At what point did Cal fans become defined by forced patience? At what point did the post-Pappy, post-Newell decline turn into a near-perpetual drought that became a badge of honor/shame for any Cal fan loyal enough to stay engaged?
It certainly defined the fan base by the time I joined on in the mid 90s. It defined the fan base when some fans (jokingly?) hoped Cal would lose to Rutgers to cap off a goose-egg in 2001, it defined the fan base when the BCS formula screwed us over in 2004, and it defined the fan base when a perfect home record devolved into an injury-fueled first round NCAA tournament exit in 2016.