Why I don’t pick the results of Cal games
(Written by jsnell)
Most of you will understand the mind set of long-time Cal fans. Those who have been riding this horse only since Tedford arrived, you won’t understand. Those of you who are Cubs fans (or, let’s face it, Giants fans like me) will understand it.
We are always waiting for the other shoe to drop. For the inevitable disappointment that comes with being a Cal fan. This is a mental illness that really can only be cured by one of two events occurring. First, a Cal appearance in the Rose Bowl. Or second, death.
This is why I don’t pick the results of Cal games beforehand.
Scenario #1: Cal is favored by a huge margin against an overmatched team.
Who I think will win: Cal.
Who I hope will win: Cal.
In this scenario, I can pick a Cal victory, but I’m just telling you things you already know. And I risk jinxing it for all those who are stitious, or even superstitious. (Little Office reference there.)
Scenario #2: Cal is favored by a little, or the underdog.
Who I think will win: Not Cal.
Who I hope will win: Cal.
In this scenario, which covers almost every game Cal plays, this is what I’m left with. I’m convinced that things are going to go wrong and that Cal is going to be handed a loss. At the same time, I’m desperately hopeful that nobody will wake me from this wonderful dream and Cal will actually continue winning.
Again, though, my pick-analysis is entirely meaningless, crippled as it is by my pathological belief that Cal is finding the cruelest, most horrible way to disappoint me. And trust me, you don’t want to see that, and I don’t want to do that in public.
Though blogging about Cal seems an odd choice for me to make, given all that, don’t you think?
CAL VERSUS OREGON: WHO WILL WIN?
The I’ve-been-here-since-the-days-of-Kapp pick: Oregon 37, Cal 35. (Tiny voice in my head says: Oregon 45, Cal 17. Shut up, tiny voice!)
The oh-god-oh-god-don’t-jinx-it pick: Cal 35, Oregon 34.
It’s late in the game. Cal leads by one. Oregon lines up for a field goal from a moderate distance. There’s the snap, the hold, the kick… it’s up, and…
Your guess is as good as mine.
September 29th, 2007 at 8:48 am
You of little faith! Shame on you for your blatant lack of support! Nothing but shame and more shame on you! If we lose today I HOLD YOU, AND YOU ALONE, RESPONSIBLE! YOU better pray that we win you unfaithful non supportive fan!
GO BEARS!
September 29th, 2007 at 9:20 am
Ricardo,
If I had picked Cal to win, I would shoulder all the blame for Cal losing.
However, since I know that if I actually pick Cal to win, they will lose, I refuse to pick them.
Therefore all is right with the world, and if Cal loses it will be because of the Football Gods. We are apparently not their chosen people.
September 29th, 2007 at 9:21 am
By the way, I’m not quite sure how lack of faith = lack of support. Having sat through the entirety of the Holmoe and Gilbertson eras, as well as a good deal of Kapp (and having the misfortune to have not been around for the Snyder Spring), I think I’ve got support coming out of my ears.
October 1st, 2007 at 1:27 pm
Jason (& Ken):
Love the site. I’m a ’93 grad and have been up and down with the Bears. But I’m always waiting for impending disaster.
I was in Kernville, CA for a camping trip with some high school friends this weekend. So, I convinced the guys to go to the Kern River Brewing Company to watch the game. The people were so nice – especially given how loud I was during the second half. Just after Cal scored to go up 31 to 24 with just a couple minutes to play, one of my buddies says, ok – I think we’re good to go. I looked him dead in the eye and said, “Obviously you don’t know Cal football – no lead is ever safe.” Thankfully I had driven to the brewery. So we stayed til the end and I had a couple more heart attacks. But we won. And what a game.
A couple of observations:
1. The field goal was good. The game would not have been that close if the ref had decided to look up and watch the ball sail right over the goalpost.
2. Cal had 3 good chances to put it away late in the game and they let them go. There is no way we don’t score after recovering a muffed kickoff return.
3. Tedford mixes it up, but thank god he was stubborn about the run all game. Our runs in the first half, where we didn’t make a damn yard, are what helped open things up in the second half. Without the run, they would have been much better able to key off DeSean.
4. DeSean Jackson is THE MAN. He had 11 catches for 161 yards and 2 touchdowns. Incredible. I honestly think every one of his catches went for either a first down or a touchdown (kinda like a first down into the endzone).
5. Tedford is a class act. Here is his post game quote: “It’s not a vindictive win by any means,” Tedford said. “It’s just a great win for our program.”
Damn right. It’s good to know we can win at Oregon every 20 years or so.
I think this week was USC’s wake up call. They had 3 turnovers and 160 some odd yards in penalties. That isn’t going to happen in Berkeley on Nov 10th.
Go Bears!