(Written by jsnell)

Today’s my birthday. And a Saturday. As always, there are baseball playoff games on. And, oddly enough, no Cal game. In fact, I couldn’t remember the last time my birthday and a Cal game have coincided.

Turns out it hasn’t happened since 1990, when I was in college and Bruce Snyder was guiding the Bears to their first bowl appearance since 1979. (Copper Bowl! Lack of an MLK holiday be damned!) On October 6, Cal took care of mighty San Jose State by a single point.

Oddly enough, this is the second October 6 in a row on which Cal has had a bye. Thanks, guys. As the attendees to my 30th birthday party discovered (I spent most of the party rending garments over a horrendous Giants playoff loss to the Mets), it’s best not to mix friendly socializing and my sports obsessions. Yes, I know I have a problem.

So, my birthday and Saturday collide again in 2012. Bye week or conference game? I can wait to find out. (Cal does play at Ohio State in 2012, but that game’s scheduled for September 15.)