Today's general release:
http://www.calbears.com/genrel/061312aab.html

Last week there was some cybers discussion about location location location tradeoffs:
http://bearinsider.com/forums/showthread.php?p=841898957#poststop

See esp the 4th picture of the flash picture gallery (from which I've not yet learned how to generate pathnames to individual pics.. a little help web-wizs??):
http://www.calbears.com/view.gal?id=121164

Quote:

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Andy Smith Bench to Become Accessible to All - The University of California Official Athletic Site

New Home Outside Memorial Stadium Perfect for Fan Interaction
June 13, 2012
By Anton Malko

BERKELEY -A historic element of California Memorial Stadium currently lies in storage, patiently waiting for its triumphant return to a new location that will put it in literal touch with the Cal faithful.

The Andy Smith Bench has been a lasting tribute to the legendary coach who led the Golden Bears to four national championships, five Pacific Coast Championships and two Rose Bowls between 1916-25. Smith's squads included the famous "Wonder Teams," which won 50 straight games from 1920-24.

Originally created by a committee of his former players, led by 1920 captain Cort Majors, the Andy Smith Bench was placed on the home sideline on the east side of Memorial Stadium at the end of the 1927 season. Eighty-three years later, it was stored for safekeeping when the stadium's renovation commenced at the end of the 2010 season.

When it returns to Strawberry Canyon at the end of the summer, the Andy Smith Bench will command a [U]new location outside the north entrance of the stadium[/U], where fans will have access to it on game days and every day as a feature of the campus park being created there.

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Siggy (from Dr Horrible Singalong Blog).. "With my freeze ray I will Stop the world."

Cool!

Looks like we might have to hire security during big game week

During Big Game week? How about every day, how many undamaged public benches do you know of?

Horrible decision.

Bear_Territory;841900174 said:

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Looks like we might have to hire security during big game week

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I was thinking the exact same thing.

HelloBowlesHall;841900261 said:

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During Big Game week? How about every day, how many undamaged public benches do you know of?

Horrible decision.

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I can see the skateboarders hovering already...

but anyway I believe the bench should be put back on the field. Andy Smith didn't win all those games off the field. It was put there for a reason.

Plus isn't the stadium open to the public when its not in use? I swear I've seen fathers and sons playing catch.

The Andy Smith Bench should always be inside the stadium, on the Cal home sideline. Without the dynasty Smith built in the early '20s, Memorial Stadium itself would not have gotten built.

Cal can dress this up all they want, but it's just lipstick on a pig. The decision to relocate the bench stinks.

BearBoarBlarney;841900366 said:

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The Andy Smith Bench should always be inside the stadium, on the Cal home sideline. Without the dynasty Smith built in the early '20s, Memorial Stadium itself would not have gotten built.

Cal can dress this up all they want, but it's just lipstick on a pig. The decision to relocate the bench stinks.

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Hear, hear!

Allowing the general public access is commendable but, an 85-year old granite/teak bench being exposed to the general public is only asking for trouble. The bench is a treasure and belongs on the field if not, inside the stadium.

+1

BearBoarBlarney;841900366 said:

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The Andy Smith Bench should always be inside the stadium, on the Cal home sideline. Without the dynasty Smith built in the early '20s, Memorial Stadium itself would not have gotten built.

Cal can dress this up all they want, but it's just lipstick on a pig. The decision to relocate the bench stinks.

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This ....... + 10,000.

It belongs in the stadium - period.

:headbang

I agree with the general sentiment. The architect of record (HNTB) proposed it and the university agreed. The argument was "not enough room." So thats that, I guess! As the person in charge of documenting and drawing the details for the bench, I can tell you that the granite is the largest concern for maintenance and vandalism. The wood bench consists of non-original planks which can be replaced and the brick, while still 98% original can be easily matched and replaced. I think Cal fans can rest assured there will be Andy Smith bench for many years to come and it aint going nowhere! That thing is a seven piece monolith. I will undoubtedly cringe when and if the bench one day is painted that particular hue which Id rather not mention....sigh. So in the end, it will be preserved but still a horrible decision to move it and expose it in this manner.

Go Bears!

Sitting here at work and it occured to me just how much I disagree agree with putting the ASB outside of the stadium. Seriously thinking about writing a letter to the AD

Hey, we've had sit-ins, teach-ins, building-occupiers, plaza-sitters, park-sitters, and tree-sitters at our school --- why not bench sitters, who refuse to leave until the Andy Smith Bench is returned to its rightful place on the field?

OK, OK, I'm busy, myself, but I'm sure someone will step up. Freshmen? Pledges? Former Oski's? Bear Insiders? Someone who needs a good cause for a change? Anyone?

To quote the immortal words: "This Demands That A Really Stupid And Futile Gesture Be Done On Someone's Part".

Edit: I'm obviously being silly here, but I truly think that the bench belongs behind the regular Cal bench, where it has been all these years. The redesign of the stadium only lowered the field -- it did not narrow it -- so the argument about less space is specious. This is just a stupid idea, on several fronts [IMHO].