California Golden Blogs

There is apparently a rivalry between Cal Athletics and General Barsky Cal Academics! When do we...

2012-05-17T00:24:04Z

There is apparently a rivalry between Cal Athletics and ~~General Barsky~~ Cal Academics! When do we play them on the field?

Other than the Barker, pretty quality interviews with Allen, Tedford, and another great Cal Bear!

Cal Baseball Week In Review: Let's Annoy UCLA and Stanford?

2012-05-16T22:30:07Z

Cal isn’t going to make the playoffs. That leaves us in a weird spot. We can't really talk about title races and playoff chances, but it’s a little too soon for end of season recaps and analysis. All that’s left is to play out the string.

For Cal fans, that means playing the bitter role of spoiler. But if ever there were two teams to spoil, it would be UCLA and Stanford. The Bruins come to Evans Diamond while Stanford will host the Bears at Sunken Diamond. It would probably be fair to describe the Bruins and Cardinals as the two most talented teams in the Pac-12, which means taking a game or two will be exceedingly difficult. But weirder things have happened, and it would be pretty sweet if Cal could deny UCLA a Pac-12 championship or cost Stanford a national seed.

And hey, if the Bears go 6-0 maybe we can talk about playoff chances again!

Cal did at least snap a 3 game losing streak in their strange conference non-conference, Monday afternoon match up of fading Pac-12 squads. Washington State had just been swept at Stanford, and rather than retreating home to the Palouse they had to come to Evans Diamond.

The highlight of the week it probably Chris Muse-Fischer's 6 inning, 2 run performance starting against Washington State. As discussed last week, the Cougars have one of the best offenses in the conference, so it's encouraging to see a true freshman with six solid innings. Perhaps most impressively, he didn't issue a single walk. As we turn an eye towards the 2013 season, performances like that are encouraging. With Matt Flemer and (likely) Justin Jones gone players like Muse-Fisher will need to step up and Monday's start indicates he could very well be up to the task.

Unfortunately, Muse-Fisher's start and Cal's late offensive explosion against Wazzu were the only highlights of the week. After powering the two wins in Pullman the week before, Cal's offense managed just 6 runs and 14 hits against the Wildcats. It's easy to point the finger at Cal's mediocre ERA as the culprit for this disappointing season, but considering injuries, depth and inexperience Cal's struggles to score runs more perplexing. The Bears are 7th in the conference in runs scored, and with a veteran lineup with multiple dangerous hitters. If you're looking for a smoking gun, try this: the Bears are 2nd to last in the conference in walks, only ahead of last place Utah.

Previewing UCLA

The Bruins stand just a game back of Oregon in the loss column of the Pac-12 and are universally projected to receive a national seed in the playoffs. UCLA doesn't particularly excel in any one phase of the game but they're well above average in every way. If UCLA has a weakness it's a general lack of power up and down the lineup. But they more than compensate for that with plate discipline - the Bruins lead the conference in on base percentage. So yeah, I'm not especially optimistic.

UCLA's starters aren't nearly as spectacular as they were last year (apparently losing the 1st and 3rd overall draft picks can be problematic) but they make up for it with perhaps the best bullpen in the conference. If the Bears fall behind early they're in bigger trouble than usual.

But hey, the pressure is off. Nothing turns a frown upside down faster than wins over intra-state rivals.

Cal Women's Crew Dominates the Pac-12 Championships

2012-05-16T16:17:00Z

Is there any finer sight than a Cal team holding up a Pac-12 Championship banner? Well, yes -- the sight of that team holding up a national championship banner. But let's take one thing at a time. On a beautiful Sunday morning last weekend, the #1 ranked Cal women's crew team was totally dominant in the Pac-12 Championships. Winning conference championships is nothing new for the Bears. They have won five straight, and eight of the last nine. But this is a young Bear team, which struggled at the start of the season. In early April, the Bears finished only fourth in the San Diego Crew Classic, which was won by USC. In fact, #3 ranked USC was supposed to pose a big challenge to the Bears in this year's conference championships. Spoiler alert: USC finished fifth. Join me after the jump for tons of photos and video of a great morning for the Bears at Lake Natoma, just outside Sacramento.

Before going to a rowing regatta it's a good idea to figure out how the scoring works, so you know what your team needs to do to win. I learned this last year at the women's NCAA championships, when I was very confused. Fortunately Norcalnick was there and figured it out for us. This year, Nick bailed on us. Some bogus excuse about Mothers' Day. But lucky for me, the Pac-12 put a cheat sheet online explaining the scoring. It's all about points. There are four events. First, there is the Novice 8 (8-oar boat with first year rowers). The first place boat gets 3.5 points, the second place boats gets 3 points, and so on, down to the seventh place boat, which gets 0.5 points. Next comes the Varsity 4 (4-oar boat with experienced rowers). The scoring there is 7 points for the winner, on down to 1 point for seventh place. The third event is the Second Varsity 8 which, as the name suggests, is the school's second-strongest 8-oar boat. The scoring there starts at 14 points and goes down to 2 points for seventh place. And, finally, there is the Varsity 8, featuring each school's best rowers. The points available here are huge: 21 for the winner, 18 for second, etc., on down to 3 points for seventh place. As long as a team stays close in the early races, it has a chance to win the whole thing with the Varsity 8.

Here's the loot the Bears were aiming for: the team trophies, the trophies for each event, and the individual medals.

A team doesn't have to win all the races to win. It's all about who ends up with the most points. A team can actually come in second or third in all the races and win the championship on points, depending on what the other teams do. In fact, despite Cal's dominance in women's crew over the last decade, the Bears have never won all four races in the conference championships. But this year they decided to make it easy on us non-math majors. This year there was no need to pull out the calculators and carefully figure out point totals. The Bears did it the simple way: they won every race

The first race of the day was the Women's Novice 8. It's helpful in watching the video to know that the boats are placed in lanes 1 through 7 based on their ranking in that event, with the highest ranked team being in the lane closest to the spectators. (And let me apologize in advance that the video is not as smooth as I would like. This was the first time out for my fancy new camera, and shooting moving targets at extreme distance turned out to be a little tricky. Not to mention that I kept forgetting where some of the buttons were! But it's watchable, and I think the video gets steadier as the morning goes on.)

The finish: (1) California; (2) OSU; (3) Washington; (4) WSU; (5) UCLA; (6) Stanford; and (7) USC.

Cal's Novice-8 team, after receiving their gold medals and the championship trophy for their event. Guess which one is the coxswain?

On to the Varsity 4 event. Cal completely dominated this one, with an open-water lead over the entire field from beginning to end.

And here are the members of the Varsity 4 team receiving their gold medals:

The finish in the Varsity 4: (1) California; (2) Washington; (3) USC; (4) WSU; (5) UCLA; (6) OSU; (7) Stanford. After two races, Cal led the field with 10.5 points. # 8 ranked Washington was in second with 7.5 points.

The next race was the Second Varsity 8. Unlike the first two races, the Bears were not favored in this one. #7 ranked UCLA was the favorite and was placed in lane one. But the Bears were set to challenge from lane two, and they never gave the Southern Branch a chance. Cal led from the beginning, while UCLA was left to battle it out with #12 ranked Stanford for second -- which turned out to be a photo finish.

Cal's Second Varsity 8 team receives their gold medals and trophy.

The photo finish for second went to Stanford, leaving favored UCLA in third. The finish: (1) California; (2) Stanford; (3) UCLA; (4) Washington; (5) WSU; (6) USC; (7) OSU. Cal's lead in points was extended to 24.5 points over second place UCLA, which had 18. Stanford and Washington were tied for third with 16. But with the last race being worth 21 points to the winner, there was still a chance for someone else to slip in there and get that title away from the Bears.

The Varsity 8 was no sure thing for the Bears. In fact, USC was favored, having gone undefeated in that race all year. And both USC and Washington had finished ahead of the Bears in the Varsity 8 at the San Diego Crew Classic on April 1. By my calculations, though, if the Bears finished in at least third place, they had the championship. But the Bears said: Third place? You must be joking! The race got off to a strange start when it was called back for a false start by one of the teams, although we weren't told which one. (Rumors that it was the Cal offensive line are unconfirmed.) But the Bears refused to be distracted and, in the closest race of the day, they took care of business.

USC put on a pretty amazing burst at the end to pull close and make it a photo finish for second and third. But the Bears weren't concerned, because they weren't messing around with second or third place this day. The finish: (1) California; (2) USC; (3) Washington; (4) UCLA; (5) Stanford; (6) WSU; (7) OSU.

Cal's Varsity 8 enjoying that championship feeling after the race.

And the Varsity 8 with their gold medals and trophy.

The day was a blowout for the Bears, because while they finished first in all four races, no other team finished in second place more than once. The final point totals: (1) California 45.5 (2) Washington 31; (3) UCLA 30; (4) Stanford 25; (5) USC 23.5; (6) WSU 18.5; (7) OSU 8.5.

And after all that racing, it was time for some championship trophies:

And, of course, it's not really a championship unless you get the t-shirt:

The ceremonial putting-on-of-the-championship-t-shirts.

And when the Pac-12 Champion Bears had their t-shirts on, a small white dog joined them on the victory stand, seen here in the arms of the Cal rower at the upper right. I believe that this was Jill Costello's dog, which she had with her when the Bears finished second in the 2010 NCAA Championships, just weeks before Jill died of lung cancer. (I don't know this for certain, but I can think of no other reason the team would have brought the little white dog onto the victory stand with them.)

Cal coxswain Jill Costello lifts her dog in celebration at the 2010 NCAA Championships.

Congratulations to the University of California Golden Bears 2012 Women's Crew Team, the first-ever Pac-12 Champions. And good luck in the NCAA Championships!

GO BEARS!

Cal Football Recruiting Wire: Wide Receivers- Make it Count

2012-05-16T10:00:05Z

Hello again, ladies and germs. In the continuing efforts to familiarize everyone with Cal's 2013 recruiting targets, we're breaking things down by position group. Last week, we looked at the running backs and discussed how stocking up with at least two commitments would be ideal, what with some attrition imminent. This week, we're looking at wide receivers.

Going into the 2012 season, we're counting on Keenan Allen to do Keenan Allen things, and for his cousin Maurice Harris to step up and fill the shoes of Marvin Jones. We stocked up in the 2012 recruiting class, bringing in 5 wide receivers in Bryce Treggs, Darius Powe, Cedric Dozier, Chris Harper and Kenny Lawler. At least two of those guys will be counted on to contribute immediately. We also moved redshirt freshman Joel Willis from defensive back to wide receiver. Add in talented walkons like Jackson Bouza, Ross Bostock and Stephen Anderson, and this looks like a group with talent but almost zero experience outside of KA.

We can safely assume that we'll lose KA to the NFL Draft after the 2012 season. With a lot of wideouts already in the fold and minimal attrition, we're not going to be loading up on wide receivers in the 2013 class. I'd be stunned if we take more than two...so it's important for us to be cautious and selective with our offers. Thus far, the staff seems to have taken such an approach...offering some elite prospects (mostly in-state) as well as a productive, under the radar kid from out of state. Below we'll look at the guys who have been offered, and other targets the staff is showing some interest in. All uncommitted thus far. Highlight links can be found by clicking on the name. Read on, reader.

OFFERED

Darrell Daniels WR, Freedom (Oakley, CA). If you've paid attention to my past posts on the 2013 recruits, you already know that Darrell Daniels is a guy that I covet. Where to start? First off, he's local...from just over in Oakley. This is a year where I really want to see us keep the Bay Area talent at home. Daniels qualifies. Second, he's really good...big, fast and strong. You can't have enough big bodies at wide receiver, and we don't have all that many aside from KA, Maurice Harris, Anderson and Powe. Kenny Lawler needs to beef up a bit. At 6'4/205, Daniels is a matchup nightmare; big enough to outleap defensive backs and fast enough to run by them (he ran a 10.74 100m recently). He's also versatile; capable of running the ball (4 rushing touchdowns last year) or returning kicks. If we only take 1 wide receiver this cycle, I'd be thrilled if it was Daniels. The competition for him will be stiff though; he's sitting at roughly 18 offers, including one from SC extended last week.

Steven Mitchell, WR Bishop Alemany (Mission Hills, CA). I discussed Mitchell in the SoCal recruiting post a couple weeks ago, but he's good enough to warrant some additional thoughts. He's an explosive athlete, showing some awesome burst and quickness. He creates space with ease and few defensive backs can handle him one-on-one at the high school level. He's also a solid route runner, which when combined with his natural agility makes him that much more impressive. Size is the only drawback to Mitchell's game at 5'11/175, but he should be able to add bulk to his frame with time. It hasn't stopped many top national programs from taking notice though; he's sitting at almost 20 offers. Cal offered Mitchell back in late March, Coach Chandler's first offer as Cal's wide receiver coach. Mitchell has no intention to commit any time soon, however; planning to wait until January to announce. He has stated he'd like offers from SC and Oregon in particular, but I think we have a shot.

Sebastian LaRue, ATH Santa Monica (Santa Monica, CA). LaRue has also been discussed here before. Not just because he's good, but also because he's a unique athlete that does many things well. Good things happen when he touches the ball; to the tune of 18 receiving touchdowns, 4 interceptions on defense, and 4 kick return touchdowns last season for Santa Monica. Like Mitchell, he's explosive. When he finds space, it's pretty much over; he can leave defenders in the dust, or break their ankles with some serious moves. While he's doesn't have the size of a guy like Daniels, he's got a strong build at 5'11/185. He plays bigger than he is; willing to go after jump balls with good leaping ability and showing nice strength when pressed. His athleticism reminds me of Cedric Dozier, and I don't think you can have too many guys with those skills. LaRue is another 20+ offer guy who intends to take his time in the recruiting process. Cal offered LaRue last month, and he's a big Desean Jackson fan. Watching his film, you can see why. My gut says UCLA and Washington could be the primary threats for him as of now, but a visit to Cal should help a lot in making up some ground.

Demorea Stringfellow, WR Rancho Verde (Moreno Valley, CA). Cal offered Stringfellow last Friday, joining a hefty list of suitors like Florida, Ohio State, and Notre Dame. He's a prototypical #1 outside wide receiver; big, fast and strong. He has a great burst off the line and has the body to handle smaller defensive backs at 6'3/200. He plays with a lot of physicality as you would expect, but also is fundamentally sound. Stringfellow's stats from last season attest to a guy who can make big plays; totalling 46 catches for 1008 yards and 16 touchdowns. I don't know where Cal stands with him currently, but he's stated he plans to take all of his visits and make a decision late in the process. With no stated leaders, this one will be interesting to monitor. EDIT: SC just offered Stringfellow yesterday. Wouldn't be shocked if he committed sooner than later. SANCTIONS!

Macan Wilson, WR Kinkaid (Houston, TX). We reportedly offered Wilson last Thursday, and this one made me raise my eyebrows a bit. That is, until I did a little research and watched his highlights. Last season, Wilson caught 91 passes for 1639 yards and 25 touchdowns. That came after a sophomore year that saw him surpass 1200 yards receiving and 10 touchdowns. The numbers alone are impressive, but Wilson is more than just production. His film really impressed me. He's instinctive, doesn't fear contact and plays smart. And he's really fast. At 6'1/185, he could play outside or in the slot. Cal was Wilson's third offer, behind Northwestern and New Mexico. There will be more. He appeared ready to commit to Northwestern, but seems pretty excited about the Cal offer now. I'd be very happy with a commitment from Wilson. Watch his highlights and I think you'll agree.

Ra'Shaad Samples, WR Skyline (Dallas, TX). We offered Samples early, and then just about everyone else did. Sitting at almost 30 offers including ones from Texas, SC, and Ohio State, Samples is taking his time and enjoying the process. I'm personally a bit surprised that he elected not to commit to Texas already, and it looks like Austin may not be his final destination at this point. The 6'0/170 Samples hauled in 19 touchdowns last year for Texas powerhouse Dallas Skyline. He's a terrific route runner with enough speed to find space. I do not consider Cal a factor in his recruitment as of now.

Julius Wilson, WR Culver City (Culver City, CA). Wilson claims a Cal offer, but i don't know if that's accurate. That said, I wouldn't be disappointed if he had one. The Culver City standout is a burner, and his speed is on display frequently when he's getting behind secondaries or running by them with the ball in his hand. Another guy who's dangerous in the open field, Wilson is a real playmaking threat. He's lanky at 6'2/175, and also stars on the hoops court for Culver City. With offers from 9 schools including Nebraska, Illinois, Washington, and UCLA, Wilson will take his time and take his visits. I don't know where he factors into Cal's plans or priorities for recruiting the position, so it will be interesting to see what develops in the Fall with Wilson poised for a big year.

ON THE RADAR

Below are a few wide receiver recruits that Cal is showing an interest in, but no offers yet.

Demun Mercer, WR/ATH La Marque (Houston, TX). Mercer was a dual-threat quarterback for Chavez High School in Houston before transferring to La Marque for his senior season. As a sophomore, the 6'2/175 pound Mercer threw for almost 1700 yards and 21 touchdowns, and also rushed for 985 yards and another 13 touchdowns. Yes, he's an athlete. He projects as a wide receiver at the next level. He has the speed, agility and athleticism to make the transition too. Hard to glean much from his highlights though, since they show him as a quarterback. Currently holding an offer from Rice, Cal is one of a few schools showing interest in Mercer.

Devon Allen, WR Brophy Prep (Phoenix, AZ). Allen is a guy with elite speed, running a 10.49 100 meter dash and a 20.75 200 in last weekend's State Championship races. That speed relates to the football field pretty damn well, too. He has a great burst off the ball, and really good change of direction. He also plays tough, not afraid of contact. He also has a solid build at 6'0/185. And he's a big-play threat, catching 44 passes for 844 yards and 14 touchdowns as a junior. Cal has yet to offer Allen, but I don't think he minds; he's received over 20 offers already. We have shown interest, but I'd consider this a long shot until either an offer or a visit materialize.

Xavier Shepherd, WR Lakewood (Lakewood, CA). A former teammate of Cal redshirt frosh Todd Barr and 2012 commit Darius Powe, Xavier Shepherd looks to be yet another elite recruit for Lakewood. The 5'9/165 pound Shepherd is a small but explosive receiver who plays the slot well and is also dangerous in the return game. Cal is showing interest, as are several more Pac-12 schools. Shepherd already has offers from Oregon State, UCLA, Colorado and Utah. Seems to be favoring UCLA and Oregon State as of now.

Jermaine Kelly, WR Salesian (Los Angeles, CA). Cal is showing a fair amount of interest in the 6'2/185 pound Kelly, and he's slowing down his recruitment as he sees more programs getting involved. Initially favoring UCLA, ASU and Hawaii, Kelly will take his time now with Cal, Oregon State, SDSU, and the Michigan schools starting to come on. Kelly's stock has risen thanks to some nice performances on the camp and 7-on-7 circuits. He has nice size, and is athletic enough to play on either side of the ball. I like him as wide receiver.

Da'Mari Scott, WR Cathedral (Los Angeles, CA). Scott is a little under the radar, but had some nice showings at a few camps recently. He currently holds offers from Fresno State and Boston College. He's a versatile athlete who can also play option quarterback or safety, but looks really good as a wide receiver. He runs sharp routes, has good speed and really nice hands. He has good size at 6'1/185 too. Cal is showing interest, but Scott looks like a guy that we will hold off on offering until some of the higher rated guys have made decisions.

Cliff Betson, WR Salesian (Richmond, CA). As you could probably tell from the "highlight" link, there's not a lot of film or data out there on Salesian's Cliff Betson. What I do see is a big, physical wide receiver who can jump and runs pretty good routes. Hopefully his senior season will bring some legit film. Betson has said that both Cal and UCLA are showing him a fair amount of attention. He's visited both campuses and seems to really like Cal. With Jahvid Best and Freddie Tagaloa coming to Berkeley before him, keeping a pipeline to Salesian open would certainly have some benefits. We'll see what kind of season Betson has and where his recruitment goes from there.

Jack Austin, WR Chino Hills (Chino Hills, CA). Austin is another big receiver at 6'3/200 pounds. He tallied 62 catches for 941 yards and 11 touchdowns last year for Chino Hills. He has great hands, strength and displays really nice body control while going up for some tough catches. He's not the fastest guy, but a strong nose for the football compensates for a lack of speed. He also is a really good route-runner, something that is not given enough weight, in my opinion. He currently holds offers from Boise State and Utah, but Cal and several other Pac-12 schools are interested. Austin has seen his stock rise thanks to some really dominant camp showings. Keep your eye on him this fall.

Dominic Gomes, WR Bishop O'Dowd (Oakland, CA). From nearby Bishop O'Dowd, Gomes is a local guy who is pretty under the radar as of now. He attended the Cal Spring game and Junior Day a couple weeks ago. His stats are eye opening; averaging an absurd 32.86 yards per catch. Plays like the 99 yard touchdown on his highlight certainly skewed that average a bit. He still caught 35 balls for 1150 yards and 13 touchdowns though. DEEP THREAT. Gomes is 5'11/175 pounds and has some nice moves and speed. I don't know where he factors into the plan for WR recruiting this year, but a guy like that in our backyard is not a bad thing. He does lack consistent production, so Gomes is likely a Plan B or C prospect at this point.

Larves Jones, WR Fort Scott CC (Fort Scott, KS). We look to a junior college in Kansas for this installment's final entry. At 6'4/210, Larves Jones is a big, smooth wideout who was a non-qaulifier out of high school. He redshirted at Fort Scott last year, so he has yet to play a down of Junior College football. Still, his size and speed is intriguing. The Cal staff took a trip to lovely Fort Scott to check him out. So have Penn State, SMU, Nebraska and Louisiana Tech. With a good season, offers should start coming in for Jones. Cal, like other interested schools, are probably in a wait and see mode right now. He looks pretty good in the highlights from Fort Scott's Spring ball.

Interesting group of prospects in an interesting year. Since we can be selective with our offers and takes, we should be selective with our offers and takes. The staff has been methodical and deliberate with their WR offers, and that's good. But to ensure that we get the best couple guys that we can, I hope that they're aggressive and persuasive once that offer is on the table.

I'm very interested in how our WR recruiting goes this year for a couple reasons. First, I'm curious to see just how Coach Chandler handles a full recruiting cycle. He's new to it, how will it go? Second, we don't have to take any wide receivers this year. There's a high likelihood that two or three of our 5 takes from the 2012 class will redshirt next year. The staff will need to weigh whether a 2013 guy is worth adding. I feel like the each of the guys we've offered thus far are worth it. If we miss on them, will the staff be willing to reach on a guy, or will they be content to wait until next year? They could. Wide receiver is a luxury add this year, but not a necessity (like running backs and defensive backs). But it's no fun talking about us NOT taking a wide receiver in 2013. So I don't like that option. Personally, give me Darrell Daniels and either LaRue or Macan Wilson and call it a day. Or just Daniels. Yeah, that works too.

Who do you want? Who do you think we'll get? Please share, because none of us are as dumb as all of us.

Go Bears!

5. Cal Class of 2005 Top Players - DeSean Jackson, Tyson Alualu, Syd'Quan Thompson, Zack Follett,...

2012-05-16T08:12:53Z

5. Cal Class of 2005

Top Players - DeSean Jackson, Tyson Alualu, Syd'Quan Thompson, Zack Follett, Desmond Bishop, Cameron Morrah, Anthony Felder, Lavelle Hawkins

Cal has earned a reputation for bringing in top talent but never really being able to win with it and the fact that they didn't win more games with this huge haul that they brought in with the 2005 class is very supportive evidence for that argument. Jackson was one of the most explosive players in recent conference history and Alualu, Thompson, Follett and Bishop were All-Conference stalwarts.

In our Pacific Takes recruiting rankings, the greatest Cal class of all-time finishes 5th overall among the best Pac-12 recruiting classes of the past decade.

Coach Tedford is mic'd up for spring practice. Listen to him talk, while people practice! It is...

2012-05-16T02:06:46Z

Coach Tedford is mic'd up for spring practice. Listen to him talk, while people practice! It is like you are inside his brain!

Golden Nuggets: Jack Clark to Put More Emphasis on Rugby 7s

2012-05-15T22:30:13Z

Having withdrawn from the Premier League (and no longer competing for the NCAA Championship), Jack Clark and Cal rugby are looking for new venues to exert their dominance. With increased popularity worldwide and in the US, rugby 7s will be a new direction for Cal.

The Bears withdrew from Division I-A because of dissatisfaction with how the 31-team league was structured and the cost of travel, coach Jack Clark said. Instead, Cal is beginning to emphasize the seven-man version of the game that will make its debut at the Olympic Games in 2016 in Rio de Janeiro.

Two former Cal players, Colin Hawley and Blaine Scully, are training with the U.S. national team 7's at the Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista (San Diego County) in the hopes of being Olympians in 2016. That draw will now be part of Clark's recruiting pitch to high school seniors.

"It's not lost to anyone on our team, I'll tell you," Clark said. "We see that as a real important part of the game. We never paid much attention to it before. We just threw a team together at the end of 15's season. It's going to take an approach that is more comprehensive."

Referring to the prospect of developing future Olympians, Clark said, "Those five rings give us that credibility we need."

Clark said Cal will now take a bifurcated approach to the sport and play in 7's tournaments in the fall and the traditional 15-man version in the spring. There is also a chance that under proactive commissioner Larry Scott that the Pac-12 Conference will soon begin a rugby schedule among member schools.

After the jump Shareef Abdur-Rahim earns his degree and softball earns the right to host an NCAA Regional.

Football

UB Bull Run looks back at the 99 best moments in the history of Buffalo football. Number 84 is Zach Maynard's 400-yard, 4TD performance against Pitt. Despite some mistakes in the game, Maynard gave hope to Buff fans that they may have finally found a competent QB.
Marvin Jones has impressed Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis. Jones is pushing to crack the WR rotation and will likely contribute as a return man.
Uncle Ted looks back on what we learned this spring. Cal fans learned that Maynard has improved since we last saw him and that we have some playmakers on defense.
The "Best of Spring" highlights include Zach Kline as the next great Cal quarterback.
Uncle Ted's post-spring postravaganza continues as he looks at the questions answered during spring as well as those that need to be answered during fall camp.

Basketball

After a prosperous 13-year career in the NBA, Shareef Abdur-Rahim earned his degree on Monday.

Softball

Valerie Arioto won her third Pac-12 Pitcher of the Week award of the season. Her shutout on Friday helped the Bears clinch the conference title.
For the first time in nearly 20 years, the Bears will host an NCAA Regional.

Baseball

The Bears topped Washington State 13-8 on Tuesday.

Crew

Swimming

Cal alumni, current Bears, and future Bears all performed well at the Charlotte UltraSwim Grand Prix. Olympic gold medalist Dana Vollmer, junior Caitlin Leverenz, and incoming freshman Elizabeth Pelton each won two events. Incoming freshman Rachel Bootsma also won an event.

Natalie Coughlin feature on ESPN

2012-05-15T21:47:00Z

Natalie Coughlin feature on ESPN

I'm surprised this hasn't been posted yet (or maybe it has and I just couldn't find it). Nice feature on our favorite swimmer and locavore.