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Sandy Barbour just stepped in a big pile of PR doo doo

As you are all likely aware, the NCAA just announced a modification of its 2012 Consent Decree with Penn State that largely eliminates the few remaining sanctions, and restores the 112 wins the NCAA "took away" from PSU football between 1998 and 2011. This restores Joe Paterno to the top of the career wins list for Division 1 football coaches at 409 wins.

The PSU ice hockey team decided to commemorate the occasion by playing a couple nights ago wearing small "409" stickers on the back of their helmets. This apparently disturbed a woman named Gretchen Nielsen, whose Twitter history describes her as a University of Michigan alumna. Ms. Nielsen tweeted Sandy to express her displeasure over the decals, and here is their Twitter exchange:

"@SandyB_PSUAD: Today was a win for #PennState and its student-athletes past & present. http://t.co/0DyDkSHyX9 #WeAre #OneTeam

@gretchnielsen: @SandyB_PSUAD no one in your office thought '409' on helmets might not show "we've learned our lesson. It's not about wins"? Dear Lord.

@SandyB_PSUAD: @gretchnielsen Agree with you. Inappropriate and insensitive. It's been corrected.

@gretchnielsen: @SandyB_PSUAD great to hear. Good luck to you guys!"


Sandy's Twitter page has since blown up with tweets from PSU alums incensed over her "inappropriate and insensitive" comment, and her puzzling desire to cater to the comments of a UM grad. Sandy is now backtracking big time, but this mess is far from over. (I understand that Ms. Nielsen cancelled her Twitter account.)

LOL, I'd much rather have our temporary AD than suffer through more of Sandy.
This post was edited on 1/18 8:43 PM by LafayetteBear

triple option

triple option is not a porn movie title. Million Man March, however, is under consideration at the upcoming ( pun intended) Porn Movie Awards to be held at Uncle Yu's restaurant. Triple threat was once used to illustrate the perfect basketball stance for an offensive player. Zero threat perfectly illustrates the offensive stance employed for 80% of our current players.

Updated OV list

Two non-commits added: Brandon Singleton and JaMarcus Bradley will both be in Berkeley this coming weekend, and like I mentioned in another thread, basically all of Cal's commits who haven't visited will be there as well. Confirmed a bunch more of those today, we're up to 17 visitors for Jan 23-25. Also of note, all of the spring admits are now in Berkeley, which means Albert, Wilson, and Bowers will all be there to help host the visit as well. Updated list at the link below...

Updated OV list

Cal Defense Improved in 2014

Points given up per game dropped by 6 total and almost 12%. Unfortunately it was still awful at 39.5 given up vs. 45.6

Rush defense went from 4.9 ypg to 3.98 ypg - huge jump and a solid #

Pass defense went from 9.4 yards per attempt to 8.1 yards per attempt - still anemic to say the least

Our points allowed per play improved by 20%+

Yes, we were still awful overall but at least the trend line is in the right direction.

Some reason for optimism that we will see a bigger jump in 2015:
- 2nd year in Kaufman's system
- 9 returning starters
- Influx of faster newcomers
- Looney on the DL
- Depth at LB and CB[/B]

49ers

Promote the DL coach, Jim Tomsula to HC.
Cant say im shocked, it seems like exactly the thing the niners would do, but damn am i disappointed. Of the plethora of guys available (including fangio) you settle for a DL coach with no prior HC experience? I was pulling for them to promote Fangio and then go out and hire a good OC like marc trestman.

Hope this works out...

What in-home visits are coming up?

Grant (or others) - with the dead period about to end on January 14th, what kind of in-home visits will the Cal coaches be making in the coming days? What potential new (or current) commits are they targeting?

I believe there is the in-home with Meadors sometime later this week. Also, I heard they may be visiting Williamson. Are there others confirmed, especially before our big Jan 23-25 OV weekend?
This post was edited on 1/13 8:45 PM by gocalbears1994

The NCAA receives another fatal blow to its creditability

An interesting article describing how the university accepted harsh NCAA sanctions in 2012 to avert Did Penn State really face the Death Peanalty?

a USA TODAY Sports investigation finds NCAA President Mark Emmert didn't have the support



"NCAA President Mark Emmert lied under oath in current litigation over the handling of the Penn State case. He testified that there was a "very strong consensus" for imposition of the death penalty. In fact, the vote now appears to have been 19-2 AGAINST consideration of that extreme sanction. He similarly lied to PSU officials when negotiating the the draconian penalties based on the flawed Freeh report -- not even read by Exec Committee Chair Ed Ray -- who voted for the decree.

If I were handling the litigation for the plaintiffs, I would file a "Suggestion of Perjury" against Emmert with the appropriate prosecutorial offices." Paul Levine
"Rodney Erickson, Penn State's president at the time of the sanctions, said in his deposition that Emmert told him the "presidents want blood" and "would like to shut your program down for multiple years." The depositions, some of which have not been made public but were obtained by USA TODAY Sports, include details on days of communications in July 2012 that indicate Penn State officials believed they had little choice other than to accept the NCAA's harsh terms in a consent decree to avert the loss of its football program, a major revenue producer that helps pay for many of the school's athletic teams."



"But in recalling those days in a deposition taken Dec. 8, six days after Emmert's, Oregon State president Ed Ray, who in 2012 was president of the executive committee, said talk of the death penalty for Penn State never gathered strong support. Ray said the committee discussed such a severe penalty twice - coming to no consensus the first time and voting against it overwhelmingly four days later."


"Ray said he could not remember the vote outcome, "but if you told me it was 19 to 2, I would believe you.""

Did Penn State really face the death penalty?

Game Of The Week

Pac 12 leader Utah at AZ - 4 pm. Should be a great game. A Utah win and they could roll through the Pac 12 and a high seed in the NCAA tournament. Poeltl has made a big difference. Could have done the same for Cal. According to an interview he was most impressed because Kristowiak made the effort to fly to Europe and watch him play. Even brought his wife. I don't know if Cal ever saw him play. I doubt Monty would have made that effort.

Guys, it's happening

With the staff incomplete, I'm pretty sure GAs are allowed to hit the road, which means JACOB PEELER is allowed to hit the road (could also be that the hire has already been made, but I'm pretty sure it's the former as of right now). Staff has an in-home with 3-star OL commit Ryan Gibson tomorrow, and they're sending Peeler. Not gonna lie, I think this could seriously alter how the class ends up...
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