So, this is sort of deep and long.

There was a post recently about making Memorial loud, and someone brought up that I could help with that iin returning as micman.

When I decided to return to Cal after a 25 year hiatus, I had hoped we'd find a way to integrate me into the micman crew. Not take it over, but just be one of the crew and lend my perspective, approach and maybe, just sort of show the current micmen what's possible. It would be both a great thing and a great story for Cal. We had reporters from ESPN, SF Chronicle, Yahoo Sports, whom I know that wanted to do a story on it. Sure, i would be the hook , but it wouldn't be all about me (I don't need it) but the magic that is Cal sports, spirit and tradition. It would be so easy.



For whatever reason, that has not been welcomed. And to be honest, it hurts. Not because I am owed anything. Not because I am being disrespected. But because it makes no sense and I never get a straight answer. They have been urged to include me by athletes across sports, particularly football and by the football establishment itself. But for whatever reason, it's no. That's their choice, but i find it sad.

See, there are countless incredible, spirted backers of Cal. I am not alone in that by any measure. But i don't believe anybody lives the crazy cross section of Cal that I do, who is the embodiement of positivity when it comes to Cal (not ideal maybe for a person deciding a coaching hire [as many of you get aggravated with], but certainly for someone inspiring / motivating fans). I alway say, i don't know how the plane gets off the ground. I don't know how someone can play tennis in London and somehow that picture goes up into outerspace and gets put together again on my screen, on my phone no less! But man, one thing i know, that is at my core, is how to inspire and lead Cal fans to greatness.

You know, someone commented in that thread

Quote:

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With all due respect to a great bear, the students might want someone of their own generation standing up there with the mic.

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I have to tell you, with all respect, you're wrong. Millenials get a lot of deserved flack, but one of the many areas where I respect them is they don't silo people like we did when i was their age. A lot of that is due to social media where we can get to know people in ways it wouldn't have been possible 25 years ago. They actually see people as individuals and not a demographic.

I am in fact a Cal undergrad. Yes, I'm older than some of these kids' parents... but metaphysically, spiritually, i am them. I often joke with them that the reason we get along so well is while I may be twice their age, i have half their maturity, so it all evens out. I'm not pretending to be a Frank the Tank caricature, I'm just Ken. A sui generis being, that marches to his own beat.

In fact, in my Haas leadership class, we had to say something about ourselves and part of what I said is here i am a college dropout who somehow did ok for himself in the world and now 25 years later is getting his degree. My point to them was that they should choose their own path. Don't let anyone tell them how to live their lives. Our life journeys are not prescribed for us.

https://instagr.am/p/BSry-f8Bup9

That idea of my life being sort of crazy is that you know, on any given night, I might be having dinner with fellow students from a class, like I did tonight after my CS10 lab...i might be getting together with members of the football team, or water polo team ... or on another night their coaches... I might be having a business lunch with a professor like I did on friday to see about hiring her to do some consulting... and all of those those relationships are distinct. And they know it.



For the last two years i have not sat on the west side at games, instead firmly in the student section... and every single fellow student i meet is awesome and we end up friending each other on Facebook. Seriously, life is so good it's hard to believe I get to do this. Would I try out, sure. I have no problem with that. I am very confident of what the result would be. That's not arrogance, that's knowing who I am and knowing who Cal is.

https://instagr.am/p/BYYhuBQBpf6

So that was long and rambling. I am asking you to PLEASE, DO NOT turn this into an attack or criticism of the current students or even the admin. I just wanted to share this perspective with you since it was brought up.

I wish things were different, but that's life. And my outlook remains ever golden.

GO BEARS!

*****
I added this video to Ken's post

Nice post. We all know that a lot of things that happen at Cal are a bit off, but you can usually at least figure out "why" (although sometimes you have to squint real hard to see it). But this one just seems inexplicable. How does it detract from anything having Ken lead a cheer or two? How is this not a fun opportunity for the current generation to learn from, or at least see, one of the all time greats at his craft?

I was at that 1991 USC game and I can tell you it was pure magic and Ken was a big part of that. It was his White Album.

I for one would dearly love to feel that magic again. If anyone reading this can put that mic back in his hands on Saturday, even for a moment, I beg you to do so.

I think we should all just accept and come to believe that in a sense that Ken represents on some level the living embodiment of what Oski represents....the eternal sophomore, the Cal spirit in us all that will never die. We all should channel that, we may have graduated and may never go back as students but we can go back in spirit.

I sit in the lowest rows of the Field Club, kind of ironic because I remember my days as student When I and my fellow students used to snickeringly deride the west siders as cranks who wouldn't make noise. However I also remember my days in Harmon with Ken and a crew down low court side trying to get in the head of opposing players and make them lose focus.

So it heartens me to see this post because I was just thinking last week as my crew (some who were also court side w/Ken) were right in front of the backup kicker for ole miss right after he missed either a PAT or a FG and they were down one. He was practicing his kicks and we were thinking....wow we need to try and get in his head....and we did I think...I could see other players coming up to him and consoling him, telling him to ignore us.

But the one thing we were missing and the one thing I thought could have made us more effective would have been having Ken there helping us with our little psych out strategy.

So hells yes I'm all for Ken getting involved again..

I also think I need Ken on speed dial for situations like last week and you are always welcome down low on the west side ...even if it's only occasionally ....might not be the student section but if that gig doesn't pan out I think the west siders could always use a little more inspiration....and nobody does it better.

The Bear will never quit, Go Bears Ken, Go Bears indeed.

I get why it makes sense. But I can also see why we should let them figure it out on their own.

Great post.
College is fun, Cal sports should be fun for the fans. No one makes it more fun to be at a Cal athletic event than Ken.
He gets it, he always has.
For Cal athletics/Cal groups/the University to not have him involved in a some kind of official or unofficial capacity is a wasted opportunity. His passion, creativity and talent are something Cal needs.
Way too vanilla, bland, boring and corporate the way things currently are

The Athletic department/University must do one thing well tomorrow, get our talented students to the game in force, and early! Overflow the student section. A full, passionate student section increases our chances of victory and makes the Memorial Stadium game experience much more fun!

The University must make this a priority, commuicate, get creative and make it happen!

The micmen had more of an open attitude during my Cal years. The head guy in '74 was Ken Harder (spelling?) who was incredibly funny and irreverent, a Letterman kind of character, perfect for Cal, and the students loved him. They brought in an 80 year old (it appeared) woman who knew some of the nuttiest old cheers and we learned them, and energy was always high when she got up there. In '75 Ben came in with his "on the roof" cheer and the stadium exploded. Ben wasn't an official micman, he just showed up for one cheer per game. It all worked.

I remember a day in Sept 1990, Cal v Miami, where a cheer team was clumsily flubbing through cheers. Russell White's first touch at home was a 99 yard kickoff return for a td and there was nothing from the cheer team. Then some guy went to the bench and took over the mic and created a magic atmosphere in the student section that matched the electric atmosphere on the field. That magic lasted as long as that guy (Ken) was on the sideline. I never met Ken but know that he bleeds blue and gold. He would ABSOLUTELY be a difference maker for getting the crowd better involved in the games. Go Bears!!' And Go Ken!!

FiatLux, Thank you for your perspective, energy and optimism.

It is really counterproductive the way Cal does things. I've been to a few UCLA games over the years and they have active alumni "Mic Men" who keep the alumni section active. Cal has... nothing. Heck, at this point, Cal is so stubbornly committed to a failed business model we don't even HAVE an alumni section - we have a bunch of empty seats staring back at the student section.

The whole thing is absurd.

I know you said "don't turn this into an attack on the administration," but the administration has earned the heaps of scorn it's receiving from all corners of the Cal community - with or without your story of cal administrative ineptitude. Cal now has hired a consultant to tell Cal how to spend less money. Because, Cal administration. Cal has a huge deficit. Because, Cal administration. Cal is falling in the university rankings. Because, Cal administration. People are laughing at Cal, because, Cal administration.

It's noble that you want to avoid getting involved in that mess, but there's no way at this point we can close our eyes, hold hands, have warm feelings and pretend we all don't know what and where the giant sucking sound at Cal is. The ineptitude of the administration at the AD office is just a symptom of the campus-wide cancer. We don't do Cal and our legacy any favors by pretending the cancer isn't there and refusing to take our medicine.

Go Bears!!

I was working as a hasher at one of the sorority houses up on Warring when Ken and his ilk went around firing up all the Greeks for some big football game. Might have been the SC game in '91, as I know Ken posted a video of this video tour awhile back.

As others have said, Ken was the best d@mn mic man I ever saw, and I don't think it's mere coincidence that the return to winning (in '90) and the glorious ascent to the top-10 (in '91) mirrored Ken's years as the mic man. It was a wonderful time to be in that student section -- clever cheers, mostly clean, and Ken just had whatever "it" factor that some people have when leading large groups of people. he also understood the proper tone and cadence for "Roll on you Bears," which many of the young'uns still don't get.

Having said all this, what I respect most about Ken v2017 is that he is being respectful of the current mic men. Easiest thing in the world would be to march up there, take matters into his own hands, and own that mic and inspire the students to rooting section greatness. But he's tried to work it thru proper channels, and I respect the he!! out of him for not doing something to cut the legs out from under the current mic men. Major props to you, Ken, for trying to go about this the right way.

Ken, I hope you don't give up the fight! I am hoping that somehow, someway this Saturday against the hated Toejams or in some future game you will get your chance again! It seems to me if you get a shot at it then you will be welcomed back with open arms.

Go Bears!

If it's the admin making this decision, that's beyond stupid. How much would a win over sc mean in terms of dollars for the university? How much do you think the 2003 sc win meant? Millions upon millions of dollars. For a cash strapped admin, you would think they'd be looking for any competitive advantage.

And just to be clear. Yes, a good mic man can absolutely influence a game. Just look to ken's 1991 performance against SC. Or the Oregon comeback from '93. Or that triple overtime game I believe against Arizona (?) when the micmen had the entire student section move to one end of the field. There are just countless examples where the micmen have helped win games. If you have arguably the best cal micman ever, just sitting in your student section, why wouldn't you use him. It would be like if Jason Kidd had a year of eligibility left and came back to school.

If it's the students making this decision, I suppose that's slightly more understanding, but it certainly shows some youthful ignorance on their part.

The problem is that the micmen for the past several years, this is all they know. they are too young to know what a true impact micmen can make.

We used to have the best, most creative most organized student section in the country. This is not an exaggeration. We did. And it was mostly because of the micmen. And not just ken. From Eddie to the dude who currently does the onfield stuff during games to Kate. We've had a long legacy of great micmen because the baton has always been passed down. All the traditions, the knowhow, etc have been passed down from one great micman to the other.

Somewhere along the line, this has stopped. Ken could revive that. He Could teach the kids how to do this very difficult job and also show them what can be. I don't think the current kids have any idea what kind of power they possess to affect a game if they are able to use that mic correctly.

So if you are reading this and happen to have the ear of a decision maker, please let's make this happen. Or maybe someone can talk to coach Wilcox and have him lobby on behalf of ken. I'm sure he wouldn't mind having a louder student section.

Cmon people. This is a win win for everyone. Let's try to get this done.

Ken is the embodiment of everything we love about Cal. And right now the fan base is down, probably about to rise. What a way to stimulate further and different (which is Cal) interest in the FB team.
Rooting for Ken to "Root".

At the very least it'd be nice if the current MicMen were open to feedback and pointers. Some of them in the past years have been so so so so bad.

You are definitely a Cal sports institution onto yourself. It does not make any sense for you to be dismissed in any way. You really are just this amazing dynamo of a person and the Cal community is lucky to have you as our own.

Now as a practical point, I wish they would let you do what they had you do before the 2007 Tennessee game. You led us in a few rounds of Roll On You Bears. I know we have rules about when we do that (just like Bear Territory) but screw convention. That was one game where the almost the entire packed stadium was there like 30 minutes before kickoff. We did ROYB as one, loud, and it resonated up Tightwad Hill and throughout Strawberry Canyon. I had chicken skin and still get it when I think about it. Now I think this would require a special game (like this week) where CMS is packed, but that's one way your talent can be utilized.

There could also be certain portions of the game, where you should have the mic and your cheers are piped into the entire stadium. Not necessarily the whole game, just certain times in the game.

Hang in there, Ken. You are really a Cal treasure.

I'd like to see the oldish (but young at heart) man get the mic for a little while, for the reasons previously noted. I'm oldish, too, so it's okay for me to refer to him as oldish.

Ken is the perfect example of what a true California Golden Bear fan and alum should be with the wonderful spirit he possess. Win or lose, Ken is always cheering on Cal with his positive attitude and that, I have a lot of respect for. I've seen him take on the unofficial "Mic Man" role plenty of times over the last few years.

I met Ken through a "Make LA Bear Territory" event he helped organize through Facebook when Cal was playing at USC in men's basketball in January 2013. Cal won and man, I was impressed in the cheers that Ken helped lead the Cal fans in attendance at the Galen Center. We were loud and raucous and the team came away with the victory. Then, we connected at a basketball game (the Allen Crabbe shove game vs U$C) in the student section of Haas.

It wasn't until I graduated from Cal in Spring 2016 that I appreciated Ken's efforts and spirits. I started attending away football games and Ken basically served as the unofficial "mic man" and helped lead the Cal section in cheers. First of all, he started the tradition of displaying the California state flag at every away game and that's been a tradition that continues today. Next, at every away game, Ken paces up and down the stands with the goal to get everyone involved. Take a look:

9/10/16 - Cal @ SDSU:
Lots of Cal fans turned out to this early non-conference match-up in Southern California and Ken led us in the cheers:




9/24/16 - Cal @ ASU:
A game in which the Cal Band and Cal Spirit didn't travel to so Cal already lacked in spirit. But Ken stepped up to the challenge in the dry heat of Tempe, AZ and kept us engaged throughout the game. Though we lost, everyone there had a great time.

9/2/17 - Cal @ UNC:
Another game in which the Cal Band and Cal Spirit didn't travel to. Ken riled up the Cal section and the team fed off that spirit all afternoon long. Every Cal fan in attendance was delighted to have Ken lead us in cheering on our beloved Golden Bears.

I hope Ken gets a chance to lead some cheers, especially at the biggest home game of the season this Saturday vs. U$C. Go Bears! #BringBackKen

As a current football player and a personal friend of Ken. I would love to see him up as the MicMan again. Hearing all the amazing stories and how awesome of a job he did, I would love to experience the legendary MicMan myself. I also have the general feel of the locker room and we would love to have Ken back! #MakeMicManGreatAgain

KickBallFar42 said:

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As a current football player and a personal friend of Ken. I would love to see him up as the MicMan again. Hearing all the amazing stories and how awesome of a job he did, I would love to experience the legendary MicMan myself. I also have the general feel of the locker room and we would love to have Ken back! #MakeMicManGreatAgain

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KickBallFar42, You and the team could definitely have more influence than anybody else. Cal football is the engine that makes the whole Cal athletics car run, and if the general locker room sentiment is pro-Ken, I believe you'll hold more sway over that decision that any RallyComm lackie or administrative schmuck.

All I can say is that not one Cal fan would ever regret having Ken in charge of spirit, cheer, and general fan pandemonium.

By the way, to you personally KBF42: thanks for donning the blue and gold and going out there each week so that students, kids, and middle-aged grayhairs like myself can spend our Saturday afternoons sitting in that historic old bowl tucked into the gorgeous canyon, under a resplendent California sun, cheering on our California Golden Bear gridiron heroes. Nice to see a current baller on here.

NVBear78 said:

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So I have to ask about the elephant in the room........


What person or group is standing in the way of Ken and some time on the microphone? I thought there were open try outs for MicMan anyway, was Ken prohibited from participating?


This thread confirms the following:

• The players want Ken
• The coaches want Ken
• The Alums want Ken

And there are students posting here who want Ken



p.s. so who in the heck is it that doesn't want Ken, must be a milktoast Furdie masquerading as a Bear

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Maybe the current MicMen don't want to be shown up?

As many other Cal Alumni have said their two cents, I too want to donate mine...

I first met Ken at a women's water polo match 6 years ago and since then Ken has been nothing less than Cal every time we've seen each-other. As a former member of the Men's Crew, Ken made it to our events just as he does the football games, basketball games, volleyball matches, tennis matches, rugby matches, baseball games, swimming meets, and gymnastics ... you name the Cal sport and he is there. And, never silent about his support for our current generation of Cal athletes and coaches.

Ken has blue and gold heart and soul, respectfully. A heart of Berkeley Blue pumping the blood through his veins, Ken tirelessly supports the Fiat Lux. This core of Ken's personality is know by all who know him no matter where or when you met him, you know his soul his California Gold and he shines as bright as he can when given the opportunity. So why in the world would someone contain that spirit? Why not release a beast that is Cal Fandom?

In not allowing a man of Cal tradition, an undeniable undergraduate (and therefore rightfully eligible to take the mic), and most of all a leader to the athletes take that mic for 10 minutes in the 3rd when Cal needs to roll-on over the disgusting and often tasteless Trojans is foolish. As a proud alumni of Cal, it is not my place to instruct the current students on their choices, but I can advise their failure to engage with the Cal Community. As the MicMan, it is your job to rally the spirit of 63,000+ Cal Bears, and in not allowing someone who embodies the Cal spirit lead that charge (even for a short amount of time), the current MicMan squad is not only acting childishly, but frankly moronic to ignore the blue and "golden child" that is Ken Montgomery.

I would simply like to end with a few questions.... why not let him take the mic? What is there to loose?

Go Bears!

Gosh, that's a really nasty thing to say. I joined so I could comment. Last year I was a freshman and went to the first football game. It was against texas and i went by myself because my dormmates didn't want to go. Ken saw me sitting by myself and invited me to join him and his friends. I ended up having a really great time. everyone was so nice. since then ken and i have talked several times and he even bought my friend and me breakfast when he saw us out. Whenever i see him on campus he says hi and asks how things are going. he is one of the nicest people i have met at Cal. He seems to know everyone and we all think he is fun.

Sorry Bear19, but I think you are in a very distinct minority. If it's narcissism to have unbridled love for Cal and to devote all of your energy to promoting Cal and cheering on the Bears then Cal could use a whole lot more narcissists.