Pats on TV

The historic game between the Patriots and Giants this Sunday will be televised on CBS and NBC. Previously, this game was only scheduled to be shown on the NFL Network. The NFL Network was hyping this game like none other and put together a package of 63 hours of pre-game show. This included replaying 6 of the Patriots games from this season. But now that everyone can watch the game (inluding me), the Angry Californian has nothing to be angry about. I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and look forward to a Happy New Year.

P.S. The '72 Dolphins only won 14 regular season games. They didn't play a single team with a winning record. Their opponent's combined winning percentage was 36%. The '07 Pats have already beaten the Chargers, the Cowboys, the Colts, the Steelers, playoff teams and winners of their divisions. In my mind, win or lose on Sunday, this Pats team is already a step ahead of the '72 Dolphins. While I'm not a fan of the Pats, I am a fan of good football; and no other team has played better football than the team we are watching this year.

Rock Bottom

Hello Cal, welcome to Rock Bottom. Please, don't even try to crack a smile, as you will most certainly not enjoy your stay. Whether you win or lose against Air Force at the Bell Helicoptor Armed Forces Bowl, this season will be known as the worst season in recent memory (a.k.a, the Tedford era).

Let's see whose gone: Desean Jackson (Yes, he's not staying), Lavelle Hawkins, Robert Jordan, Justin Forsett, Thomas Decloud, Nate Longshore (I wish).

Let's see whose going to be around next year: Kevin "Wiley" Riley (Yes!), Nate Longshore (Boo!), Jhavid Best, James Montgomery, Alex Mack and the whole Defense less Decloud.

I'll be extremely dissapointed if Longshore is starting next year. Notice that we have no wide receivers coming back. I don't want to see Longshore try to throw to freshman wideouts. His 4th quarter stats this year has been so extremely abyssmal, it's borderline comedy. But we're not laughing. I'm eager to see more of this kid, Riley. I still watch the Oregan St. game, this kid is gonna be a star.

The Big Game

Saturday is the big game. Thank goodness that Versus is showing the game in glorious HD. This is the 25th anniversary of the 1982 Big Game with "The Play". The game was replayed on Thanksgiving day and Versus has a show with Joe Starky, John Elway, the guy that scored the touchdown and the band member that he destroyed. Most people can remember watching the "The Play"; but not everyone knows that NFL Legend John Elway was Stanford's quarterback and had lead them down the field from a 4th and 17 on their own 10 yard line with 1 minute left to take a 1 point lead with 4 seconds left on the clock. Well, and the rest is history.

But anyways, Cal is 6-5 and Tedford's "Worst" season was 7 wins in his first year. He took the same 1-10 team and made them 7-5 the next year. With a win this year over Stanford, Cal would have mirrored Tedford's first year, when he won Pac-10 Coach of the Year. What is different is that this year is considered a monumental failure, while 2002 was a monumental success. The amount of criticism that Tedford has taken this year has been enormous, which just adds to his stress. In a sense, the rising expectation and growing criticism is just a product of his own success. Sucks, huh? But I wouldn't worry, he's being paid millions to coach a game. And I truly believe that greatness can only come out of the darkest of times.

Having said that, I still don't believe Cal has hit rock bottom yet. The anticipation of watching the Golden Bears on Saturday is overwhelming, but deep down inside, I feel like I'm in for another dissapointment. I have this inkling that Stanford wants this game more than us. And just because we show up on Saturday with CAL on our uniforms does not guarantee a win. It's whoever plays best that day and, however much I hate to say it, I think our Bears are looking towards next season already. Desean is gone; watching him run off the field against Washington and then start to limp around on the sideline with a phantom injury has me believing that he's mentally checked out.

I'm wishing for a victory. I want to see Forsett run between the tackles; I want to see Hawkins fly for a touchdown; I want to see Jordan make a spectacular grab; I want to see Stevens run up the gut and catch a ball thrown over his head; I want to see Best run east and west for major yardage. Damn, I'm getting excited again. GO BEARS!!!!

Longshore Go Home

It was a monsoon at Memorial Stadium. The rain was relentless. In my last post, I noted two key points that Cal needed to get a victory. (1) Justin Forsett to be effective and (2) Cal needed to win the turnover margin. Well, Forsett was a beast; he was brilliant. But we lost the turnover war and the game. Longshore had 3 turnovers by himself (2 interceptions and a fumble).

All I have to say is that Longshore is a bum. He's clearly not going to the NFL this season, and I hope Tedford benches him for the next two games and next season. Riley needs to start and I think Bear Nation is ready for a change. I can't stomach another game watching Longshore throw away all that talent we have on the field. My heart goes out to Forsett. At his last game in Memorial Stadium, he played like a champion. But he never had the chance to finish, as Longshore threw another interception on the Bear's last possession. Longshore is clearly immobile and has no accuracy. The guy has no redeeming qualities right now as our QB. With nothing to lose, Tedford should give Riley some more experience this season, so he can hit the ground running next season.

Longshore, do yourself a favor and go home. Just be glad you are graduating next season with a degree from Cal. But don't suit up; nobody wants to see you out on the field.

Trojens Coming to Town.

Yes, I know, it's been ages since my last update. But the Angry Cal has left his old job and found a new one; so things have been busy, to say the least.

But, I'm back! This weekend is CAL vs USC. Pre-season, this game was definately the biggest game in the Pac-10. Now, this game isn't even televised nationally; too bad for the east-coasters that won't be able to tune in for this one.

So, Longshore will start. Bear fans rejoice? I am very torn on this one. I want Longshore to do well; I want the Bears to win! But if the Bears win and Longshore shines, then he will most likely start again for Cal next year. I have mixed feelings about that, as I truly believe Kein Riley is the future for Cal. Longshore just does not have any mobility and that can truly hurt Cal's chances next year. All the best teams in College Football have either a) very mobile quarterback or b) a quarterback that can at least make the first guy miss. Longshore isn't either.

Back to the game. So, as most teams tend to play better as the year progresses (USC), Cal is getting worse and worse with each passing game. However, this game is completely up for grabs. Cal is going to need to win the turnover margin and Justin Forsett must have a huge game. I love that kid. This will be his last time suiting up and playing at Memorial Stadium. He is 0-3 against USC, and I just know he will run his heart out. But can our O-line open up the holes? Can Forsett carry the ball 20-30 times? Only time will tell, but if we win the turnover margin and Forsett has a good game, Cal will win and then it'll be time to party!

GO BEARS!

Rewind

The pain of last weekend's gameday is almost gone. I was able to sit down, have a few drinks and rewatch the first half of the Oregon St. game last night. I have to tip my hat off to Versus and their quality programming. They really make Memorial Stadium look a lot nicer on TV than in person. The grass is almost sparkling and the Golden Bears just look awesome.

The more I see Riley, the more I like him. Barring the last play of the game, he showed excellent poise in the pocket, escapability and a strong arm. He threw for nearly 300 yards, 2 TDs and ran for another TD. There is one excellent play in the waning moments of the first half, where he is pressured and proceeds to step up in the pocket and throw a strike to Robert Jordan. Longshore would have most likely taking a sack on that play. I'm eager to see more of this kid. I'll probably end up rewatching the second half later this week, as I still get goosebumps when I see Forsett run. There are a lot of good plays in the second half, including Riley's off balance rocket to Craig Stevens, Hawkin's 70 yard TD catch and run, and also his gutsy 4th down and 15 conversion. Desean also had a diving catch in the last minute of the game.

Although Desean was a no show for the game, I'm getting the feeling that he really only gets up for big games. Next week, we have UCLA away and then Arizona St. away. These are two huge games on the road coming up. Will Longshore play? Will we see more of Riley? Will Desean make a statement for Heisman? Who knows. We just have to wait and see.

ABC Sports

ABC Sports, what is wrong with you? Why do you like picking up PAC-10 games and presenting them in non-HD? It was bad enough when you showed the CAL v. Oregon game 3 weeks ago in non-HD, but now you're doing the same thing with the the CAL v. UCLA game? Look, even Hawaii vs. San Jose St. was shown in glorious HD by ESPN. You guys can't get a couple of HD cameras and a crew down in Los Angeles for this game? You got ESPN, FSN, Versus and CBS Sports showing all their games in HD. Someone should be fired over at ABC.

Edit: So upon further review, maybe ABC is broadcasting this one in HD. I'll believe it when I see it.

The Day After

In my last post, I wrote that LSU was in a trap game with Kentucky. Sure enough, LSU lost in triple overtime. Finally, LSU goes down. They are no different than any other top tier SEC team and the hype train blew it's caboose and went down in flames. Thank God. Now, all CAL has to do clean up in Memorial Stadium and take over the #1 spot in the Nation. Don't disappoint, right? right?

After tonight's game, and hearing about most of the aftermath, it seems that a good amount of CAL fans are ready to hang Kevin Riley and then throw him under the bus. Sure, he made 1 terrible, undeniable and unforgettable decision, but he did not cost us the game. With 14 seconds left, Riley saw a hole open up for him, and he probably had flashbacks of his 1st running touchdown he had earlier in the game, and decided to tuck CAL's hopes under his arm and make a run for it. Well, the hole closed as quickly as it opened and you all know the rest of the story. But still, the blame does not fall squarely on the Freshman's shoulders.

We lost because of turnovers. As the #3 team in the Nation for turnover margin, we gave up 4 turnovers and 3 of them deep into enemy territory that lead to scores. That's it. That was the reason why we lost. There is no crying in Football, and nobody gives cares that your star quarterback didn't play. Nobody cares that Longshore said all week that his ankle was fine and that even Tedford said that while Riley took the snaps in practice, Longshore would start. Nobody cares that Riley was told minutes before the game that he would start, and that his nerves really showed in the first quarter. No, it doesn't matter.

Kevin Riley deserved to play. He had beat out Kyle Reed as #2 on the depth chart. Kyle Reed then transferred, and Brock Mansion (Freshman) is #3. Even though there is an eternity of games still left this season, I couldn't help but look forward towards next year. Will Longshore stay? He is the best Junior QB in the nation right now. But there are as many as 5-6 Senior QB that can be picked in the NFL draft. So, will Longshore stay for his Senior season? Maybe yesterday's game gave us some insight on his thought process. He isn't willing to play at 75% and possibly injuring his ankle even more because he knows he'll be around for another 18+ games. So, will Desean Jackson be back? Last week, he was primed and ready to be the frontrunner for the Heisman if CAL had won and he would have had another career-game. However, what a difference a day makes and it looks like if Desean doesn't win the Heisman, he'll be more inclined to stay another season. He also needs to bulk up his frame more for the NFL. An extra offseason can really help him out. But even if both Desean and Longshore leave, we saw a glimpse of what is there to come for next season. And it looked good.

I like to call our future QB "Wiley" Riley, as he can scramble and run. Tedford, at heart, is a quarterback coach and has always picked and developed excellent quarterbacks. When he was the offensive coordinator at Oregon, he coached Joey Harrington (NFL) and ran an offense that scored nearing 60 points a game. When he came to CAL, he had one year with Kyle Boller (NFL). This was the same Kyle Boller that had a 1-10 season under Tom Holmoe. With just one year with Tedford, Boller was drafted #19 in the first round. Next up was Aaron Rodgers (NFL). Tedford hand picked him as he was scouting over at Chico St. Rodgers had only one division-I offer and was just wallowing around in anonymity. Tedford saw his potential and molded him into the star that he became. He went from having almost no scholarship to leading a #4 ranked CAL bear team to an almost undefeated season, which propelled him into almost being picked #1 in the NFL draft, but instead was selected by the Green Bay Packers at #24. Now, we have Longshore (future NFL) and Kevin "Wiley" Riley waiting in the wings. And, yes, I specifically declined to mention Ayoob. If Longshore were to leave, I would be happy with Riley taking over. He showed flashes of brilliance yesterday. And under Tedford's molding and coaching, he destined to become a star.

Now, having said all that, Riley, in that situation, next time you throw the goddamn ball into the back of the endzone to stop the time, so we can kick a game tying field goal to send it into overtime. Don't try to be a hero. Instead, you ended up as a zero. And Longshore, next time, remove your skirt and get yourself into the game. Angry Californian, out.

Football Saturday

Football Saturday. No upsets as of yet, but LSU is in a classic trap game at Kentucky. Kentucky is coming off of a disappointing loss and LSU is coming off of a tremendous win against Florida. The game is in Kentucky and Woodson just threw a TD pass. What could be better for CAL than a huge upset by Kentucky. Seriously though, I hate the SEC analysts. And I quote, "This isn't Stanford beating USC, Kentucky is a serious football team." Seriously, it's bullshit like that, that gives the perception that the PAC-10 is weaker than the SEC. It simply isn't true.

Southern Living?

So as part of my daily ritual, I always load up Firefox in the morning and see what's new on ESPN.com. Today, I was greeted with "Southern Living, A Weekend in the Life of the SEC" on the frontpage. I threw up a little in my mouth, closed my browser and went back to sleep.

Seriously, I love ESPN. But really, it's enough that all we hear about is how great LSU is and how strong the SEC conference is and blah blah blah. But does ESPN really think a good amount of college football fans care about "a weekend in the life of the SEC"? Is this a bad joke? Why not, a day in the life of Glenn Dorsey's toe jam? Seriously, SEC needs to get over itself. Maybe Cal should go to the National Championship game against LSU and kick them in their teeth at their home court. But I'm getting ahead of myself, focus Bears, focus!!

USC Fallout

It's been nearly a week after USC's monumental collapse against Stanford, and I'm still not sure what to make of it. See, Cal hasn't been to the Rose Bowl since 1948. For most Bear fans, we could care less about the National Championship game. It's Rose Bowl or BUST! Even before the season started, I took January 2nd, 2008 off, in anticipation for Cal's rise in the Pac-10 and a potential Rose Bowl game against a gimpy Big 10 team. So, USC lost, what does that mean for Cal? Well, for one, on November 10th, it won't be a matchup of two 9-0 teams, it won't be as great when Cal beats down USC at home, since USC has already been defeated by Stanford. For another, it actually reduces our chances of going to the Rose Bowl. How? Well, we have to think of the bigger picture here. Since USC is just about out of the National Championship picture, all they have left really is the Rose Bowl. At this point, if (BIG IF) USC defeats Cal and runs the table, they would most likely go to the Rose Bowl (this is if LSU and OSU and OK also go undefeated from now on). If the same scenario happened and USC had not lost to Stanford, USC would be going to the National Championship game, which would open the door for a 1 loss Cal team to go to our precious Rose Bowl.

But still, right now, Cal is in the driver's seat to win out and go to the National Championship game, but is that what Bear fans really want? I rather see myself in Los Angeles on January 1st, 2008 watching the Bears live, instead of huddled in front of a TV on January 7th (Monday??) and watching Cal play a LSU team in New Orleans, LA. Did you know that Baton Rouge is only 1 hour away from New Orleans? I much rather see Cal come up roses against Ohio St. than go into enemy territory and play LSU at their home.

Either way, this Saturday, 4pm, don't dissapoint Cal.

First Post!

Angry Californian here. I have a 1 track mind, and right now it's all about College Football. It's week 7 of the season and the California Golden Bears will be taking on the Oregon State Beavers at Memorial Stadium at 4pm Pacific. It's been 2 weeks since our big win at Oregan against the Ducks. For Bear fans, a 2 week layoff is almost too much for some of us that salivate at the thought of a Saturday watching our Golden Bears play football.

Now, what I still don't understand is why Ohio St. University is so close to CAL in all the major polls, especially the Coaches Poll and the Harris Poll (which are both included in the BCS poll). OSU has not played anyone significant this year, except for Purdue. And Purdue hadn't played anyone significant, except for Notre Dame (HAH!). So, yea, I get that OSU is a powerhouse, and yea, I get that they are undefeated. But their Strength of Schedule is pitiful this year, because the Big 10 is terrible.

So, another thing, everyone knows that Cal's offense is fantastic and analysts are always very quick to praise Desean Jackson, Nate Longshore and Justin Forsett, but it's always followed with a knock on our defense. Now, don't get me started on the defense now. Our defense is underrated. We only gave up 24 points to Oregon, at Eugene, to a team that was averaging over 40 points a game. And that is without 3 defensive starters that have been injured. Also, I know people love harping on the 28 points we gave up to Colorado St. But people fail to remember that Colorado St. had 14 points at halftime and didn't score until the final 5 minutes of the game, when the game was already won by Cal. Tedford had put in his backup corners in the final 5 minutes for some experience, and they were burned on some deep shots. So, what? Will you see those guys against Arizona St.? USC? No. Also, so we gave up 27 points to Arizona. I think people forget that Cal was up 28-3 in the first quarter. Also, we have a bend-don't-break defense. Having said that, with a huge lead and the game in the bag, it's understandable that we'll give up some points, especially when we made 1 crucial turnover. Also, I have to note that CAL is #3 in the nation in our turnover margin at -2.2 a game.

I'm getting too angry to continue for now, until next time, Angry Californian out.