Fair point. But the same could be said about any of the other SEC schools, Texas, Ohio State, ND, and plenty others. I feel like right now, two coaches outshine the entire school, and that's Chip Kelly and Nick Saban. They have every pundit in the country washing their balls.

Tedhead03;842058291 said:

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Fair point. But the same could be said about any of the other SEC schools, Texas, Ohio State, ND, and plenty others. I feel like right now, two coaches outshine the entire school, and that's Chip Kelly and Nick Saban. They have every pundit in the country washing their balls.

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These guys are like 5 star generals; but especially Saban, who does a great sell throughout the State of Alabama, by establishing charities and visiting every little hollow to speak the Crimson Tide gospel and sign autographs--he's the complete package.

Our Domicile;842058238 said:

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Cal Grads prove every single day here on BI they aren't the smartest people in the world, so that doesn't matter one iota.

Send all your damaging "details" about Alabama to the NCAA in anonymous fashion, Secret Agent Man. That might/should be enough for them to send in the hounds and launch an investigation.

There is no way they should be allowed to win Nat'l Titles if they are cheating and there is a way to prove it.

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Nothing secret agent about it. Its just the way things are. Its been happening for decades.
:hatters

ICanHaasCheezburger;842058300 said:

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Nothing secret agent about it. Its just the way things are. Its been happening for decades....

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Yeah! Right on! It's been obvious for decades! Smoking guns and everything!

Let's just kick back and wait for the NCAA to strip Bama of their NC Titles any day now!

Whoo hoo!

manus;842058198 said:

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Your words...and you need to "look" into the mirror. Maybe an aspirin would help?

Remember, the question was, "How do you recruit against this?"

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yep, read the question, which is a loser question. But my response was to the predictable sorry answers. "Ooh, Dean Wormer's mean."

biely medved;842058372 said:

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yep, read the question, which is a loser question. But my response was to the predictable sorry answers. "Ooh, Dean Wormer's mean."

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Lol a loser question? I would Love a smug pompous explanation of how this is a loser question that I'm sure your going to provide. Im honestly just being envious of the Alabama program at this point. They have won 3 in 4 years and it wouldnt surprise me if they 3peated. I wish Cal had that kind of success this is absolutely not a dig directed at bama. I would however love to hear how we could change the culture of our program from an esteemed expert like yourself so please by all means indulge.

Our Domicile;842058344 said:

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Yeah! Right on! It's been obvious for decades! Smoking guns and everything!

Let's just kick back and wait for the NCAA to strip Bama of their NC Titles any day now!

Whoo hoo!

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So many ways around it. An agent goes to a financial institution and opens up a $100k line of credit for the player's father. Done. Its happened with more than one recent player on our team, it happens on other teams too. You don't think the coaches also give money out of their own pocket to players? Don't be naive.

tim94501;842058393 said:

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Lol a loser question? I would Love a smug pompous explanation of how this is a loser question that I'm sure your going to provide. Im honestly just being envious of the Alabama program at this point. They have won 3 in 4 years and it wouldnt surprise me if they 3peated. I wish Cal had that kind of success this is absolutely not a dig directed at bama. I would however love to hear how we could change the culture of our program from an esteemed expert like yourself so please by all means indulge.[/QUOTE

Again, read the replies. No one responded to the potentially legit question with real answers. Instead it became a statement- "we can't compete against this." Followed by the loser reasons - they cheat, they don't have academics, they spend money, they don't have anything BUT football, Saban is egotistical, etc. no one here comes from the perspective of "competitive intelligence," where we instead say, and this is what the question should have gone, "Damn, that was a really well coached team and a program that is at the top in every way. If we want to have similar success, what do we need to improve?" Instead the question suggests its ONLY about recruiting, only about talent. Well our talent level has been really high, but I haven't seen a "team" in years. Who is the last leader we have produced, say a senior who could call a team meeting and get people in line? Cal has been loser so long that the first thing that needs to. change is the culture of the fans and team.

biely medved;842058654 said:

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,,,Well our talent level has been really high, but I haven't seen a "team" in years. Who is the last leader we have produced, say a senior who could call a team meeting and get people in line? Cal has been loser so long that the first thing that needs to. change is the culture of the fans and team.

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Alabama and the SEC are what they are ... and, frankly, I don't care about them.

With Sonny it appears from what he and the other coaches are saying publicly, and privately to the team and potential recruits, that there is a real hope (dare I say, expectation) that the culture of Cal football is changing positively. Recruiting after Sonny's hire is good and LOI day could be very happy.

As to the culture of the fans ... ha .. BI is BI. The fan "culture" will change with success of the players on the field - and in the classroom.

Sandy and Sonny are on the same page, which is why he was hired. Sonny has to effect change, especially academically because the cloud of sanctions is very real. He understands and values education but also has to fill the stadium because Sandy has the invoices and loan statements on her desk.

My hope (expectation) is that Cal will win at least half the games next year and be competitive in the losses.
We're in a very tough conference with Oregon and furd probably being top 10 teams. Then there uDuh and OSU. And we start with Northwestern and undefeated tOSU.
Our future has nothing to do with what Alabama and the SEC do or don't do.
We "stole" KA from Alabama ... how did that turn out? 'nuf said.

The answer is we don't. We have no interest in competing for a national championship. Alabama's commitment is a state commitment, and a University commitment that resulted in hiring for $5million a coach who could execute this. None of this exists here. If we could get to the Rose Bowl once a decade everyone would be happy

GB54;842058729 said:

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The answer is we don't. We have no interest in competing for a national championship. Alabama's commitment is a state commitment, and a University commitment that resulted in hiring for $5million a coach who could execute this. None of this exists here. If we could get to the Rose Bowl once a decade everyone would be happy

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+++1 and getting the academics to a point of pride again, with NO cloud of sanctions anywhere close.

ICanHaasCheezburger;842058431 said:

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So many ways around it. An agent goes to a financial institution and opens up a $100k line of credit for the player's father. Done. Its happened with more than one recent player on our team, it happens on other teams too. You don't think the coaches also give money out of their own pocket to players? Don't be naive.

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I'll be looking forward to the NCAA stripping Alabama of this (or any) year's National Title then.

Surely a Whistleblower with your brand of courage will come forth in the name of Justice elsewhere.

Here's a good piece on Alabama/SEC roster management. The site itself is a pretty interesting read if you're into this kind of stuff, but specific to Alabama/Saban, it looks like he's pushing out a full class of recruits every other season. That's quite an advantage.

http://oversigning.com/testing/index.php/2011/07/22/alabamas-march-to-85-finished/

slider643;842059102 said:

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Here's a good piece on Alabama/SEC roster management. The site itself is a pretty interesting read if you're into this kind of stuff, but specific to Alabama/Saban, it looks like he's pushing out a full class of recruits every other season. That's quite an advantage.

http://oversigning.com/testing/index.php/2011/07/22/alabamas-march-to-85-finished/

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Yeah Saban and Alabama care a lot about education. Geez, if Alabama is really pushing out one full class a year, that's just a notch down from full pro given they're trying to skirt the spirit and intend of regulations to say nothing about using kids, the money involved and how kids aren't paid.

My understanding is if a kid signs he gets an education for 4 years in return for signing up. If Alabama is skirting this, why are they even an university? Obviously football is more important.

NCAA should close the loophole and make all schools (but particularly SEC schools) educate scholarship athletes for 4 years or until they get their degree. Seriously given the history of the South and the racial make up of most SEC teams, something is totally messed up.

beelzebear;842059130 said:

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Yeah Saban and Alabama care a lot about education. Geez, if Alabama is really pushing out one full class a year, that's just a notch down from full pro given they're trying to skirt the spirit and intend of regulations to say nothing about using kids, the money involved and how kids aren't paid.

My understanding is if a kid signs he gets an education for 4 years in return for signing up. If Alabama is skirting this, why are they even an university? Obviously football is more important.

NCAA should close the loophole and make all schools (but particularly SEC schools) educate scholarship athletes for 4 years or until they get their degree. Seriously given the history of the South and the racial make up of most SEC teams, something is totally messed up.

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Four year schollies are now available. The SEC won't use them. Until there's an NCAA rule that you can only sign players when you have an open scholarship in your allotted 85, you'll continue to have oversigning and purging. As bad as Alabama/Saban looks, Houston Nutt was much worse signing 37 in one year. Now the SEC is "limited" to only 28 signees a season, regardless of roster space.

slider643;842059102 said:

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Here's a good piece on Alabama/SEC roster management. The site itself is a pretty interesting read if you're into this kind of stuff, but specific to Alabama/Saban, it looks like he's pushing out a full class of recruits every other season. That's quite an advantage.

http://oversigning.com/testing/index.php/2011/07/22/alabamas-march-to-85-finished/[/QUOT

Also good to read the comments, use a little common sense, and take Internet blogs con grano salis.

GB54;842058729 said:

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The answer is we don't. We have no interest in competing for a national championship. Alabama's commitment is a state commitment, and a University commitment that resulted in hiring for $5million a coach who could execute this. None of this exists here. If we could get to the Rose Bowl once a decade everyone would be happy

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Cal is paying many million dollars a year for a college football coaching staff and $400 million for facilities. Really not much different than what Alabama is doing. Except Alabama is winning and we are left with loser excuses.

Darby;842059422 said:

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Cal is paying many million dollars a year for a college football coaching staff and $400 million for facilities. Really not much different than what Alabama is doing. Except Alabama is winning and we are left with loser excuses.

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We're paying to be respectable not win a national championship. If you want to win a national championship you don't hire Sonny Dykes at 2 mill

GB54;842059427 said:

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We're paying to be respectable not win a national championship. If you want to win a national championship you don't hire Sonny Dykes at 2 mill

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If a national championship is what a person lusts for, that person is totally free to become a fan of whatever football factory is most appealing.

Cal's goals under Sonny are
1) academic success by the players (those looming sanctions are real)
and
2) an entertaining football experience with a decent amount of wins.

SonOfCalVa;842059430 said:

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Cal's goals under Sonny are . . . . .

2) an entertaining football experience with a decent amount of wins.

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I hope that is not Sonny Dykes' goal. I imagine he wants far more than "Cal" does, whoever and whatever this "Cal" is.

You recruit to your strengths. First, an opportunity to earn a degree from a great university. Second, an opportunity for offensive skill players to play in a wide open offense. Third, opportunity for immediate playing time at some positions. Fourth, the Bay Area - a truly unique and beautiful place to live.

As for Saban, he can flat coach and so can his staff. If you give him a month to prepare he is one of the more formidable coaches I have ever seen. He has really evolved as a coach and become better and better with time. The offensive line play is a thing of beauty. Defensively,they are so disciplined and prepared to the point where it seems as if they know the play before it is called. They were all over the three vertical with a drag underneath route the other night and on counters, the LBs never bit and were always at home. Saw some footage of Saban running a practice a few years ago - incredibly efficient, military precision and zero tolerance for anything other precise alignment and execution.

Does play games with the roster and that is unfortunate to say the least.

GB54;842059427 said:

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We're paying to be respectable not win a national championship. If you want to win a national championship you don't hire Sonny Dykes at 2 mill

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You are splitting hairs. Respectable is joining Davis in the Big Sky. Big time college FB programs with special admits, student athlete perks and hundreds of millions spent on facilities are all in the same class.

Darby;842059469 said:

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You are splitting hairs. Respectable is joining Davis in the Big Sky. Big time college FB programs with special admits, student athlete perks and hundreds of millions spent on facilities are all in the same class.

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Please. You think Alabama and Cal are in the same class? They aren't. Alabama is commited to win a national championship as are a handful of other schools. This is a commitment shared by the citizens of the state, the University and the athletic program. To that end-and to their credit-they went out and got a coach who could execute that and provided him all the resources he needed.

You may be committed to winning a national championship but this University is not. If it were they would have fired Tedford five years ago, gone out and hired Chip Kelly or Urban Meyer at $5mill and provided them all the resources they need. The reason they didn't is: it is not a priority. Not to say we are committed to failure; we aren't but to say there is a level playing field with Alabama, LSU and Ohio State is just not true.