All aboard! The Cal bandwagon continues to grow

June 24, 12:48 AMCal Bears ExaminerRob Calonge

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The Bandwagon is getting big.  Ok, it's not really a wagon.

While I agree with many of the predictions that are currently making their way around the web and in other publications, it's beginning to get a little crowded when it comes to picking the Bears to win.

Not to downplay the beauty of the lesser-followed sports, but the Bears haven't been this favored in both men's basketball and football at the same time...ever?  I can speak for the last 15 or so years, but our older Bear Backers will have to chime in if I'm wrong.

I probably should have more respect for some of the more high-profile publications when they rank teams, but I seriously don't.  How many times have those East Coast guys missed with West Coast teams?  Too many times to count.

All last year, these same 'experts' told us how the Pac-10 wasn't as good as other conferences in both football and basketball, and how USC was having a 'down year' in football because they lost to Oregon State.

#8 Penn State and #9 Ohio State were both in the top 10 at the end of the year after losing to USC and Texas respectively in bowl games!  Ohio State actually moved up from #10 after losing to Texas of all things.  The most mind boggling ranking to me was a 9-4 Michigan State team finishing the season ranked #23, while a 9-4 Cal team finished unranked.  BCS stands for Bogus College Standings if you ask me.

But, I digress.

A curious thing is happening around the nation - the Bears are being taken seriously.  The best thing for Bear Backers is that it's not just football anymore.  After the Bears took their eighth-ranked Pac-10 preseason ranking, and turned it into a NCAA Tournament appearance, people are starting to point to them as the leader in the Pac-10.

Eamonn Brennan of Rivals.com wrote an article last week that pointed to the Bears possibly being the best in the Pac-10.  Bear Backers probably already had thought that.  Brennan's conclusion came about due to coaching of Mike Montgomery and the rest of the Bears' rivals suffering losses to graduation.  In the article, he writes the following:

...if you were to begin the season today, Mike Montgomery's team would be the favorite to win the Pac-10. Hands down.

It seems odd to say, given how thoroughly mediocre Cal has been for so long, but it's true. The Bears were quietly solid last year, finishing fourth in the Pac-10 behind Washington, UCLA, and Arizona State. And unlike the teams above them, Montgomery lost no one from last year's squad. Washington will have to do without its top scorer, Jon Brockman. UCLA lost guard Jrue Holiday to the draft lottery and forward Drew Gordon to an unfortunate knee injury. Arizona State's James Harden be drafted in the top five overall. USC is ... well, you know about USC.

In football, I'm sure that you already know about the following rankings: No. 9 (Phil Steele), No. 11 (Athlon), No. 12 (Lindy's), No. 13 (ESPN.com), No. 21 (Sporting News), No. 21 (CBSSports.com 120).  As I've been spouting over the last couple of weeks, it's way too early to rank - even though the Bears should be considered an elite team.

It wasn't until I read a story by a writer I do respect, that I began to realize these Cal football rankings may truly have some merit.  The writer is a Pac-10 fan's favorite - Ted Miller of ESPN.com.  In a story that he wrote last week about Bryan Anger, he clearly explained the punter's importance, better than I ever had, when he put it this way:

Imagine a field with two teams not doing diddly on offense. One punter averages 38 yards; the other 45 yards. The field shortens fairly quickly for the team with the better punter, eh?

And then the opponent makes a mistake while backed up in its own territory.

The Bears would benefit greatly -- and could become dark-horse national title contenders -- with a passing offense that connects on 60 percent of its throws and averages 225-plus yards per game.

Is it too late to say, "That's what I meant,"?

Anyhow, the point of all of this is that these are exciting times for Bear Backers.  In the three most followed sports on campus, Cal has serious title hopes in all three.  In football, this may finally be the year that the tightwads have to take some of the cash they've saved over the years on the hill, and use it on a bus ticket to Pasedena.  In men's hoops, it may even require getting tickets to wherever the NCAA is holding the Sweet 16 next year.  Women's hoops dreams may even be better than the men's.

Exciting times.  Things haven't been this exciting in Berkeley since Allison Stokke committed to the track team.  I kid...I kid.

If you're on the fence about these Bears, I suggest that you get off of it, and get on the bandwagon now.

Limited seating is available.

The Pac-10 bows before its new overlords ... the Cal Bears?

Don't be surprised if ... California

I've got more on the way...due to technical difficulties, I was unable to post my follow-up to the top 10 MVB's - players who just missed the cut.  That's on its way, plus more.  So, keep coming back!