Jekyll and Hyde

Today is the official start to the "Wait' til next year" season. For me, the journey started soon after the November 27th loss to the Huskies and it couldn't get here soon enough. For you, it may have been December, January, or for that Steelers' fan, it was the soon after the Super Bowl.

Football is like no other sport. It brings out the best and the worst in people, most of the time in the same afternoon. We find ourselves watching a game that we would never admit to, but later found ourselves watching just because it's football (excluding the Big Ten).

Robert Louis Stevenson's character Jekyll and Hyde wasn't written about a man with a split personality who does good to make up for his evilness, but rather about your typical football fan. Let me give you an example: Insert any pro or college football team, and you'll soon know what I'm talking about.

I come into this year's football season with low expectations. Cal Bears will win anywhere from 3 to 5 games. After reading a few Cal fall previews, I'm ready for a magical season, and a run for the roses. Pac-12 media day comes and the coaches picked Cal to finish last in the North Division. I agree. Cal is way too young, and I'm in for a long season. A few more fall previews and I'm pumped up again.  I read that the Bay Area media poll picked them 4th in the North with only Washington State keeping them out of the basement. Sports writers, what do they know? They probably never played any type of sports. We've had top-15 recruiting classes the past two years, we are loaded with true and blue shirt (red if you're not a Cal fan) freshmen just waiting for their chance. This waffling goes on everyday depending on which site I'm reading, or the game being played. This type of split personality will stay with me throughout the season. After a loss we suck and we may not win another game, only to wake up a few days later, believing we can pull out a win and still have a shot at the Roses. By season's end, I'll be back to the next  "Wait 'til next Year" season!

For the next 30 days or so, push back common sense, don't believe what you read, hear or know. Your team, just like mine, is ready for that magical run we always hear about. I'll see you in Pasadena on the first.

"Wise Guy"