[Red80]

Cal was so bad in 1999 that its best "offensive" play was a Deltha O'Neal pick 6.

Anyway, my point stands. The Big Game is not now and never has truly been a Big Game. It might have once attracted a large crowd, but the game itself has never been between two teams playing in a truly big game for a conference title, and certainly never national implications.

It should be called something else. It's just embarrassing to continue calling it the Big Game. It's not a credible representation, and nobody in the Bay Area cares about the game now anyway. 

David Shaw is party to blame because he was the one who basically stopped doing the traditional promotional silliness that kept the game's relevance 

alive in some form or fashion, for the Bay Area writ large, the week of the game.

The "Big Game" is a Title. Just like WSU vs UW is the "Apple Cup", Oregon vs OSU is, or was, known as The "Civil War." Harvard vs Yale is known as "The Game", BYU vs Utah is the "Holy War". Stanford vs Cal was dubbed the "Big Game" in 1900, when there was no other game around. 

Should the title change with the fortunes of the programs? I think not. Personally I like the Title, a lot. I read recently that Athlon Sports rated it as one of the Top 10 Rivalry nicknames in college football. I agree. 

[Red80]

Cal was so bad in 1999 that its best "offensive" play was a Deltha O'Neal pick 6.

Anyway, my point stands. The Big Game is not now and never has truly been a Big Game. It might have once attracted a large crowd, but the game itself has never been between two teams playing in a truly big game for a conference title, and certainly never national implications.

It should be called something else. It's just embarrassing to continue calling it the Big Game. It's not a credible representation, and nobody in the Bay Area cares about the game now anyway. 

David Shaw is party to blame because he was the one who basically stopped doing the traditional promotional silliness that kept the game's relevance 

alive in some form or fashion, for the Bay Area writ large, the week of the game.

The "Big Game" is a Title. Just like WSU vs UW is the "Apple Cup", Oregon vs OSU is, or was, known as The "Civil War." Harvard vs Yale is known as "The Game", BYU vs Utah is the "Holy War". Stanford vs Cal was dubbed the "Big Game" in 1900, when there was no other game around. 

Should the title change with the fortunes of the programs? I think not. Personally I like the Title, a lot. I read recently that Athlon Sports rated it as one of the Top 10 Rivalry nicknames in college football. I agree.