Got an email from Cal today, promising an additional perk for ESP subscribers April 21st, selectively snipped below:

PS: In the fine print of the signup page there's this bargain offer, much lower than all the other choices:
> We are also currently accepting names for a table waitlist, minimum (2) seats at $500.00 per.

Quote:

---

A special invitation for our ESP seat holders:

Greetings Friends of Cal Football,

Spring Football is here! And with Spring Football this year we are also introducing the Inaugural Cal Football Gala on the evening of April 21, 2012 at the Simpson Center for Student-Athlete High Performance. This is a great opportunity to gather with your friends in support of Cal Football. The Gala program includes a celebration of Coach Tedford's 10 seasons at Cal, a presentation of the first Cal Football Alumni Excellence Award, and a great reception and dinner program. The Gala is a fundraiser in support of Cal Football and a portion of your contribution will be tax deductible. The funds will go directly to support the Friends of Cal Football Fund as the team finishes up spring practice and gets ready for the 2012 season.

Join us and special NFL Cal alumni to celebrate Coach Tedford's 10 seasons, our amazing student-athletes, coaches, and new facility.

Click here for more information about how you or a group can secure a table, please visit www.calbears.com/footballgala.

In the morning, visit Edwards Stadium for a fun day of activities and an early look at the 2012 Cal football team. For more information, click here.

---

#ohboy

Gosh the "bargain" offer?

How about the 25k table for 10? Now that's a real offer!

i'm an esp seat holder and got the invite. i will pass on the "gala". excessive to say the least. go bears.

Screw the gala, lets turn the ship around THEN we can celebrate!

It's probably more for fundraising than a celebration.

****.

You think?

I believe there will be some special guests there who may be pretty cool...perhaps signing things like Superbowl MVP things...and a big ask will be given, in my estimation.

But I fully support it. We need bigger donations and better fundraising. My kids grammar school does better than Cal.

retrospekt;733496 said:

---

It's probably more for fundraising than a celebration.

---

Absolutely, RetroBear, and abundant thanks to all those generous Bears in a position to contribute.. yet again.

Sorry the initial read found me in a sarcastic frame of mind, eager to see the new facility in person (still am) but forgetting there was gonna be a price tag buried somewhere in the fine print.

#GO, Bears!

PS: As bonus, for awkward times (no joke), here is literally The Nicest Place On The Inter Net:
http://thenicestplaceontheinter.net

Wow, the extra $15K gets you a "sneak peek" and valet parking....maybe the most expensive parking tab in the East Bay.

hard to celebrate jt's 10 years of cal football looking at the results of the last four years. its a fund raiser suited for corporations. to the average cal fan its excessive.

1. Riley
2. Longshore
3. Ayoob

Presentations on QB Development by JT, with highlights from Maynard in his games against USC, Oregon and UCLA!

Special presentation of a ceremonial 2011 playbook that can be used to fill a bookshelf or as a great doorstop!

:rollinglaugh:

Oski87;733506 said:

---

You think?

I believe there will be some special guests there who may be pretty cool...perhaps signing things like Superbowl MVP things...and a big ask will be given, in my estimation.

But I fully support it. We need bigger donations and better fundraising. My kids grammar school does better than Cal.

---

Cal "everything" is a joke. Marketing, fundraising, ticket sales, PR, etc.

About the only thing they have done right in my lifetime (edit: Other than the actual function of the University) is find and retain Tedford and keep the outside wall of the stadium (ie they rebuilt the stadium the "right" way).

Everything else is a case study of how to lose support and lose influence.


The Pac10/12 only recently overcame the same kind of problem, so I have hope

Ironic ... cal fans always want the cal brand promoted and for us to be prominent in society. A celebration of probably the greatest thing to ever happen to cal athletics and we're complaining about JT's last 4 years :headbang

stanfurdbites;733614 said:

---

Ironic ... cal fans always want the cal brand promoted and for us to be prominent in society. A celebration of probably the greatest thing to ever happen to cal athletics and we're complaining about JT's last 4 years :headbang

---

Indeed. Totally understand that not everyone can afford to attend, but I'm glad to see Cal doing this and they should do more (not less) of it. We can't endlessly complain about losing - which I don't care what anyone says, is strongly correlated to expenditures; see USC and Oregon - and then bitch about Cal doing some fundraising. This is a great idea and should be a great event.