Walking Away from Cal - Been a Great Decision

Years ago – early 1990s – I became a passionate Cal football fan.  Before that I was a pretty passionate college football fan, but for another team. I Cal football with open arms, attending every game as a student and many as an alum.  I paid for premium cable TV to get the games I couldn’t see in person.  I blocked out the time, and I blocked out more time to deal with the emotional ups and downs.

In some sense, it just wasn’t a healthy habit.  But it was also a source of happiness and camaraderie.  But over time things changed.  Cal had some really good years under Jeff Tedford, then undermined him for several more years, then fired him, then replaced him with two coaches about at the level of Tedford’s predecessor.

At this point, I don’t care about Cal football.  I still follow it somewhat, because I like college football in general, but I’ve given up on Cal football.  I’ve completely lost my passion.  Because it’s become clear in the long run things will never change.

Cal will never be a quality football program.  They might have a good year here and there, but they will mostly be mediocre at best.  This is what the powers that be at Cal want.  They don’t want real success.  There’s no point in hoping for better, it is what it is. 

Cal as an institution has become a cesspool of progressive politics.  It’s always been liberal, but now it’s taken on a fascist component.  The law school has devolved into mind programming.  Robert Reich is considered an economist there.  What used to be a very liberal school that put academics first is now a mind-control institution that insists on political hegemony.  It’s very difficult to root for a football team that is the public face of such a corrupt institution.

The university itself has slid from being one of the top-ranked schools in the world to now being ranked far below USC and below UCLA.  It’s squandered its reputation and become mediocre.  In fact, taking away what little reputation it still holds as a academic institution, the rankings go even further down.  It’s gone from being a bargain to being overpriced and poor quality for the effort to get in. The degree carries no weight in the business community anymore. 

Basically, I’ve been pouring energy into rooting for a football team that has gone nowhere that represents a university that’s gone steadily backward for the nearly thirty years I’ve been involved. And at this point, I have nothing but regret for the time and energy I’ve expended.

So I’ve probably swung the other way, into a form of resentment.  And I do feel cheated.  I gave a lot to this university and it’s squandered it.  My degree used to be worth something and it’s gone down steadily in value since I attained it.  The football team ebbs and flows between mediocre and really bad.  The students and alumni are increasingly shrill, extreme, and really an embarrassment to call fellow Cal Bears.  The whole Bay Area has been corrupted and lost all its charm.

So yah, I’m resentful.  But mostly disappointed.  The reality of the situation has hit me – things are not going to get better.  The team will always be mediocre at best.  The school will continue to slide downhill.  The Bay Area is not going to get better.  So I’ve given up, because I’ve taken off the blinders and see reality. 

This is the first football season where I don’t care if the team wins or loses.  Really don’t.  And I don’t care that I don’t care.  And I have to say, freeing up that space feels really good. I like having my Saturdays back in the fall.  I like not thinking about Cal, and not fighting the inevitable, which I can’t change anyhow.

And being a Cal fan is passive and disempowering anyhow. Ditching Cal sports fandom has made me a better person all the way around.  Looking at that time I was a passionate fan as wasted time is actually a good thing.  It encourages me to find other places where I’m wasting energy in a similar way. I save money – no more cable TV, no more game expenses.  Less stress.  Far less consumption of beer – a very good development. 

Bottom line, being a Cal fan was an unhealthy habit, the equivalent of smoking.  Getting rid of it has added years to my life.  Letting go of my connection to Cal is similar – healthy, revitalizing.  And it turns out I was hiding from boredom.  Boredom is nothing to hide from – face it head-on and make real changes to be a better person.  Hiding in passive things like sports fandom is an escape and probably masking bigger issues.  Better to just be bored and work through it honestly.

So long, Cal.  You won’t be missed. This is my #CalExit