Hippies More Wood!

If you follow Cal sports, environmental politics, or the City of Berkeley, then chances are that you have heard about or seen the hippies living in the trees at California Memorial Stadium.

Unfortunately, this is not some giant publicity stunt to draw attention to Wonder-Coach Jeff Tedford and the California Golden Bears.

Instead, the Ewoks have taken to the trees to prevent the University from cutting them down to make progress on retrofitting the stadium and building a new sports complex near the site. The tree-sitters claim that the University is threatening to cut down one of the last old-growth woodland areas in Berkeley.

The biggest problem with their argument is that it isn't an old growth woodland area nor is it one of the last surviving woodlands around.

The trees around the stadium were planted by the University and only four predate the stadium itself: three oaks and a redwood. Those who make a short trek to another shrine to Cal athletics, the Tilden Statue near Haas Pavilion, will find themselves surrounded by a lush woodland protected by the University. In fact, many other wooded areas exist on campus, several with University protections to prevent the flora and fauna from being disturbed.

The University has agreed that some environmental disruption will occur as a result of the new construction, but plans to mitigate the damage by planting three new trees for each one that is removed. Further, it is important to note that the University planted those trees on University land several decades ago as part of a landscaping design. It should be well within the ability of the University to remove the trees. Besides, the stadium is of more historical, cultural, and economic value than the trees in question.

What is most interesting is what groups have entered into the fight: most notably, the Panoramic Hill Neighborhood Association (PHNA). PHNA has a long history of being a thorn in the side of the University, the students living on Southside, the Greeks, and Coops. It is no secret that they have opposed construction on the stadium on the basis of the noise, lights, and traffic in the area. They have latched onto tree preservation because it is just the latest in their many attempts to stop the progress of the University community.

The Panoramic Hill Neighborhood Association doesn't love trees; they hate student life.

In conclusion, Berkeley hippies, Ewoks, and the PHNA are forming an evil axis that hates students, Cal, and college football. They should be opposed at all costs.

Tedford to Stay at Cal, Remain Deity Until 2013

In recent history, Berkeley has seen a series of losing seasons culminating in a season so bad that we only won one game...versus Rutgers...post season...in the snow...And we didn't have the Axe for most of a decade.

Then we let Tom Holmoe go and hired up Jeff Tedford.

After a stunning win in Michigan followed by other stunning wins against formidable opponents both on the road and at home (not to mention a recapture of the Axe!), Berkeley became filled with "Tedford is God" shirts. He certainly did play the part of a deity-he turned a struggling, highly overrated Kyle Boller into a quarterback worthy of playing in the NFL.

We were always proud to be the California Golden Bears, even in the dark days. But under Tedford, it is that much easier.

This week, the Cal Athletic Department has announced a tentative agreement with Tedford to extend his contract through 2013. Although he is currently making approximately $1.5 million each year, under the new contract he will see a raise. It is also assumed that the contract continues to hinge on the new athletic center and stadium renovations currently held up in the courts by the people living in the trees next to Memorial Stadium. The official contract can't be finally approved until the Regents vote on it.

Nearly $2 million is a lot to spend on a coach. He is already the highest paid employee of the University of California system. Granted that Tedford's leadership has led to a profitable football team that has bolstered Cal's popularity (leading to even more income), it is hard to imagine spending so much money each year on one man. Still, if any Pac-10 coach is worth it, it would have to be Jeff Tedford.

I haven't seen the contract, nor do I know any specifics about it. I do hope that the contract is strong enough to keep Tedford working his magic in Berkeley through 2013. Cal actually has a real shot at being a Rose Bowl contender before this contract expires. Under Tedford, we are a top-20 team and beginning to gain respect as a football school once again.

And we still have the Axe!

Get Those Rally Comm Kids a Cigar!

Apparently, the Big Game Week hijinks are starting a little earlier than usual this year. I couldn't be more pleased! Check out Wikipedia! Somebody (presumeably) a member of Rally Comm updated the Stanford entry with a few interesting facts.

Nobody cares more about Cal traditions, history, and spirit and the stanfurd rivalry than the good folks in the UC Rally Committee. Those kids put in long hard hours all year long to make sure all the traditions occur. Among their duties are card stunts (which Cal invented), the California Victory Cannon, the Big Game Bonfire Rally, keeping the Big C a fine shade of "King Alfred Yellow," and waving the cal flags at football games. All the while, they are running around in hideously ugly (and dirty) striped rugbys.

Let's go on a tangent for a moment, shall we? Seriously, those rugbys are ugly. And they stink. The smell is a sure testiment to the hard work that the Rally Comm kids do in that they are dirty and smell because Rally Commers are so frequently hard at work in them that they don't often get a chance to wash them properly. But there is no excuse for the ugliness. Somebody should tell them that striped rugbys went out of style in like 2002. I guess it is better than the cardigans and funny looking caps that Rally Comm members wore in ancient times. I don't have a picture of those uniforms, but check out a yearbook and take a look. The rugbys are actually an improvement. But I digress...

Go check out Wikipedia! It contains such interesting facts as stanfurd being a finishing school and it's recent losing streak to Cal.

UPDATE: It appears that the stanfurdites have gotten wise. The updates have been removed. If any of you know of any other pranks, hijinks, or other anti-stanfurd community service occurring on or around campus, please drop me a line! I won't even publish it if you don't want me to. I just hate stanfurd!

GO BEARS!