I'm guessing a lot of us thought the crowd last night would be pretty lame, especially with Cal being 1-4, drawing a weak crowd last week vs. ASU, and "competing" with playoff baseball and Fleet Week. Yet the turnout was great and the student section was en fuego.

Anyone want to guess what might have been behind it? Maybe everyone felt like the team was on the ropes and needed our help? Or some other reason?

[SIZE="1"](No, really, this is a serious question, so don't turn this into "because all you negabears can suck my balls". OK? OK.)[/SIZE]

Because it was against a big rival who was ranked and it was homecoming and a night game. I think all the talk here about bags over head and not going was just Internet
blather

What the Hell else was I going to do on a Saturday night?

Yup, for the freshman, probably because of homecoming. For us non-1st years, the chance to go to a night game at Memorial and also redemption for last year's fiasco at the Rose Bowl (which I witnessed in person down in LA) which we weren't expecting, but GO BEARS!

Also, my voice still hasn't returned back to normal yet. Neither has my friends'.

510Bear;841972251 said:

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I'm guessing a lot of us thought the crowd last night would be pretty lame, especially with Cal being 1-4, drawing a weak crowd last week vs. ASU, and "competing" with playoff baseball and Fleet Week. Yet the turnout was great and the student section was en fuego.

Anyone want to guess what might have been behind it? Maybe everyone felt like the team was on the ropes and needed our help? Or some other reason?

[SIZE="1"](No, really, this is a serious question, so don't turn this into "because all you negabears can suck my balls". OK? OK.)[/SIZE]

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I went for [SIZE="5"]Joe Roth[/SIZE]

when we play an LA team. Plus homecoming to boot.

Rivalry game. Homecoming. At night.

Night games put a little extra juice into everything.

DeusEx;841972270 said:

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Yup, for the freshman, probably because of homecoming. For us non-1st years, the chance to go to a night game at Memorial and also redemption for last year's fiasco at the Rose Bowl (which I witnessed in person down in LA) which we weren't expecting, but GO BEARS!

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For the students, I'm thinking UCLA on the other sideline had to have something to do with it. Half of Cal undergrads hail from SoCal. For them, as well as for a lot of the rest, UCLA is that school a lot of their friends go to. Bragging rights, am I right?

Despite what people here claim; Cal fans come out to cheer, and usually the team crushes any hope that there is something to yell about. NORMALLY you see the crowd completely deflate after a converted 3rd and long, or the offense doing NOTHING; followed by no coaching adjustments. That equals no hope, no hope equals no reason to yell. Never the less, Cal fans, being just like every group of fans in the world, come out ready and hoping to be given a reason to hope. Every time, no exceptions.

This week:

1. Night game (night games are always more crazy)
2. Bigelow started (shows adjustment - critically needed "hope")
3. 66 yard drive and a HUGE stop - 5 and out - following a int and TD (more of that damn hope that Cal has a chance)
4. Next time UCLA gets the ball, we force a fumble... (even more hope that we might do it).


After that, the team never let the fans down (even after 5 or so take aways in a row), so they stayed engaged.






What I cant understand is why people think Cal fans show up and dont make noise. WE ALWAYS MAKE NOISE... and then they convert a 3rd and long and a third and long and a third and long, and clearly yelling is of no hope because some goddamn reciever will be WIDE open for the first down no matter what... But it all starts with everyone engaged.



For example, against ASU, the crowd went NUTS after Cal scored the last time... Absolutely nuts... Loud as Memorial has been during the day on the next ASU drive, and then ASU marched down the field and **** on everyone. 10 plays, on the ONLY 3rd down (3rd and 11) the stadium went INSANE... LOUD. AS loud as I have seen memorial on a single play. They threw a 22 yard TD... The crowd never opened their mouths again.




It has NOTHING to do with who we are playing or how the fans come out (we come out exactly the same ever week... a little more amped at night). If the team shows us reason to hope, the fans stay loud. If they roll over, the fans disengage. It is pretty simple.



The fans react to the product on the field... at every stadium. That is why a big part of football on the road is converting 3rd downs and "shutting up the home crowd." We did it at OSU, we did it at MSU, and not amazingly it happens here, too.

More time beforehand to drink

On the play where, I think it was forbes, was tackling Hunldey for a loss and stripped the ball back towards the Bruins goaline. Remember?? Anyway I think it was 3rd and 28 and the stadium was the loudest I have heard. It was insane. And then of course he through the pick to Kam. Awesome

pingpong2;841972303 said:

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More time beforehand to drink

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LOL. That affects how much noise the crowd makes. I wonder if it had a role in how many people showed up (buying tix at the gate)

Day game: "No, I'm not going to watch us lose. Our program is headed in the wrong direction. etc etc." (folds arms)

Night game: "LET'S GO BEARSSSSSSS!!! F****n' A, let's get our asses up there!"

I suspect it's because the average Cal fan is generally not a negabear...

I expected a smaller crowd as well. I think we underestimated the pure entertainment factor of a saturday night game with a close rival. I know a bunch of alums and current students who generally don't care about football and couldn't tell you what our record is that went to the game.

It was homecoming and there were a lot of Bruins mixed into the crowd, a lot. Many, many friends, spouses, etc. of Bears. I think that's what pushed the numbers.

I guess we'll see what a fully packed CMS looks like against Furd. Hopefully the AD allows only 10k Furd tickets, like they do to us now. We'll drown those mothers in noise.

mechaniCAL;841972321 said:

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I suspect it's because the average Cal fan is generally not a negabear...

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Winner!:cheer

mechaniCAL;841972321 said:

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I suspect it's because the average Cal fan is generally not a negabear...

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The average Cal fan (student) doesn't know a TD from a pick. Then again, neither did the NFL replacement refs.

510Bear;841972279 said:

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For the students, I'm thinking UCLA on the other sideline had to have something to do with it. Half of Cal undergrads hail from SoCal. For them, as well as for a lot of the rest, UCLA is that school a lot of their friends go to. Bragging rights, am I right?

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Yeah, I'm actually from SoCal. Yelling "**** LA" has never been more awesome than last night. Love the city. The bruins, not so much.

Also, loved the upset factor. Especially since we showed their "highly-touted freshman QB" that you can't throw screen passes all day (that was so fucking annoying, does Hundley know that he can throw the ball in front of him as well? Oh wait, when he does, he throws interceptions to the Cal defense).

510Bear;841972251 said:

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I'm guessing a lot of us thought the crowd last night would be pretty lame, especially with Cal being 1-4, drawing a weak crowd last week vs. ASU, and "competing" with playoff baseball and Fleet Week. Yet the turnout was great and the student section was en fuego.

Anyone want to guess what might have been behind it? Maybe everyone felt like the team was on the ropes and needed our help? Or some other reason?

[SIZE="1"](No, really, this is a serious question, so don't turn this into "because all you negabears can suck my balls". OK? OK.)[/SIZE]

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Clearly, we just had different, "real" fans at the game last night. It really had nothing to do with the team's performance. :sarc:

mechaniCAL;841972321 said:

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I suspect it's because the average Cal fan is generally not a negabear...

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yup!!

davetdds;841972311 said:

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On the play where, I think it was forbes, was tackling Hunldey for a loss and stripped the ball back towards the Bruins goaline. Remember?? Anyway I think it was 3rd and 28 and the stadium was the loudest I have heard. It was insane. And then of course he through the pick to Kam. Awesome

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They were backed up against the north endzone and we really brought the noise over there. Speaking of noise, those cards when rolled up made great megaphones. I still have mine and plan on bringing it to the Big Game.

Phantomfan;841972300 said:

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What I cant understand is why people think Cal fans show up and dont make noise. WE ALWAYS MAKE NOISE... and then they convert a 3rd and long and a third and long and a third and long, and clearly yelling is of no hope because some goddamn reciever will be WIDE open for the first down no matter what... But it all starts with everyone engaged.

For example, against ASU, the crowd went NUTS after Cal scored the last time... Absolutely nuts... Loud as Memorial has been during the day on the next ASU drive, and then ASU marched down the field and **** on everyone. 10 plays, on the ONLY 3rd down (3rd and 11) the stadium went INSANE... LOUD. AS loud as I have seen memorial on a single play. They threw a 22 yard TD... The crowd never opened their mouths again.

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Pretty much spot on... complete with excruciating detail from the ASU game. Oh how I want to forget that one...

It was the official Rededication of the Stadium.

Calfans;841972428 said:

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It was the official Rededication of the Stadium.

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Heh. That can't have made much of a difference, can it? (and I'm skeptical as to whether homecoming does too)

I think SFBear2012 may have hit it. We forget that a lot of our fans at games are there for entertainment. They have no idea that we were 1-4 or that the program is struggling under Tedford. All they know is it's Saturday night, UCLA is in town, and their friends are going. Hats off to them.

A friend of mine said it was like a Chicago Cubs crowd. Good times win or lose.

510Bear;841972471 said:

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Heh. That can't have made much of a difference, can it? (and I'm skeptical as to whether homecoming does too)

I think SFBear2012 may have hit it. We forget that a lot of our fans at games are there for entertainment. They have no idea that we were 1-4 or that the program is struggling under Tedford. All they know is it's Saturday night, UCLA is in town, and their friends Android going. Hats off to them.

A friend of mine said it was like a Chicago Cubs crowd. Good times win or lose.

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Chicago Cubs like futility, too...the comparison is apt.

You know what really seemed to get the crowd into the game? Back to back BS penalties called by the refs near the end of the half. Don't get me wrong...it wasn't quiet or silent before that...but EVERYONE got in on yelling at the refs for the BS calls and the stadium got loud. Then people seemed to realize its *fun* being loud and into the game...and the players fed off of it.

The pic to end that drive was awesome...

~MrGPAC

MrGPAC;841972540 said:

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You know what really seemed to get the crowd into the game? Back to back BS penalties called by the refs near the end of the half. Don't get me wrong...it wasn't quiet or silent before that...but EVERYONE got in on yelling at the refs for the BS calls and the stadium got loud. Then people seemed to realize its *fun* being loud and into the game...and the players fed off of it.

The pic to end that drive was awesome...

~MrGPAC

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The roughing the passer call on Scarlett was very legit, came in late and low.

turkey02;841972549 said:

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The roughing the passer call on Scarlett was very legit, came in late and low.

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The first call was bogus and most in the stadium did not see the late hit because they were watching the pass--but Maynard has been hit after nearly every pass, most legit but some of them quite late and I don't recall us getting the benefit of a roughing the passer penalty yet. The fans are just frustrated with all the yellow flags that have been going against us when we make a good play (a couple of TDs called back, 3rd down and forever stops negated).

calumnus;841972559 said:

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The first call was bogus and most in the stadium did not see the late hit because they were watching the pass--but Maynard has been hit after nearly every pass, most legit but some of them quite late and I don't recall us getting the benefit of a roughing the passer penalty yet. The fans are just frustrated with all the yellow flags that have been going against us when we make a good play (a couple of TDs called back, 3rd down and forever stops negated).

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I'm glad it got the crowd fired up and understand the frustration, just pointing out that 'two BS calls in a row' is not an accurate statement.

calumnus;841972559 said:

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The first call was bogus and most in the stadium did not see the late hit because they were watching the pass--but Maynard has been hit after nearly every pass, most legit but some of them quite late and I don't recall us getting the benefit of a roughing the passer penalty yet. The fans are just frustrated with all the yellow flags that have been going against us when we make a good play (a couple of TDs called back, 3rd down and forever stops negated).

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I might not have the best perspective on the matter, but it does seem that we get hosed by the zebras more than other teams. That's not to say we don't get our share of calls, but damn...

Maybe we lose out on benefit of the doubt, as the refs are all too aware of our recent trend to be a sloppy team.