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This weekend the second-ranked Ducks of Oregon take on the rank California Golden Bears. As is our custom at fishduck.com/youshouldn’tbeabletoreadthisforfree, we like to go behind the scenes to give you a glimpse of the environment of the next opponent. The University of California at Berkeley is famous for being the birthplace of both the free speech movement in the 60’s, as well as the place where the radioactive substance “Berkeleum” was discovered. The campus has been radioactive to talented football players ever since.
Artists conception of the first logo proposed for Cal helmets.
Cal has a 750-pound cannon that it fires off whenever they win a football game. The cannon collapsed in embarrassment during the much-lamented Tom Holmoe regime.
Expired Cannon
While the San Francisco Bay Area is full of exciting things to see and do, Berkeley . . . not so many. One prominent travel site, when asked to list the most interesting things to do in the city of the Golden Bear returned, as it’s second choice Berkeley Bowl . . . a grocery store.
Actual picture of the inside of the thrilling Berkeley Bowl.
Listed among notable Cal alumni is the name John Scharffenberger. He graduated in 1973 and is apparently renowned as a chocolatier. My wife made caramels for our friends last Christmas and is now waiting for induction into the College of the Redwoods Hall of Fame.
Likely not John Scharrfenberger — but how I imagine him in his chocolate kitchen.
Of course, no analysis of Cal sports can be complete without remembering the famous “The Band is on the Field!” game-ender against Stanford in 1982. While their band will probably not be on the field against the Ducks on Saturday night, there are those who say they would put up a better fight. That trombone player could lay a lick!
If you’re going to San Francisco, be sure to wear a flower in your hair. If you’re going to Berkeley . . . turn around and go back to San Francisco. Ducks to the House!
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*Watch for a joint OREGON/EAGLE Video Analysis next Tuesday! For the bye week we have three analysts who are helping me look at the similarities and differences of the Oregon offense and the Philadelphia Offense. This will be fun!
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Kim Hastings is a 1984 graduate of Northwest Christian College. He cut his journalistic teeth as sports editor of a paper in his home town of Fortuna, CA, and, later as a columnist for the Longview Daily News in Longview, WA.
He saw his first Oregon game in 1977 and never missed a home game from 1981 until a bout with pneumonia cut his streak short in 1997. He was one of the proud 3200 on a bitterly cold night in Shreveport, Louisiana in 1989 for the Independence Bowl, and continues to be big supporter of Oregon sports. He is an active participant on the various Oregon Ducks messageboards as “TacomaDuck.”