We Have the Axe! (EMFMV 2009 #11)
(Written by jsnell)
In this podcast: We still can’t believe Cal won the Big Game. We talk offense, defense, special teams, strange play-calling, and the general atmosphere in Stanford Stadium. There’s also a preview of the UW game, we talk bowl positioning, and there’s even a secret word. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!
You can also subscribe to the podcast on iTunes.
November 25th, 2009 at 11:46 am
An awesome week, to be sure. I’m truly enjoying the new media topics starting to pop up. There’s more focus now on Pac-10 strength and it also seems like they’re trying to pick apart the typical bias, mostly as a result of the majority of the country being unable to see Oregon-Arizona (and to a lesser extent our own game) while getting such excitement as Kentucky-Georgia instead. Seriously, we’re expected to fairly crown a champion when all we see is the SEC playing each other and/or cupcakes? (Yeah, Alabama totally handed it to Chattanooga! They must be the most dominant team out there!)
On another note, I wonder how much of the punting issue is due to the turnover at long snapper. I saw a replay of the blocked punt, and the snapper was utterly flattened immediately. There was a similar situation on a FG, where Stanford penetrated a dangerous amount up the middle. Is this what happens when we go from veteran Sundberg to Rios? I haven’t seen other punt replays, so I don’t know if this has consistently been the issue.
November 25th, 2009 at 12:18 pm
I give me Pac-10 Player of the Week Crown to Shane Vereen & Anthony Miller, they will have to fight for it, but I don’t think they would mind.
Happy Thanksgiving! Loving the return of long podcasts!
November 25th, 2009 at 1:35 pm
So, I’m not saying anyone should crown Tedford King of Berkeley. Okay, maybe I am. But I’m hoping that the turnaround since the USC game is at least making some of the ‘Fire Tedford’ crew rethink the many errors of their ways. When you compare this season’s tumble-and-recovery to (I don’t really wanna mention it, but) 2007 when the wheels came all the way off the bandwagon, it’s clear that Tedford is stell learning and making good use of the lessons he’s got. You guys mentioned in an earlier podcast about his willingness to change – even if he doesn’t say so – which is a good sign.
And I don’t much think the field goal was a horrible call. It was cautious, in one sense. But in another, it had some guts. He was telling Harbaugh that Cal didn’t want an overtime, that Stanford had the chance to end the game if they could just power through and do it. And he was bankin’ on Cal’s defense stopping them, and he bet right.
And maybe Mohamed’s pick wasn’t crucial, but I sure was a lot more nervous before it than after it . . .
Congrats on the NaNoWriMo novel, by the way, Katster! Are you gonna make 50k words, Jason?
November 25th, 2009 at 3:15 pm
@OWW: Yeah, I’m at about 46K right now, so no sweat. Thanks for asking.
I don’t think the field goal was a bad call. I think bypassing a chance at a TD on 3rd down before kicking the FG on 4th down was the bad part. 🙂
November 25th, 2009 at 3:19 pm
Who is going to Smell Paso?
My advice is, following the game, to drive north to Albuquerque and spend New Year’s there. And stay in Las Cruces, not ELP.
You also have to try to queso at Kiki’s. It’s the best.
November 29th, 2009 at 5:32 pm
So, that crown ended up on TV. We got a local news crew here in Sactown to film us, and I was interviewed. It was pretty awesome.
And thanks for the congrats! It was pretty awesome, and it feels good, although I’ve only written about 2000 words since then.
-kat
November 29th, 2009 at 7:25 pm
The podcast is always better when Cal wins — and this being the best win of the year, it was the best podcast of the year. Congrats!
I think the Stanford loss and the booing spooked Tiger Woods. As you all know by now, Tiger was in a car accident and hurt his crown. I don’t think the cause was some rift with his wife — I think he was still smarting from the Big Game.