Were you there? (And have you been "there" the last 17 years?)

1,537 Views | 9 Replies | Last: 5 yr ago by Cal8285
510 Bear
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Two questions for BI. #1: Was anyone else there last night? Do we have any more first-hand reports from the Coliseum?

#2: Has anyone here been to games at USC between 2002 and 2018? I've seen us lose there a couple times (and @ UCLA more than a couple times). It's no fun walking out of either place while those teams' fans celebrate, which made me even more thrilled to watch us (on TV) get it done in the coliseum last night.
59bear
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510 Bear said:

Two questions for BI. #1: Was anyone else there last night? Do we have any more first-hand reports from the Coliseum?

#2: Has anyone here been to games at USC between 2002 and 2018? I've seen us lose there a couple times (and @ UCLA more than a couple times). It's no fun walking out of either place while those teams' fans celebrate, which made me even more thrilled to watch us (on TV) get it done in the coliseum last night.
I haven't been to a Cal game in years but some of my sweeter memories are of wins over USC, including:
1949, Frank Brunk's 102 yd KO return keyed a win for Cal, my first time in Memorial;
1957 Cal got it's only win that year 12-0 (USC also wasn't much good);
1985 Marc Hicks ran a bobbled snap for a score to propel the Bears to victory. It was my first trip back to Memorial since I was a student and the last time I was there.
heartofthebear
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59bear said:

510 Bear said:

Two questions for BI. #1: Was anyone else there last night? Do we have any more first-hand reports from the Coliseum?

#2: Has anyone here been to games at USC between 2002 and 2018? I've seen us lose there a couple times (and @ UCLA more than a couple times). It's no fun walking out of either place while those teams' fans celebrate, which made me even more thrilled to watch us (on TV) get it done in the coliseum last night.
I haven't been to a Cal game in years but some of my sweeter memories are of wins over USC, including:
1949, Frank Brunk's 102 yd KO return keyed a win for Cal, my first time in Memorial;
1957 Cal got it's only win that year 12-0 (USC also wasn't much good);
1985 Marc Hicks ran a bobbled snap for a score to propel the Bears to victory. It was my first trip back to Memorial since I was a student and the last time I was there.
Cal beat SC in the 80s?
That means Cal has beaten SC at least once every single decade since the 70s.
Did they beat USC in the 60s?
Cal84
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510 Bear said:

Two questions for BI. #1: Was anyone else there last night? Do we have any more first-hand reports from the Coliseum?

#2: Has anyone here been to games at USC between 2002 and 2018? I've seen us lose there a couple times (and @ UCLA more than a couple times). It's no fun walking out of either place while those teams' fans celebrate, which made me even more thrilled to watch us (on TV) get it done in the coliseum last night.
I talked to some people from the Cal Band. They said that on their march up to the stadium, people were jeering, shouting and cars were honking their horns to try and drown out the band. And as is typical, when walking on the field next to the first row of seating, band members had take off their hats or at least hold on to them with a free hand to keep them from being stolen by Toejam fans leaning over the railing. Some of the Cal Band parents were extremely bitter about the environment.
KoreAmBear
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510 Bear said:

Two questions for BI. #1: Was anyone else there last night? Do we have any more first-hand reports from the Coliseum?

#2: Has anyone here been to games at USC between 2002 and 2018? I've seen us lose there a couple times (and @ UCLA more than a couple times). It's no fun walking out of either place while those teams' fans celebrate, which made me even more thrilled to watch us (on TV) get it done in the coliseum last night.
For #2, I was at the 2004 game and it was no fun walking out because of how stupid the SC fans were. It wasn't an amazing game of two incredibly talented and well-coached teams. Yet SC fans were yelling how we sucked yada yada. I was salty so I gave it back that if we're that bad, you were 7 yards from losing.

I was at the Vedder comeback game that was a lot of fun. I was also at the 1994 game where we lost 61-0 and Gilby burned Pat Barnes' RS year. Genius move. I really don't enjoy going to the Mausoleum. The place is super old, sight lines are bad unless you have a really good seat, and it just feels like it's dirty.
Sebastabear
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My son and his group of eight other students made the trek down. Got the full download from him last night. He said that the SC fans were fine - they are pretty bummed over their season in general but there weren't many bandwagoners in the stands (for obvious reasons). The ones who were there were pretty low key. Of course he he sat in the Cal section so take that for what it's worth.

He said one of the parking guards let them in a secret entrance into the garage and the attendants didn't hassle him over the fact he was using photocopies of his tickets to get in (long story). In general the folks working there were great.

My boy said after the second SC score his friends were talking about bailing in the third quarter if the Bears were down by three touchdowns (or more). I asked him if he would have left as well and he looked totally offended. He told me of course he'd never leave a Cal game early and he couldn't believe I'd even ask that - he just might have been sitting there alone. Warmed the cockles of my heart.

Needless to say, this all was moot and I think Cal made a few more lifetime converts. What's that worth? Potentially millions. Each of these upset wins is worth its weight in gold.
MiltyBear
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I was there. Some of the Cal section left at halftime as well as my friends but I hung out to see if anything would happen.

Probably my 5th or 6th game at the Coli (as they call it) since 2000, including the AR 2004 game. Always left dejected but this one broke the streak!
bluehenbear
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I was there in 2004...visitors seats were in much better location (end zone) at other end of stadium.

I was there in 2006...visitors were relocated to orange county section of the stadium. Was 9-6 at half, tied it up in third, but then Pete Carroll out-witted Tedford on a 4th and short with a play action pass to a wide open WR for a TD and that was that

I was actually there in 2007 for the SC/furd game. My wife (an SC alum) and I drove down the coast for our honeymoon and this was my gift for her...she doesn't like experiencing close games (typical SC fan! ) and this game had all the markings of a blowout including the point spread which was like 40 or more points. I got a lot of strange looks leaving the stadium as I was (of course) wearing my Cal hat. Cal at that point was undefeated after the UO game (fumble into end zone). I knew then that Harbaugh was trouble and a bad omen.
hanky1
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SC fans were less obnoxious than usual. Probably because they suck this year.
GoldenB
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I was at the coliseum the other night and the ast time we won at the coliseum.
First victory I had some really old man growling at me because I was so happy we won and was cheering for Cal while seated in a USC section. At the end of the game he was totally cursing at me and told me I shouldn't do that. I thought it was somewhat funny.

the other night, the SC fans were much more accepting and were actually quite gracious. I thought it was a different experience altogether. I am however almost 20 years older!
Cal8285
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I was there. It was not a particularly pleasant first half to watch, it was a perfectly fine second half to watch. I have been to every SC game at the Coliseum starting with 1978 except for 2014. I enjoyed this one as much as, or perhaps more than, any of the previous 3 victories, '96, '98, and '00.

By the way, winning the second half does not necessarily make it enjoyable. In 2010, after losing the first half 42-0, we won the second half. It still wasn't fun. It was even worse when Tedford decided to make it some kind of moral victory that we won the second half with our first string against the SC scrubs.

The fans I encountered Saturday were pretty low key. I had very nice seats acquired on StubHub in SC premium seats, but many fans seem to have sold on StubHub, given tickets to friends, or just not shown up. Unlike 2000, when many fans seemed to show up for the sole purpose of giving Paul Hackett grief, the fans were somewhat happy when things went well, and somewhat bitter when they didn't, but not particularly passionate one way or the other.

The biggest shock to me was how many of them left early, before Laird's first down. I understand those who didn't show up at all, but if you bother, why leave early when it is a one point game?

After the Laird run, many Cal fans near me went into the Bear Territory chant. The SC fans who didn't leave early were generally friendly and congratulatory. They didn't even seem too bitter about their team's woes (it may be that the bitter ones all either didn't show or left early). In the 4 Cal victories I've seen at the Coliseum, fans were never hostile after a loss (well, they were pretty hostile towards Paul Hackett in 2000, but not towards Cal). Perhaps this is because none of the teams that lost to Cal were particularly good, and they are probably happy for a loss if it might help get rid of the coach.
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