(October 19, 2012) Hear the audio version
Debbie: Erin, you ready for Big Game this Saturday?
Erin: We bleed blue at our house. GO BEARS!
Debbie: Well, I’m not. Scheduling Big Game in October … It’s like—
Erin: —moving New Year’s Eve to the 4th of July because the weather’s better?
Debbie: Exactly. Big Game tradition goes back to the 19th century …
Erin: … when it was called the Thanksgiving Game.
Debbie: Because it was usually, and traditionally, played around Thanksgiving …
Erin: … until this year.
Debbie: Now it’s all about TV, and the lure of revenue that comes in to both Cal and Stanford from broadcasting games …
Erin: … with student-athletes as “products” …
Debbie: … and universities as “brands.”
Erin: Meanwhile, alums, students and other fans of the Blue and Gold—
Debbie: —and the Cardinal …
Erin: —right. All of us who buy the tickets and cheer in the stands …
Debbie: … must go along with the money-counters who run big-time college sports.
Erin: And accept a crazy Pac-12 Conference schedule.
Debbie: Twelve schools!
Erin: Four of which are nowhere near the Pacific.
Debbie: Which meant Stanford had three home games—half the season!—before students returned for the school year.
Erin: I’d like to say that it bugs me that random athletic programs get paid big bucks for those pre-season away games. Whatever happened to playing for the love of the game—
Debbie: —between longstanding sports rivals? Giants—Dodgers …
Erin: … Cal—Stanford. I even have a favorite game, a favorite PLAY.
Debbie: Here it comes …
Erin: “ … the most amazing, sensational, dramatic, heartrending, exciting, thrilling finish in the history of college football!”
Debbie: Thirty years later I can finally say it: I’m glad I was there for the Play. Though I still say his knee was down.
Erin: NOT. I’d wish you Luck this year but he’s a Colt now. And we’re in our new stadium … Our house.
Debbie: You do remember the last Big Game—2010—in the old Memorial Stadium? And we stillhave the axe.
Erin: Don’t get me started. Instead of rock-paper-scissors, we should play bear-tree-axe.
Debbie: Let’s just agree we’re looking forward to another exciting finish.
Erin: May the best brand win! With a Perspective, I’m Erin Dealey. Go Bears!
Debbie: And I’m Debbie Duncan. Beat Cal!