Since we somehow arrived at "Thunderstuck" as our entrance song, maybe we can get this guy to "pipe in" in the tune for the old blues at the SMU game? :-P

Actually inspired by the 374 bagpipers who gathered yesterday in Melbourne for a world record for the largest ever bagpipe ensemble playing AC/DC's "It's a Long Way to the Top", which maybe also should be another Golden Bears anthem.

Bagpipes are a good accompaniment for police funerals

I want this, riding in alongside Oski on the bike



of course, we have to change the kilt to blue and gold ..

If we are going to do piped in entrance music that is not a Cal fight song, anything other than "California Love" is just sad, just a wasted opportunity.

Is this a Learfield decision? Generic boilerplate for a random G5 program?

OldenBear said:

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I want this, riding in alongside Oski on the bike

of course, we have to change the kilt to blue and gold ..

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Yikes! Unicycle on turf?

calumnus said:

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If we are going to do piped in entrance music that is not a Cal fight song, anything other than "California Love" is just sad, just a wasted opportunity.

Is this a Learfield decision? Generic boilerplate for a random G5 program?

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I dunno. I mean, it aint "Enter Sandman", but nothing else nowhere else but VT is. "Thunderstruck" has been doing what its supposed to do. It's very serviceable. If I were attending my first-ever Cal game, I would think "Ok. Not bad, Golden Bears. That's very sports-stadium-anthem-like" and then move on to whatever is next to see. Box-checked.

What gets me about the team entrance is that the Cal Band lines up to form a tunnel...and I think they're playing as the team goes through (at least, they were a few games ago) but you can't tell because of Thunderstruck over the PA. Right hand, meet left hand.

If we absolutely need pre-recorded entrance music, I'd vote for Jimi Hendrix "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)".

JSC 76 said:

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and I think they're playing as the team goes through (at least, they were a few games ago) but you can't tell because of Thunderstruck over the PA. Right hand, meet left hand.

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Interesting. I wonder what they are playing? And why aren't they just playing Thunderstruck along with the PA? That would certainly add to the cacophony if they did.

I have always favored this saying

"A gentleman is someone who knows how to play the bagpipes but doesn't "

Oakbear said:

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I have always favored this saying

"A gentleman is someone who knows how to play the bagpipes but doesn't "

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^ The version I heard was "accordion". ^

Regarding the team coming on to the field (or court), the Cal Band should be playing" Fight for California". That is one tradition I'm not ready to abandon.

The Irish invented bagpipes and gave them to the Scots as a joke. Problem is they took them seriously.

"Enter Sandman" was written in the Berkeley Hills a mile and a half away from California Memorial Stadium.

Don't they use Thunderstruck in that movie the Replacements? Freudian coincidence?

PAC-10-BEAR said:

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"Enter Sandman" was written in the Berkeley Hills a mile and a half away from California Memorial Stadium.

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Except VT has made it theirs. Cal can't use "All Right Now" either. Plus a song about going to sleep?

Tupac lived 4 miles south near the Grand Lake Theatre in Oakland so points for "California Love" and "Fight For California" was written by a Cal student on the Berkeley campus. Plus both are on point.

AC/DC is from Australia and "Thunderstruck" specifically references Texas. C'mon Texas? Seriously? For Cal? There are hundreds of songs extolling California and we end up with one that extols Texas because it was the rock anthem jam of some Learfield employee when he was in high school 35 years ago?

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2025/nov/14/espn-pat-mcafee-donald-trump


~ 'Thunderstruck' is overplayed -- if it needs to be "Aca/Daca" this may be their best number, blokes . . .

Is piped in music so bad? Loud is good for a home field experience isn't it?

calumnus said:

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If we are going to do piped in entrance music that is not a Cal fight song, anything other than "California Love" is just sad, just a wasted opportunity.

Is this a Learfield decision? Generic boilerplate for a random G5 program?

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If I were a wagering man, I'd imagine that either the internal department, or external PR/marketing firm that markets Cal Athletics picked it, and you are 100% correct - California Love would have been a better pick. But the tendency is to take clips from Classic Rock era hits that tend to appeal to Classic Rock fans (who tend to be older and affluent at this point) and hope the students like the pick. At Nebraska, an outside ad firm puts together video clips and sound bytes for the "Tunnel Walk" which is set to "Sirius" (the Chicago Bulls entrance tune) by Alan Parsons Project.

Screw piped in entrance music. Cal Band lines up and tries to play the Cal fight song, and it's buried by piped in crap????? EFF NO/

If they want to pipe in music, do it while they're in the tunnel. But the Cal Fight Song should NEVER be over-ridden by anything, especially when the team is coming out on the field!

calumnus said:

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If we are going to do piped in entrance music that is not a Cal fight song, anything other than "California Love" is just sad, just a wasted opportunity.

Is this a Learfield decision? Generic boilerplate for a random G5 program?

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I think USC has already co-opted California Love. The song is ostensibly about California, but it's focused more around South Central and the surrounding areas, with nominal mentions of the Bay Area and Sacramento.

Still think Hells Bells would be better - especially since we get a LOT of evening games and blacking out Memorial would be pretty darn uber. Yeah - showing my Padres roots ;-)

BTW - this is how tOSU used it.

https://www.tiktok.com/@blakebiscardi/video/7545176218060983582

The doomers used it with a pretty cool light show with wands. That technology is pretty darn cool as Disney has show during some of their evening events.

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/nov/13/keir-starmer-labour-prime-minister-corbyn-mps


~ ' I mean come on, " . . . the furs, the diamonds, the paintings on the wall . . . " ' class

pingpong2 said:

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calumnus said:

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If we are going to do piped in entrance music that is not a Cal fight song, anything other than "California Love" is just sad, just a wasted opportunity.

Is this a Learfield decision? Generic boilerplate for a random G5 program?

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I think USC has already co-opted California Love. The song is ostensibly about California, but it's focused more around South Central and the surrounding areas, with nominal mentions of the Bay Area and Sacramento.

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University of California includes ALL of California. That is why we compete as "California" and not "Berkeley."

We are not in the same conference as USC and are unlikely to play them anytime soon.

calumnus said:

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pingpong2 said:

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calumnus said:

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If we are going to do piped in entrance music that is not a Cal fight song, anything other than "California Love" is just sad, just a wasted opportunity.

Is this a Learfield decision? Generic boilerplate for a random G5 program?

---

I think USC has already co-opted California Love. The song is ostensibly about California, but it's focused more around South Central and the surrounding areas, with nominal mentions of the Bay Area and Sacramento.

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University of California includes ALL of California. That is why we compete as "California" and not "Berkeley."

We are not in the same conference as USC and are unlikely to play them anytime soon.

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LOL that's a good one. With that level of arrogance are you sure you shouldn't be named stanfurdalumnus?

pingpong2 said:

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calumnus said:

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pingpong2 said:

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calumnus said:

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If we are going to do piped in entrance music that is not a Cal fight song, anything other than "California Love" is just sad, just a wasted opportunity.

Is this a Learfield decision? Generic boilerplate for a random G5 program?

---

I think USC has already co-opted California Love. The song is ostensibly about California, but it's focused more around South Central and the surrounding areas, with nominal mentions of the Bay Area and Sacramento.

---

University of California includes ALL of California. That is why we compete as "California" and not "Berkeley."

We are not in the same conference as USC and are unlikely to play them anytime soon.

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LOL that's a good one. With that level of arrogance are you sure you shouldn't be named stanfurdalumnus?

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So Texas, North Carolina, Oregon, Alabama, Georgia, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Ohio State, Kansas, et al only represent part of their states?

USC is a private school. Just because there is a North Texas a UT- Dallas, Houston, Texas Tech, Texas A&M et al does not mean Texas does not represent All of Texas and can use songs about All of Texas.

From the California Drinking Song: "We had a little party down in Newport" refers to the Newport in Southern California.

And California Love clearly represents ALL of California, with Bay Area, Sacramento AND SoCal references.

Stop shilling for UCLA or USC. We are Sons of California.

calumnus said:

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pingpong2 said:

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calumnus said:

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pingpong2 said:

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calumnus said:

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If we are going to do piped in entrance music that is not a Cal fight song, anything other than "California Love" is just sad, just a wasted opportunity.

Is this a Learfield decision? Generic boilerplate for a random G5 program?

---

I think USC has already co-opted California Love. The song is ostensibly about California, but it's focused more around South Central and the surrounding areas, with nominal mentions of the Bay Area and Sacramento.

---

University of California includes ALL of California. That is why we compete as "California" and not "Berkeley."

We are not in the same conference as USC and are unlikely to play them anytime soon.

---

LOL that's a good one. With that level of arrogance are you sure you shouldn't be named stanfurdalumnus?

---

So Texas, North Carolina, Oregon, Alabama, Georgia, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Ohio State, Kansas, et al only represent part of their states?

USC is a private school. Just because there is a North Texas a UT- Dallas, Houston, Texas Tech, Texas A&M et al does not mean Texas does not represent All of Texas and can use songs about All of Texas.

From the California Drinking Song: "We had a little party down in Newport" refers to the Newport in Southern California.

And California Love clearly represents ALL of California, with Bay Area, Sacramento AND SoCal references.

Stop shilling for UCLA or USC. We are Sons of California.

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In true socialist fashion, Clark Kerr long ago decided to forgo our flagship status and redistribute resources across all UC schools. We shared our wealth 60 years ago, and all we got in return was to get snubbed by our own UC pension fund.

It's a business. Just like Professional Minor League Football .

DoubtfulBear said:

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calumnus said:

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pingpong2 said:

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calumnus said:

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pingpong2 said:

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calumnus said:

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If we are going to do piped in entrance music that is not a Cal fight song, anything other than "California Love" is just sad, just a wasted opportunity.

Is this a Learfield decision? Generic boilerplate for a random G5 program?

---

I think USC has already co-opted California Love. The song is ostensibly about California, but it's focused more around South Central and the surrounding areas, with nominal mentions of the Bay Area and Sacramento.

---

University of California includes ALL of California. That is why we compete as "California" and not "Berkeley."

We are not in the same conference as USC and are unlikely to play them anytime soon.

---

LOL that's a good one. With that level of arrogance are you sure you shouldn't be named stanfurdalumnus?

---

So Texas, North Carolina, Oregon, Alabama, Georgia, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Ohio State, Kansas, et al only represent part of their states?

USC is a private school. Just because there is a North Texas a UT- Dallas, Houston, Texas Tech, Texas A&M et al does not mean Texas does not represent All of Texas and can use songs about All of Texas.

From the California Drinking Song: "We had a little party down in Newport" refers to the Newport in Southern California.

And California Love clearly represents ALL of California, with Bay Area, Sacramento AND SoCal references.

Stop shilling for UCLA or USC. We are Sons of California.

---

In true socialist fashion, Clark Kerr long ago decided to forgo our flagship status and redistribute resources across all UC schools. We shared our wealth 60 years ago, and all we got in return was to get snubbed by our own UC pension fund.

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For all we know, the Texas system could be the same. Or North Carolina's. Would it matter?

It has nothing to do with our name, our history and our tradition. We did not change our team names and throw out our fight songs when Clark Kerr rearranged the academic bureaucracy. We are not "Northern California." We are California. That is our sports teams' name. That is who we are.