Well, the Rugby boys won another National Championship - ho hum...
5 in a row, 24 in the last 27. Not too bad. And that is not even thinking about the century of domination before they started counting in 1981.
No team in history has ever had a run like this is college or professional sports, I would wager. It is hard to wrap your mind around it.
St. Mary's gave the Bears a test in the semi-final game, but they weathered through that, and beat the BYU cougars for the 4th time in the last 4 years in the title game. Talk about futile.
Enjoy it while you can. I am sure that each year it get's tougher. But the Bears always seem to get up for the championship run when it counts. They had family emergencies, relatives dying, 10 season-ending injuries, and they plowed on for the final victory. You have to respect those guys.
GO BEARS!! Go Rugby.
And how about those female Pole Vaulters - taking first, second, and third in the Peyton Jordan Cardinal Qualifier at Stanford. Katie Morgan vaulted 14 feet, 6.25 inches (besting my high school best 14-6 by a quarter inch). That is a Cal women's pole vault record - that is the second record she has broken this year at Cal.
In second was Allison Stokke (I bet you know who she is), and Veronica Stimson, both at 12 feet, 2.5 inches. i think I remember that Allison had a 12-6 jump earlier in the year.
Cal's men's pole vault leader, Donnie Appanitis also came in first place at 16-7.5, although the rest of the team was further down the pack, almost two feet shorter than Donnie at 14-8. for 6th place.
In any event, it is nice to see the best event in Tract and Field do well for the Bears.
Actually, overall the Bears did well. It would be interesting to see if Jahvid Best would have helped the team out this spring were he not injured. The fastest time over the weekend for the Cal sprinters in the 100 was 10.62, which was good for second place (Kellen Peterson). If I remember correctly, Jahvid had run a 10.39 last year. Having him on the tract would have given the Bears a first, third, 5th and 7th place finish. I think that would have been a pretty good relay team.
He also would have help significantly on the 200, with his 21.03 in high school certainly being the best time for Cal this year.
I hope he gets a chance to run next year. While it is difficult to balance spring football, track and school, I think for an athlete of Best caliber, it is the right move. Certainly his biggest asset is his speed. If he can train on the track as well as on the field, I think it helps.
Anyway...
GO BEARS!!
Monday, May 5, 2008
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Playoff Denied
The BCS has decided that they like the current system, and they are not going to move to a playoff.
I could not be happier.
The idea of a playoff is a bad idea for college football. For a lot of reasons. But I want to first write about why people want a playoff.
First of all, they think it is more fair - things are settled on the field. That could not be more wrong. What is settled on the field? The only thing that is settled is that one team beat another. It does not follow that the team that lost could not have beaten on a more regular basis another team that beats the team that beat them, if you follow me. In other words, if Cal can never get by USC, and USC always loses to the Furd, and Cal always beats the Furd, then who is the better team? A playoff does not give you the ability to analyze that process. A true round robin schedule does give you the ability to analyze that more effectively. But because a playoff is a one and done, it is a poor way of selecting a champion.
I think that is important to remember. Many sports recognize this, and, like baseball, basketball, and the NHL, they have multiple games to try to fix the issue, so that a team on a hot streak or a lucky break does not get an advantage.
Frankly, this is why the NCAA basketball tournament is such a joke. Great teams, championship quality teams get knocked out each year before the finals. It is hard to say that since you lost one or two games in March that you are a worse team that the team that lost 10 through the year but got lucky that one day.
Playoff are not fair. So that is a crappy reason for having one.
The second reason people want a playoff is that it would be more exciting that the crappy third tier bowl games.
If that is the case, why are there going to be three more bowl games certified, so that every team who has a winning record, or who is qualified, will be going to a bowl game?
The reason is, of course, money. But it is also because colleges want their teams to end on success. Cal fans have been talking all since January about how great that Air Force game was -what a comeback. And it was. And we would have had a crappy end of the season (losing 6 of 7) without that bowl game giving us hope for the next year.
A good 25% of college football teams end their season with a victory in a bowl game, and alumni are happy, give a bit more to the school, and life goes on.
For the betting class, however, it does not have the parlay appeal that so excites everyone in March. There are no tournaments, no playoff fever. Thank god. College football is about your college team doing it's best, and winning what it can. This is a regional issue, not a national issue. Notre Dame thinks it is a national team, but it clearly is not in their best interest to play in a playoff format. They would be relegated each year to losing in the first round, if they ever made it. Their whole image would be in tatters - worse than it is now.
For most college football fans, the playoffs would occur without them. They would be in pre-set venues, with corporate sponsors taking all the tickets. You would not be able to see your Bears, if they ever got in. Just like in Hoops.
It was exciting to see Cal play Air Force in a crappy third tier bowl. We certainly would not have been invited to a playoff, and we certainly needed that win. And there are 25 other teams in the same boat. In a playoff, only one team end the season happy.
The final reason is that people want to see a champion crowned.
Why?
In a system that is patently not fair (there are only 12 gmaes - you need to have at least 20 for a statistically sound sample, and with injuries and such probably more), what is the benefit to being crowned the National Champion?
I think the way it works now is fine. The whole thing is a sham, so why not just let well enough alone, and crown whoever wins the one game people think is the championship game?
I, for one, will never be denied in my belief that in 2004, we could have beaten anyone (if only our receivers were not hurt), and we rightly should be National Champs. Who cares if I am right or wrong - the point is that my opinion is just as valid as any other idiot out there who crowns these guys.
And what about last year? There was clearly no team that deserved a championship, in the true sense. There was a team that won the title game. But they had two loses. No team was a clear champion. So why do we insist on having one? In the case of last year, they should have just said, forget it - no one wins this year. It was all a bunch of slop.
Here is how a true playoff should look:
All teams play in a 12 team conference. They play a full round robin tournament (11 games). Then, the winners of that play in a champions conference, and play a full round robin tournament (10 games). Then, the top two teams of that play a 5 game series.
I could stand behind that as being a fair way to crown a champion. But it is clearly not in the cards, and I frankly do not care that much.
I am excited if we can win the Pac 10. In 2006, we tied for first. That was great. That is our championship. If we ever get to a BCS title game and win, we will have won a game against another team, and won that trophy. But the true championship would be the Pac 10 title.
That is why college football is so fun - each week you get to talk about why you are better. And you never have to back it up.
GO BEARS!!
I could not be happier.
The idea of a playoff is a bad idea for college football. For a lot of reasons. But I want to first write about why people want a playoff.
First of all, they think it is more fair - things are settled on the field. That could not be more wrong. What is settled on the field? The only thing that is settled is that one team beat another. It does not follow that the team that lost could not have beaten on a more regular basis another team that beats the team that beat them, if you follow me. In other words, if Cal can never get by USC, and USC always loses to the Furd, and Cal always beats the Furd, then who is the better team? A playoff does not give you the ability to analyze that process. A true round robin schedule does give you the ability to analyze that more effectively. But because a playoff is a one and done, it is a poor way of selecting a champion.
I think that is important to remember. Many sports recognize this, and, like baseball, basketball, and the NHL, they have multiple games to try to fix the issue, so that a team on a hot streak or a lucky break does not get an advantage.
Frankly, this is why the NCAA basketball tournament is such a joke. Great teams, championship quality teams get knocked out each year before the finals. It is hard to say that since you lost one or two games in March that you are a worse team that the team that lost 10 through the year but got lucky that one day.
Playoff are not fair. So that is a crappy reason for having one.
The second reason people want a playoff is that it would be more exciting that the crappy third tier bowl games.
If that is the case, why are there going to be three more bowl games certified, so that every team who has a winning record, or who is qualified, will be going to a bowl game?
The reason is, of course, money. But it is also because colleges want their teams to end on success. Cal fans have been talking all since January about how great that Air Force game was -what a comeback. And it was. And we would have had a crappy end of the season (losing 6 of 7) without that bowl game giving us hope for the next year.
A good 25% of college football teams end their season with a victory in a bowl game, and alumni are happy, give a bit more to the school, and life goes on.
For the betting class, however, it does not have the parlay appeal that so excites everyone in March. There are no tournaments, no playoff fever. Thank god. College football is about your college team doing it's best, and winning what it can. This is a regional issue, not a national issue. Notre Dame thinks it is a national team, but it clearly is not in their best interest to play in a playoff format. They would be relegated each year to losing in the first round, if they ever made it. Their whole image would be in tatters - worse than it is now.
For most college football fans, the playoffs would occur without them. They would be in pre-set venues, with corporate sponsors taking all the tickets. You would not be able to see your Bears, if they ever got in. Just like in Hoops.
It was exciting to see Cal play Air Force in a crappy third tier bowl. We certainly would not have been invited to a playoff, and we certainly needed that win. And there are 25 other teams in the same boat. In a playoff, only one team end the season happy.
The final reason is that people want to see a champion crowned.
Why?
In a system that is patently not fair (there are only 12 gmaes - you need to have at least 20 for a statistically sound sample, and with injuries and such probably more), what is the benefit to being crowned the National Champion?
I think the way it works now is fine. The whole thing is a sham, so why not just let well enough alone, and crown whoever wins the one game people think is the championship game?
I, for one, will never be denied in my belief that in 2004, we could have beaten anyone (if only our receivers were not hurt), and we rightly should be National Champs. Who cares if I am right or wrong - the point is that my opinion is just as valid as any other idiot out there who crowns these guys.
And what about last year? There was clearly no team that deserved a championship, in the true sense. There was a team that won the title game. But they had two loses. No team was a clear champion. So why do we insist on having one? In the case of last year, they should have just said, forget it - no one wins this year. It was all a bunch of slop.
Here is how a true playoff should look:
All teams play in a 12 team conference. They play a full round robin tournament (11 games). Then, the winners of that play in a champions conference, and play a full round robin tournament (10 games). Then, the top two teams of that play a 5 game series.
I could stand behind that as being a fair way to crown a champion. But it is clearly not in the cards, and I frankly do not care that much.
I am excited if we can win the Pac 10. In 2006, we tied for first. That was great. That is our championship. If we ever get to a BCS title game and win, we will have won a game against another team, and won that trophy. But the true championship would be the Pac 10 title.
That is why college football is so fun - each week you get to talk about why you are better. And you never have to back it up.
GO BEARS!!
Monday, April 28, 2008
Final Draft Analysis
Well, I think the Bears did well. We placed 6 guys on the weekend, and I an pretty sure that the kickers will land somewhere too, in free agency.
SC put in 10 guys, and as I mentioned in an earlier post, 7 in the first two rounds. But beyond that crazy level, the Bears had the most drafted in the Pac 10, and the 4th most drafted in all of college football.
So it is not like we didn't have talent.
I also believe that if Nate had come out this year, he would have gone just about where Booty went - 5th or 6th round. He is NFL big, can throw, and although mobility is an issue, he has the excuse of this bum ankle of his. Although, after spring, it seems like he has a good shot at getting the starting gig back in the fall, if he can get his throwing muscle back. Tearing a Pectoral muscle can be a difficult recovery.
I think that if Forsett could have shaved two tenth's of a second off his time, he would have been in the second round. As it was, he was just another one of the 5'8" backs in the lower rounds of the draft, almost falling off the board. I think that the Seahawks got a decent steal - he is a good change of pace back and can do as well there as he did spelling Arrington and Lynch.
Robert Jordan did not get picked, and that is too bad for him. But he will find some work on a football team, maybe in the Arena league, or on a practice squad. He is just too small and not quite as fast as he needs to be for that size.
Mike Gibson landed in Philly - he is a good, versatile lineman, playing both sides on Tackle this year, and will be a guard in the pros. I think that will also help Desean out to have a teammate there with him (not that the WRs and the guards normally hang out together). But I think it has to help to have some anchor to the past with you.
All in all a good draft for the Bears. With Cal putting 5 to 6 in the league every year, that really has to open some recruiting eye over time.
GO BEARS!!
SC put in 10 guys, and as I mentioned in an earlier post, 7 in the first two rounds. But beyond that crazy level, the Bears had the most drafted in the Pac 10, and the 4th most drafted in all of college football.
So it is not like we didn't have talent.
I also believe that if Nate had come out this year, he would have gone just about where Booty went - 5th or 6th round. He is NFL big, can throw, and although mobility is an issue, he has the excuse of this bum ankle of his. Although, after spring, it seems like he has a good shot at getting the starting gig back in the fall, if he can get his throwing muscle back. Tearing a Pectoral muscle can be a difficult recovery.
I think that if Forsett could have shaved two tenth's of a second off his time, he would have been in the second round. As it was, he was just another one of the 5'8" backs in the lower rounds of the draft, almost falling off the board. I think that the Seahawks got a decent steal - he is a good change of pace back and can do as well there as he did spelling Arrington and Lynch.
Robert Jordan did not get picked, and that is too bad for him. But he will find some work on a football team, maybe in the Arena league, or on a practice squad. He is just too small and not quite as fast as he needs to be for that size.
Mike Gibson landed in Philly - he is a good, versatile lineman, playing both sides on Tackle this year, and will be a guard in the pros. I think that will also help Desean out to have a teammate there with him (not that the WRs and the guards normally hang out together). But I think it has to help to have some anchor to the past with you.
All in all a good draft for the Bears. With Cal putting 5 to 6 in the league every year, that really has to open some recruiting eye over time.
GO BEARS!!
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Titan Fan
I am going to have to become a Titan's fan.
First, they take Vince Young, who, although he was Longhorn, beat the Trojans. And I like that.
Now, they have taken Hawkins and Stevens. The Hawk in the fourth round. I guess the Tennessee game opened some eyes last year in Nashville.
GO BEARS!!
First, they take Vince Young, who, although he was Longhorn, beat the Trojans. And I like that.
Now, they have taken Hawkins and Stevens. The Hawk in the fourth round. I guess the Tennessee game opened some eyes last year in Nashville.
GO BEARS!!
Draft Surprises So far
Desean fell to number 18 in the Second round, the 5th wide receiver taken.
What is surprising is that three of the wide receivers taken ahead of him are almost as small and slower than him.
So the question is, why did he drop so far? Are the rumor-mongers correct in that he is a Cancer? I think that is a bunch of crap. If that is the reason as to why he dropped, then it is ridiculous. The fact is that DJ is a very confident guy, is probably more mature than most of the players he played with in College, in that he understood it to be a business, and is going to be a good football player in the professional ranks. He is a hard worker, will do what is necessary to get to an elite level, and will work hard to keep it there. I think that the Eagles are lucky to get him. He may be just a slot receiver, but what an option. He will be single covered and will be the most explosive player on the field.
Also, it is kinda nice to be playing for a contender. Good for Desean.
The other surprise is Craig Stevens, going in the third round. Apparently some teams respect someone who can be another lineman and still catch passes. I think he has a long pro career ahead of him as well, as he is smart, and a hard worker. He goes to Tennessee, which is a team that needs a run blocking tight end, thanks to Vince young. When you have a QB who can scramble like that, it is nice to have an extra TE who can get some good down field blocking, and protect your guy. If my career was tied to Vince Young's, I would be pretty happy.
DeCoud also went in the end of the third round - not a surprise. He goes to the falcons, who currently have 5 safeties on the team - but only one guy over 6 foot tall. He should be able to get a foothold there.
The other item, not so much of a surprise, but I think good news for the Bears...
USC has had 7 players go in the first two rounds. All, of course, starters for their team. Including two in the top 10. Now, I know, SC always reloads, etc. But let's face it - that is going to be hard to replace. I think next year is a down year for them again. Frankly, this year was a down year for them as well. So it will only get harder to keep it up, Petey boy.
My other thought, at the end of the third round - whoever gets Hawkins is getting a steal.
GO BEARS!!
What is surprising is that three of the wide receivers taken ahead of him are almost as small and slower than him.
So the question is, why did he drop so far? Are the rumor-mongers correct in that he is a Cancer? I think that is a bunch of crap. If that is the reason as to why he dropped, then it is ridiculous. The fact is that DJ is a very confident guy, is probably more mature than most of the players he played with in College, in that he understood it to be a business, and is going to be a good football player in the professional ranks. He is a hard worker, will do what is necessary to get to an elite level, and will work hard to keep it there. I think that the Eagles are lucky to get him. He may be just a slot receiver, but what an option. He will be single covered and will be the most explosive player on the field.
Also, it is kinda nice to be playing for a contender. Good for Desean.
The other surprise is Craig Stevens, going in the third round. Apparently some teams respect someone who can be another lineman and still catch passes. I think he has a long pro career ahead of him as well, as he is smart, and a hard worker. He goes to Tennessee, which is a team that needs a run blocking tight end, thanks to Vince young. When you have a QB who can scramble like that, it is nice to have an extra TE who can get some good down field blocking, and protect your guy. If my career was tied to Vince Young's, I would be pretty happy.
DeCoud also went in the end of the third round - not a surprise. He goes to the falcons, who currently have 5 safeties on the team - but only one guy over 6 foot tall. He should be able to get a foothold there.
The other item, not so much of a surprise, but I think good news for the Bears...
USC has had 7 players go in the first two rounds. All, of course, starters for their team. Including two in the top 10. Now, I know, SC always reloads, etc. But let's face it - that is going to be hard to replace. I think next year is a down year for them again. Frankly, this year was a down year for them as well. So it will only get harder to keep it up, Petey boy.
My other thought, at the end of the third round - whoever gets Hawkins is getting a steal.
GO BEARS!!
Stanfurd Hire
Well, back from a nice vacation in Mexico, to find that the furd has hired it's 12th choice as men's basketball coach - one Johnny Dawkins, formerly of the Duke coaching staff. Dawkins is a former NBA player, and has been the Assistant Head coach at Duke for the past 11 years.
It is no surprise that the Furd hired an assistant. Let's face it - they will not pay a coach top money (as clearly evidenced by the Trent johnson debacle). This is a disaster for the furd. And here is why:
1) They have just told the nation they have no desire to be a top tier program.
2) They have just hired a former Duke assistant, which everyone knows is like drafting a Tedford QB.
3) They have assumed that moving to Stanfurd is like coaching at Duke - academic school, top program. Wrong. At Duke, they respect basketball. At Stanfurd, they are ashamed of the revenue sports.
I harbor no ill will to the new coach - even though I have a general distaste for everything Duke, we beat them the last time we played, I believe. So I am OK with that. But this guy will be a rookie, going up against some pretty good coaches in the Pac 10. And if he does get good, then he is gone very soon - right at the end of the first contract.
I think that the furd has made a choice that they are not going to compete on the coaching level. They will roll the dice with some up and coming coaches, and will be a stepping stone as opposed to a destination. They will be happy to compete on the non-revenue sports for the Sears cup, and have a nice little middle of the Pac revenue sports also ran program.
That is fine with me.
GO BEARS!!
It is no surprise that the Furd hired an assistant. Let's face it - they will not pay a coach top money (as clearly evidenced by the Trent johnson debacle). This is a disaster for the furd. And here is why:
1) They have just told the nation they have no desire to be a top tier program.
2) They have just hired a former Duke assistant, which everyone knows is like drafting a Tedford QB.
3) They have assumed that moving to Stanfurd is like coaching at Duke - academic school, top program. Wrong. At Duke, they respect basketball. At Stanfurd, they are ashamed of the revenue sports.
I harbor no ill will to the new coach - even though I have a general distaste for everything Duke, we beat them the last time we played, I believe. So I am OK with that. But this guy will be a rookie, going up against some pretty good coaches in the Pac 10. And if he does get good, then he is gone very soon - right at the end of the first contract.
I think that the furd has made a choice that they are not going to compete on the coaching level. They will roll the dice with some up and coming coaches, and will be a stepping stone as opposed to a destination. They will be happy to compete on the non-revenue sports for the Sears cup, and have a nice little middle of the Pac revenue sports also ran program.
That is fine with me.
GO BEARS!!
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Monty to Stanfurd?!?
Well, it could be a disaster scenario.
Not that I think it is a possibility. But imagine. Trent Johnson is rumored to have accepted the LSU job, leaving the Farm after only four years. Smart move for him, since they will be doing nothing next year without the Lopez twins.
It seems that he was promised an extension after the season. It has not yet materialized. My guess is that he is not well regarded by the relatively new AD. So, he get's a little pissy, and leaves. After all, he did take that team to a number one seed.
There are two scenarios from the demented mind of the Cal fan:
1) Monty knew this was happening, and did not want to come back to the Cardinal - so he immediately took the first available job.
2) Monty knew this was coming, and he took the Cal job - only to get Bear Fans hopes up, just to dash them a week later!!
Oh the evil in the world.
Actually, in reality, this is all working out for the Bears. First, if Stanfurd is now a stepping stone position, rather than a destination (lets face it - the last two coaches have both used it as such - First Monty to Cal - his real, lifelong desire, and Trent to LSU), then it will be difficult for them to hire someone other than a young up and comer. I think that makes it harder for them to continue their pretty good run under Monty and Johnson. The administration there is just not supportive of the high dollars it needs to pay in order to be successful in athletics. I mean, just look at the last three football coaches.
And for Cal, it does become a destination. I have written before how important Athletics need to become to a Large public institution in times of declining state revenues. With the new head of the university from Texas, they certainly understand that relationship. At the same time, Cal in specific has been busy hiring, and more importantly, paying top dollar for quality coaches, and giving them support to win.
The top two paid state employees in California are Jeff Tedford and Mike Montgomery.
And, they get a pension.
GO BEARS!!
Not that I think it is a possibility. But imagine. Trent Johnson is rumored to have accepted the LSU job, leaving the Farm after only four years. Smart move for him, since they will be doing nothing next year without the Lopez twins.
It seems that he was promised an extension after the season. It has not yet materialized. My guess is that he is not well regarded by the relatively new AD. So, he get's a little pissy, and leaves. After all, he did take that team to a number one seed.
There are two scenarios from the demented mind of the Cal fan:
1) Monty knew this was happening, and did not want to come back to the Cardinal - so he immediately took the first available job.
2) Monty knew this was coming, and he took the Cal job - only to get Bear Fans hopes up, just to dash them a week later!!
Oh the evil in the world.
Actually, in reality, this is all working out for the Bears. First, if Stanfurd is now a stepping stone position, rather than a destination (lets face it - the last two coaches have both used it as such - First Monty to Cal - his real, lifelong desire, and Trent to LSU), then it will be difficult for them to hire someone other than a young up and comer. I think that makes it harder for them to continue their pretty good run under Monty and Johnson. The administration there is just not supportive of the high dollars it needs to pay in order to be successful in athletics. I mean, just look at the last three football coaches.
And for Cal, it does become a destination. I have written before how important Athletics need to become to a Large public institution in times of declining state revenues. With the new head of the university from Texas, they certainly understand that relationship. At the same time, Cal in specific has been busy hiring, and more importantly, paying top dollar for quality coaches, and giving them support to win.
The top two paid state employees in California are Jeff Tedford and Mike Montgomery.
And, they get a pension.
GO BEARS!!
Friday, April 4, 2008
Steve Spurrier following in Tedford's footsteps
Here is a pretty good article about Spurrier sort of giving up play calling duties at South Carolina, on ESPN.Com.
Key comments are that for any head coach now, it is too much to try to keep running everything, as well as trying to be a head coach at the same time.
It is interesting that a very successful coach like Spurrier, who has called his own plays forever, is now transitioning to others. I think this is reflective of the changing nature of the Head Coach job. Bobby Bowden really initiated this, with the Coach as CEO mentality at Florida State. He was the Head Cheerleader, setting the tone, got the talents, but let his coaches coach and the players play. I think in the New Era, Pete Carroll probably does this best. He has done well with other coordinators - he is there to get the talent, provide the leadership, and overall atmosphere of the program.
It is easy when you love to be a planner and a tactician to not want to delegate those responsibilities. But it is just too much for one guy to coach the 100 players on the team. It just does not work. I think that is why so many coordinators are not successful at the Head Coaching gig.
I believe that JT is getting it. He still will be heavily involved, but hopefully can trust the new staff to get the job done. I really think that Cignetti will be the key for him. He is enough like JT that it seems like he will be comfortable with him. It never appeared that JT was comfortable with Dunbar, and that is not a recipe for success.
GO BEARS!!
Key comments are that for any head coach now, it is too much to try to keep running everything, as well as trying to be a head coach at the same time.
It is interesting that a very successful coach like Spurrier, who has called his own plays forever, is now transitioning to others. I think this is reflective of the changing nature of the Head Coach job. Bobby Bowden really initiated this, with the Coach as CEO mentality at Florida State. He was the Head Cheerleader, setting the tone, got the talents, but let his coaches coach and the players play. I think in the New Era, Pete Carroll probably does this best. He has done well with other coordinators - he is there to get the talent, provide the leadership, and overall atmosphere of the program.
It is easy when you love to be a planner and a tactician to not want to delegate those responsibilities. But it is just too much for one guy to coach the 100 players on the team. It just does not work. I think that is why so many coordinators are not successful at the Head Coaching gig.
I believe that JT is getting it. He still will be heavily involved, but hopefully can trust the new staff to get the job done. I really think that Cignetti will be the key for him. He is enough like JT that it seems like he will be comfortable with him. It never appeared that JT was comfortable with Dunbar, and that is not a recipe for success.
GO BEARS!!
Rumors about Montgomery
It seems like it is a virtual verified truth that Mike Montgomery will be coaching at Cal for the next 6 years at $10,000,000 per year.
I can't believe I just wrote that. He is the opposing coach that I have hated the most over the past 20 years.
First, some interesting observations.
1) Cal is willing to pony up $10,000,000 for a basketball coach. Still not in JT's elite status as the highest paid California State employee, but he will be second. Pretty impressive that we can come up with Jack like that. And which is why Jay Wright was also considering the job, since he is making about 1.3 million per year at Villanova.
2) The rumor has been out for 5 or 6 hours with no comment in either direction. Which means that it is true. But it also means that something else is going on. Because that is too long in today's world to let these things hand out there. I think those things could be
A. Deal needs to be approved by the chancellor / regents before being announced (we have the new guy from Texas running the show now). That could take some time, or
B. Monty is sticking his little worries and predilictions into the deal and it is gumming up the issue. Like, for example, his son is going to be the Heir Apparent.
I think it is likely to be A, but, just because I still do not trust the guy yet, I have a strong suspicion about B.
And that takes me to the other issue.
When I first heard about this earlier today, my immediate reaction was, Oh No!!! Anything but that. He is a Furd guy, and there is no getting away from it. I think those of us who went to Cal during the Joe Kapp years have a deep abiding hatred for the Cardinal that there is no getting over ever. I do not see that hatred in todays youth, and so I pity them. There is no way my children would be allowed to attend stanfurd, for example. I would rather they went to USC - at least if you are going to buy an education, have a decent football team.
Of course, the e-mail cycle began, and some of my so called friends called me a hater. And some defended me (my true friends). But after the initial shock has dissipated, a more balanced approach in my mind has taken over. And this is how I see it.
Monty is always going to be a Stanford guy. He will wear the Blue and Gold and he will do his best with the team, and he will get us to the tournament each year. And he will only have one contract. He will retire in 5 or 6 years. He is a hired gun. There is no doubt he is a good coach. Cal is paying him to coach and to get us to the next level. But he will never bleed blue and gold, like JT already does. And, frankly, like Ben Braun did.
But, that is OK, I guess. The kids need a better teacher, and Montgomery is a much better teacher than Braun was.
But I do have fear in my heart for their souls.
GO BEARS!!
I can't believe I just wrote that. He is the opposing coach that I have hated the most over the past 20 years.
First, some interesting observations.
1) Cal is willing to pony up $10,000,000 for a basketball coach. Still not in JT's elite status as the highest paid California State employee, but he will be second. Pretty impressive that we can come up with Jack like that. And which is why Jay Wright was also considering the job, since he is making about 1.3 million per year at Villanova.
2) The rumor has been out for 5 or 6 hours with no comment in either direction. Which means that it is true. But it also means that something else is going on. Because that is too long in today's world to let these things hand out there. I think those things could be
A. Deal needs to be approved by the chancellor / regents before being announced (we have the new guy from Texas running the show now). That could take some time, or
B. Monty is sticking his little worries and predilictions into the deal and it is gumming up the issue. Like, for example, his son is going to be the Heir Apparent.
I think it is likely to be A, but, just because I still do not trust the guy yet, I have a strong suspicion about B.
And that takes me to the other issue.
When I first heard about this earlier today, my immediate reaction was, Oh No!!! Anything but that. He is a Furd guy, and there is no getting away from it. I think those of us who went to Cal during the Joe Kapp years have a deep abiding hatred for the Cardinal that there is no getting over ever. I do not see that hatred in todays youth, and so I pity them. There is no way my children would be allowed to attend stanfurd, for example. I would rather they went to USC - at least if you are going to buy an education, have a decent football team.
Of course, the e-mail cycle began, and some of my so called friends called me a hater. And some defended me (my true friends). But after the initial shock has dissipated, a more balanced approach in my mind has taken over. And this is how I see it.
Monty is always going to be a Stanford guy. He will wear the Blue and Gold and he will do his best with the team, and he will get us to the tournament each year. And he will only have one contract. He will retire in 5 or 6 years. He is a hired gun. There is no doubt he is a good coach. Cal is paying him to coach and to get us to the next level. But he will never bleed blue and gold, like JT already does. And, frankly, like Ben Braun did.
But, that is OK, I guess. The kids need a better teacher, and Montgomery is a much better teacher than Braun was.
But I do have fear in my heart for their souls.
GO BEARS!!
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
While we are waiting....
It seems like all we are doing is waiting.
Waiting for the damn judge to make up her mind.
Waiting for Sandy to decide to fire Ben Braun or not.
Waiting for the short list.
Waiting for the new savior.
Well, I refuse to participate. I therefore am going to write about the Cal Football Team's spring opening.
Breaking News.... Nate Longshore took the field on the first team offense (according to the Scout article). Do we have a QB controversy already on our hands the first day of spring ball? Only time will tell....
Oops.
Well, how about those Bear Baseball dudes. They are pretty good this year. And track is gearing up for the Olympic year. Not that we have anyone who is really going to make it. Maybe in four years Alison Stokke will be getting ready to do that Pole Vault thing on the Big Stage. We just have to wait....
(As an aside, as a former Pole Vaulter, I can not tell you how excited I am that a Pole Vaulter is the new hot commodity on campus).
I was going to put my kid in the Cal basketball summer camp they have available on Campus. It's pretty good fun, they have a father's and son's camp. The only problem - no coaching staff is available, so things are on hold for now. So now my wife is nagging me about what to do with the kids in the summer, etc. Who needs it?
Let's face it - this has been a frustrating month or six weeks, or five months, or so. The Athletic Department needs something Right NOW to get us going. A High Performance Center, or a New 5 Star coach, or both. And soon, or else the collective hive head of the Bears will explode in a mess of recrimination and bitterness. Wasn't it much better the first five weeks after that Tennessee game? Things were just fine.
We need something. Soon.
GO BEARS!!
Waiting for the damn judge to make up her mind.
Waiting for Sandy to decide to fire Ben Braun or not.
Waiting for the short list.
Waiting for the new savior.
Well, I refuse to participate. I therefore am going to write about the Cal Football Team's spring opening.
Breaking News.... Nate Longshore took the field on the first team offense (according to the Scout article). Do we have a QB controversy already on our hands the first day of spring ball? Only time will tell....
Oops.
Well, how about those Bear Baseball dudes. They are pretty good this year. And track is gearing up for the Olympic year. Not that we have anyone who is really going to make it. Maybe in four years Alison Stokke will be getting ready to do that Pole Vault thing on the Big Stage. We just have to wait....
(As an aside, as a former Pole Vaulter, I can not tell you how excited I am that a Pole Vaulter is the new hot commodity on campus).
I was going to put my kid in the Cal basketball summer camp they have available on Campus. It's pretty good fun, they have a father's and son's camp. The only problem - no coaching staff is available, so things are on hold for now. So now my wife is nagging me about what to do with the kids in the summer, etc. Who needs it?
Let's face it - this has been a frustrating month or six weeks, or five months, or so. The Athletic Department needs something Right NOW to get us going. A High Performance Center, or a New 5 Star coach, or both. And soon, or else the collective hive head of the Bears will explode in a mess of recrimination and bitterness. Wasn't it much better the first five weeks after that Tennessee game? Things were just fine.
We need something. Soon.
GO BEARS!!
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Challenges
Ray Ratto put out what I guess he thought was a good piece in the Chronicle about the coaching search, and the Cal men's basketball place in the universe (see it here).
But he raises a good question as to what we can expect from our basketball program. Do we, the fans, have an over-inflated expectation of what out team should be? What should the University of California expect from it's athletic teams? Should we expect that we are going to challenge for National Championships? For League Championships? Or just for exciting games where we beat some teams that we should not, and lose to some teams that we should not?
I think there are basic minimum qualities that we need as an institution:
1) Needs to be an upstanding citizen - no slipping parents $30,000 for the signing on the dotted line. No getting caught as strip clubs and in undergraduate dorms, etc.
2) Needs to graduate the players - our current level is too poor. For those athletes who are coming into the program, there needs to be an expectation that they can graduate. In other words, no academic casualties.
3) Needs to be competitive.
The first two are fairly easy to define. Ben Braun did a good job there. Even though we had some transfers, we fairly well graduated our players, and we had no NCAA violations. Ben represented the university well.
He was fired because he failed at number three for the past few years.
So what does that mean? If you look at his resume, he got the Bears to the post season 8 times - three NIT (one of which he won) and 5 NCAA tournament. He got to the NCAA roughly once every other year. But only once in the past 4 years.
The question is, what can the University expect? Well, we expect that our colleges and departments be top 10 in most areas. We have a number departments that are number 1 academically. We are the flagship University for the largest state in the country. We should expect that we are the top public institution in the country.
Athletically, I see no reason why we can not compete at that level. In fact, i see plenty of reasons to demand that we do excel at that level, for most sports, but particularly for the big dollar sports.
Our state funding is being cut. We are going to rely more and more on private donations in the future to fund our university. Athletics is already privately funded. But the level of funding needed for the University is going to be increasing rapidly over the next 30 years. More people need to give. And, frankly, more people need to become involved in the University, in order for that to happen. There needs to be a more emotional connection. And athletics can help that. In fact, it is clear that overall donations to the University go up at the same time that donations to the athletic department go up.
So, for the University to maintain it's high level of success, the athletic department needs to help.
So, when the question comes up, what is the Natural Place for Cal Athletics in the greater world of sport, and the local columnist writes, Cal will never be a top flight program, what he is really saying is that because the Berkeley folks are trying to get the stadium project halted, and the weirdo's in Berkeley do not like sports, and it just has not happened recently, so it will never happen. And I say that is bullshit.
I have to get historical here, but Cal was dominant in both athletics and academics for the first 60 years of the last century. And there are really no other reasons for that success other than the fact that the best wanted to come to Cal, and that we invested in being the best. That is all it takes. Arizona was a joke before Lute Olsen. So was Stanfurd, until Montgomery. So was Cal football, until Tedford. It is not rocket science. If you had the best coach in California, people would come. Simple as that.
Let's also remember that the last coach who left the Bear's hoops team was Pete Newell. Every other coach since then has been fired. So it is not like this is a place that people want to leave. Braun would have been here for 20 more years if you would have let him. This is a destination. This is not a stepping stone.
I think Sandy Barbour recognizes that this is a destination job, that we are willing to do what we need to in order to win (meaning pay for performance) and we are in an area where there should be plenty of recruits. In other words, just like football, we should be a dominant force in men's basketball, year in and year out.
What I mean by that is consistent finishes in the top three of the league. Winning the league one our of every three or four years. Making the tournament every year. Making the elite 8 every four years or so. Making the occasional final four maybe once a decade, and having a National Championship every 20 years or so. That would be a consistent top 10 team. And that is what we should be aiming for AT THE MINUMUM. It is not like we can not do it - we do it in any other number of sports that we put out there: Rugby, Water Polo, Women's Softball. Crew. We are going to get it done in football. We are a consistent top 15 team now, and we are going to be making headway to get to the next level. We will be in BCS bowl game sooner rather than later, and hopefully a BCS participant on a regular basis. I can easily see that happening. Women's basketball is just taking off under Coach Boyle. They are now a top 10 team. They need consistency, but they can get it. Hell, even the Baseball team is doing something for a change.
There is, and should be an expectation that Cal produce the best. All it takes is a coach, and time. And I think we can get that in Berkeley.
GO BEARS!!
But he raises a good question as to what we can expect from our basketball program. Do we, the fans, have an over-inflated expectation of what out team should be? What should the University of California expect from it's athletic teams? Should we expect that we are going to challenge for National Championships? For League Championships? Or just for exciting games where we beat some teams that we should not, and lose to some teams that we should not?
I think there are basic minimum qualities that we need as an institution:
1) Needs to be an upstanding citizen - no slipping parents $30,000 for the signing on the dotted line. No getting caught as strip clubs and in undergraduate dorms, etc.
2) Needs to graduate the players - our current level is too poor. For those athletes who are coming into the program, there needs to be an expectation that they can graduate. In other words, no academic casualties.
3) Needs to be competitive.
The first two are fairly easy to define. Ben Braun did a good job there. Even though we had some transfers, we fairly well graduated our players, and we had no NCAA violations. Ben represented the university well.
He was fired because he failed at number three for the past few years.
So what does that mean? If you look at his resume, he got the Bears to the post season 8 times - three NIT (one of which he won) and 5 NCAA tournament. He got to the NCAA roughly once every other year. But only once in the past 4 years.
The question is, what can the University expect? Well, we expect that our colleges and departments be top 10 in most areas. We have a number departments that are number 1 academically. We are the flagship University for the largest state in the country. We should expect that we are the top public institution in the country.
Athletically, I see no reason why we can not compete at that level. In fact, i see plenty of reasons to demand that we do excel at that level, for most sports, but particularly for the big dollar sports.
Our state funding is being cut. We are going to rely more and more on private donations in the future to fund our university. Athletics is already privately funded. But the level of funding needed for the University is going to be increasing rapidly over the next 30 years. More people need to give. And, frankly, more people need to become involved in the University, in order for that to happen. There needs to be a more emotional connection. And athletics can help that. In fact, it is clear that overall donations to the University go up at the same time that donations to the athletic department go up.
So, for the University to maintain it's high level of success, the athletic department needs to help.
So, when the question comes up, what is the Natural Place for Cal Athletics in the greater world of sport, and the local columnist writes, Cal will never be a top flight program, what he is really saying is that because the Berkeley folks are trying to get the stadium project halted, and the weirdo's in Berkeley do not like sports, and it just has not happened recently, so it will never happen. And I say that is bullshit.
I have to get historical here, but Cal was dominant in both athletics and academics for the first 60 years of the last century. And there are really no other reasons for that success other than the fact that the best wanted to come to Cal, and that we invested in being the best. That is all it takes. Arizona was a joke before Lute Olsen. So was Stanfurd, until Montgomery. So was Cal football, until Tedford. It is not rocket science. If you had the best coach in California, people would come. Simple as that.
Let's also remember that the last coach who left the Bear's hoops team was Pete Newell. Every other coach since then has been fired. So it is not like this is a place that people want to leave. Braun would have been here for 20 more years if you would have let him. This is a destination. This is not a stepping stone.
I think Sandy Barbour recognizes that this is a destination job, that we are willing to do what we need to in order to win (meaning pay for performance) and we are in an area where there should be plenty of recruits. In other words, just like football, we should be a dominant force in men's basketball, year in and year out.
What I mean by that is consistent finishes in the top three of the league. Winning the league one our of every three or four years. Making the tournament every year. Making the elite 8 every four years or so. Making the occasional final four maybe once a decade, and having a National Championship every 20 years or so. That would be a consistent top 10 team. And that is what we should be aiming for AT THE MINUMUM. It is not like we can not do it - we do it in any other number of sports that we put out there: Rugby, Water Polo, Women's Softball. Crew. We are going to get it done in football. We are a consistent top 15 team now, and we are going to be making headway to get to the next level. We will be in BCS bowl game sooner rather than later, and hopefully a BCS participant on a regular basis. I can easily see that happening. Women's basketball is just taking off under Coach Boyle. They are now a top 10 team. They need consistency, but they can get it. Hell, even the Baseball team is doing something for a change.
There is, and should be an expectation that Cal produce the best. All it takes is a coach, and time. And I think we can get that in Berkeley.
GO BEARS!!
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Braun Bombed
The King is Dead. Long live the King.
Well, I can hardly believe my eyes. The Chronicle is reporting that it is finally official. The rumors are that Ben is going to Toledo, and that we are going to pay part of his salary, or something like that. Whatever it is, the finality of the Braun era is here. And I can hardly wait.
This is not like the Holmoe thing, where it was a done deal, where even he knew he had to quit. This could have gone either way, and he knew it was happening on Monday Night. You could just tell looking at him and at the team. I wonder if the team knew then, or if they just could sense it. Either way, they played like crap. But I think that was the wake. The murder happened when only 1900 folks showed up to see the Bears play in the NIT opener.
In any event, I do not believe that there is a coach already lined up. I do not believe that Randy Bennett, for example, is ready to be announced tomorrow. But we shall see. I hope that Sandy takes the time to let Pittsburg finish it tournament run, and see if she can coax him out west.
The one thing I do not want to see happen is for Mike Montgomery to come to the Bears. He had teams that played hard, and he had teams that did well. But any re-tread is going to be bitter and disappointed, and we can not have that with this team. We need someone to lead them, not beat them. Plus, he is too insufferable as a Stanfurd dude.
Anyway, the fun begins...
GO BEARS!!
Well, I can hardly believe my eyes. The Chronicle is reporting that it is finally official. The rumors are that Ben is going to Toledo, and that we are going to pay part of his salary, or something like that. Whatever it is, the finality of the Braun era is here. And I can hardly wait.
This is not like the Holmoe thing, where it was a done deal, where even he knew he had to quit. This could have gone either way, and he knew it was happening on Monday Night. You could just tell looking at him and at the team. I wonder if the team knew then, or if they just could sense it. Either way, they played like crap. But I think that was the wake. The murder happened when only 1900 folks showed up to see the Bears play in the NIT opener.
In any event, I do not believe that there is a coach already lined up. I do not believe that Randy Bennett, for example, is ready to be announced tomorrow. But we shall see. I hope that Sandy takes the time to let Pittsburg finish it tournament run, and see if she can coax him out west.
The one thing I do not want to see happen is for Mike Montgomery to come to the Bears. He had teams that played hard, and he had teams that did well. But any re-tread is going to be bitter and disappointed, and we can not have that with this team. We need someone to lead them, not beat them. Plus, he is too insufferable as a Stanfurd dude.
Anyway, the fun begins...
GO BEARS!!
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Bring on Ohio State
The Bears, on the back of Jamal Boykin's great last 30 seconds, advances to the next round of the NIT, playing Ohio State on Monday night.
Boykin collected an offensive rebound off the second missed free throw by Ryan Anderson (who ended with a huge game himself - 26 points and 6 rebounds) with 31 seconds left in the game, and the score tied. After the bears wasted 26 seconds or so, Boykin drove to the hoop, got fouled, and sank two free throws to end the game in a W.
This was a pretty exciting game for the Bears. Anderson had a great game, mostly scoring in the first half, but certainly having a great game.
Hardin foulded out with about 6.5 minutes left, and Boykin took over to bring the game home.
You can kid all you want, but if you do win the NIT, then that is something. We have a bit to go, but i have to say that New Mexico is a pretty good team. It was nice to see the Bears do something against a decent team. We'll see how it is in Columbus next week. Hopefully the Bears can beat those guys.
This is the rematch of the 1960 National Championship game - Pete Newell's final game as a Cal coach. That was the last time we played the Buckeyes. Let's get some revenge.
GO BEARS!!
Boykin collected an offensive rebound off the second missed free throw by Ryan Anderson (who ended with a huge game himself - 26 points and 6 rebounds) with 31 seconds left in the game, and the score tied. After the bears wasted 26 seconds or so, Boykin drove to the hoop, got fouled, and sank two free throws to end the game in a W.
This was a pretty exciting game for the Bears. Anderson had a great game, mostly scoring in the first half, but certainly having a great game.
Hardin foulded out with about 6.5 minutes left, and Boykin took over to bring the game home.
You can kid all you want, but if you do win the NIT, then that is something. We have a bit to go, but i have to say that New Mexico is a pretty good team. It was nice to see the Bears do something against a decent team. We'll see how it is in Columbus next week. Hopefully the Bears can beat those guys.
This is the rematch of the 1960 National Championship game - Pete Newell's final game as a Cal coach. That was the last time we played the Buckeyes. Let's get some revenge.
GO BEARS!!
Yahoo Bracket
I put together a Yahoo Bracket challenge for anyone who wants to put another one out there. Hearty congratulations to the winner.
Group ID is 172007
PW is OSKITALK
GO BEARS!!
Group ID is 172007
PW is OSKITALK
GO BEARS!!
James Montgomery Story
I am sure that the reasons will be amplified in time, but for now, it is official that James Montgomery is being released from his scholarship, and will not be playing for the Bears next year.
There was a bunch of talk on Blog and on some recruiting sites as to why he may be transferring, his badmouthing the Cal program, and comments about his not wanting to compete. Most of that is a bunch of crap whipped up by crazed bloggers and scuzzy reporting.
Let's be clear here - he is a 19 or 20 year old kid. He is unhappy with playing on the team, and is leaving the team. I am sure that there are many issues - you do not up and transfer schools just because you are afraid you may not start, or just because you have some issues with the school spirit. There are probably a host of reasons going back for years. I applaud the guy for making a decision that seems to be his alone - he did not want to be at Cal, he is relieved that he was released from his scholarship, and he is happy to be leaving. It does not appear that he has been given any assurances by any other programs that he is going to come in and start.
For the Bears, this is a small blow. He is a very good college running back. I think we have better, but that is yet to be seen on the field. I think that Montgomery at the end of the season was producing at the second string more effectively, and was coming on well. So I think we will miss him from a football perspective. But we do have four backs that are supposed to be as good or better, so I think that there is a sense that this is OK.
Last year, we lost a good QB in Kyle Reed. That was a blow to the team, but frankly, I think over time we will see that it was fine. We have three quality QBs on the team today, and we will have plenty of running backs.
Here is what I think happened. He did not want to go to Cal but his parents became infatuated with the program, and they wanted him to stay close to home. So they signed up. But he never really wanted to come here.
While here, he made some friends, and played some good football. But he was not the starter - Forsett was - and he probably was pissed off about his lack of playing time last year. He also saw some writing on the wall - Best was getting good yards, and while I do not think Best is an every down kind of back, maybe that was not getting through to Monty.
So anyway, he sees that there is a new, great back every year. Best, Deboski, Slocum, Vareen. He is not the only featured guy. When you are compromising on a school that is not your first choice, when you are not going to be playing every down, that can be depressing. Especially for a young guy.
Then, to top it off, you get a knee injury, and you can not practice. So you are concerned that you will be cut out of the picture. An injury is very hard on a player - you definitely feel left out. So that - on everything else, can cause you to do something that you may not otherwise have done, and you quit.
If football is really what you think you are going to do for the rest of your life, and you are not confident in your position on the team, then you better do something about it. The choice is either get better and elevate your game (difficult to do if you are on crutches) or else seek a better playing field. So he took his future into his own hands. You have to give him credit for that.
A lot of Cal fans can not get over the fact that someone would not want to graduate from Cal. But it is not the only school in the world, and it is not for everyone.
Good luck to James Montgomery.
GO BEARS!!
There was a bunch of talk on Blog and on some recruiting sites as to why he may be transferring, his badmouthing the Cal program, and comments about his not wanting to compete. Most of that is a bunch of crap whipped up by crazed bloggers and scuzzy reporting.
Let's be clear here - he is a 19 or 20 year old kid. He is unhappy with playing on the team, and is leaving the team. I am sure that there are many issues - you do not up and transfer schools just because you are afraid you may not start, or just because you have some issues with the school spirit. There are probably a host of reasons going back for years. I applaud the guy for making a decision that seems to be his alone - he did not want to be at Cal, he is relieved that he was released from his scholarship, and he is happy to be leaving. It does not appear that he has been given any assurances by any other programs that he is going to come in and start.
For the Bears, this is a small blow. He is a very good college running back. I think we have better, but that is yet to be seen on the field. I think that Montgomery at the end of the season was producing at the second string more effectively, and was coming on well. So I think we will miss him from a football perspective. But we do have four backs that are supposed to be as good or better, so I think that there is a sense that this is OK.
Last year, we lost a good QB in Kyle Reed. That was a blow to the team, but frankly, I think over time we will see that it was fine. We have three quality QBs on the team today, and we will have plenty of running backs.
Here is what I think happened. He did not want to go to Cal but his parents became infatuated with the program, and they wanted him to stay close to home. So they signed up. But he never really wanted to come here.
While here, he made some friends, and played some good football. But he was not the starter - Forsett was - and he probably was pissed off about his lack of playing time last year. He also saw some writing on the wall - Best was getting good yards, and while I do not think Best is an every down kind of back, maybe that was not getting through to Monty.
So anyway, he sees that there is a new, great back every year. Best, Deboski, Slocum, Vareen. He is not the only featured guy. When you are compromising on a school that is not your first choice, when you are not going to be playing every down, that can be depressing. Especially for a young guy.
Then, to top it off, you get a knee injury, and you can not practice. So you are concerned that you will be cut out of the picture. An injury is very hard on a player - you definitely feel left out. So that - on everything else, can cause you to do something that you may not otherwise have done, and you quit.
If football is really what you think you are going to do for the rest of your life, and you are not confident in your position on the team, then you better do something about it. The choice is either get better and elevate your game (difficult to do if you are on crutches) or else seek a better playing field. So he took his future into his own hands. You have to give him credit for that.
A lot of Cal fans can not get over the fact that someone would not want to graduate from Cal. But it is not the only school in the world, and it is not for everyone.
Good luck to James Montgomery.
GO BEARS!!
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