Game day experience

4,605 Views | 55 Replies | Last: 2 days ago by HearstMining
GivemTheAxe
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In reply to JSC 76 • 1:35a, 9/8/25
JSC 76 said:
salbear1984 said:
Overall a fun day

  • Unless Cal Team has requested it, DJ needs to shut it down when Cal is on offense.
  • DJ is too loud, not why we came to the game. My Apple Watch kept giving me sound warnings from the DJ (it's okay if it's from natural crowd noise, not from an amp).
  • DJ needs to coordinate with Cal Band; there were times the DJ was playing over the band and the yell leaders.
  • I loved the new videos, which focus on Cal with "Fun Facts", past plays and players, etc.
  • Glad to see the Black Bear filling up.
  • I saw whole school groups that came to the game, nice work by Cal.
  • The sound system sounded cleaner and less distorted which was great.
Go Bears

The DJ needs to read the room*. It feels like he's in a sound proof booth watching the game on a monitor. 2nd down? Time to blast some beats. If the students are cheering ..don't care, drown 'em out. Cal Band is playing? Don't care, drown 'em out. Texas Southern Band is playing? Don't care...dr -- oops. Nobody drowns out the Ocean of Soul. They were *blasting*.

*Better yet: fire the DJ.

I had no idea which section was the Black Bear. Couldn't tell.

I loved the new videos.

Surprisingly, I didn't hate the sing-along. Kinda fun.

Agree.
Fire the DJ
Also. Cal fans cheering should NEVER be drowned out.
It pumps up the fans and players more than some piped in artificial noise.
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StillNoStanfurdium
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In reply to oskidunker • 4:24a, 9/8/25
oskidunker said:
Big C said:
HoopDreams said:
Yes we have, but we were trying to figure what exact instruments and what mix

sycasey said:
HoopDreams said:
We were shocked how much louder/ deeper the Texas Southern band was. They are constructed differently than our band

Absolutely agree we need more heavy brass. We were trying to figure out the specific instruments that created such loud, deep music

elbearo2 said:
The Cal Band looks much larger. Did they expand? Still need more heavy brass to complete with Texas Southern, Ohio State, etc.


Pretty sure this has been discussed on this board before, but yes . . . the bands that sound very loud put heavy emphasis on brass. Traditionally the Cal Band has not done this, they prefer a variety of instruments.



From top to bottom:

trumpets
mellophoniums (marching version of Frech horn)
baritones
trombones
sousaphones ("marching tuba")

The Cal Band needs, minimum, two dozen more of the above (total of all instruments). Ohio State Band (all brass) probably has 5-6 dozen more, with better average playing ability.

The Cal Band is aware of its shortcomings. They have tried to recruit more brass players for decades and decades. It is problematic for a number of reasons. Especially the following:

- lack of Cal students that play these instruments well (Cal music major does not have a performance emphasis)
- reluctance of hyper-focused Cal students (academics and finances) to take on a time commitment like this

There are possible solutions, but some would take some significant changes on Cal's part.


The marching routines never have the whole band playing to the alumni side. That is part of why texas sounded so loud. They never faced the student section. The band should try this, at least some of the time.

I swear the Texas Southern band also got picked up by their PA guy's mic or something because it really sounded to me like their band was being mic'd and broadcasted which made them sound even louder (and I was seated on the student section side of the stadium). Felt like I was hearing them from behind from the speakers.
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Bobodeluxe
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7:31a, 9/8/25
Funny things, sound waves.

Waves.
Waves.

Waves.
Waves.
Waves.
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IHouseBear
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8:20p, 9/8/25
Thirteen of us attended the game. At times the sound was so loud that we had to cover the kids ears. Also, the adults had to scream at each other to be heard. The excessive loudness distracted many near us from the experience and enjoyment of the game and raised concerns about potential hearing damage to fans and staff. There were many babies and young children at the game without ear protection. An adult in front of me said she had to put on noise canceling headphones. By reviewing the sound levels, a more balanced and comfortable experience can be obtained without jeopardizing an energetic environment.
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Bobodeluxe
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9:31p, 9/8/25
Why hasn't anyone mentioned this before?
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Big C
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In reply to Bobodeluxe • 10:28p, 9/8/25
Bobodeluxe said:
Why hasn't anyone mentioned this before?

They have, many times, but we are deaf now!
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Sonofoski
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In reply to IHouseBear • 9:23a, 9/9/25
IHouseBear said:
Thirteen of us attended the game. At times the sound was so loud that we had to cover the kids ears. Also, the adults had to scream at each other to be heard. The excessive loudness distracted many near us from the experience and enjoyment of the game and raised concerns about potential hearing damage to fans and staff. There were many babies and young children at the game without ear protection. An adult in front of me said she had to put on noise canceling headphones. By reviewing the sound levels, a more balanced and comfortable experience can be obtained without jeopardizing an energetic environment.

The whole piped in music routine is gotten completely out of control. No one in charge has any idea what the boundaries are; when it should be toned down before a football play.

I am so glad I no longer go to games; it's torture for me.
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Goobear
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9:35a, 9/9/25
Sebasta Bear is on it. If I can come to games from the OC and spend serious $ to get there so can those who live close by the stadium at a much lower cost. Go Bears!
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oskidunker
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In reply to Goobear • 9:45a, 9/9/25
Goobear said:
Sebasta Bear is on it. If I can come to games from the OC and spend serious $ to get there so can those who live close by the stadium at a much lower cost. Go Bears!


Obviously the DJ is in a sound proof booth or he wouldnt have played music when the Texas band was playing
Bring back It’s It’s to Haas Pavillion!
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Golden One
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In reply to oskidunker • 11:26a, 9/9/25
oskidunker said:
Goobear said:
Sebasta Bear is on it. If I can come to games from the OC and spend serious $ to get there so can those who live close by the stadium at a much lower cost. Go Bears!


Obviously the DJ is in a sound proof booth or he wouldnt have played music when the Texas band was playing

We just should just completely get rid of the DJ. The piped in music adds absolutely nothing to the gameday experience, and keeps the band(s) from playing. Even if they toned down the volume the DJ adds nothing. Dump him!
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Econ141
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In reply to Big C • 4:30p, 9/9/25
Big C said:
Bobodeluxe said:
Why hasn't anyone mentioned this before?

They have, many times, but we are deaf now!


What?
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Big C
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In reply to Econ141 • 4:53p, 9/9/25
Econ141 said:
Big C said:
Bobodeluxe said:
Why hasn't anyone mentioned this before?

They have, many times, but we are deaf now!


What?


You know, from the DJ.
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bearsandgiants
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In reply to Big C • 5:01p, 9/9/25
Big C said:
Econ141 said:
Big C said:
Bobodeluxe said:
Why hasn't anyone mentioned this before?

They have, many times, but we are deaf now!


What?


You know, from the DJ.

WHAT?
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Big C
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In reply to bearsandgiants • 5:15p, 9/9/25
bearsandgiants said:
Big C said:
Econ141 said:
Big C said:
Bobodeluxe said:
Why hasn't anyone mentioned this before?

They have, many times, but we are deaf now!


What?


You know, from the DJ.

WHAT?

I'm slow on the uptake today, obviously.
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calumnus
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In reply to Cal88 • 7:17p, 9/9/25
Cal88 said:
sycasey said:
salbear1984 said:
Overall a fun day

  • Unless Cal Team has requested it, DJ needs to shut it down when Cal is on offense.

Agreed with that.

I didn't mind the volume. Suck it up, old dudes. This is how stadiums are now.


Old dudes foot the bill, and have paid to rebuild the stadium.

I thought we have a massive debt for the stadium rebuild that we are passing on to the next generation?
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calumnus
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In reply to Golden One • 7:25p, 9/9/25
Golden One said:
oskidunker said:
Goobear said:
Sebasta Bear is on it. If I can come to games from the OC and spend serious $ to get there so can those who live close by the stadium at a much lower cost. Go Bears!


Obviously the DJ is in a sound proof booth or he wouldnt have played music when the Texas band was playing

We just should just completely get rid of the DJ. The piped in music adds absolutely nothing to the gameday experience, and keeps the band(s) from playing. Even if they toned down the volume the DJ adds nothing. Dump him!


I like California Love pregame (before the band enters). It is the perfect California hype music. Perfect.

However, once the Cal Band enters the stadium 100% of the music should come from them or the opposing band. 100%. I also think we should mic the band so they can be heard throughout the stadium.

The singalong should either be a Cal song, played by the band, with lyrics on the video screen or something easy and well known and again, played by the band (my vote is Bob Marley's "Three Little Birds," but as "Three Little Bears" with the Grateful Dead dancing bears on the video screen with the revised lyrics).
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CALiforniALUM
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In reply to oskidunker • 9:04p, 9/9/25
oskidunker said:
JSC 76 said:
pingpong2 said:
The problem with all the piped in music on defensive 3rd downs is that when they turn it off before the play is snapped, the rest of the stadium is quiet because nobody is going to bother making noise when the sound from the speakers are already turned up to 11.

I hope someone who has the ADs ear makes this known because the lack of noise on 3rd downs takes away a big aspect of home field advantage.

Basically, the piped in music has taken the students and the band out of the game. We've been complaining about that for years and it's been banging our heads against the wall.

Speaking of the Band: for 50 years that I've been a fan (plus untold decades before that) the Band ended every home game by going onto the field, playing a few songs (always including an alma mater) and ending with Lights Out, California Marching Song, and as they exit the tunnel, One More River. For many games, lining up in the tunnel while the band marched through was the highlight of the day.

Fans haven't been allowed in the tunnel since the remodel (no idea why), and the band stopped going onto the field for a postgame show last year. Haven't heard "One More River" since 2023. I'm going to write the band director and demand an explanation.



How about doing a pod cast with the dj? Or getting a number where fans can text him during a game. Maybe get him involved in Bear Insider . There needs to be some way to communicate with this person.



Dear Sir,

Thank you for joining us today in the Bear Pit to have a discussion about Cal Athletics. Our first question for you is when are you going to quit? Let's cut to a commercial break…..
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glutton
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In reply to calumnus • 11:36p, 9/9/25
calumnus said:
Golden One said:
DJ adds nothing. Dump him!


I like California Love pregame (before the band enters). It is the perfect California hype music. Perfect.

However, once the Cal Band enters the stadium 100% of the music should come from them or the opposing band. 100%. I also think we should mic the band so they can be heard throughout the stadium.

The singalong should either be a Cal song, played by the band, with lyrics on the video screen or something easy and well known and again, played by the band (my vote is Bob Marley's "Three Little Birds," but as "Three Little Bears" with the Grateful Dead dancing bears on the video screen with the revised lyrics).

I'm not fully sold on the Save Me San Francisco sing-along, but the video that accompanied the song was pretty awesome.
I agree about abolishing the DJ & piped in music during the game. It adds nothing. The one other time to use piped in music is when the band cannot play for an exciting play or score because they are on the sidelines just before halftime.
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bearsandgiants
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5:38a, 9/10/25
I like the sing along. Would love to keep it. But The band should be bigger and more of an institutional priority. It and the players on the field are what connect the students with the university and each other, not hip hop blasting during the game. That's great for pregame warmups to pump up the team, but the game itself should be a a celebration of the artists and athletes at Cal. The musicians and the players. The mic man. The cheer leaders. Oski. And the announcer making announcements.
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Cal88
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6:09a, 9/10/25
The best sing along at the stadium is the "roll on you bears" cheers.
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HearstMining
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In reply to XBears2th • 6:41a, 9/10/25
2th makes an excellent point. Back in the mesozoic era, outreach for Cal and Cal football included the following:
  • High School Band Day - I watched this for years. One game each season, HS bands came from all over Nor/Central California filling at least an entire section of the stadium and the entire field for a halftime show. The music was not the best and the logistics may have been a challenge, but it exposed thousands of kids to Cal and Cal football.
  • Free games for Berkeley/Oakland school crossing guards (AKA "Traffic Boys" - I was one). Millennials and GenZ won't believe this, but once upon a time, school crossing guards weren't 70 year-old retirees; they were actual elementary school 5th and 6th graders doing it for free! Strange but true! And these kids got into 1 or 2 free football games a year. Mercifully, they were segregated in a single section of the stadium where they could toss sticky ice cream cups at each other - but again, it exposed kids to the campus and to Cal football.
Also, back when the SF Warriors were a mediocre team playing at that upscale venue known as the Cow Palace, they occasionally gave free tickets to basketball players on SF high school teams. With the current hyper-upscale Warriors now playing in their Xanadu-like facility which is economically & geographically unreachable to most East Bay HS players not living in Blackhawk or Tiberon, wouldn't it make sense for Cal to do a similar outreach for local HS teams (boys and girls)?


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