Over the past 30 years I have met many parents and families from our Bear football teams. They are a great group. Never before would a parent be so hard pressed to see their son play under these incredible circumstances. Me? I have two firefighter sons and I can visualize some of this - and yet they are not student athletes with a pandemic with school hanging over their heads. They obviously have other stresses. After this very difficult first game, I would only offer and suggest staying positive and using discretion when criticizing the actual early play and result from the Bears. These 18-22 year olds are doing the best they can and frankly I trust their coaches to keep their welfare in mind as paramount to everything else.

72CalBear said:

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Over the past 30 years I have met many parents and families from our Bear football teams. They are a great group. Never before would a parent be so hard pressed to see their son play under these incredible circumstances. Me? I have two firefighter sons and I can visualize some of this - and yet they are not student athletes with a pandemic with school hanging over their heads. They obviously have other stresses. After this very difficult first game, I would only offer and suggest staying positive and using discretion when criticizing the actual early play and result from the Bears. These 18-22 year olds are doing the best they can and frankly I trust their coaches to keep their welfare in mind as paramount to everything else.

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This is different circumstances and that shifts my expectations. These guys just wanted to play, and they very nearly had that taken away. I am happy UCLA got a win for their players. I am happy Cal players got to play.

I stopped caring about this season when everyone else was playing and the Pac12 was still sidelined. My view was any game is a good game.

Taking this season's results seriously, as a fan, is maybe the most disconnected mentality possible. We are two games in to a 6+1 game season, and we are 0-1 (that doesnt add up to 2).

OSU is next week, and there was a strong possibility that they wouldn't be able to play this week already. We might be 0-1 after three games.

Covid is up, and lockdowns are starting again in harder hit regions and cities. We might be 0-1 at the end of the season.

But I got to watch Cal play, and it wasn't a garbage norhing team, it was a traditional rival, an LA school (something that wasn't supposed to happen). And the players got to play. Losing sucks, but perspective is important.

My opinion anyway.

LunchTime said:

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72CalBear said:

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Over the past 30 years I have met many parents and families from our Bear football teams. They are a great group. Never before would a parent be so hard pressed to see their son play under these incredible circumstances. Me? I have two firefighter sons and I can visualize some of this - and yet they are not student athletes with a pandemic with school hanging over their heads. They obviously have other stresses. After this very difficult first game, I would only offer and suggest staying positive and using discretion when criticizing the actual early play and result from the Bears. These 18-22 year olds are doing the best they can and frankly I trust their coaches to keep their welfare in mind as paramount to everything else.

---

This is different circumstances and that shifts my expectations. These guys just wanted to play, and they very nearly had that taken away. I am happy UCLA got a win for their players. I am happy Cal players got to play.

I stopped caring about this season when everyone else was playing and the Pac12 was still sidelined. My view was any game is a good game.

Taking this season's results seriously, as a fan, is maybe the most disconnected mentality possible. We are two games in to a 6+1 game season, and we are 0-1 (that doesnt add up to 2).

OSU is next week, and there was a strong possibility that they wouldn't be able to play this week already. We might be 0-1 after three games.

Covid is up, and lockdowns are starting again in harder hit regions and cities. We might be 0-1 at the end of the season.

But I got to watch Cal play, and it wasn't a garbage norhing team, it was a traditional rival, an LA school (something that wasn't supposed to happen). And the players got to play. Losing sucks, but perspective is important.

My opinion anyway.

---

Well said both of you:


We got to watch our beloved Cal Bears play today, after speculation that might not happen at all this season.

The players got to take the field together!


The result was surely less than anybody wanted or expected but better to have had the chance to play!

Well said all. People act like this was the worst thing to ever happen to CAL football. Do people forget the 2019 season when we got WAXED 35-0 by Utah? That season still turned out very positively last I checked. Be proud that despite the crazy situation they had to deal with they got to see the field like they had been begging for. Lots of vets on the team, besides the staff, to remind them its just 1 game. Learn from your mistakes, as Tswizzle says "shake it off", and on to Oregon State!

I've spent my life as a Cal fan, and for the most part my emotions have fluctuated with the highs, and the more numerous lows. But as for 2020, I'm taking a more philosophical stance. Any other year, and I would be extremely frustrated, especially after looking forward to today for so long. But given all the delays, obstacles, and the circumstances around this game, as has been said, I'm just happy they made it onto the field. The deck was stacked against the Bears, and in retrospect, the outcome cannot be considered as surprising as it appears at first glance. I view this season (in all sports) as an exhibition. I hope that Wilcox takes the opportunity to allow younger players who might not have not seen the field, especially if Cal had played up to expectations in a normal year, to get some on-field game experience. There likely won't be enough games played to affect their redshirt status, so if at least some of the games are still played, it's an opportunity to go into next year with more depth and experience. I don't think anyone knows how this year will affect the final recruiting results, so I also hope that the Bears can maintain their momentum in what has so far been an excellent recruiting cycle.

LunchTime said:

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72CalBear said:

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Over the past 30 years I have met many parents and families from our Bear football teams. They are a great group. Never before would a parent be so hard pressed to see their son play under these incredible circumstances. Me? I have two firefighter sons and I can visualize some of this - and yet they are not student athletes with a pandemic with school hanging over their heads. They obviously have other stresses. After this very difficult first game, I would only offer and suggest staying positive and using discretion when criticizing the actual early play and result from the Bears. These 18-22 year olds are doing the best they can and frankly I trust their coaches to keep their welfare in mind as paramount to everything else.

---

This is different circumstances and that shifts my expectations. These guys just wanted to play, and they very nearly had that taken away. I am happy UCLA got a win for their players. I am happy Cal players got to play.

I stopped caring about this season when everyone else was playing and the Pac12 was still sidelined. My view was any game is a good game.

Taking this season's results seriously, as a fan, is maybe the most disconnected mentality possible. We are two games in to a 6+1 game season, and we are 0-1 (that doesnt add up to 2).

OSU is next week, and there was a strong possibility that they wouldn't be able to play this week already. We might be 0-1 after three games.

Covid is up, and lockdowns are starting again in harder hit regions and cities. We might be 0-1 at the end of the season.

But I got to watch Cal play, and it wasn't a garbage norhing team, it was a traditional rival, an LA school (something that wasn't supposed to happen). And the players got to play. Losing sucks, but perspective is important.

My opinion anyway.

---

Well said.
2 major things happened to Cal since the pac-12 season started. Some Cal players got covid and then Cal lost a game. A lot of energy has been spent on the loss, however we ought to consider it a win that no Cal players have gotten seriously sick or been hospitalized. Isn't that the important thing right now? I'll admit that I found watching the game to be extremely unentertaining because the roll out of the new highly acclaimed Cal offense was disappointing. Well, that was the 9 am. version. So, big surprise.

Were, it's the subjunctive.

NVBear78 said:

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LunchTime said:

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72CalBear said:

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Over the past 30 years I have met many parents and families from our Bear football teams. They are a great group. Never before would a parent be so hard pressed to see their son play under these incredible circumstances. Me? I have two firefighter sons and I can visualize some of this - and yet they are not student athletes with a pandemic with school hanging over their heads. They obviously have other stresses. After this very difficult first game, I would only offer and suggest staying positive and using discretion when criticizing the actual early play and result from the Bears. These 18-22 year olds are doing the best they can and frankly I trust their coaches to keep their welfare in mind as paramount to everything else.

---

This is different circumstances and that shifts my expectations. These guys just wanted to play, and they very nearly had that taken away. I am happy UCLA got a win for their players. I am happy Cal players got to play.

I stopped caring about this season when everyone else was playing and the Pac12 was still sidelined. My view was any game is a good game.

Taking this season's results seriously, as a fan, is maybe the most disconnected mentality possible. We are two games in to a 6+1 game season, and we are 0-1 (that doesnt add up to 2).

OSU is next week, and there was a strong possibility that they wouldn't be able to play this week already. We might be 0-1 after three games.

Covid is up, and lockdowns are starting again in harder hit regions and cities. We might be 0-1 at the end of the season.

But I got to watch Cal play, and it wasn't a garbage norhing team, it was a traditional rival, an LA school (something that wasn't supposed to happen). And the players got to play. Losing sucks, but perspective is important.

My opinion anyway.

---

Well said both of you:


We got to watch our beloved Cal Bears play today, after speculation that might not happen at all this season.

The players got to take the field together!


The result was surely less than anybody wanted or expected but better to have had the chance to play!

---

Agree.
What we are watching is not "real" college football but college football-lite. It comes in the same can; but it doesn't taste the same. But it is better than nothing at all. (If you are a Foodie, think: instant mashed potatoes vs real mashed potatoes.)

Also what makes this season of lite-football worse is that the vagaries of the pandemic have different effects on each team and each game. So it is difficult to have consistency

So I don't go crazy trying to compare this season against last season or trying to compare one game and one team against another. I just TRY (not alway successfully) to be satisfied by the fact that there is a football game to watch.

GivemTheAxe said:

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NVBear78 said:

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LunchTime said:

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72CalBear said:

---

Over the past 30 years I have met many parents and families from our Bear football teams. They are a great group. Never before would a parent be so hard pressed to see their son play under these incredible circumstances. Me? I have two firefighter sons and I can visualize some of this - and yet they are not student athletes with a pandemic with school hanging over their heads. They obviously have other stresses. After this very difficult first game, I would only offer and suggest staying positive and using discretion when criticizing the actual early play and result from the Bears. These 18-22 year olds are doing the best they can and frankly I trust their coaches to keep their welfare in mind as paramount to everything else.

---

This is different circumstances and that shifts my expectations. These guys just wanted to play, and they very nearly had that taken away. I am happy UCLA got a win for their players. I am happy Cal players got to play.

I stopped caring about this season when everyone else was playing and the Pac12 was still sidelined. My view was any game is a good game.

Taking this season's results seriously, as a fan, is maybe the most disconnected mentality possible. We are two games in to a 6+1 game season, and we are 0-1 (that doesnt add up to 2).

OSU is next week, and there was a strong possibility that they wouldn't be able to play this week already. We might be 0-1 after three games.

Covid is up, and lockdowns are starting again in harder hit regions and cities. We might be 0-1 at the end of the season.

But I got to watch Cal play, and it wasn't a garbage norhing team, it was a traditional rival, an LA school (something that wasn't supposed to happen). And the players got to play. Losing sucks, but perspective is important.

My opinion anyway.

---

Well said both of you:


We got to watch our beloved Cal Bears play today, after speculation that might not happen at all this season.

The players got to take the field together!


The result was surely less than anybody wanted or expected but better to have had the chance to play!

---

Agree.
What we are watching is not "real" college football but college football-lite. It comes in the same can; but it doesn't taste the same. But it is better than nothing at all. (If you are a Foodie, think: instant mashed potatoes vs real mashed potatoes.)

Also what makes this season of lite-football worse is that the vagaries of the pandemic have different effects on each team and each game. So it is difficult to have consistency

So I don't go crazy trying to compare this season against last season or trying to compare one game and one team against another. I just TRY (not alway successfully) to be satisfied by the fact that there is a football game to watch.

---

Good analogy. Last week's game was literally instant football. What did they have...one day to prepare and travel?

And, according to many on this board, one day is all you need to prep for the first game of the season.

Shoulda won 105-0.

AunBear89 said:

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And, according to many on this board, one day is all you need to prep for the first game of the season.

Shoulda won 105-0.

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For a large majority of this year, the board is dominated by long time posters.
During football season, all of the sudden a bunch of frat boy types start posting...and it shows.

So, when you say "according to many on this board" keep that in mind.
the many that post on game day and the few days following, are not representative of the board in general.

Excellent points.