San Francisco.

If you need some recommendations for places to go just ask. Some great Michelin star restaurants (including one of the only Michelin star BBQ joints on the West Coast), a bunch of great trendy restaurants of any cuisine, some incredibly fun bars and clubs (cheaper than the city too), if you're into hikes or just great natural settings a lot of it is preferable to SF (hiking in the Oakland Hills, Lake Temescal, Lake Merrit, etc. IMO better than most of SF which has the palace of fine arts but not a lot of gorgeous locales within the city limits), and if you want taco trucks there's some of the best Mexican food of anywhere in the country.

Honestly I hang out in SF sometimes but mostly it's just a grey, bland, piss-smelling city, there are some parts of Oakland you don't wanna go but anywhere you'd likely be stopping is going to be pretty with no crime.

Anyway that's just my take and you'll see Berkeley on game day (park a little away from the stadium and walk down Telegraph through the Sather Gate) and probably worth stopping by SF's famous Chinatown but other than that Oakland is a much better city to hang out in during the week. Again, just my opinion but knowing what I know growing up and living in the Bay Area for most of my life that's how I'd play it

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Thank you! This is fantastic info. I'll definitely check out Oakland.

gatorz1209 said:

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Bearly Clad said:

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gatorz1209 said:

---

Auburn fan here from the same site Jirao comes from. Appreciate the recommendations! Looking forward to exploring Berkeley after some time in Santa Rosa and wine country.

Big beer guy, so excited to drink at Fieldwork, Great Notion, and the new Cellarmaker. Will I be making a mistake going over to Oakland? There's a brewery over there as well called Sante Adairus I'm interested in hitting up.

---

No you wouldn't be making a mistake going to Oakland. I've lived there for 30 years. Some of the best food, bars, and sights in the Bay Area. It might have a bad rap nationally but honestly I prefer it to hanging out in San Francisco.

If you need some recommendations for places to go just ask. Some great Michelin star restaurants (including one of the only Michelin star BBQ joints on the West Coast), a bunch of great trendy restaurants of any cuisine, some incredibly fun bars and clubs (cheaper than the city too), if you're into hikes or just great natural settings a lot of it is preferable to SF (hiking in the Oakland Hills, Lake Temescal, Lake Merrit, etc. IMO better than most of SF which has the palace of fine arts but not a lot of gorgeous locales within the city limits), and if you want taco trucks there's some of the best Mexican food of anywhere in the country.

Honestly I hang out in SF sometimes but mostly it's just a grey, bland, piss-smelling city, there are some parts of Oakland you don't wanna go but anywhere you'd likely be stopping is going to be pretty with no crime.

Anyway that's just my take and you'll see Berkeley on game day (park a little away from the stadium and walk down Telegraph through the Sather Gate) and probably worth stopping by SF's famous Chinatown but other than that Oakland is a much better city to hang out in during the week. Again, just my opinion but knowing what I know growing up and living in the Bay Area for most of my life that's how I'd play it

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Thank you! This is fantastic info. I'll definitely check out Oakland.

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If you enjoy your visit, be sure to recommend us for addition into the SEC. I think that would be a huge flex move on our part relative to USC and UCLA and you'd get a cupcake every year to have with some wine when you visit.

Night games in Berkeley are fun! Please report back on your experience.

Tulane used to be in the SEC. We could be the new Tulane only with better drugs.

Econ141 said:

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gatorz1209 said:

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Bearly Clad said:

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gatorz1209 said:

---

Auburn fan here from the same site Jirao comes from. Appreciate the recommendations! Looking forward to exploring Berkeley after some time in Santa Rosa and wine country.

Big beer guy, so excited to drink at Fieldwork, Great Notion, and the new Cellarmaker. Will I be making a mistake going over to Oakland? There's a brewery over there as well called Sante Adairus I'm interested in hitting up.

---

No you wouldn't be making a mistake going to Oakland. I've lived there for 30 years. Some of the best food, bars, and sights in the Bay Area. It might have a bad rap nationally but honestly I prefer it to hanging out in San Francisco.

If you need some recommendations for places to go just ask. Some great Michelin star restaurants (including one of the only Michelin star BBQ joints on the West Coast), a bunch of great trendy restaurants of any cuisine, some incredibly fun bars and clubs (cheaper than the city too), if you're into hikes or just great natural settings a lot of it is preferable to SF (hiking in the Oakland Hills, Lake Temescal, Lake Merrit, etc. IMO better than most of SF which has the palace of fine arts but not a lot of gorgeous locales within the city limits), and if you want taco trucks there's some of the best Mexican food of anywhere in the country.

Honestly I hang out in SF sometimes but mostly it's just a grey, bland, piss-smelling city, there are some parts of Oakland you don't wanna go but anywhere you'd likely be stopping is going to be pretty with no crime.

Anyway that's just my take and you'll see Berkeley on game day (park a little away from the stadium and walk down Telegraph through the Sather Gate) and probably worth stopping by SF's famous Chinatown but other than that Oakland is a much better city to hang out in during the week. Again, just my opinion but knowing what I know growing up and living in the Bay Area for most of my life that's how I'd play it

---

Thank you! This is fantastic info. I'll definitely check out Oakland.

---

If you enjoy your visit, be sure to recommend us for addition into the SEC. I think that would be a huge flex move on our part relative to USC and UCLA and you'd get a cupcake every year to have with some wine when you visit.

Night games in Berkeley are fun! Please report back on your experience.

---

Note: no matter how warm it is during the day, bring a sweatshirt to the game. September it can go from a warm and dry 80 or 90 during the to a cold and damp 50 or 60 at night.

Econ141 said:

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gatorz1209 said:

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Bearly Clad said:

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gatorz1209 said:

---

Auburn fan here from the same site Jirao comes from. Appreciate the recommendations! Looking forward to exploring Berkeley after some time in Santa Rosa and wine country.

Big beer guy, so excited to drink at Fieldwork, Great Notion, and the new Cellarmaker. Will I be making a mistake going over to Oakland? There's a brewery over there as well called Sante Adairus I'm interested in hitting up.

---

No you wouldn't be making a mistake going to Oakland. I've lived there for 30 years. Some of the best food, bars, and sights in the Bay Area. It might have a bad rap nationally but honestly I prefer it to hanging out in San Francisco.

If you need some recommendations for places to go just ask. Some great Michelin star restaurants (including one of the only Michelin star BBQ joints on the West Coast), a bunch of great trendy restaurants of any cuisine, some incredibly fun bars and clubs (cheaper than the city too), if you're into hikes or just great natural settings a lot of it is preferable to SF (hiking in the Oakland Hills, Lake Temescal, Lake Merrit, etc. IMO better than most of SF which has the palace of fine arts but not a lot of gorgeous locales within the city limits), and if you want taco trucks there's some of the best Mexican food of anywhere in the country.

Honestly I hang out in SF sometimes but mostly it's just a grey, bland, piss-smelling city, there are some parts of Oakland you don't wanna go but anywhere you'd likely be stopping is going to be pretty with no crime.

Anyway that's just my take and you'll see Berkeley on game day (park a little away from the stadium and walk down Telegraph through the Sather Gate) and probably worth stopping by SF's famous Chinatown but other than that Oakland is a much better city to hang out in during the week. Again, just my opinion but knowing what I know growing up and living in the Bay Area for most of my life that's how I'd play it

---

Thank you! This is fantastic info. I'll definitely check out Oakland.

---

If you enjoy your visit, be sure to recommend us for addition into the SEC. I think that would be a huge flex move on our part relative to USC and UCLA and you'd get a cupcake every year to have with some wine when you visit.

Night games in Berkeley are fun! Please report back on your experience.

---

I'm sold. Welcome to the conference!

Sir Hiss said:

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Wait a minute. I'm excited to come out and visit the campus and stadium, as well as spend a few days in Napa/Sonoma (that's always nice no matter when I get to do it), but you honestly think 5.5 o/u is remotely comparable to 6.5 o/u in the SEC? I can't wait to get back out there and get that **** you're smoking/eating on.

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How many SEC teams in the preseason top 25? Is it 50% - like the PAC 12?

Nice to have some Auburn fans on here. Welcome! Hope you all enjoy the trip (other than the obvious part).

We love these marquee OOC games and will be thrilled to host you. Unsurprisingly perhaps, I think you will find the experience "chill" in that absolutely no one will hassle you over your football allegiance. I would love to say that will be because of a surfeit of good manners on our part, but the reality is that most of the people you run into on the streets of Berkeley will be unaware that a football game is even being played that day. I wish that were a joke but it is not. You may however have someone who wants to engage with you on the Vietnam War or the Palestinian/Israeli conflict (for many of Berkeley's permanent residents the 60's and 70's never really ended). But the city is vibrant and unique and the campus is beautiful. You won't be disappointed.

On football, I think we will make a game of this for you. Now make no mistake Cal fans, Hugh Freeze absolutely killed it in the portal. He got a number of players we would have loved to pick up (and in a few cases even tried to pick up). Justin Rogers, Caleb Burton, Avery Jones, Gunner Britton, Dillon Wade, Jaden Muskrat, etc., etc. (those last two really hurt because we badly wanted them to shore up our offensive line and were in it with them - although candidly I think Wade was a pipe dream. From SEC country and was probably not coming this far out west. But he was the number one OT in the portal and and Auburn got him). But Cal did very well in the portal as well and our late additions of a few strong offensive linemen of our own definitely made me feel good about where we ended. And honestly in terms of speed I think we did better than Auburn did. There are some real ballers who were added to Cal's team in the cycle.

History also would caution Auburn fans against taking Cal too lightly. Just in the last decade we have won back to back OOC games against Ole Miss, UNC and Texas. All of those fan bases pre-season made the mistake of looking at Cal's horrific win/loss ratio from the prior season and thinking this was going to be a cakewalk. What they learned is what we Cal fans have always known. Namely that the real problem with Cal's teams is not talent. The real problem is depth. We can play with most teams early in the season. But by the time late October and November roll around and we are on our second and third string we cannot. Your backups are generally better than ours. But our starters will be the ones playing here and they can hang.

Where both teams will have an issue in such an early season game will be in overall cohesion of the units. I think Auburn will literally be starting an entirely new team at all 11 positions on offensive this year. That's nuts. And how well they play together as a group will be the question. I'm guessing there will be some hiccups with an entirely new roster early season. But we have significant additions ourselves and our untested but physically gifted transfer QB could make this extremely interesting - for both teams. No one knows how that will come out.

Looking forward, I think you'll be surprised to see how well Cal travels when we return the trip next year. Despite our (generally deserved) reputation of having an alumni base composed of Godless commie hippies, what you'll find is Cal is a large and diverse school. So while most of our alums would struggle to tell you the difference between an offensive guard and a tackle, the school is big enough that just a fraction of our alumni base is more than enough to make a highly respectable showing. Will we bring 12k to Auburn next year? Probably not, but we COULD (if they could find tickets) and even that is pretty remarkable given our lack of anything approximating success over the past 20 years or so. For a marquee SEC game we'll definitely be over 6k. I know I personally wouldn't miss the trip for anything.

Anyway, welcome to those making the trip to Cali. Glad you'll join us. War Eagle!

gatorz1209 said:

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Bearly Clad said:

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gatorz1209 said:

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Auburn fan here from the same site Jirao comes from. Appreciate the recommendations! Looking forward to exploring Berkeley after some time in Santa Rosa and wine country.

Big beer guy, so excited to drink at Fieldwork, Great Notion, and the new Cellarmaker. Will I be making a mistake going over to Oakland? There's a brewery over there as well called Sante Adairus I'm interested in hitting up.

---

No you wouldn't be making a mistake going to Oakland. I've lived there for 30 years. Some of the best food, bars, and sights in the Bay Area. It might have a bad rap nationally but honestly I prefer it to hanging out in San Francisco.

If you need some recommendations for places to go just ask. Some great Michelin star restaurants (including one of the only Michelin star BBQ joints on the West Coast), a bunch of great trendy restaurants of any cuisine, some incredibly fun bars and clubs (cheaper than the city too), if you're into hikes or just great natural settings a lot of it is preferable to SF (hiking in the Oakland Hills, Lake Temescal, Lake Merrit, etc. IMO better than most of SF which has the palace of fine arts but not a lot of gorgeous locales within the city limits), and if you want taco trucks there's some of the best Mexican food of anywhere in the country.

Honestly I hang out in SF sometimes but mostly it's just a grey, bland, piss-smelling city, there are some parts of Oakland you don't wanna go but anywhere you'd likely be stopping is going to be pretty with no crime.

Anyway that's just my take and you'll see Berkeley on game day (park a little away from the stadium and walk down Telegraph through the Sather Gate) and probably worth stopping by SF's famous Chinatown but other than that Oakland is a much better city to hang out in during the week. Again, just my opinion but knowing what I know growing up and living in the Bay Area for most of my life that's how I'd play it

---

Thank you! This is fantastic info. I'll definitely check out Oakland.

---

I'm assuming someone else has probably mentioned it in the thread, but no matter if you're in SF, Berkeley, or Oakland I'd legitimately caution you to not keep valuables in your car if you drive. It's easy enough to just take the precautions ahead of time for peace of mind. And I'd recommend getting by with public transit, rideshares, walking if you're staying with in the Bay Area to keep things simple.

However, you'll prooooobably be pretty safe in the specific Fieldwork/Great Notion areas as far as parking goes. I think those could be counted as nicer areas. Near to Great Notion is also Rare Barrel, Wondrous Brewing, and Tenma Beer Project that are accessible. For downtown Oakland, if you go to Sante Adairus, Dokkabier is a pretty unique brewery that does Asian-inspired craft beer which recently opened up a physical location. And IIRC, it was started at least in part by a Berkeley grad. Original Pattern is also pretty good in the area.

Eastern Oregon Bear said:

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Interesting Auburn factoid: Their arch rival Alabama mentions Georgia, Georgia Tech and Tennessee in their various school fight songs. They do not have a fight song that mentions Auburn.

I'm not sure what you could do with that info, but maybe some creative taunting could be done.

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If I had lyrical talent it should be pretty easy... 4 verses, 1 for each of Auburn's rivals (plagiarizing Rocky top, roll tide and ... Whatever GT does... Ramble on?), Followed by a matching verse heavily leaning into fight for California

Band geeks, go!

Big C said:

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Hornacious said:

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FYI I live 2 hours in the future in relation to California. I can offer you coasties advice on 2nd half lines that will never lose. Blessed to live on God's time

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Whatever the hell time it is, if you're coming out for the game, bring your cousin!

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I DM'd Hornacious, he gave first dibs on his cousin to Cal Strong.

golfing with bo
https://bearinsider.com/forums/2/topics/110786/0

StillNoStanfurdium said:

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gatorz1209 said:

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Bearly Clad said:

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gatorz1209 said:

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Auburn fan here from the same site Jirao comes from. Appreciate the recommendations! Looking forward to exploring Berkeley after some time in Santa Rosa and wine country.

Big beer guy, so excited to drink at Fieldwork, Great Notion, and the new Cellarmaker. Will I be making a mistake going over to Oakland? There's a brewery over there as well called Sante Adairus I'm interested in hitting up.

---

No you wouldn't be making a mistake going to Oakland. I've lived there for 30 years. Some of the best food, bars, and sights in the Bay Area. It might have a bad rap nationally but honestly I prefer it to hanging out in San Francisco.

If you need some recommendations for places to go just ask. Some great Michelin star restaurants (including one of the only Michelin star BBQ joints on the West Coast), a bunch of great trendy restaurants of any cuisine, some incredibly fun bars and clubs (cheaper than the city too), if you're into hikes or just great natural settings a lot of it is preferable to SF (hiking in the Oakland Hills, Lake Temescal, Lake Merrit, etc. IMO better than most of SF which has the palace of fine arts but not a lot of gorgeous locales within the city limits), and if you want taco trucks there's some of the best Mexican food of anywhere in the country.

Honestly I hang out in SF sometimes but mostly it's just a grey, bland, piss-smelling city, there are some parts of Oakland you don't wanna go but anywhere you'd likely be stopping is going to be pretty with no crime.

Anyway that's just my take and you'll see Berkeley on game day (park a little away from the stadium and walk down Telegraph through the Sather Gate) and probably worth stopping by SF's famous Chinatown but other than that Oakland is a much better city to hang out in during the week. Again, just my opinion but knowing what I know growing up and living in the Bay Area for most of my life that's how I'd play it

---

Thank you! This is fantastic info. I'll definitely check out Oakland.

---

I'm assuming someone else has probably mentioned it in the thread, but no matter if you're in SF, Berkeley, or Oakland I'd legitimately caution you to not keep valuables in your car if you drive. It's easy enough to just take the precautions ahead of time for peace of mind. And I'd recommend getting by with public transit, rideshares, walking if you're staying with in the Bay Area to keep things simple.

However, you'll prooooobably be pretty safe in the specific Fieldwork/Great Notion areas as far as parking goes. I think those could be counted as nicer areas. Near to Great Notion is also Rare Barrel, Wondrous Brewing, and Tenma Beer Project that are accessible. For downtown Oakland, if you go to Sante Adairus, Dokkabier is a pretty unique brewery that does Asian-inspired craft beer which recently opened up a physical location. And IIRC, it was started at least in part by a Berkeley grad. Original Pattern is also pretty good in the area.

---

Thank you!

StillNoStanfurdium said:

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gatorz1209 said:

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Bearly Clad said:

---

gatorz1209 said:

---

Auburn fan here from the same site Jirao comes from. Appreciate the recommendations! Looking forward to exploring Berkeley after some time in Santa Rosa and wine country.

Big beer guy, so excited to drink at Fieldwork, Great Notion, and the new Cellarmaker. Will I be making a mistake going over to Oakland? There's a brewery over there as well called Sante Adairus I'm interested in hitting up.

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No you wouldn't be making a mistake going to Oakland. I've lived there for 30 years. Some of the best food, bars, and sights in the Bay Area. It might have a bad rap nationally but honestly I prefer it to hanging out in San Francisco.

If you need some recommendations for places to go just ask. Some great Michelin star restaurants (including one of the only Michelin star BBQ joints on the West Coast), a bunch of great trendy restaurants of any cuisine, some incredibly fun bars and clubs (cheaper than the city too), if you're into hikes or just great natural settings a lot of it is preferable to SF (hiking in the Oakland Hills, Lake Temescal, Lake Merrit, etc. IMO better than most of SF which has the palace of fine arts but not a lot of gorgeous locales within the city limits), and if you want taco trucks there's some of the best Mexican food of anywhere in the country.

Honestly I hang out in SF sometimes but mostly it's just a grey, bland, piss-smelling city, there are some parts of Oakland you don't wanna go but anywhere you'd likely be stopping is going to be pretty with no crime.

Anyway that's just my take and you'll see Berkeley on game day (park a little away from the stadium and walk down Telegraph through the Sather Gate) and probably worth stopping by SF's famous Chinatown but other than that Oakland is a much better city to hang out in during the week. Again, just my opinion but knowing what I know growing up and living in the Bay Area for most of my life that's how I'd play it

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Thank you! This is fantastic info. I'll definitely check out Oakland.

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I'm assuming someone else has probably mentioned it in the thread, but no matter if you're in SF, Berkeley, or Oakland I'd legitimately caution you to not keep valuables in your car if you drive. It's easy enough to just take the precautions ahead of time for peace of mind. And I'd recommend getting by with public transit, rideshares, walking if you're staying with in the Bay Area to keep things simple.

However, you'll prooooobably be pretty safe in the specific Fieldwork/Great Notion areas as far as parking goes. I think those could be counted as nicer areas. Near to Great Notion is also Rare Barrel, Wondrous Brewing, and Tenma Beer Project that are accessible. For downtown Oakland, if you go to Sante Adairus, Dokkabier is a pretty unique brewery that does Asian-inspired craft beer which recently opened up a physical location. And IIRC, it was started at least in part by a Berkeley grad. Original Pattern is also pretty good in the area.

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Tiny note on the beer tip: Cellarmaker, formerly brewing in SF, now brews exclusively in the East Bay, and has locations in Berkeley (they bought the Rare Barrel) which just opened this past weekend, and coming very soon in Jack London Square opening in the next few weeks.

sosheezy said:

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StillNoStanfurdium said:

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gatorz1209 said:

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Bearly Clad said:

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gatorz1209 said:

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Auburn fan here from the same site Jirao comes from. Appreciate the recommendations! Looking forward to exploring Berkeley after some time in Santa Rosa and wine country.

Big beer guy, so excited to drink at Fieldwork, Great Notion, and the new Cellarmaker. Will I be making a mistake going over to Oakland? There's a brewery over there as well called Sante Adairus I'm interested in hitting up.

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No you wouldn't be making a mistake going to Oakland. I've lived there for 30 years. Some of the best food, bars, and sights in the Bay Area. It might have a bad rap nationally but honestly I prefer it to hanging out in San Francisco.

If you need some recommendations for places to go just ask. Some great Michelin star restaurants (including one of the only Michelin star BBQ joints on the West Coast), a bunch of great trendy restaurants of any cuisine, some incredibly fun bars and clubs (cheaper than the city too), if you're into hikes or just great natural settings a lot of it is preferable to SF (hiking in the Oakland Hills, Lake Temescal, Lake Merrit, etc. IMO better than most of SF which has the palace of fine arts but not a lot of gorgeous locales within the city limits), and if you want taco trucks there's some of the best Mexican food of anywhere in the country.

Honestly I hang out in SF sometimes but mostly it's just a grey, bland, piss-smelling city, there are some parts of Oakland you don't wanna go but anywhere you'd likely be stopping is going to be pretty with no crime.

Anyway that's just my take and you'll see Berkeley on game day (park a little away from the stadium and walk down Telegraph through the Sather Gate) and probably worth stopping by SF's famous Chinatown but other than that Oakland is a much better city to hang out in during the week. Again, just my opinion but knowing what I know growing up and living in the Bay Area for most of my life that's how I'd play it

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Thank you! This is fantastic info. I'll definitely check out Oakland.

---

I'm assuming someone else has probably mentioned it in the thread, but no matter if you're in SF, Berkeley, or Oakland I'd legitimately caution you to not keep valuables in your car if you drive. It's easy enough to just take the precautions ahead of time for peace of mind. And I'd recommend getting by with public transit, rideshares, walking if you're staying with in the Bay Area to keep things simple.

However, you'll prooooobably be pretty safe in the specific Fieldwork/Great Notion areas as far as parking goes. I think those could be counted as nicer areas. Near to Great Notion is also Rare Barrel, Wondrous Brewing, and Tenma Beer Project that are accessible. For downtown Oakland, if you go to Sante Adairus, Dokkabier is a pretty unique brewery that does Asian-inspired craft beer which recently opened up a physical location. And IIRC, it was started at least in part by a Berkeley grad. Original Pattern is also pretty good in the area.

---

Tiny note on the beer tip: Cellarmaker, formerly brewing in SF, now brews exclusively in the East Bay, and has locations in Berkeley (they bought the Rare Barrel) which just opened this past weekend, and coming very soon in Jack London Square opening in the next few weeks.

---

Another beer tip: if you are renting a car then you won't have to worry as much about the car break ins when visiting Faction, Admiral Maltings and Almanac on the old Alameda Naval Air Station. Great beer scene even with the road torn up in front of the latter two.

91Cal said:

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sosheezy said:

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StillNoStanfurdium said:

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gatorz1209 said:

---

Bearly Clad said:

---

gatorz1209 said:

---

Auburn fan here from the same site Jirao comes from. Appreciate the recommendations! Looking forward to exploring Berkeley after some time in Santa Rosa and wine country.

Big beer guy, so excited to drink at Fieldwork, Great Notion, and the new Cellarmaker. Will I be making a mistake going over to Oakland? There's a brewery over there as well called Sante Adairus I'm interested in hitting up.

---

No you wouldn't be making a mistake going to Oakland. I've lived there for 30 years. Some of the best food, bars, and sights in the Bay Area. It might have a bad rap nationally but honestly I prefer it to hanging out in San Francisco.

If you need some recommendations for places to go just ask. Some great Michelin star restaurants (including one of the only Michelin star BBQ joints on the West Coast), a bunch of great trendy restaurants of any cuisine, some incredibly fun bars and clubs (cheaper than the city too), if you're into hikes or just great natural settings a lot of it is preferable to SF (hiking in the Oakland Hills, Lake Temescal, Lake Merrit, etc. IMO better than most of SF which has the palace of fine arts but not a lot of gorgeous locales within the city limits), and if you want taco trucks there's some of the best Mexican food of anywhere in the country.

Honestly I hang out in SF sometimes but mostly it's just a grey, bland, piss-smelling city, there are some parts of Oakland you don't wanna go but anywhere you'd likely be stopping is going to be pretty with no crime.

Anyway that's just my take and you'll see Berkeley on game day (park a little away from the stadium and walk down Telegraph through the Sather Gate) and probably worth stopping by SF's famous Chinatown but other than that Oakland is a much better city to hang out in during the week. Again, just my opinion but knowing what I know growing up and living in the Bay Area for most of my life that's how I'd play it

---

Thank you! This is fantastic info. I'll definitely check out Oakland.

---

I'm assuming someone else has probably mentioned it in the thread, but no matter if you're in SF, Berkeley, or Oakland I'd legitimately caution you to not keep valuables in your car if you drive. It's easy enough to just take the precautions ahead of time for peace of mind. And I'd recommend getting by with public transit, rideshares, walking if you're staying with in the Bay Area to keep things simple.

However, you'll prooooobably be pretty safe in the specific Fieldwork/Great Notion areas as far as parking goes. I think those could be counted as nicer areas. Near to Great Notion is also Rare Barrel, Wondrous Brewing, and Tenma Beer Project that are accessible. For downtown Oakland, if you go to Sante Adairus, Dokkabier is a pretty unique brewery that does Asian-inspired craft beer which recently opened up a physical location. And IIRC, it was started at least in part by a Berkeley grad. Original Pattern is also pretty good in the area.

---

Tiny note on the beer tip: Cellarmaker, formerly brewing in SF, now brews exclusively in the East Bay, and has locations in Berkeley (they bought the Rare Barrel) which just opened this past weekend, and coming very soon in Jack London Square opening in the next few weeks.

---

Another beer tip: if you are renting a car then you won't have to worry as much about the car break ins when visiting Faction, Admiral Maltings and Almanac on the old Alameda Naval Air Station. Great beer scene even with the road torn up in front of the latter two.

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Terrific options! and Humble Sea is opening a new taproom there too in a matter of weeks, just around the corner from Almanac/Rake

StillNoStanfurdium said:

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I'm assuming someone else has probably mentioned it in the thread, but no matter if you're in SF, Berkeley, or Oakland I'd legitimately caution you to not keep valuables in your car if you drive. It's easy enough to just take the precautions ahead of time for peace of mind. And I'd recommend getting by with public transit, rideshares, walking if you're staying with in the Bay Area to keep things simple.

However, you'll prooooobably be pretty safe in the specific Fieldwork/Great Notion areas as far as parking goes. I think those could be counted as nicer areas. Near to Great Notion is also Rare Barrel, Wondrous Brewing, and Tenma Beer Project that are accessible. For downtown Oakland, if you go to Sante Adairus, Dokkabier is a pretty unique brewery that does Asian-inspired craft beer which recently opened up a physical location. And IIRC, it was started at least in part by a Berkeley grad. Original Pattern is also pretty good in the area.

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Is it still a crime to break into cars in the east bay? I saw a report the other day that it is so bad in SF now that some locals are resorting to leaving their hatchbacks open to prove they are empty.

Civil Bear said:

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StillNoStanfurdium said:

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I'm assuming someone else has probably mentioned it in the thread, but no matter if you're in SF, Berkeley, or Oakland I'd legitimately caution you to not keep valuables in your car if you drive. It's easy enough to just take the precautions ahead of time for peace of mind. And I'd recommend getting by with public transit, rideshares, walking if you're staying with in the Bay Area to keep things simple.

However, you'll prooooobably be pretty safe in the specific Fieldwork/Great Notion areas as far as parking goes. I think those could be counted as nicer areas. Near to Great Notion is also Rare Barrel, Wondrous Brewing, and Tenma Beer Project that are accessible. For downtown Oakland, if you go to Sante Adairus, Dokkabier is a pretty unique brewery that does Asian-inspired craft beer which recently opened up a physical location. And IIRC, it was started at least in part by a Berkeley grad. Original Pattern is also pretty good in the area.

---

Is it still a crime to break into cars in the east bay? I saw a report the other day that it is so bad in SF now that some locals are resorting to leaving their hatchbacks open to prove they are empty.

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My friends who have brought cars to the bay tape signs on the inside of the window that say 'Nothing inside please do not break"

Our son visited a friend in SF Marina district last week. His rental car was stolen that night. Simply ridiculous that a City can be as lawless as SF.

Civil Bear said:

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StillNoStanfurdium said:

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I'm assuming someone else has probably mentioned it in the thread, but no matter if you're in SF, Berkeley, or Oakland I'd legitimately caution you to not keep valuables in your car if you drive. It's easy enough to just take the precautions ahead of time for peace of mind. And I'd recommend getting by with public transit, rideshares, walking if you're staying with in the Bay Area to keep things simple.

However, you'll prooooobably be pretty safe in the specific Fieldwork/Great Notion areas as far as parking goes. I think those could be counted as nicer areas. Near to Great Notion is also Rare Barrel, Wondrous Brewing, and Tenma Beer Project that are accessible. For downtown Oakland, if you go to Sante Adairus, Dokkabier is a pretty unique brewery that does Asian-inspired craft beer which recently opened up a physical location. And IIRC, it was started at least in part by a Berkeley grad. Original Pattern is also pretty good in the area.

---

Is it still a crime to break into cars in the east bay? I saw a report the other day that it is so bad in SF now that some locals are resorting to leaving their hatchbacks open to prove they are empty.

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I wouldn't do this on the concern that I'd come back to find my car full of urine and feces.

I'm not sure this digression is doing a good job of selling this series to our friends from Auburn.

Everywhere has problems. SF isn't exactly Compton (last place Auburn played in California). Our friends from Alabama will be fine. Weather is spectacular and naturally beauty unparalleled. The City itself is also extremely iconic - and Berkeley isn't in the City anyway.

I wouldn't leave a bag in visible view in my car in any major city in America candidly. Don't do that and everything will be fine.