Category: Cal Bears

Cal Bears Football podcast with Michael Duca: Covid cancels another game for Cal; Trip to ASU all for naught

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Cal Bears and ASU Sun Devils kickoff on Sat Nov 14th at Frank Kush Field at Sun Devil Stadium (photo from calbears.com)

Cal Bears Football podcast with Michael Duca:

#1 Outbreaks have been the norm in college football Cal’s opener last week against Washington and this week at ASU was cancelled as in week one a player tested positive and his linemates were quarantined those same players are still in quarantined shortening the Bears defensive line forcing the game to be canceled.

#2 Midweek Cal head coach Justin Wilcox had to wonder if there would be a game at all. This week how hard is that on a coaching staff and the players when you have to stop and then prepare again.

#3 I know you’ve talked about the tight Covid-19 protocols from the Berkeley Public Health Department which has Cal’s entire defensive line under quarantine which expires Saturday night.

#4 The game for Saturday at ASU had been a question mark and the players have been working out and the defensive line have been allowed to do some individual supervised workouts.

#5 Wilcox said he’s complained regarding the way the Berkeley Public Health Department has handled deciding who sits on the Bears. Wilcox said they would like to know why that some of the players he has are in quarantine when they are negative.

Join Michael for the Cal Bears podcasts each Friday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Cal Bears Football podcast with Morris Phillips: Cal and Pac 12 trying to stay a step ahead of Covid infections

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Cal Bears quarterback Chase Garbers (7) and the Bears will have to wait another week before they get another shot at playing as Sat Nov 7th’s game was canceled due to a unnamed player coming up positive for Covid-19 (file photo from California Golden Blogs)

Morris on the Cal Football podcast:

#1 Morris their has to be very little doubt when the NCAA season starts each school looks forward to it’s opening game and the Cal Bears were no exception but it certainly had to be a major disappointment for the players, coaches, alumni and faculty that their game at Berkeley against Washington had been canceled.

#2  An unnamed player tested positive for Covid-19 leading up to Saturday’s game, there also one other Pac 12 game that was canceled Arizona at Utah due to an outbreak. How safe are the protocols in the Pac 12 for the players?

#3 There were three Pac 12 players who fought for stricter and safer Covid-19 protocols before the season was to even be considered, Cal players Jake Curhan, Valentino Daltoso and Josh Drayden were drivers in the Pac 12’s “We Are United” campaign.

#4 Also players have been in the fight for a share of the Pac 12 revenue and more safe and health issues. The issue has developed into a bill of rights by former Stanford football player and Sen Cory Booker D-NJ and backed by nine Democratic senators.

#5 The Bears will try it again as they travel to Arizona State for Saturday’s game. The Sun Devils lost a close game to the USC Trojans 28-27. ASU quarterback Jayden Daniels threw for 134 yards and a touchdown. Set Saturday’s game up for us with the Bears at ASU.

Join Morris for the Cal Bears podcasts each Monday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

 

Cal Football podcast with Michael Duca: Covid outbreak cancels opener with Washington with no make up date; Bears head to ASU for next game

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Cal head coach Justin Wilcox will have to lead his troops the Cal Golden Bears another day as the home opener at UC Berkeley has been canceled for this Sat Nov 7th due to a Coronavirus outbreak (file photo from Bruins Nation)

Cal Football podcast with Michael Duca:

#1 Michael what does the cancelation of Saturday’s game mean for Cal as they were to open the season at home against the Washington Huskies at Memorial Stadium?

#2 Cal head coach Justin Wilcox says the team takes all kinds of precautions against the spread of Covid 19 but sometimes that’s like plugging multiple holes in a row boat.

#3 One unnamed player and his co-position players are quarantined, the unknown player is asymptomatic and keeping with Berkeley’s Health Department’s protocols the player’s teammates who share the same position with him are quarantined.

#4 The Bears have this game canceled and coach Wilcox says this is a huge disappointment for the alumni, fans, faculty, school, coaches and players and worst it opening day in college football is something that every campus is always looking forward to.

#5 So the Bears will try to again this time at Arizona State on Sat Nov 14th it will be the Bears first game and the Sun Devils second game of the season in the brief six game campaign.

Join Michael Duca for the Cal Bears podcasts each Friday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

 

 

 

 

Cal’s season opener against Washington canceled due to COVID

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By Morris Phillips

BERKELEY–The Washington-Cal Bears football game scheduled for Saturday night has been canceled due to a player’s positive COVID test, and the subsequent quarantining of the Cal players in his position group.

The decision to quarantine the infected player’s position mates was made by the Berkeley Public Health Department in keeping with their mandates through contact tracing. The player registering the positive test remains asymptomatic, but those student-athletes who were deemed to be in close contact with him must quarantine for 14 days, the period of time in which the virus could surface due to the contact.

That means along with Saturday’s cancelation, the Bears’ game at Arizona State scheduled for November 14 could also be in jeopardy once individual timeline’s are determined for each quarantined individual based on their most recent contact with the athlete registering positive.

“I think part of this is tough to swallow because the players and our athletic department, coaches, athletes tried to do the best we can with the information we had. And unfortunately, it didn’t quite do the job because they still were contact-traced. They don’t talk to us about those specific scenarios,” Cal coach Justin Wilcox said.

Only 20 student athletes at Cal have registered positive tests since on-campus activities resumed along with regular testing on June 4. This was the first positive test within the football program, and couldn’t have come at worse time with two games of the team’s abbreviated six-game schedule jeopardized without the possibility of being rescheduled.

Further, the Bears had received positive reviews from Pac-12 journalists who touted the team’s experience and talent relative to their conference opponents. The outset of the season also gave the entire athletic department hope that they could lessen the financial issues within the program caused by a series of annual financial deficits.

Cal/Stanford Football podcast with Morris Phillips: Cal to open up season at home against Washington; Stanford at Oregon this Saturday

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Cal Bears head coach Justin Wilcox has been preparing the Golden Bears for the 2020 season which opens up against the Washington Huskies on Sat Nov 7th at Memorial Stadium in Berkeley (file photo mercurynews.com)

On the Cal/Stanford football podcast with Morris:

#1 The Cal Bears got a workout Saturday at the Berkeley campus after taking Friday off from practice. The Bears are preparing for the Washington Huskies for this Saturday’s game at Memorial Stadium a game that head coach Justin Wilcox is looking forward to after a later than normal start.

#2 Morris the Pac 12 has emphasized on the safety protocols but with travel and everything that is involved with it is the protocols more tighter per say than the NFL’s because the NFL has had some positive tests during this regular season?

#3 Morris for Saturday’s game at Cal how important is it for the Bears to put pressure on Washington quarterback and to keep control of the Huskies offense?

#4 Turning to Stanford football quarterback David Mills whose entering his senior year has a career 1960 passing yards, 11 touchdowns and five interceptions. The five interceptions over the last three years tells you how much he’s been careful with the football.

#5 Oregon’s quarterback Tyler Shough is the probable starter against the Cardinal Saturday. Shough who was a red shirt is said to be in the lead for the starting quarterback job while Anthony Brown who was at Boston College transferred over to the Ducks is also competing for the quarterback job.

Morris does the Cal/Stanford football podcasts each Monday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

 

Cal/Stanford podcast with Morris Phillips: Pac 12 Commish Scott missed 8 game playoff opportunity; plus more on Cal and Stanford

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Pac 12 Commissioner Larry Scott stands in front of So Fi Stadium in Inglewood addressing the media back on Feb 26, 2020. Scott tried to get the Pac 12 an eight game playoff format in September but those plans got rejected (AP News photo)

Cal/Stanford podcast with Morris:

#1 Morris, the Pac 12 Commissioner Larry Scott made news today he was called incompetent by missing a change to have an eight team playoff.

#2 Scott could have had a better playoff that had eight teams but delayed and missed an opportunity and the deal he settled for got rejected in September by the College Football Playoff management committee.

#3 Morris how important is it when Cal Senior Associate Athletic Director Josh Hummel says it’s important to bring back student athletes for voluntary conditioning workouts?

#4 Morris Cal quarterback Chase Garbers has started 19 of his last 21 games with a 13-6 record is remarkably 13-2 in games he’s played more than half the game.

#5 Morris for Stanford quarterback Davis Mills has played in his last eight games and made six starts, throwing for 1960 yards and 11 touchdowns how solid do you see him at quarterback in the all six game Pac 12 schedule?

Join Morris each Monday for the Cal/Stanford podcasts at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Pac 12 Foootball podcast with Morris Phillips: Can Scott get the Pac 12 on network television?

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What will be the next move for Pac 12 Commissioner Larry Scott as major network television are not interested in broadcasting Pac 12 games (awfulannouncing.com)

On the Pac 12 Football podcast with Morris:

#1 Morris how much trouble is the Pac 12 in when they can’t get a TV deal?

#2 Morris talk about the networks who didn’t want any part of the Pac 12 CBS, Fox, and ESPN.

#3 Morris turning to Cal Bears football, outside linebacker Tevin Paul had opted out and lineman Luc Bequette transferred. Cal defensive coordinator Peter Sirmon said that since the season was switching to the fall from spring he had little time to find replacements and is working with what he has to get ready for the season.

#4 Sirmon said that he has enough players to develop outside linebackers in place of Paul’s departure for example Sirmon said he has Cam Goode is an excellent rusher and Braxton Croteau physically has developed into a good linebacker. Sirmon sounds pretty confident in the linebacking position.

#5 Cal lineman Brett Johnson had Covid 19 during the summer but has been cleared for practice. Johnson said while he had it he didn’t take a second test during his time in quarantine because of dead traces of the virus in your body. Johnson said he just stayed in his house playing video games and eating chicken pot pie.

Join Morris Phillips for the Pac 12 podcasts each Monday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Cal Bears Football podcast with Michael Duca: Is bringing back the Pac 12 all about health and safety or the big bucks?

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Cal Bears and Pac 12 Football will return on November 6th the first of a seven game schedule and will be headed up by Cal Bears head coach Justin Wilcox (USA Today file photo)

On the Cal Bears Football podcast with Michael Duca:

#1 There have been arguments already about the return of Pac 12 football namely that it is a mistake for them to return after it was originally postponed. The Cornavirus count has not gone down and could hit as many as 250,000 into January and February. Is the Pac 12 making the responsible decision in enacting a new season next month?

#2 The Pac 12 CEO and University of Oregon president Michael Schill said Thursday that health and safety is one of the Pac 12’s number one priority. Do you still see right through the real motive here that these universities are under immense pressure by the alumni donars, sponsors and parents of the student athletes because it’s really about the bottom line?

#3 The Mountain West also with the Pac 12 announced they will return in November and like the Pac 12 the MWC will tell you this is all about that the students and their academics come first, and as student athletes that their health and safety and following the safety protocols for the players and it’s team personnel and education come first before anything else.

#4 The Pac 12 has a seven game season starting Nov 6th and the MWC plans to have a eight game season starting October 24th. Did the conferences decide to play this fall because they feel it was better for more interest to than in the spring?

#5 Pac 12 men’s and women’s basketball is also set to return on Nov 25th which gives basketball just a month to prepare and get ready for regular season play other than the safety issues do you see this being like any other Pac 12 basketball season and being competitive and worry free?

Michael Duca does analysis on the Cal Bears at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Cal Bears podcast with Morris Phillips: Will the Pac 12 really be back?

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Pac 12 game between Arizona State and Kent State at the ASU campus at Tempe Arizona from Aug 29, 2019. The Pac 12 is reconsidering returning by November or December talks are still continuing. (AP News photo)

Morris on Cal Bears football podcast:

#1 Morris how serious how committed is the Pac 12 in 2020.

#2 The Pac 12 is taking information that the Coronavirus is either under control or it’s safe to return to contact football do you still see this as a risk to return for the players?

#3 The Pac 12 commissioner Larry Scott said that the partnership with Quidel a rapid Covid-19 test lab would have test results back and that should be a resolution for returning if the team knows whose negative or not.

#4 Morris, Scott told ESPN he is highly confident that the Pac 12 will start no later than Jan 1st. The players will have time to prepare for the season this month September as Scott said that the season can start as early as November and December.

#5 One thing the Pac 12 is confident about is that test results from Quidel could come back on game day to see if anyone is asymptomatic and prevent them from taking the field

Morris Phillips is a Cal Bears beat reporter at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Cal Bears report: With California leading in Covid cases in the nation Pac 12 shuts down sports for the fall

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Cal Athletics image from calbears.com

By Morris Phillips and Michael Duca

BERKELEY–In what seems like no end in sight the Pac 12 group today voted to cancel all fall sports through the end of 2020 and will plan to resume play in the spring. This was given careful consideration after consulting with the Medical Advisory Committee and the athletic directors of each of the Pac 12 schools.

The committee made clear they were very concerned about practices that involved contact sports such as football. The Pac 12 said when they see that the virus has flattened in a safe way and that cases have gone to a safe number the conference will consider returning competitive sports with a target date of Jan 1, 2021.

Student athletes will have their scholarships guaranteed, the Pac 12 also is offering NCAA grant students who already have opted out of sports programs another year of eligibility for this school year. Those students will receive from their universities advisement and tutoring as support from canceled sports programs and their academic education.

University of Oregon president Michael H. Schill said that he along with students, coaches, and staff is disappointed that it had to come to this but Schill said putting safety is job number one, “All of the Pac-12 presidents and chancellors understand the importance of this decision, and the disappointment it will create for our student-athletes, the coaches, support staff and all of our fans,” said Schill. “Ultimately, our decision was guided by science and a deep commitment to the health and welfare of student-athletes. We certainly hope that the Pac-12 will be able to return to competition in the New Year.”

Cal Athletic director Jim Knowlton and Cal Chancellor Carol Christ put out a heartfelt statement knowing that this impacts students athletes who have worked all their school lives to get to this point only to see their season canceled under such pandemic circumstances, “We are aligned in our support for the Pac-12’s decision to postpone fall sports. While the decision was difficult, it is consistent with our shared commitment to the health and well-being of Cal’s student-athletes, coaches and staff. Our hearts go out to the student-athletes who will not have the opportunity to compete this fall. We are incredibly proud of how they have been navigating the disappointments and uncertainties surrounding their athletic pursuits, and we will do all that we can to support them during these difficult times. We look forward to the day when they will be able to, once again, train for and compete in the sports they love. We look forward to the day when we can, together with members of Cal’s extended family, once again cheer them on as they pursue excellence on the field of play.”

Morris Phillips and Michael Duca are beat writers and podcasters for Cal Football at http://www.sportsradioservice.com