blungld;842199417 said:

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So? Where did you go?

Who here at BI can deliver this thread to Cal Marketing and actually get it read?

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Wifeisafurd, Sebastabear (or is it SonomaA1?) and Dr. Danger are three posters I can think of who seem to have good access.

Or, if we think any of the Cal marketing folks are bowlers, one of us could hang out at Albany Bowl with a printout of the thread.

kadl;842198661 said:

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Hey CAL Football Community,

During the Cal vs. Washington State football we decided to test out a new segment which involved members of Section TT singing and dancing to the tune of "I'm a Believer"during the 3rd and 4th Quarter.

I would appreciate if everyone who heard, participated, or knew of the segment please give me some feedback on what worked, what didn't work, and possible improvements. Also, do you feel like it engaged those who weren't really interested in college football by creating a fun experience with friends and family?

Tell me what you think?

Thank you!

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Thank you for soliciting our opinions. It means a great deal to me because, up until now, I did not believe that anyone had been listening. Like many alumni, I go to Cal games for the atmosphere. Lately, that atmosphere has been sorely lacking as we have been forced into watching helmet dances and listening to horrible piped in music. During breaks I want to hear the Cal band! Nothing else! Even if my all time favorite songs were piped in (which they are not) I would not be satified. College football is supposed to be about tradition and pagentry. I want Oski, the band, the cheerleaders and dance team, and Rally Com. We don't need the casual fan, cater to the True Blues! Casual fans come and go with the success of the team so please do not insult the true fans with gimmicks.

Thank you

TomBear;842199233 said:

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Kadl, I don't know if you and this post is legit or not. If so, you can go back several pages and see several threads that deal either directly or indirectly with the game day experience, and the anger/frustration we feel as we watch the Cal game day experience and traditions being whored out to the highest bidder.

I've written about this so much I've just grown tired of sharing my thoughts with the feeling they are simply a waste of time and an exercise in futility. A few years ago, there actually was an effort by someone within Cal Marketing to create a group of Cal people to consult with them on ideas to help promote Cal athletics. I think I still have the card of the person who tried to put that together but I'm tired and unwilling to look for it at this time. I would be happy to look for it again if you contact me directly and give you feedback on what I remember from that effort.

Basically I'm just going to say this: I'm sick and tired of the bombardment (and volume) of the commercials, I find the "promotions" to be boring and a major distraction from the flow and atmosphere of the game, and I really hate the silence of the Cal Band. The silence of the band is more deafening than the idiocy I have heard from the stadium PA system last year and (even more frustrating) this year. (I say "frustrating" because I had hoped after last year, the Athletic Dept. and Marketing Departments would have seen from observation that the over the top amount of commercials and promos were not only ill advised, but a crowd disaster as well.)

Direct to your question, the "Im a Believer" segment was un-needed, poorly done, and was met in my section by nothing but groans. What we want to hear is the Cal Band. The Cal Band is an integral part of the Cal Gameday experience. They are there to boost the morale of the team, and the fans. They are a big part of what separates the Cal gameday experience from that of other schools and the more plasticized professional version of football so easily available locally and on TV.

The Cal songs, the card stunts, the cannon, the yells, and the return to campus are the reasons college football at Cal is what I spend my money on instead of the professional alternative. Take those away, and all you have is just "the game", and I can watch "the game" on TV without paying for the trips up from L.A. which cost me money for transportation, wear and tear on the car, room, food, and miscellaneous money I spend on Cal gear which I don't need if I simply watch the game at my home on TV.

The excitement I had as a kid at my first Cal game was not from the game, it was from watching the Cal Band. I went to my first game when I was 5. I knew nothing of football, but I understood music, and the fun of watching the band on the field and in the stands. In high school, I played football.....but I also played in the band (at least first year, when I could do both). I gave up football to play rugby in college, but never lost my love for a good band. There aren't many good bands in the Pac 12. The Cal Band? Well, there's a reason why the Cal section yells "Cal Band Great!"

So instead of trying to conform to the other crap of other schools, or (worse) the NFL, start marketing what you have that's different......The Cal Spirit, The Cal Band, The Cal gameday in Berkeley at Strawberry Canyon. There's nothing like it. And no other school can duplicate it. But it's getting less prevalent with each passing week. Since that's what keeps me coming back, I'm not ashamed to tell you with each passing year, (and with the continued erosion of the Cal gameday experience I love and come up for), I find myself debating whether or not I want to renew my season tickets, and keep losing my whole weekend and the money associated with it to travel from L.A.

Cal gameday is special.....or at least it was. If you lose it, you lose me (at least as far as coming up from L.A. is concerned). And I'm pretty sure I'm not alone in saying that. You're welcome to contact me if you'd like further perspective and feedback. I'd be happy to try to help you.

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Thank you!

86Oski;842199424 said:

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Wifeisafurd, Sebastabear (or is it SonomaA1?) and Dr. Danger are three posters I can think of who seem to have good access.

Or, if we think any of the Cal marketing folks are bowlers, one of us could hang out at Albany Bowl with a printout of the thread.

---

It's done. I sent it to Development yesterday and I know they've read it and forwarded it to those who manage this stuff. Despite the OP trying to create a circular firing range, I think something good is going to come of it. Epic trolling fail. Thanks to all who provided the great insights.

Sebastabear;842199448 said:

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It's done. I sent it to Development yesterday and I know they've read it and forwarded it to those who manage this stuff. Despite the OP trying to create a circular firing range, I think something good is going to come of it. Epic trolling fail. Thanks to all who provided the great insights.

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Thx. Sebastabear. Hope something good comes of it.

We've discussed ideas for using the Cal band during sponsor segments instead of piped-in music. I can't recall if Delta Dental is a sponsor, but I could imagine having a "Delta Dental Smile Cam" showing kids in the crowd mugging for the cameras, while the Cal Band plays "Make Me Smile." (My favorite Cal Band song in the Non-Cal-Songs category.)

I'm sure we could do something similar for the segment currently sponsored by Muscle Milk. Or something sponsored by BART or Southwest set to "Free Ride."

With a little planning, improvements can be made.

TomBear;842199233 said:

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Kadl, I don't know if you and this post is legit or not. If so, you can go back several pages and see several threads that deal either directly or indirectly with the game day experience, and the anger/frustration we feel as we watch the Cal game day experience and traditions being whored out to the highest bidder.

I've written about this so much I've just grown tired of sharing my thoughts with the feeling they are simply a waste of time and an exercise in futility. A few years ago, there actually was an effort by someone within Cal Marketing to create a group of Cal people to consult with them on ideas to help promote Cal athletics. I think I still have the card of the person who tried to put that together but I'm tired and unwilling to look for it at this time. I would be happy to look for it again if you contact me directly and give you feedback on what I remember from that effort.

Basically I'm just going to say this: I'm sick and tired of the bombardment (and volume) of the commercials, I find the "promotions" to be boring and a major distraction from the flow and atmosphere of the game, and I really hate the silence of the Cal Band. The silence of the band is more deafening than the idiocy I have heard from the stadium PA system last year and (even more frustrating) this year. (I say "frustrating" because I had hoped after last year, the Athletic Dept. and Marketing Departments would have seen from observation that the over the top amount of commercials and promos were not only ill advised, but a crowd disaster as well.)

Direct to your question, the "Im a Believer" segment was un-needed, poorly done, and was met in my section by nothing but groans. What we want to hear is the Cal Band. The Cal Band is an integral part of the Cal Gameday experience. They are there to boost the morale of the team, and the fans. They are a big part of what separates the Cal gameday experience from that of other schools and the more plasticized professional version of football so easily available locally and on TV.

The Cal songs, the card stunts, the cannon, the yells, and the return to campus are the reasons college football at Cal is what I spend my money on instead of the professional alternative. Take those away, and all you have is just "the game", and I can watch "the game" on TV without paying for the trips up from L.A. which cost me money for transportation, wear and tear on the car, room, food, and miscellaneous money I spend on Cal gear which I don't need if I simply watch the game at my home on TV.

The excitement I had as a kid at my first Cal game was not from the game, it was from watching the Cal Band. I went to my first game when I was 5. I knew nothing of football, but I understood music, and the fun of watching the band on the field and in the stands. In high school, I played football.....but I also played in the band (at least first year, when I could do both). I gave up football to play rugby in college, but never lost my love for a good band. There aren't many good bands in the Pac 12. The Cal Band? Well, there's a reason why the Cal section yells "Cal Band Great!"

So instead of trying to conform to the other crap of other schools, or (worse) the NFL, start marketing what you have that's different......The Cal Spirit, The Cal Band, The Cal gameday in Berkeley at Strawberry Canyon. There's nothing like it. And no other school can duplicate it. But it's getting less prevalent with each passing week. Since that's what keeps me coming back, I'm not ashamed to tell you with each passing year, (and with the continued erosion of the Cal gameday experience I love and come up for), I find myself debating whether or not I want to renew my season tickets, and keep losing my whole weekend and the money associated with it to travel from L.A.

Cal gameday is special.....or at least it was. If you lose it, you lose me (at least as far as coming up from L.A. is concerned). And I'm pretty sure I'm not alone in saying that. You're welcome to contact me if you'd like further perspective and feedback. I'd be happy to try to help you.

---

I agree with all of this. Although I only have to commute from Contra Costa and not fly from LA, I have also been reconsidering my commitment for the above reasons as well as the following:

1. We have a group of 10 that usually tailgates pre-game. Particularly in seasons like this one (i.e., losing seasons), tailgating is big part of game day experience. However when you don't know game time until < 2 weeks before game makes it hard to organize so most games we are lucky to have 6 or 8 out of 10.

2. Having most games after 7pm sucks. College football experience should be walking campus, having tailgate and game starting at 1 or 2pm. One night game a season might be fun, but when most games are late it sucks.

3. TV timeouts. Big reason to go to game is to avoid TV and commercials. Yet we get to sit and watch the TV guy on the field wave his arms around before play can start. Oh and while we are waiting we are bombarded with what? As noted in above post we are relentlessly bombarded with commercials on PA and video screens at stadium. Might as well stay at home. Would rather hear band, score updates from other games or almost anything other than marketing crap that is current game day experience.

4. Length of Game. 4 hours plus is too much, especially when you are losing. Part of this is TV, part the injuries and official reviews and part is current Cal offensive system, but net result is almost unBEARably long games with way too many stoppages.

5. No replays. Why can they show endless replays of close plays on TV and yet NOT show any of it to fans in stadium? Why should viewer at home get to see replays and fans at game not get to do so (while instead having to suffer through marketing crap).

Ok, those are most significant points. Doubt it will do much good, but it game experience doesn't change I will also be looking for other alternatives for spending my weekends and entertainment dollars.

86Oski;842199456 said:

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We've discussed ideas for using the Cal band during sponsor segments instead of piped-in music. I can't recall if Delta Dental is a sponsor, but I could imagine having a "Delta Dental Smile Cam" showing kids in the crowd mugging for the cameras, while the Cal Band plays "Make Me Smile." (My favorite Cal Band song in the Non-Cal-Songs category.)

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Hey, that's my arrangement of "Make Me Smile". I'm glad you like it.

This Cal Band timeout tune sponsored by Delta Dental. lol :rollinglaugh:

2ndTrumpetBear;842199491 said:

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Hey, that's my arrangement of "Make Me Smile". I'm glad you like it.

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Great arrangement of a very good pop song!

blungld;842199417 said:

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So? Where did you go?

Who here at BI can deliver this thread to Cal Marketing and actually get it read?

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Maybe this needs to be done the Cal way.

Who here at BI knows where the server is that controls the Jumbotron, can get "control" of it and have the Oaktown Bear Manifesto scroll down during a game for the athletic department and marketing staff to see.

Followed by highlights of Cal Band performances.

Time to go rogue.

BGolden;842199529 said:

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Maybe this needs to be done the Cal way.

Who here at BI knows where the server is that controls the Jumbotron, can get "control" of it and have the Oaktown Bear Manifesto scroll down during a game for the athletic department and marketing staff to see.

Followed by highlights of Cal Band performances.

Time to go rogue.

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Either that, or form a mass protest and occupy the offices of the AD, and present it as a list of demands. Or perhaps they'd really like if if somebody sat in a tree outside their offices for a few hundred days, reading it over and over at the top of their lungs.

BearsWiin;842199533 said:

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Either that, or form a mass protest and occupy the offices of the AD, and present it as a list of demands. Or perhaps they'd really like if if somebody sat in a tree outside their offices for a few hundred days, reading it over and over at the top of their lungs.

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Naked

BGolden;842199535 said:

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Naked

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I'm really starting to like this idea. CJay, what are you doing the next few months?

Can't believe you came here for an opinion either. 90% of the posters here GET OFF on being jerks. The rest hate change, or anything creative.

That said, I was on the opposite side of the stadium and did not even know this happened.

Californication;842199543 said:

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That said, I was on the opposite side of the stadium and did not even know this happened.

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Yeah, I know. I saw you in the Field Club bar.

BGolden;842199529 said:

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Maybe this needs to be done the Cal way.

Who here at BI knows where the server is that controls the Jumbotron, can get "control" of it and have the Oaktown Bear Manifesto scroll down during a game for the athletic department and marketing staff to see.

Followed by highlights of Cal Band performances.

Time to go rogue.

---

Let's get the guy who tapped into the PA system at Stanfraud Stadium in the Big Game back in the late 90's - "Stanford penalized for excessive arrogance" If he can't do it, we certainly have some other "techies" who can. My motto is "Cal Band more, piped in music less!"

When I come to Memorial I want to hear the sounds of a college football game. The game, the crowd, the cannon, the band, and the PA only while he's got something pertinent to say.

As few ads as is critically necessary. Better sense and economy for on-field presentations. Less use of the PA for fluff. And no, none at all, no piped in music. Please for the love of all that should be loved, let the band play.

WE WANT THE CAL BAND TO PLAY MORE OFTEN. We have more school songs than most places. Put the words on the video board and have everybody sing them. How about the Cal Drinking song?

There were many games in the past 50 years that the only good thing was the Cal Band. The gameday atmosphere for the Ohio State game was so much better than other games because of the BANDS! And the cheers!

Also, instead of having the announcer introduce the new Hall of Fame members during the early part of the game and the AGAIN at halftime (I'm assuming that is what is planned as that was done for the National Champions), we'd like to hear the Cal Band. We do not need to hear the same announcements twice.

Thank you for asking for our feedback!

GO BEARS

86Oski;842199504 said:

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Great arrangement of a very good pop song!

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Just to show I"m not a complete fuddy-duddy, I think the Cal Band's version of "Smells Like Teen Spirit" is awesome. Haven't heard it yet this year....hopefully that can be rectified soon.

JSC 76;842199755 said:

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Just to show I"m not a complete fuddy-duddy, I think the Cal Band's version of "Smells Like Teen Spirit" is awesome. Haven't heard it yet this year....hopefully that can be rectified soon.

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Let me see if I understand this. Your proof of not being a complete fuddy-duddy is that you like the Cal Band's version of a song that was released twenty-two years ago, before most of the current Cal students were born? What would have been your reaction during college if some alumnus was chatting you up before a game and said, "I'm not an old fart. I really like that Bobby Darin kid."?

Petition denied; status as a fuddy-duddy confirmed. Case remanded to the lower court to determine whether petitioner qualifies as a codger.

We had a thread a few years ago on favorite Cal Band songs other than Cal songs. I nominated "Make Me Smile" and "The Story in Your Eyes." Someone else (71Bear?) said he liked "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood." A few others offered other songs. Golden Geezer then posted and accused all of us of liking teeny-bopper music and pined for the days when the Cal Band played John Philip Sousa numbers.

86Oski;842199776 said:

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Let me see if I understand this. Your proof of not being a complete fuddy-duddy is that you like the Cal Band's version of a song that was released twenty-two years ago, before most of the current Cal students were born?

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Oh, christ. I was afraid of that.

OK, I'm relatively hip. Grading on a curve of West Siders, 78% hip.

JSC 76;842199779 said:

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Oh, christ. I was afraid of that.

OK, I'm relatively hip. Grading on a curve of West Siders, 78% hip.

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LOL, yes, that's a very generous curve. You could be hip on that curve even with the Bobby Darin love.

I admire the sprit of the OP. What you do with the game day eperience is up to you.

What they may not realize is that it's near impossible to get consensus on anything around here, especially something like music.

So in the sprit of disunity....

Something for the oldsters :



Something for the youngsters :




Call me crazy, but I like both.
I think the Cal band is versatile enough to play both and pull it off.

Hmm, if others want to email the athletic department, all staff emails are here:

http://www.calbears.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=30100&ATCLID=208204352

"Director of Fan Experience" seems like a place to start, though who knows if they care.

One thing to mention that takes a slightly less approach to the matter - with every game on TV, we have longer, more prevalent TV timeouts. So they definitely need to fill time. If they are making decent money from some of these promos so be it, I guess. But the timeouts are so lengthy that there seems to be time to give the band and the promos some time.

The thing that rubs me the wrong way is that it didn't seem the sing along was a advertisement for anything, so it was CHOSEN as something the fans should like. In that case, do something Cal tradition related... ie the band.

As for piped in music, I know some hate it, I think it work in short bursts. Especially with the power/clarity of the new speakers... in a good fraction of the stadium, the speakers are loud and the band is pretty quiet. Compare that to the Ohio State band, who could fill the stadium... sometimes you do have to go with what works. One thing that affect perception of our band is that they face the donor sections on the west side, so they absolutely can be heard well there, but our stadium actually has most of it's seats past the goal lines... and the band doesn't face the endzones.

For an extended time, anything through the speakers gets grating while the band is pleasant during the longer breaks - I can't remember a single ad from this year (other than Albany Bowl), so it's possible to tune it out. I do remember the band playing from many many games in the past.

K-A-D-L v. K-A-L-X







:Monty

JSC 76;842199779 said:

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Grading on a curve of West Siders, 78% hip.

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When they're talking about hip - its a replacement.

JSC 76;842199779 said:

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Oh, christ. I was afraid of that.

OK, I'm relatively hip. Grading on a curve of West Siders, 78% hip.

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Hip replacement maybe?

Go!Bears;842199841 said:

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When they're talking about hip - its a replacement.

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You beat me to it. Lol

BGolden;842199529 said:

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Maybe this needs to be done the Cal way.

Who here at BI knows where the server is that controls the Jumbotron, can get "control" of it and have the Oaktown Bear Manifesto scroll down during a game for the athletic department and marketing staff to see.

Followed by highlights of Cal Band performances.

Time to go rogue.

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what makes you think the AD and marketing staffers attend games?

boredom;842199992 said:

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what makes you think the AD and marketing staffers attend games?

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In the old Memorial, my seats (EE) were right on the aisle that provided in & out access to the press box. Saw Sandy (and her predecessors) there all the time.

I got an email the other day from Courtney Klein(courtneyklein@berkeley.edu), a customer service representative, that was asking for feedback about my game day experience. Perfect timing (with this thread and all)! Anybody else receive one of these emails? Anyway, here's my response:

"Hi Ms. Klein,
Thanks for checking in. Aside from the Bears winning, there are a few important ways my Cal game day experience could be improved:

1. (most important) Let the Cal Band play more. I come to the games for the college football atmosphere. The Cal Band is one of my favorite traditions and it has been muted the last few years. The stadium has lost its soul.
2. Please reduce the "fun" video board promotions/segment/games that run in between plays or during timeouts. I understand that we need corporate sponsorship and ads, but these fun segments need to be reduced and replaced by more Cal Band and crowd cheers.
3. Please reduce the amount of piped-in music at the expense of the Cal Band and crowd cheers.
4. I enjoyed the food on the East side much better last year. I dug the independent vendors. The dining commons food is kind of dull and is of mediocre quality.
5. More replays on the video boards. Sometimes the boards are dead when you could be showing relplays.

Things I like about the game day experience:

1. new water fountains on the East side!!! This rocks. We could use one or two more to reduce the wait.
2. staring at the beautiful new press box from the East side.
3. the lowering of the field for better sight lines
4. on the rare occasion that I walk through the West side concourse, the beautiful expanded West side concourse
5. the new video boards for watching replays

Thanks again,
I hope my feedback will affect change."

prospeCt;842199839 said:

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K-A-D-L v. K-A-L-X

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I know everyone likes to criticize the ESP section, but it was the only part of the stadium taking part in the Gold-Out that night. Check out all that yellow!

pierrezo;842200003 said:

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I got an email the other day from Courtney Klein(courtneyklein@berkeley.edu), a customer service representative, that was asking for feedback about my game day experience. Perfect timing (with this thread and all)! Anybody else receive one of these emails? Anyway, here's my response:

"Hi Ms. Klein,
Thanks for checking in. Aside from the Bears winning, there are a few important ways my Cal game day experience could be improved:

1. (most important) Let the Cal Band play more. I come to the games for the college football atmosphere. The Cal Band is one of my favorite traditions and it has been muted the last few years. The stadium has lost its soul.
2. Please reduce the "fun" video board promotions/segment/games that run in between plays or during timeouts. I understand that we need corporate sponsorship and ads, but these fun segments need to be reduced and replaced by more Cal Band and crowd cheers.
3. Please reduce the amount of piped-in music at the expense of the Cal Band and crowd cheers.
4. I enjoyed the food on the East side much better last year. I dug the independent vendors. The dining commons food is kind of dull and is of mediocre quality.
5. More replays on the video boards. Sometimes the boards are dead when you could be showing relplays.

Things I like about the game day experience:

1. new water fountains on the East side!!! This rocks. We could use one or two more to reduce the wait.
2. staring at the beautiful new press box from the East side.
3. the lowering of the field for better sight lines
4. on the rare occasion that I walk through the West side concourse, the beautiful expanded West side concourse
5. the new video boards for watching replays

Thanks again,
I hope my feedback will affect change."

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*effect change

(Sorry, hadda do it)

Yes. People forget that effect can also be a verb.

JSC 76;842199999 said:

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In the old Memorial, my seats (EE) were right on the aisle that provided in & out access to the press box. Saw Sandy (and her predecessors) there all the time.

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I was mostly kidding. But the little bit that was serious... I didn't mean the AD, I meant the AD staff and marketing staff. Some are there working the game (as is Sandy) because it's their job, but they're likely not taking in the atmosphere, band, etc and wouldn't necessarily notice what's on the video board at any given time.

The rest of the staffers though, the ones not paid to be at the games, I'm guessing they get tickets but I doubt they go all that often. This is off small tidbits of data but I don't think most of these folks are Cal alums. The changes made to the gameday experience usually don't make me think "wow, the people who thought this up have been going to Cal games for years".

grandmastapoop;842200019 said:

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*effect change

(Sorry, hadda do it)

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Pooper!