Lemme tell you a story.
A few years back I volunteered to go to a pharmacy at night to pick something up for Mrs. Chalcid, which put me driving southwesterly along Claremont Blvd. in Oakland. Then I noticed a convoy of three Storer buses coming towards me (traveling northeasterly) along Claremont. This was immediately after the Bears won some away game, and I instantly concluded this was the team returning to Berkeley after flying in to Oakland airport. I had no time to prepare anything - all I could think to do was to roll down my window and wave my Cal Bears baseball hat around, to welcome them home. But the coach windows were darkened so I couldn't see inside the buses, and so had no idea if any of them could see some crazy person waving his hat out his car window.
Fast forward to this afternoon. At about 2 o'clock, I was trying to pull out onto Claremont to once again head southwesterly. But the traffic ahead on the street was temporarily halted due to a red light. And once again, I saw a convoy of 3 Storer buses heading away from Berkeley. So although the coach windows were still darkened (all I could see was vague head shapes), I figured this is the team on their way to the Rose Bowl. This time however, I'm not wearing my Cal hat, and have nothing to mark me as a Bears fan. But I climb out of the vehicle and start to wave, giving the thumbs up and pointing up to the sky. The red light changes to green and traffic begins to move again. I climb back in my vehicle, and manage to turn left onto Claremont after them ( I was heading towards San Leandro on 880). Sure enough, after I get onto the freeway, I catch up to the buses again. And again, all I can think to do is to roll down my window and give the thumbs up to all three coaches as I pass them sequentially.
So, if any of you folks hear from the players that they saw a crazy person on their ride out to the airport, tell them they needn't worry, it was just an alum cheering them on.
What else could anyone have done?
PS. Since I couldn't see inside the coaches, I ASSUME this was the team. I'd sure be embarrassed to later learn if the occupants of the buses were a tour group or something.
A few years back I volunteered to go to a pharmacy at night to pick something up for Mrs. Chalcid, which put me driving southwesterly along Claremont Blvd. in Oakland. Then I noticed a convoy of three Storer buses coming towards me (traveling northeasterly) along Claremont. This was immediately after the Bears won some away game, and I instantly concluded this was the team returning to Berkeley after flying in to Oakland airport. I had no time to prepare anything - all I could think to do was to roll down my window and wave my Cal Bears baseball hat around, to welcome them home. But the coach windows were darkened so I couldn't see inside the buses, and so had no idea if any of them could see some crazy person waving his hat out his car window.
Fast forward to this afternoon. At about 2 o'clock, I was trying to pull out onto Claremont to once again head southwesterly. But the traffic ahead on the street was temporarily halted due to a red light. And once again, I saw a convoy of 3 Storer buses heading away from Berkeley. So although the coach windows were still darkened (all I could see was vague head shapes), I figured this is the team on their way to the Rose Bowl. This time however, I'm not wearing my Cal hat, and have nothing to mark me as a Bears fan. But I climb out of the vehicle and start to wave, giving the thumbs up and pointing up to the sky. The red light changes to green and traffic begins to move again. I climb back in my vehicle, and manage to turn left onto Claremont after them ( I was heading towards San Leandro on 880). Sure enough, after I get onto the freeway, I catch up to the buses again. And again, all I can think to do is to roll down my window and give the thumbs up to all three coaches as I pass them sequentially.
So, if any of you folks hear from the players that they saw a crazy person on their ride out to the airport, tell them they needn't worry, it was just an alum cheering them on.
What else could anyone have done?
PS. Since I couldn't see inside the coaches, I ASSUME this was the team. I'd sure be embarrassed to later learn if the occupants of the buses were a tour group or something.
