If so, I'd look here first. Honestly refreshing to see some of this.

He has become a Cal guy. Just furious about losing the Axe. Justin, do you want to discuss some of the good things the team did? Answer: no.

Love the fire. Now fix special teams.

On the bright side watching that press conference was the first time I'd laughed since we proved incapable of kicking a PAT (again). JW's response to the "How does it feel to lose the axe?" question was priceless. But I have to agree that press conference was every bit as crappy as our special team's play, and that's saying something.

Typical stupid post-game press conference. Dumb, meaningless questions by so-called reporters and typical
"coach speak" from the coach-- "We have to play better." "We have to make fewer mistakes". "We have to fix that." "We're all have to take responsibility and that starts with me."

Why do they even bother?

That was pathetic - Not Wilcox's anger, which was more than appropriate, but the questions were absolutely embarrassing. . I thought Wilcox would come unglued when asked about losing the AXE. Cal football has been littered with unprofessional coverage and promotion over many years. I cringed for Wilcox and he handled it very well. Special teams are going to absolutely dive for cover in the film room. Go Bears!

Chapman_is_Gone said:

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Can someone who has attended these Q&A sessions provide a little context, because my impression having watched this couldn't be much worse.

I'm not going to mince words here: Other than the questions from Jeff Faraudo of the Mercury News, the questions asked by the other "reporters" are embarrassingly bad. Trace Travers is from Rivals, apparently. Who are the other people asking questions? They all sound like they're 23 years old and don't know how to communicate as professionals: they all asked rather dumb questions, showing little thoughtfulness and preparation, they utilize non-stop "ums" and "uhhs," and frankly, don't show much respect for Coach's time. If you ask idiotic questions, don't expect insightful answers.

To Trace Travers and the other people asking questions: Act like professionals, especially if you expect to have a future in the profession. You are embarrassing yourselves.

This makes me concerned about the status of the program. Are Oregon's press conferences as amateur as ours? What about USC's? Is Jeff Faraudo seriously the only professional in the room? This was the BIG GAME -- I would have expected media coverage to be at its strongest. Are the other games' Q&A sessions even worse (yes, I have watched a number of them, and this is the first time I've really had this negative a reaction)?

---

I agree, but I'm not sure this is a new thing. I remember listening to Tedford's post-practice/post-game interviews and, some where along the line, I just sort of stopped listening because I got tired of the coach-speak. Maybe part of it is the questions, but I think a lot of it is just that many of our coaches just haven't been very good interviews. I though this was actually a good one for Wilcox because he was upfront about his disgust.

Which Cal coaches have actually been good interviews? I'd say, Montgomery, Kapp, maybe Mariucci. That's about it.

While the questions yesterday tended towards the lame, anybody got any specific questions that might've been better? Something more probing about the Special Teams failings, I'm thinking, but maybe that isn't such a great question right after the game. Maybe a question about the use of Remigio as a receiver (or lack thereof)?

So Wilcox is saying that it was the wrong decision just in hindsight, or from what he knew real time (that we were vulnerable to the rush and that Longhetto's kicks have a really low trajectory)?

Man the questions seem like Chris Farley to Paul McCartney on the Chris Farley Show -- "Anything to smile about?" "How does it feel to lose The Axe?" LOL.

Trace is always mature and thoughtful in his questions and him and his family have been immersed in Cal Football for a long time. I don't think he should be included in this critique. Agree that one of the other questioners did not have a good question (or follow up question) yesterday. Maybe some of the other more big-time reporters such as Rusty were staying away given the circumstances.

Chapman_is_Gone said:

---

Can someone who has attended these Q&A sessions provide a little context, because my impression having watched this couldn't be much worse.

I'm not going to mince words here: Other than the questions from Jeff Faraudo of the Mercury News, the questions asked by the other "reporters" are embarrassingly bad. Trace Travers is from Rivals, apparently. Who are the other people asking questions? They all sound like they're 23 years old and don't know how to communicate as professionals: they all asked rather dumb questions, showing little thoughtfulness and preparation, they utilize non-stop "ums" and "uhhs," and frankly, don't show much respect for Coach's time. If you ask idiotic questions, don't expect insightful answers.

To Trace Travers and the other people asking questions: Act like professionals, especially if you expect to have a future in the profession. You are embarrassing yourselves.

This makes me concerned about the status of the program. Are Oregon's press conferences as amateur as ours? What about USC's? Is Jeff Faraudo seriously the only professional in the room? This was the BIG GAME -- I would have expected media coverage to be at its strongest. Are the other games' Q&A sessions even worse (yes, I have watched a number of them, and this is the first time I've really had this negative a reaction)?

---

Jeff Faraudo, Rusty Simmons of the chronicle and David Bush from BI are generally the best and most senior.
I think Faraudo was the only one of the 3 there this time. Maybe it was because of the holiday. The other guys aren't that great.

heartofthebear said:

---

Chapman_is_Gone said:

---

Can someone who has attended these Q&A sessions provide a little context, because my impression having watched this couldn't be much worse.

I'm not going to mince words here: Other than the questions from Jeff Faraudo of the Mercury News, the questions asked by the other "reporters" are embarrassingly bad. Trace Travers is from Rivals, apparently. Who are the other people asking questions? They all sound like they're 23 years old and don't know how to communicate as professionals: they all asked rather dumb questions, showing little thoughtfulness and preparation, they utilize non-stop "ums" and "uhhs," and frankly, don't show much respect for Coach's time. If you ask idiotic questions, don't expect insightful answers.

To Trace Travers and the other people asking questions: Act like professionals, especially if you expect to have a future in the profession. You are embarrassing yourselves.

This makes me concerned about the status of the program. Are Oregon's press conferences as amateur as ours? What about USC's? Is Jeff Faraudo seriously the only professional in the room? This was the BIG GAME -- I would have expected media coverage to be at its strongest. Are the other games' Q&A sessions even worse (yes, I have watched a number of them, and this is the first time I've really had this negative a reaction)?

---

Jeff Faraudo, Rusty Simmons of the chronicle and David Bush from BI are generally the best and most senior.
I think Faraudo was the only one of the 3 there this time. Maybe it was because of the holiday. The other guys aren't that great.

---

Thanks, good to know.

Post pressers after an emotional loss would challenge the best of coaches. Wilcox was seething and did the best he could, but come on, I know some people think that head coaches are super human, but reporters can ask their more than obvious critical questions with more careful language, or leave them for later. I've been there, and I almost always smile (in agreement) when Leach went off on silly WSU post game reporters - but not when he threw his players under the bus.

72CalBear said:

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Post pressers after an emotional loss would challenge the best of coaches. Wilcox was seething and did the best he could, but come on, I know some people think that head coaches are super human, but reporters can ask their more than obvious critical questions with more careful language, or leave them for later. I've been there, and I almost always smile (in agreement) when Leach went off on silly WSU post game reporters - but not when he threw his players under the bus.

---

Yeah, worst thing a coach can do after a bad loss is throw the players under the bus. Coach speak is fine if it helps you avoid that or avoid criticizing an employee and ruining rapport. Showing emotion, that the result is not acceptable is good for the players and especially the fans. Wilcox handles this well.

I'm as upset as everyone else, but do we really have to dis the reporters now?

if we have to complain about anything trivial, how about those Stanford 'rally committee' members, who couldn't even operate the stare down right???

Oh, the humanity.

Coach Wilcox was powerful, focused and determined. We lost the game due to five temporal errors. Wilcox will hammer them down. I am looking forward to the UO game.

Chapman_is_Gone said:

---

Can someone who has attended these Q&A sessions provide a little context, because my impression having watched this couldn't be much worse.

I'm not going to mince words here: Other than the questions from Jeff Faraudo of the Mercury News, the questions asked by the other "reporters" are embarrassingly bad. Trace Travers is from Rivals, apparently. Who are the other people asking questions? They all sound like they're 23 years old and don't know how to communicate as professionals: they all asked rather dumb questions, showing little thoughtfulness and preparation, they utilize non-stop "ums" and "uhhs," and frankly, don't show much respect for Coach's time. If you ask idiotic questions, don't expect insightful answers.

To Trace Travers and the other people asking questions: Act like professionals, especially if you expect to have a future in the profession. You are embarrassing yourselves.

This makes me concerned about the status of the program. Are Oregon's press conferences as amateur as ours? What about USC's? Is Jeff Faraudo seriously the only professional in the room? This was the BIG GAME -- I would have expected media coverage to be at its strongest. Are the other games' Q&A sessions even worse (yes, I have watched a number of them, and this is the first time I've really had this negative a reaction)?

---

This thread would be remotely interesting if it was about one of the top one thousand problems with the program.

Seriously, it amazes me how Cal fans can blow by all the important things that Cal should be held accountable for to complain about the inconsequential. If you want to complain about lack of professionalism, I'd start with the Cal athletics department. Don't know why any of you think Cal's program warrants coverage from anyone other than the Daily Cal , and barely that.

Cal sports are both badly boring and boringly bad. You want to know what the biggest problem is? I'm in my 46th year of following Cal sports and I cannot make myself care. I'm not mad. Mad would be good. It has become so deeply uninteresting that I have more of a competitive interest in who wins Star Baker in British Bake-off. If that is where I'm at, the program is done. They've finally gotten to the point they can drown it in a bathtub.

I'm seriously only here to procrastinate for a few minutes before raking leaves. Look at this board on Big Game week. Nothing. Losing in horribly maddening fashion. Nothing. Nobody cares. And you want professional reporters at the press conference? Nobody wants that job. If you are sent to the Cal press conference you are an intern or your career is um um um in the crapper. You need to get some reality.

Now we can turn our attention to more interesting questions like whether we can lose in a somewhat competitive fashion to the 11th place team in men's basketball. Boy howdy, I know I'm on the edge of my seat. Hope we get some good questions at that presser.

OaktownBear said:

---

Chapman_is_Gone said:

---

Can someone who has attended these Q&A sessions provide a little context, because my impression having watched this couldn't be much worse.

I'm not going to mince words here: Other than the questions from Jeff Faraudo of the Mercury News, the questions asked by the other "reporters" are embarrassingly bad. Trace Travers is from Rivals, apparently. Who are the other people asking questions? They all sound like they're 23 years old and don't know how to communicate as professionals: they all asked rather dumb questions, showing little thoughtfulness and preparation, they utilize non-stop "ums" and "uhhs," and frankly, don't show much respect for Coach's time. If you ask idiotic questions, don't expect insightful answers.

To Trace Travers and the other people asking questions: Act like professionals, especially if you expect to have a future in the profession. You are embarrassing yourselves.

This makes me concerned about the status of the program. Are Oregon's press conferences as amateur as ours? What about USC's? Is Jeff Faraudo seriously the only professional in the room? This was the BIG GAME -- I would have expected media coverage to be at its strongest. Are the other games' Q&A sessions even worse (yes, I have watched a number of them, and this is the first time I've really had this negative a reaction)?

---

This thread would be remotely interesting if it was about one of the top one thousand problems with the program.

Seriously, it amazes me how Cal fans can blow by all the important things that Cal should be held accountable for to complain about the inconsequential. If you want to complain about lack of professionalism, I'd start with the Cal athletics department. Don't know why any of you think Cal's program warrants coverage from anyone other than the Daily Cal , and barely that.

Cal sports are both badly boring and boringly bad. You want to know what the biggest problem is? I'm in my 46th year of following Cal sports and I cannot make myself care. I'm not mad. Mad would be good. It has become so deeply uninteresting that I have more of a competitive interest in who wins Star Baker in British Bake-off. If that is where I'm at, the program is done. They've finally gotten to the point they can drown it in a bathtub.

I'm seriously only here to procrastinate for a few minutes before raking leaves. Look at this board on Big Game week. Nothing. Losing in horribly maddening fashion. Nothing. Nobody cares. And you want professional reporters at the press conference? Nobody wants that job. If you are sent to the Cal press conference you are an intern or your career is um um um in the crapper. You need to get some reality.

Now we can turn our attention to more interesting questions like whether we can lose in a somewhat competitive fashion to the 11th place team in men's basketball. Boy howdy, I know I'm on the edge of my seat. Hope we get some good questions at that presser.

---

Some trends worth noting. Football in blue areas is on the wane, a lot dealing with CTE and concussions, and demographics. Interests in sports in general, other than golf strangely, have dropped precipitously during the COVID year. The ill conceived Pac football plan has the appearance to many of simply trying to to get some games in for TV money. It is likely no conference team will be involved in playoffs or any meaningful post-season, so why follow? I'm not saying this was the intent, but is the upshot of dithering Pac bureaucrats unable to make timely decisions have resulted in cancelled, not postponed games, that killed the conference season, and made a lot of fans think it is a joke. And the season may be a joke with teams playing without practicing much, etc.

One of our most revered posters says there is little interest in Cal. Stanford probably just lost the rest of their season due to Santa Clara's restrictions. Crickets on their board. USC chances for a playoff spot or a decent bowl just died with a COVID case - shrugs on their usual insane boards. Want to go over to the ASU boards? Oak is right and it isn't just Cal.

wifeisafurd said:

---

OaktownBear said:

---

Chapman_is_Gone said:

---

Can someone who has attended these Q&A sessions provide a little context, because my impression having watched this couldn't be much worse.

I'm not going to mince words here: Other than the questions from Jeff Faraudo of the Mercury News, the questions asked by the other "reporters" are embarrassingly bad. Trace Travers is from Rivals, apparently. Who are the other people asking questions? They all sound like they're 23 years old and don't know how to communicate as professionals: they all asked rather dumb questions, showing little thoughtfulness and preparation, they utilize non-stop "ums" and "uhhs," and frankly, don't show much respect for Coach's time. If you ask idiotic questions, don't expect insightful answers.

To Trace Travers and the other people asking questions: Act like professionals, especially if you expect to have a future in the profession. You are embarrassing yourselves.

This makes me concerned about the status of the program. Are Oregon's press conferences as amateur as ours? What about USC's? Is Jeff Faraudo seriously the only professional in the room? This was the BIG GAME -- I would have expected media coverage to be at its strongest. Are the other games' Q&A sessions even worse (yes, I have watched a number of them, and this is the first time I've really had this negative a reaction)?

---

This thread would be remotely interesting if it was about one of the top one thousand problems with the program.

Seriously, it amazes me how Cal fans can blow by all the important things that Cal should be held accountable for to complain about the inconsequential. If you want to complain about lack of professionalism, I'd start with the Cal athletics department. Don't know why any of you think Cal's program warrants coverage from anyone other than the Daily Cal , and barely that.

Cal sports are both badly boring and boringly bad. You want to know what the biggest problem is? I'm in my 46th year of following Cal sports and I cannot make myself care. I'm not mad. Mad would be good. It has become so deeply uninteresting that I have more of a competitive interest in who wins Star Baker in British Bake-off. If that is where I'm at, the program is done. They've finally gotten to the point they can drown it in a bathtub.

I'm seriously only here to procrastinate for a few minutes before raking leaves. Look at this board on Big Game week. Nothing. Losing in horribly maddening fashion. Nothing. Nobody cares. And you want professional reporters at the press conference? Nobody wants that job. If you are sent to the Cal press conference you are an intern or your career is um um um in the crapper. You need to get some reality.

Now we can turn our attention to more interesting questions like whether we can lose in a somewhat competitive fashion to the 11th place team in men's basketball. Boy howdy, I know I'm on the edge of my seat. Hope we get some good questions at that presser.

---

Some trends worth noting. Football in blue areas is on the wane, a lot dealing with CTE and concussions, and demographics. Interests in sports in general, other than golf strangely, have dropped precipitously during the COVID year. The ill conceived Pac football plan has the appearance to many of simply trying to to get some games in for TV money. It is likely no conference team will be involved in playoffs or any meaningful post-season, so why follow? I'm not saying this was the intent, but is the upshot of dithering Pac bureaucrats unable to make timely decisions have resulted in cancelled, not postponed games, that killed the conference season, and made a lot of fans think it is a joke. And the season may be a joke with teams playing without practicing much, etc.

One of our most revered posters says there is little interest in Cal. Stanford probably just lost the rest of their season due to Santa Clara's restrictions. Crickets on their board. USC chances for a playoff spot or a decent bowl just died with a COVID case - shrugs on their usual insane boards. Want to go over to the ASU boards? Oak is right and it isn't just Cal.

---

Cal fans get excited over mediocrity. JW goes 7-6 and 8-5 in back to back seasons and many anoint him as the 2nd coming. Those are good seasons at Cal. At USC those sort of seasons get the alums passing the hat for a change. 0-3 is nothing new at Cal. Losing to Stanford. Happens all the time. Losing to OSU. Happens way more often than you would want to believe.

JW is not the sort of coach that invites the press into the program. He treats the program like he is guarding some sort of international secret. Real info is hard to come by. I am still very much a hardcore fan. It is getting harder and harder to believe in the program. It is simply not important enough to the University. I get it. But with Covid around and losing, next season will be interesting. If fans are allowed ( i have my doubts) how many will actually pay and show up?

The team is not covered by the press because the general public does not care. This is 49er, Warriors and Giants territory. The A's coverage is minor league. The only way this program will ever be truly relevant and worthy of coverage is if they are ever really good. Unlikely. So the coverage reflects the interest. The interest is weak and therefore the coverage is. Frankly based on what we see on the field it is deserving of the coverage they receive.

Chapman_is_Gone said:

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I didn't mean to pick on anyone in particular. I've never met Trace. I do know, though, that he didn't ask any good questions.

Big C, I'm sorry, but yes, if I were a football reporter, you're damn right I would have had some better questions to ask than "how does it feel to lose the axe after getting it back just last year" or whatever that idiotic question was.

I also wonder why Bear Insider -- if they had anyone there -- clearly didn't ask any intelligent questions. You know, for the biggest game of the season...the kind that are worth about $99.

If this silliness of the press conference's back and forth is not new, and it's an outcome of coaches historically never saying anything interesting...well, that's a shame. But I've been to one or two events where Wilcox spoke and I always thought he gave decent answers. But not if you ask him whether the cereal he ate for breakfast may have influenced the outcome of the game (the loops or the flakes?)

---

I agree but this is nothing new. Cal Football is just not that popular and the only "sports journalists" that want to cover it are Cal fans who have deemed themselves Cal Football experts -- but everybody knows that is the farthest thing from the truth. I can't stand almost all of them.

I did sports coverage and commentary in Eugene, Portland, and Seattle. I am embarrassed for my former profession. But, I've been disgusted with the main stream media overall for a long time. True, quality journalism is almost dead.