It Had to Happen (Why???) :-(
Well, being the loyal Cal fan (and realist) that I am, I can try and reason last night's horrible Holiday Bowl result as the other shoe finally falling. Cal lost to Texas Tech 45-31 in a game never that close, and yet again a Blue was rolled over by a Red in 2004 :-(
Like a Chicago Cubs' fan (or once a Red Sox fan) somewhere in the back of every Cal fan's mind was the, "this is too good to be true" feeling. The wonderment if we could escape the sports gods for a full season and end on a high note without the other shoe dropping, bringing us back to reality that time and time again, Cal finds a way to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory (an often used phrase by old Blues who have seen too many heart-attack games). The game began like the 2004 Presidential election from a Democratic perspective: some beginning hope and confidence with a striking realization that we just got our butts kicked in all phases of the game with a single bright-spot being JJ Arrington rushing for over 100 yards, his 12 consecutive game doing so, and rushing for over 2000 yards this season. ARGH!!!
I so wished we could have won, shoved another wrench in the BCS machine, and proved to Texas and the nation that Cal is a good team. However, the past few games we haven't played like a #4 national team, and who can blame us? We started the season with a very deep receiving corps (4 or 5 good receivers), to systematically lose each starter sans our tightend to injury over the course of the season. The most painful losses coming against USC and USM. So, Rodgers had zero verteran receivers, and never seemed comfortable with any of his targets in this game, limiting our offense to the ground game. (Defense: can you predict our play???)
And as we have been all year, we got burned by the deep pass. So, the sports gods, the woof gods, and all other entities wishing to pinch Cal fans back to reality got their wishes fulfilled this past evening, much to my chagrin.
Hopefully, Rodgers stays in school for his senior year, and Tedford and the team come back next season strong and ready to again reach the top rankings of the national polls and the BCS. This season was purely magical until the final game, and in thanks, I am grateful all of our expectations have risen. The higher expectations demonstrate the immense progress the team, school and program have made since the disasterous 1-10 season of Holmoe's final season. In no way does this loss take away from the great achievements of the season and the all-important win over 'furd for the 3rd straight year. The loss merely leaves a bad final taste on a great season where Cal always ended up just short of realizing the ulitmate dreams this season.
So, to the football team, thanks for a great season! It was very memorable and special, and I hope the team can do just as well next season. GO BEARS!!!
(Now, on to root for the B-ball team, which needs a lot of fan support this re-buidling year.)
Like a Chicago Cubs' fan (or once a Red Sox fan) somewhere in the back of every Cal fan's mind was the, "this is too good to be true" feeling. The wonderment if we could escape the sports gods for a full season and end on a high note without the other shoe dropping, bringing us back to reality that time and time again, Cal finds a way to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory (an often used phrase by old Blues who have seen too many heart-attack games). The game began like the 2004 Presidential election from a Democratic perspective: some beginning hope and confidence with a striking realization that we just got our butts kicked in all phases of the game with a single bright-spot being JJ Arrington rushing for over 100 yards, his 12 consecutive game doing so, and rushing for over 2000 yards this season. ARGH!!!
I so wished we could have won, shoved another wrench in the BCS machine, and proved to Texas and the nation that Cal is a good team. However, the past few games we haven't played like a #4 national team, and who can blame us? We started the season with a very deep receiving corps (4 or 5 good receivers), to systematically lose each starter sans our tightend to injury over the course of the season. The most painful losses coming against USC and USM. So, Rodgers had zero verteran receivers, and never seemed comfortable with any of his targets in this game, limiting our offense to the ground game. (Defense: can you predict our play???)
And as we have been all year, we got burned by the deep pass. So, the sports gods, the woof gods, and all other entities wishing to pinch Cal fans back to reality got their wishes fulfilled this past evening, much to my chagrin.
Hopefully, Rodgers stays in school for his senior year, and Tedford and the team come back next season strong and ready to again reach the top rankings of the national polls and the BCS. This season was purely magical until the final game, and in thanks, I am grateful all of our expectations have risen. The higher expectations demonstrate the immense progress the team, school and program have made since the disasterous 1-10 season of Holmoe's final season. In no way does this loss take away from the great achievements of the season and the all-important win over 'furd for the 3rd straight year. The loss merely leaves a bad final taste on a great season where Cal always ended up just short of realizing the ulitmate dreams this season.
So, to the football team, thanks for a great season! It was very memorable and special, and I hope the team can do just as well next season. GO BEARS!!!
(Now, on to root for the B-ball team, which needs a lot of fan support this re-buidling year.)
posted by sashew at 2:48:00 AM
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