The Counting Crows star is a Sturdy Golden Bear through and through. Lost Letterman with the story.
Duritz doesn’t preen for the camera like McConaughey, but he’s even more hardcore. In the music world, you would describe Duritz as a groupie. He reads Scouts and Rivals but never writes on them because "I feel like I’ve got a little too much insider insight and it wouldn’t be cool." He’s a regular at practices and watches games from the sidelines. He moonlights as a Cal radio sideline reporter from time to time.
He wears his gear proudly during concerts and can legitimately say he’s friends with much of the coaching staff on the team. He even flies out to games to check out the Bears on the road. How’s this for die-hard? Said Duritz of making the trip to the 2006 Cal-Tennessee game in Knoxville during an off-night on his tour: "We drove all night from I don’t know where, but it was 500 miles away. We got there that morning and went to the game and then drove to Atlanta afterwards. It was cool. I had both goose bumps and chills and at the same time, I’d like to never hear ‘Rocky Top’ for the rest of my life."
His love for Cal doesn’t even stop on the gridiron: "Some of the most satisfying and exhilarating times in my life were at Cal games. Not just football and basketball. I’m obsessed with women’s basketball and volleyball and water polo and rugby."
The man keeps the faith, even at the bleakest times. Andy Hutchins at the mothership found this Tweet from Duritz as Cal was getting pummeled by USC.
I'm not a pessimistic guy and I really love this Cal team but I'm starting to think we are probably not going to win today.
That's a true Blue statement right there, although Duritz still has plenty of gold in him. Here's to next year.