CalVC2 said:

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For Cal fans, there's always a but... (#19 and 20 on his takes after week 1)

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Trumpanzee said:

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If Cal can run the table we would face North Carolina, maybe another Game day......if NC can do the same.....

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Eastern Oregon Bear said:

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Trumpanzee said:

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If Cal can run the table we would face North Carolina, maybe another Game day......if NC can do the same.....

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We're not going to get a Game Day against North Carolina for a Friday night game.

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calumnus said:

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panda said:

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sycasey said:

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Eastern Oregon Bear said:

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Trumpanzee said:

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If Cal can run the table we would face North Carolina, maybe another Game day......if NC can do the same.....

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We're not going to get a Game Day against North Carolina for a Friday night game.

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Yeah, people are entertaining dreams of another GameDay but it's hard to see where it happens. Our best home games after UNC are Duke and SMU, and neither is THAT good unless we and the other team both have miracle seasons.

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Cal vs SMU could be the one IMO assuming both teams are in the 9 win territory around then.

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That is rivalry weekend so an actual rivalry will likely be more compelling.

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Go!Bears said:

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20. Transfer Portal: I don't mean to rain on any Cal parade after that last bullet point. But I can't help but wonder what team Sagapolutele is playing for next year when someone backs up a Brinks truck on his front porch this offseason.

This is where College football is so much worse than all the other professional sports. Yes, he is likely to move on, just like the soccer phenoms will likely end up at Barca, Man City or Madrid but at least the club that loses them gets paid. It cushions the blow and gives the little guys a chance to rebuild. The NCAA today is 20 big clubs and 100 farm teams. I am not sure it is sustainable.

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Go!Bears said:

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20. Transfer Portal: I don't mean to rain on any Cal parade after that last bullet point. But I can't help but wonder what team Sagapolutele is playing for next year when someone backs up a Brinks truck on his front porch this offseason.

This is where College football is so much worse than all the other professional sports. Yes, he is likely to move on, just like the soccer phenoms will likely end up at Barca, Man City or Madrid but at least the club that loses them gets paid. It cushions the blow and gives the little guys a chance to rebuild. The NCAA today is 20 big clubs and 100 farm teams. I am not sure it is sustainable.

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sycasey said:

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Go!Bears said:

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20. Transfer Portal: I don't mean to rain on any Cal parade after that last bullet point. But I can't help but wonder what team Sagapolutele is playing for next year when someone backs up a Brinks truck on his front porch this offseason.

This is where College football is so much worse than all the other professional sports. Yes, he is likely to move on, just like the soccer phenoms will likely end up at Barca, Man City or Madrid but at least the club that loses them gets paid. It cushions the blow and gives the little guys a chance to rebuild. The NCAA today is 20 big clubs and 100 farm teams. I am not sure it is sustainable.

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Cal's fundraising has been going nuts since Rivera got the keys, and JKS already left Oregon to come to Cal. I wouldn't put this down as a foregone conclusion; Cal will have the money to pay him if he wants to stay.

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StillNoStanfurdium said:

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sycasey said:

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Go!Bears said:

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20. Transfer Portal: I don't mean to rain on any Cal parade after that last bullet point. But I can't help but wonder what team Sagapolutele is playing for next year when someone backs up a Brinks truck on his front porch this offseason.

This is where College football is so much worse than all the other professional sports. Yes, he is likely to move on, just like the soccer phenoms will likely end up at Barca, Man City or Madrid but at least the club that loses them gets paid. It cushions the blow and gives the little guys a chance to rebuild. The NCAA today is 20 big clubs and 100 farm teams. I am not sure it is sustainable.

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Cal's fundraising has been going nuts since Rivera got the keys, and JKS already left Oregon to come to Cal. I wouldn't put this down as a foregone conclusion; Cal will have the money to pay him if he wants to stay.

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I'm getting those same vibes. Cal wouldn't simply get outbid for a talent. It's more about whether we can position our team for sustained success, retain critical coaches, build a good supporting roster, and get national attention and compete for the conference and maybe even the national championship.

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Go!Bears said:

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20. Transfer Portal: I don't mean to rain on any Cal parade after that last bullet point. But I can't help but wonder what team Sagapolutele is playing for next year when someone backs up a Brinks truck on his front porch this offseason.

This is where College football is so much worse than all the other professional sports. Yes, he is likely to move on, just like the soccer phenoms will likely end up at Barca, Man City or Madrid but at least the club that loses them gets paid. It cushions the blow and gives the little guys a chance to rebuild. The NCAA today is 20 big clubs and 100 farm teams. I am not sure it is sustainable.

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GivemTheAxe said:

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HearstMining said:

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calumnus said:

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panda said:

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sycasey said:

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Eastern Oregon Bear said:

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Trumpanzee said:

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If Cal can run the table we would face North Carolina, maybe another Game day......if NC can do the same.....

---

We're not going to get a Game Day against North Carolina for a Friday night game.

---

Yeah, people are entertaining dreams of another GameDay but it's hard to see where it happens. Our best home games after UNC are Duke and SMU, and neither is THAT good unless we and the other team both have miracle seasons.

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Cal vs SMU could be the one IMO assuming both teams are in the 9 win territory around then.

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That is rivalry weekend so an actual rivalry will likely be more compelling.

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Stanford will play Notre Dame that weekend of 11/29. It's been a pet gripe of mine for years that Stanford considers their Notre Dame game more important than The Big Game, consequently requiring The Big Game to be occasionally scheduled on some oddball dates - always towards the end of the season, but not always as the final game, which is as God intended. This along with Dennis Shaw's refusal to participate in Big Game Week festivities, has hurt the presence of college football in the Bay Area. Shaw didn't care as long as Stanford was a Top-10 team, but now both Cal and Stanford have to bear the brunt of that behavior. Meanwhile, I doubt the Stanford-ND game draws much in the way of TV ratings today.

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Amen to that.
When I was at Cal (63 to 75) (3 Cal degrees) and for a long time thereafter Big Game week dominated the local media with almost daily events that drew local coverage- one of which was the Big Game Luncheons (one in San Francisco and one in San Jose)
Big Dollar alumni/donors of both schools had a chance to glad hand friends and clients playfully dissing each other's teams and schools.

I attended and paid good money to regularly attend these events. I paid not just for my tix but also tix for my clients who had attended Cal.).
It was good for business and a lot of friendly fun (regardless of the teams' respective success on the field).

But both Harbaugh and Shaw began to tone down their support for the Big Game luncheons on the ostensible grounds that all the attention required of these events disrupted their efforts to prepare the Stanford team for the game on the field.
(BTW I never heard any similar objections by any Cal coaches)

Harbaugh and Shaw got their wishes. They were no longer bombarded by the local media during Big Game Week unless their teams were in the national spotlight.

Yes there were other factors that contributed to the decline of the local importance of the Big Game.
But the attitude of Harbaugh and Shaw in refusing to attend the Bug Game luncheons clearly had a serious adverse impact on driving DOWN local media attention

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Big C said:

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GivemTheAxe said:

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HearstMining said:

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calumnus said:

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panda said:

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sycasey said:

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Eastern Oregon Bear said:

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Trumpanzee said:

---

If Cal can run the table we would face North Carolina, maybe another Game day......if NC can do the same.....

---

We're not going to get a Game Day against North Carolina for a Friday night game.

---

Yeah, people are entertaining dreams of another GameDay but it's hard to see where it happens. Our best home games after UNC are Duke and SMU, and neither is THAT good unless we and the other team both have miracle seasons.

---

Cal vs SMU could be the one IMO assuming both teams are in the 9 win territory around then.

---

That is rivalry weekend so an actual rivalry will likely be more compelling.

---

Stanford will play Notre Dame that weekend of 11/29. It's been a pet gripe of mine for years that Stanford considers their Notre Dame game more important than The Big Game, consequently requiring The Big Game to be occasionally scheduled on some oddball dates - always towards the end of the season, but not always as the final game, which is as God intended. This along with Dennis Shaw's refusal to participate in Big Game Week festivities, has hurt the presence of college football in the Bay Area. Shaw didn't care as long as Stanford was a Top-10 team, but now both Cal and Stanford have to bear the brunt of that behavior. Meanwhile, I doubt the Stanford-ND game draws much in the way of TV ratings today.

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Amen to that.
When I was at Cal (63 to 75) (3 Cal degrees) and for a long time thereafter Big Game week dominated the local media with almost daily events that drew local coverage- one of which was the Big Game Luncheons (one in San Francisco and one in San Jose)
Big Dollar alumni/donors of both schools had a chance to glad hand friends and clients playfully dissing each other's teams and schools.

I attended and paid good money to regularly attend these events. I paid not just for my tix but also tix for my clients who had attended Cal.).
It was good for business and a lot of friendly fun (regardless of the teams' respective success on the field).

But both Harbaugh and Shaw began to tone down their support for the Big Game luncheons on the ostensible grounds that all the attention required of these events disrupted their efforts to prepare the Stanford team for the game on the field.
(BTW I never heard any similar objections by any Cal coaches)

Harbaugh and Shaw got their wishes. They were no longer bombarded by the local media during Big Game Week unless their teams were in the national spotlight.

Yes there were other factors that contributed to the decline of the local importance of the Big Game.
But the attitude of Harbaugh and Shaw in refusing to attend the Bug Game luncheons clearly had a serious adverse impact on driving DOWN local media attention

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So many contributors to the diminishing of Big Game:

- the 12 game regular season pretty much necessitated that BG is no longer the last game
- the luncheon thing was a factor
- looking askance at any sort of during-the-game or even during-the-week hijinks. "Stanfurd hates fun."
- not too many years lately where both teams have had strong records
- the general rise of other entertainment (many games on TV, personal devices, etc) have diminished the appeal of events such as the Bonfire Rally (for students/alums) and even the game itself (for the general fan)

Damn shame.

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