Even if Hairball is not at 'furd, he's a'coachin' a pro team, that's still somethin' Tedford ain't a'doin', is it not?.....
As for being in the top ten, if English ain't a foreign language to you...tehn check out the AP and USA Today polls.....his legacy 'furd team is in the top ten......
and ohh, if I do drool, I know you'll be there to clean it up for me...AHHAHAHAHHAHAAA

drunkoski;550052 said:

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enjoying the fact that people here are actually admitting our results have sucked. will have to bookmark this for later.

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The beginning of the thread was "do closed practices hurt ticket sales?" Saying that poor performance, and not closed practices, are the cause of lower ticket sales, is not the same thing as saying the Bears have sucked for years on end.

That's YOUR conclusion that the Bears hav sucked for years on end. If you wish to go further and attribute it to "closed practices," as our resident idiot Blueblood has done, feel free. That doesn't make it any more or less of a logical fallacy, but it may say something about your capacity for logic.

Hey, pisshead, BeachyBear....you are fast assuming the title of the new resident idiot el supremo.......at least you got my vote......

Blueblood;550059 said:

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That wasn't the question......Cal ain'rt a'winnin'.....and ain't a'havin' open practices....to not much anyone.....practices do matter to some....especially to those that have seen a lot of college football over the years.....

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BB... attributing Cal football success, or lack thereof, to whether practices are open or closed is like attributing our football success to the shade of green we put in our stadium turf or the type of hot dogs we sell at games. There is *zero* connection, either on a logical or empirical basis, between whether practices are open or closed and the average number of wins. But since "logical disconnect" is your specialty, I don't expect you to understand this. But perhaps another wayward CyberBear will see the light.

BB?...I'll refer to you the same?....yuck.....You have the thread all mixed up....I was not advocating that, others were, I make my assertion with respect to ticket sales....way to spiral off into your own space, you space cadet!

Quote:

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i assure you attendance doesn't drop when it is assumed your team is on the cusp of greatness like many here argue.

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It's not really about whether the team is on the "cusp of greatness". It's more about the recent past. Every look at the relationship between winning and attendance I've ever seen has found there's a strong lagging effect; not only does a teams current record matter, but even more than that, their past record matters. How a team performed last year matters a lot, and previous seasons to some degree, as well. Of course Cal would expect a drop in attendance, they've experienced a drop in winning in the very recent past.

Thank you friend hanky1.....and is there a hanky2, etc.?

drunkoski;549959 said:

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furd ticket sales are up 70% since harbaugh took over.

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Furd attendance was DOWN last year

Furd average per game attendance

2010 40,042
2009 41,436

Year before Harbaugh
2006 41,742

So how exactly is that up 70%????

You need to read those articles more carefully.

Far more media and fan friendly. Do you attend Stanfurd practices? Pretty pathetic if you do.

RealDrew2;550213 said:

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Far more media and fan friendly. Do you attend Stanfurd practices? Pretty pathetic if you do.

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Instead of being a dick, how about you assess the situation yourself? Furd has an open spring game that they promote at Kezar. What do we have? Ted Miller, Okanes, and others consistently grumble about how they can't get any reliable information about Cal because of the policies. I don't see people say that about Furd. I'll base my conclusions on things like that.

BL, I think we're just going to disagree on this one. Like it or not, the spring game has become a fan event. If fans want a spring game and every other coach seems to give one to them, why shouldn't we? But anyway, I think everything's got me fired up this week just because the season's around the corner. I've said my peace on this topic and now I'll play no greater part in prolonging this thread.

This stuff is all insignificant now that we're about to have actual games to talk about.

One more reason (for some people):

As a Baby Boomer, I remember a number of posts directed at my generation which said, "If you don't want to stand and yell at the games, you should stay home!".
Well, with the coming of High Definition Large Screen TV's, combined with almost all of the games being televised and the high price of tickets, I guess some of us old fogeys have decided to just that.

SmellinRoses;549944 said:

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Yes, wanna keep beating that dead horse.

There has been very little in the SF papers about the team- not good for generating interest...11 days out.

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The overwhelming majority of fans have no interest in seeing the practice anyway.

LethalFang;550238 said:

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The overwhelming majority of fans have no interest in seeing the practice anyway.

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Who cares about the fans- what about banning the media?

about the depth chart but this thread seems more appropriate. Oakanes said he was working on a 2011 preview article. What is he going to write in that? "Tedford tells me that the team is ready for the season to start." "Coach tells me that Isi had a nice camp." "Jeff said that the defense is really jelling." I can't wait. Obviously, no fan really cares to go watch a ton of practices. The real issue is that college football is a huge money endeavor and to restrict the flow of free 'publicity' your team gets is just plain dumb. Tedford himself has proven that closing practices to the media doesn't make your team play any better. And it doesn't keep your opponent from being able to know what plays are coming. Let the media in, cater to them even and start selling Cal football like the multi-million dollar cash cow that it is. If you want to run a football team in a vacuum there are plenty of places where you can go. A high profile, D1 team isn't one of them.

82gradDLSdad;550266 said:

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about the depth chart but this thread seems more appropriate. Oakanes said he was working on a 2011 preview article. What is he going to write in that? "Tedford tells me that the team is ready for the season to start." "Coach tells me that Isi had a nice camp." "Jeff said that the defense is really jelling." I can't wait. Obviously, no fan really cares to go watch a ton of practices. The real issue is that college football is a huge money endeavor and to restrict the flow of free 'publicity' your team gets is just plain dumb. Tedford himself has proven that closing practices to the media doesn't make your team play any better. And it doesn't keep your opponent from being able to know what plays are coming. Let the media in, cater to them even and start selling Cal football like the multi-million dollar cash cow that it is. If you want to run a football team in a vacuum there are plenty of places where you can go. A high profile, D1 team isn't one of them.

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I've read Okanes' football analysis. I'll take what Tedford tells Okanes over anything that originates from Okanes' brain.

As if standing has any bearing on the out come of a game.Standing is part of their culture. although it has nothing to do with helping a team win, you won't change their minds.

the Classic standing story occured in Eugene last year when I was there with some friends. Directly to my right some guys decked out in Cal gear insisted on standing for the entire game. When the woman beind them explained she had a bad leg and could not stand and would they please sit down, the response was, "you are ruining out experience. we bought tickets and have the right to stand. Go sit in the handicapped section. we need to stand becasue the team needs it". I was amazed that a Cal fan would react that way to another Cal fan. The three people standing really helped us in the blow out. I'm sure the team appreciated it. LMAO.

The above behavior along with awful treatment opposing fans seem intent on heaping on visitors is causing me to avoid most away games. Now ,when we went to Tennesee and Oklahoma the fans were great. They even thanked us for coming. I guess its the way you are brought up.

This bad behavior has become an epedimic.I am going to UCLA and wearing Cal gear.we wills see what happens. It was ok the last time I went there.

Flame away.

grandmastapoop;550269 said:

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I've read Okanes' football analysis. I'll take what Tedford tells Okanes over anything that originates from Okanes' brain.

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And neither of us would have to speak to Tedford.

because the team is losing and getting blown out at times = bandwagoners go bye bye..Memorial might have seemed nostalgic and cool to some of us, but the average attendee found it dirty, crowded, with terrible concessions and no place to pee..bye bye..Very few people can even make daytime practices and like someone said, they are dull and monotonous to just about everyone, except maybe you and me..a handful. Open spring game? It's not for us, it's for the coaches to work on some kind of depth chart..and I suppose that might have some value to some of us..Even when our practices are 'open' how many attend? Bogus. Another ticket downer is our incredibly inept sales & marketing people, including the ATO..terrible..always has been. Away games are another story -- it's a battle no matter which P12 team you visit - and some OOC games are very cool and worth it (Tenn, So Miss, etc).
Win games - create demand to the broader base of fans.

82gradDLSdad;550266 said:

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about the depth chart but this thread seems more appropriate. Oakanes said he was working on a 2011 preview article. What is he going to write in that? "Tedford tells me that the team is ready for the season to start." "Coach tells me that Isi had a nice camp." "Jeff said that the defense is really jelling." I can't wait. Obviously, no fan really cares to go watch a ton of practices. The real issue is that college football is a huge money endeavor and to restrict the flow of free 'publicity' your team gets is just plain dumb. Tedford himself has proven that closing practices to the media doesn't make your team play any better. And it doesn't keep your opponent from being able to know what plays are coming. Let the media in, cater to them even and start selling Cal football like the multi-million dollar cash cow that it is. If you want to run a football team in a vacuum there are plenty of places where you can go. A high profile, D1 team isn't one of them.

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Yep -still trying to figure out what we lose by letting the beat reporters watch practice...

SmellinRoses;550415 said:

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Yep -still trying to figure out what we lose by letting the beat reporters watch practice...

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Well, we've held out reporters and ardent fans from practice the past two seasons. You mean you haven't seen the improvement? What's wrong with you?

SmellinRoses;550415 said:

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Yep -still trying to figure out what we lose by letting the beat reporters watch practice...

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Extra scouting for the opponents, particularly wrt injuries and plays.

Looking at the other side of the coin, I think you're overstating the benefits. It's not like the Chron or SJMurky are going to refrain from making their Cal football previews just because their beat guys can't get to the practices...

Furthermore, almost all of their coverage during the season relates to the games themselves, as opposed to the practices. The only time the practices get mentioned is in the games previews, with items like "X is looking good" or "Y hasn't taken many snaps, not healthy". Not really the type of thing that will dissuade reporters from covering Cal football.

PRD74;550236 said:

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One more reason (for some people):

As a Baby Boomer, I remember a number of posts directed at my generation which said, "If you don't want to stand and yell at the games, you should stay home!".
Well, with the coming of High Definition Large Screen TV's, combined with almost all of the games being televised and the high price of tickets, I guess some of us old fogeys have decided to just that.

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Since I graduated in 1968, I assume that I qualify as an Old Fogey. But I hope that it will be many many years before I am too old to come to the games in person. I don't care how big the TV screen is or how much HiDef is provided. IMO Nothing beats being at the game in person screaming your lungs out for the Bears. [Plus it helps release the tension of worrying whether Georgio will hit or miss that chip shot FG.] Watching the Bears on TV is a poor substitute for the REAL THING (and I don't mean Coca Cola -for the other old fogeys).

SmellinRoses;550415 said:

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Yep -still trying to figure out what we lose by letting the beat reporters watch practice...

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I say let the coach make the call. It does not matter if I would call a different play; put in a different player; use a different training regimen; use a different play book. Open/closed practices is just another item which is up to the HC.

How many of us were berating JT for not replacing Riley with Mansion ---- until it became painfully obvious. If the HC thinks it is important to hae closed practices --- so be it.

Cal88;550472 said:

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Extra scouting for the opponents, particularly wrt injuries and plays.

Looking at the other side of the coin, I think you're overstating the benefits. It's not like the Chron or SJMurky are going to refrain from making their Cal football previews just because their beat guys can't get to the practices...

Furthermore, almost all of their coverage during the season relates to the games themselves, as opposed to the practices. The only time the practices get mentioned is in the games previews, with items like "X is looking good" or "Y hasn't taken many snaps, not healthy". Not really the type of thing that will dissuade reporters from covering Cal football.

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Jeez, you give the reporters ground rules- like no reporting on plays or injuries.

Again -how can it hurt? It certainly doesn't help and coming off a losing season, we need all the pr we can get.

I concur with friend drunkoski's implication....I mean, because of the closed practices policy and the gleen-what-you-can coachspeak communication policy coupled with very spares playing time, none of fans really knew a damn thing about Mansion at the time. At least not enough to know blow enough to think that Mansion would be a better replacement.........

drunkoski;550637 said:

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1 or 2 total?

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ohhhhhh you have got to be kidding.

drunkoski;550700 said:

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sorry. i don't remember calls after people saw sweeney against uc davis and realized brock was behind him. at least not widespread ones.

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All I remember is that Sweeney and Mansion flip flopped on the depth chart.. upon seeing Sweeney play like a scared rabbit (I blame the coaches a lot for that), I thought Mansion would be better.....much to my horror, Ludwig didn't disappoint by having 2 QB's not ready to play Div 1 football....

GivemTheAxe, I whole-heartedly agree that going to the games is great and this year especially, with the changes that JT made and the talent of this team, makes me sad that I cannot join you in screaming my lungs out cheering for the Bears.

However, I will say that there are a lot of older people in my section and their not wanting to stand is just an initial symptom of what will eventually involve the question of whether or not they want to go to the games. The trek up to the stadium, younger people standing in front of you when you have a problem standing, the increasing number of night games, the cold and rain (that SC night game was ridiculous), the increase in ticket prices, no respect from the Athletic Department for being a long time ticket holder, having the Cal Band always playing away from you, long restroom lines (enlarged prostrates), and now moving the game to the other side of the Bay which takes you out of your comfort zone can make staying home something to seriously consider. People age at different rates, but eventually the gameday experience becomes more stressful than fun. My comment about the HDTV was meant more tongue in cheek, but there is a bit of truth to it, IMO.

I am a bit aprehensive about the reseating in memorial as I will be unable to afford the 40 yard line. With the number of Priority points I have, I will have no trouble doing the 5-10 yard line at a donation of $250.00 per seat.My concern is I may be in with alot of younger people who want to stand much of the game. If this happens, I probably won't renew the following year but would probably look to buy some better seats in the after market.

Usually what we are told by the people that insist on Standing is, If you want to sit, stay home" They may get their wish and we are seeing some evidence of this at the Fresno game. The Standers do not have enough numbers to support the program. Cal needs us. The only question is will people give a little or not.I am willing to stand at key times, 3rd down etc, but not all the time.Though we love Cal, at our age this is basically entertainment. If we are put in a situation that is not fun, it is not entertainment and the Home option or Stub Hub could work better. Just being honest about this.

oskidunker;550730 said:

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I am willing to stand at key times, 3rd down etc, but not all the time.

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.. um, Mike, said seriously.

In my experience most all us CMS shady siders stood now and then, but grudgingly, picking our spots like you favor too.

Where the relocated Shady Sider Collective will sit this season remains an untold story.

Good luck OD.

#MakesPlenty[SIZE="3"]Noise[/SIZE]Seated