What happened Cal? I’d like to know …I’d like to know how you can possibly look past Arizona and blow a 17-3 third-quarter lead to lose to the Wildcats 24-20.
I’d like to know how DeSean Jackson (left) can taunt an Arizona defender before getting tripped into the end zone for an apparent 63-yard TD with 2:18 to play … after stepping out of bounds at the Arizona 41-yard line. The replay officials reviewed and called back the TD, while Cal celebrated.
This was just like Jackson’s foolish flip that ended at the one-yard line during the U.S. Army High School All-American Bowl, back when Jackson was thought to be heading to USC. The kid showed how little class he has and how much he hasn’t “been there before.”
I’d like to know why journalists who cover Cal couldn’t control themselves and started writing about USC a month ago. Brian Brainum, a supposed contributing writer for the The Daily Californian, wrote a piece with the headline “Let’s Start Talking About Them Trojans” back on October 15, a full three games before the Bears will play USC.
Supposed professional journalist Art Spander wrote a column last week headlined “Trojans fight the urge of looking ahead to Cal” in which he points out that, in actuality, everyone but USC was looking ahead.
Pete Carroll, our guy as much as theirs, since he grew in Marin, since he was an assistant on the 49ers, is talking about this week's opponent, Oregon, while the rest of us, writers, fans, everyone besides the Trojans, are talking about next week's game, Cal."... our guy ..."? Who is Spander kidding?
"That's OK," Carroll concedes. "That's what everybody does. That's classic. But that's just not the way we operate.
"That game doesn't mean as much unless we win this game. We're clearly focused on that. We're good at not getting distracted by what's ahead."
I’d like to know how Cal bloggers and Cal fans who read blogs didn’t know better than to follow the same approach as our man Carroll. We already pointed out the idiot Cal nerd who used mid-season Sagarin stats in a geek attempt to provide knowledge where there was none … back on October 1.
We saw evidence of Cal fans looking ahead in comments on Displaced posts, as well. These people are nice enough – basically wishing us luck against ugla – but as I pointed out in response, there was business to take care of first.
All this looking ahead to USC, and Cal does its imitation of ugla’s November choke at Zona last year. Talk about not knowing how to win when it counts, which in football means every single week.
Perhaps rather than stealing so much from Oregon, Tedford should copy our man Carroll. This is how we do it.
We’ll see what happens this coming Saturday. To be sure, all is not lost for Cal, which could still get to its first Rose Bowl in almost 50 years. Maybe Cal is capable of winning in the Coliseum, but they’ve already shown us they’re not ready to truly contend at the national level ... let alone act like they’ve been there before.
Fight On! Beat the Bears!
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4 comments:
You know, when one first starts climbing mountains, one often can succumb to the effects of the high altitude, which can cause poor judgment.
That being said, I don't necessarily think Cal's loss to Zona was any more indicitave of a team looking ahead than SC's loss to OSU. Call it whatever cliche you like: ambush game, trap game, etc, but it was simply a conference loss.
That being said, Cal played horribly and deserved to lose. Even if that loss was aided by at least one or two questionable officials calls.
As I said in my "looking forward" comment, until someone else climbs to the top, SC are still the Pac champs. The loss to Zona hasn't changed that - the game on the 18th will still very likely decide who goes to the Rose Bowl. That wasn't looking forward or ignoring any other games, it was an acknowledgment of the likely scenario.
Anyway, congratulations on the win against the Ducks. Keep up the good work against ND and Fucla, but as for next week ... well, Go Bears!
What a rational response to a loss by Cal Bear.
I like you soca, oski, you're crazy... but I like you.
Jae -
Thanks for the backhanded compliment. I suppose that's about the best I can hope for on a site dedicated to SC fans.
(joke)
Seriously, the DT seems like a resonable guy, and although he is prone to a bit of poking the opponents, this is a fan blog, so how can anyone really take serious offense? Besides, the posts here are often funny (even the ones picking on the Bears), and almost always insightful.
And, when compared to the complete geeks and a-holes over at Bruins Nation (those guys take themselves and their baby bruins waaaaaay too seriously), this place is almost as cozy as Strawberry Canyon.
Good luck against the Domers and Fucla, but for next week, Go Bears!
socal oski,
I like you, too. You get it: It's all for fun, but this is a USC site. Your ability to recognize this (which is unfortunately rare out here in the blogoshere) is much appreciated.
Thanks for reading.
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