Ohio State Week: Transferring Hate

Like everyone else, I can’t wait for this Saturday’s game. I can’t wait to see USC on college football’s center stage in prime time, once again. I can’t wait to see how well our man Pete Carroll has prepared the Trojans for a classic match-up against an iconic program.

Still, I also can’t help but feel like something is missing this week. Maybe it’s the feeling that Ohio State won’t be bringing its best without a fully healthy Beanie Wells (above). Maybe it’s the Buckeyes’ lackluster win over Ohio last Saturday, and their slide in the rankings to No. 5. Maybe it’s the 10-point spread that tells us the magically accurate experts in Vegas feel the same way.

The thought crosses my mind that perhaps this isn’t the supreme challenge we all thought it would be … and that scares me. USC can’t afford to think Ohio State isn’t anything but “the” Ohio State.

Then again, what the hell do I know? According to Paul Peszko of the Bleacher Report, any hint of complacency among the Trojan Family was erased when Slick Rick and Trader Chow out-coached Rocky Top's Phil Fulmer – I know, that’s not saying much – in Pasadena last Saturday night. Here’s Peszko’s take:

Last week, Ohio State lost any psychological advantage they could possibly muster when UCLA came back in the second half to knock off Tennessee in OT, 27-24.

Even though USC was named No. 1 in both polls, they were no longer the media darlings of L.A. football. All week long, it has been a continuous procession of UCLA Bruins before the media.

The usual hype over USC’s 52-7 pasting of Virginia and the rise to No. 1 has been eclipsed by the media’s fascination with a team given up for dead pulling off the upset of Week One. …

For the Trojans, the game with Ohio State is not a springboard to a National Championship. It is not even to maintain their ranking at the top of the polls. It is not to show that the Pac-10 is better than the Big Ten. It is not even to prove that Trojans are better than Ohio State.

For the Trojans, the game with Ohio State is much, much bigger than all that. This game is for one thing and one thing only: to take back the City of Angels.

Hmmm. I know it sounds ridiculous, but I think Peszko is on to something. As I watched Slick Rick’s “relentless optimism” – a.k.a., the classless behavior that will no doubt lead to his third set of violations sometime during this, his third head coaching job – I began to feel the proper hate that fuels the motivation it will take to beat the Buckeyes.

If allowing ucla and its Slick Rick to get under our skin a little bit gives us an edge this Saturday, that’s fine with me. I’m in.

Fight On!

Ohio State Week: It's a Matter of Class

I love it when people talk trash. It's part of what makes sports in this country so great. Anyone can say anything they want, but it all comes down to performance on the field. And more times than most, when someone talks trash to the USC Trojans, we make them pay.

Just ask DeShaun Jackson, a Displaced favorite whose considerable athletic gifts on the field were surpassed by the speed of his mouth ... until we shut him up on the field, twice.

So, while much of the hype-makers were quick to jump on Ray Small (above) for his words of "wisdom" following "the" Ohio State's "dismantling" of the Ohio Bobcats last Saturday, it's all old news to us.

To review, in case you haven't seen Small's words on the bulletin board inside Heritage Hall:

As I took my visit to USC, I'm like, 'How are they successful? They're not even serious about the game.' Before the game, they're all going crazy. Me and [Buckeyes defensive end] Rob Rose was on the visit and I'm looking like, 'Wow.' And then the coach said, 'You better get out of here. It's 'bout to get hectic.'

And then I come [to Ohio State] on the visit and before the game, it's all quiet, everybody getting taped, coaches talking. It's the total opposite. ...

It's more of a class thing ... Here at Ohio State, they teach you to be a better man. There, it's just all about football.

How is USC successful? This is how we do it, Ray. We read books about tennis! Of course, this can be a bit puzzling to those who mistake conventional wisdom and sweater vests for "class."

Still, I suppose Small is right about one thing: USC is certainly a different kind of football program. Small will find this out first hand on Saturday afternoon.

We are SC!

Slick Rick Gets Tricked

So, Matt Barkley - the No. 1 recruit for the class of 2009 and the first junior ever to be named National Gatorade Player of the Year - announced his commitment to USC last night. I suppose this latest recruiting coup by our man Pete Carroll sets our world straight after all the angst Traitor Chow seemed to be causing this week.

But the take here is that Barkley's commitment sheds new light on a few quotes sprinkled throughout the Traitor Chow coverage - quotes from "experts" that were like flies on Traveler's ass, until Barkley made his commitment public.

The best example is Bill Plaschke's over-reaction to Slick Rick's moves since becoming head PR guy at ucla. With Murshed "Nestor" Zaheed and the "nation" of idiots masturbating over our used goods, Plaschke (who has been among Murshed's enemy journalists at the Times) waxed unpoetically about how Slick Rick is more than just a liar executing "cheap parlor tricks."

Plaschke quoted sources to provide insight into how college football recruiting works, and to suggest that perhaps the Three Stooges (aka Slick Rick, Trader Chow and Dwayne "One Trick" Walker) would now be the "it" thing for five-star high school players.

"Norm Chow has just looked USC in the eye and said, 'Here we come,' " said Steve Clarkson, local quarterback guru. ...

"A kid like that is looking for the best opportunity to get him to the NFL," Clarkson said. "Norm Chow gives him that." ...

"Kids no longer go to the school that they rooted for as a kid, they look at it like a business," said Clarkson, whose celebrated quarterback academy has helped spawn three current NFL starters. "And to say that Norm Chow won't make a difference is to make a serious error in judgment."

If you don't know Steve Clarkson, he is the private quarterback instructor who worked with Matt Leinart. He also tutored Jimmy Clausen, and some "experts" thought he steered Clausen away from USC and toward Notre Dame, following an argument with Pete Carroll at USC's "Pro Day" in 2006. Clarkson has been working with Barkley, so reading the quotes above, you could see how the "nation" of idiots might begin to think that Slick Rick's tricks have already won six straight Pac-10 titles, three Heisman Trophies, five BCS bowls, and two MNCs.

Add to that this quote in Plaschke's piece from Bruce Rollinson, Barkley's head coach at Mater Dei:

"We tell our athletes, marry yourself to your future position coach, that's the guy you'll live with. And now, if you're a quarterback going to UCLA, you're getting the real deal."

Hmmm. If Barkley's personal QB coach and the head coach of his high school are saying things like that, you'd think Traitor Chow would be a lock to put the kid in powder blue. But it turns out that Clarkson and Rollins were pulling a fast one to protect a secret.

Said Clarkson in today's Times: "(Barkley has) had a silent commitment (to USC) since last October. It was a decision he felt good about but never announced until now."

I love it. While Barkley was touring ucla during an unofficial visit with Slick Rick over the weekend, Clarkson and Rollins were getting slick with Slick Rick, with the "nation" of idiots following along.

Now, when Barkley recruits his 2009 classmates to come to USC he can tell them that he's heard Slick Rick's lies and b.s. up close and in person. He can tell them that he could hardly stop himself from throwing up (or laughing out loud) while in enemy territory, knowing that he was, is and will forever be a member of the Trojan Family.

And if you don't think Pete Carroll wasn't having a little chuckle about all this - and a little "this is how we do it" high-five with Ken Norton and Steve Sarkisian - then you don't think like a true Trojan ... and, apparently, you don't think like Matt Barkley.

Congratulations, Matt! Fight On!

USC Football: Better Than It's Ever Been Done?

A funny thing occurred to me last night as I posted a take (on Conquest Chronicles) about the latest in a string of “controversies” to threaten the reputation of USC Football …

I’m getting tired of this crap.

Certainly, I understand it all comes with the territory. I know that unprecedented success on the field and on the recruiting trail, in a major metropolitan market with no NFL team, has created a “perfect storm” of heightened media attention and acute scrutiny of USC.

No doubt, I understand the fact that high-profile athletes and successful college sports programs are primary targets for muckraking journalists, jealous rivals and other gold-digging elements.

But this supposed residue of USC’s college football greatness is starting to wear the Teflon of success a little too thin for my taste.

I know that Hershel Dennis and Mark Sanchez were exonerated of sexual assault. I know Rey Maualuga has taken anger management courses and did community service to pay for his outbursts during a tough time in his life. I know Dwayne Jarrett catching a break on rent from Matt Leinart’s father was really a small issue in the overall scheme of things.

But after a while, this crap starts to become a burden.

Really, I understand that the NCAA won’t come close to proving that USC knew or should have known anything about Reggie Bush and his idiotic family’s dealings with crooked sports agents. I know that phone records will prove that Pete Carroll never set up a conference call between Bush and No. 1 recruit Joe McKnight.

But I have to ask … when is this crap going to stop? However alleged, non-factual, inaccurate, unwarranted, and flat-out-stupid it might be … is all of this completely out of our control?

Even if we can explain it all away with common sense scenarios, absence of fact, and third-party validation, we still have to acknowledge this crap and deal with it.

No doubt, I know that USC Football will emerge unscathed from all of this, and our national championship trophies are safe in Heritage Hall. I know there is every reason to believe that we will be adding more hardware to our historic collection.

But how many measured statements out of Tim Tessalone’s crisis communications handbook do we have to hear on our way to another BCS bowl game? How much fuel do we have to give the “nation” of hate and the inferiority-complexed south, while we defend another No. 1 ranking?

Don’t get me wrong. I believe in our man Carroll. I believe in his unique approach and his player's-coach style and the evolved philosophy that has brought unprecedented success to USC Football. I believe in the Magic Tennis Book!

But, I also know that Carroll's stated mission is to "do things better than it's ever been done before." I know it’s difficult, maybe even unrealistic. As Caroll has also said, “That stuff, it is kind of nasty. You just don't know where it's coming from and people are out to get you. It can get kind of hard.”

But if USC Football is to get there, if we really do believe as true Trojans that we will do this better than it’s ever been done before, we should acknowledge that perhaps we are falling short of that mission today.

It’s a noble thing for Carroll to aim higher than mere mortals. And we embrace the opportunity and added responsibility to transcend the common pattern of other highly successful programs like Miami … or Notre Dame … or U.C.L.A. Really, no disrespect to other college programs -- again, it’s tough -- but we think we can do better.

After all … We Are SC! Now, more than ever, this should mean something to us.

So, rather than explain away these minor issues with our common sense and the reassurances of non-haters, perhaps it’s time to ask our man Carroll -- however unfair it may be -- when will we stop having to deal with all this stuff in the first place?

Maybe it’s time to tell him we’re getting tired of this crap.

Fight On!

NOTE: There is a very slightly "cleaner," guest-blogger version of this post on CC.
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Yahoo Report: Trust in Reggie, Part II

Once again Yahoo! Sports breaks a bit of “news” about supposed Reggie Bush improprieties, and the majority of USC bloggers hesitate to comment, let alone acknowledge the piece. We’re quick to jump all over the “good news,” but bad news … not so much.

As I wrote back in September, this less than punctual response is understandable. And, really, when you read the new Yahoo! “story” there isn’t much to say in response, except to assess the actual impact this may have on USC Football, all of which was stated several months back. For a quick re-take on this we’ll try a less partial source in the blogosphere, The Wizard of Odds:

What does this mean to USC? The NCAA would have to show USC either knew or should have known about the alleged wrongdoings. At the moment, that's a longshot.

A “longshot.” Not reassuring enough you? Me neither.

Perhaps the most telling element of the Yahoo! piece is the last two paragraphs, which includes quotes from a radio interview Pete Carroll did with T.J. Simers one day after the Rose Bowl.

According to a report first published by Foxsports.com, Bush requested a sideline pass from his alma mater for the 2007 Rose Bowl but USC declined, stating that it had already distributed its allotment of VIP passes.

USC coach Pete Carroll was questioned about Bush's absence from the Rose Bowl on a Los Angeles radio program on Jan. 2, the morning after the game. Radio host and Los Angeles Times columnist T.J. Simers asked Carroll: "You saw the reports that Reggie was told not to come to the Rose Bowl, to stay away from USC. Do you buy that? Do you have anything to do with that?"

Responded Carroll: "No. I know that through this investigation, because he's not cooperating the way they'd like it, there's some issues about that. Reggie gets to do whatever he wants to do. He's not part of us anymore and we can't control any of that. But there's some, I think some opinions from the NCAA that they're mad at Reggie. And, you know, they would not like him to be associated with us. But I don't know what's going on with all that. But there is some stuff.

"I did call Reggie and he didn't hear from anybody about any of that kind of stuff. We're just going to keep working along the best we can and try to keep our head above water and do the right thing and stay out of that stuff. But that stuff, it is kind of nasty. You just don't know where it's coming from and people are out to get you. It can get kind of hard."

“Reggie gets to do whatever he wants to do. He’s not a part of us anymore.” Now, let’s not take this out of context or over-examine the words, but these two sentences say a lot.

Indeed, it is hard. Hard to get to the truth. Hard to know what it all means for USC Football. Hard to trust those allegedly involved, including Reggie.

But, until this thing plays out fully, what else can we do? What else can we say that hasn't already be said …

We can over-think this thing and convince ourselves that it doesn’t matter. Or, we can circle the wagons and trust in Reggie:

I'm not worried about any of these allegations or anything like that, because I know what the truth is, like I said from day one. Once the smoke clears, everybody's going to see we did nothing wrong.

Obviously it does affect you just because it is out there. But at the same time I know there's nothing to worry about. It makes you want to go out there right away and tell your side of the story. Show everybody the facts, the truth. But you can't do that. That wouldn't be the right way to do it

I told [USC] the same thing, don't worry about anything. If there was something to worry about, then I would tell you. But there's nothing to worry about.

Okay, Reggie. We’ll trust you. Just like we did at South Bend last year. Just like we did versus Fresno State in the Coliseum. Just like we did when you pitched a lateral to no one in the Rose Bowl … ?

We’ll trust you, Reggie. We’ll trust you ...

... but we have to admit, it may be harder to do so today.


Fight On!
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USC Song Girls: The Afterglow

So, I guess we're back to the normal routine.

The stress and confusion of Pete Carroll's future has apparently subsided. All of our 2006 juniors are supposedly accounted for, and we're free now to turn our attention fully to the 2007 recruiting class.

Oh ... and now that the blogosphere is smoking its proverbial cigarette, after a few days of Song Girl insanity came to a climax last week -- although some bloggers are a little slow to the take -- we can return to our usual fare ...


Fight On!

ADD: In case you missed it among all the actual football coverage, Austin Murphy of SI spent some time with our lovely Song Girls for a Q&A that outlines their hectic New Year's Day schedule and other "interesting" details. Surely, if any of us had to wake up at 3:00 am to start curling our hair, before marching in the Rose Parade and fronting the USC Trojan Marching Band with dance routines for something like 10 straight hours, we'd end up with a wedgy at some point during the day, too. Thank goodness Megan could handle it all.
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Pete Carroll Going or Staying ... You Decide

As we’ve stated before, this multimedia stuff on these internets are a wonderful thing. It used to be that sports fans were at the mercy of journalists telling them what’s what, but the Internet and the blogosphere has changed all that.

These days, with everything online, we can easily compare and contrast the difference in perception and interpretation from one writer to another, one paper to another, one region to another. Back when newspapers were purely cellulose this comparative insight was nearly impossible.

More importantly, today we are able to see how quotes can be recorded not quite accurately and presented out of context … how a journalist with supposed “professional” standards can (sub-consciously or otherwise) allow a personal agenda to get in the way of objectivity.

Still, most journalists are capable of presenting a balanced take on an issue. But rather than trust that a reporter is recording and presenting information in context, fans now have the opportunity to hear a story from the source in full. Of course, we too apply our own biased filters, serve our own agendas, and make up our own opinions about stuff for posting on the blogosphere. But we don’t pretend to possess the professional objectivity of a traditional journalist.

Obviously, all this is a set up for Pete Carroll’s statements upon his return from Costa Rica yesterday. We see the usual suspect(s) are playing their roles.

Luckily, AM-570 has the wherewithal to post in its entirety Carroll’s press conference* and what he said about his meeting with Miami Dolphins owner Wayne Huizenga.

And, again, for the multimedia challenged, here are the key statements, transcribed verbatim …

Question: “Would you leave [USC] if [Huizenga] offered you the job?”

I’ve never even come close to thinking that. I’ve never come close to thinking that for every year I’ve been here, every opportunity that’s come along, the stuff you know about, and the stuff you don’t know about. I’ve never been close to doing that, and I’m not close to that right now. […]

I think what’s really important is what I do, and it will speak volumes. You’ll all see. I love this place, and I’ve given everything that I have to this program, and I will continue to do that. And I think, if anything, if anybody can understand it this way, that kind of an interaction for me [meeting Huizenga], only strengthens my resolve about being here and knowing what I have and how lucky I am to be in the situation that I’m in. […] I know how it’s going to end. [...]

I absolutely expect to be here next year.

Question: “Coach, you do understand the tremendous amount of interest now, because this is the very first time that you have even admitted talking to someone in the NFL?”

Yeah, well, I think it’s because it’s the only time I ever have. It’s the right thing to do. I’m not going to hide from the fact that I talked to those guys. […] I had a chance to figure something out and understand something further with greater depth. […] For anybody that’s interested in me staying at USC it’s a good thing.

Carroll said that he didn’t think there would ever be a situation in which an NFL owner would allow a head coach to have full control of an organization, like he has at USC. Apparently, Huizenga is willing to grant that level of responsibility to Carroll, which prompted the last question at the presser:

“So, all things being equal, full control there, full control here, you’d stay here?”

I love the Trojans. Yep. I love being here. I love everything about what we’re doing here. I love being in California. We’re in the middle of something that’s really special. We’ve got a bunch of direction that we’ve got going here, with great kids coming in, great kids part of this program, with a commitment to something really special, and I don’t want to take any steps away from that. I think this is an awesome opportunity for me and for everybody that’s involved with our program to keep charging forward and do things that are very, very unique and that we’ll all take great pride in and feel great about our efforts.

That’s it. Listen to it. Decide for yourself if you think Carroll is seriously considering a move, or if he’s jockeying for a pay raise, or if his statements should be taken purely at face value.

I’ve decided to trust our man Carroll for now. He hasn’t given us a reason not to, so far.

Too bad the same can’t be said for every “professional” journalist who covers the Trojans.

Fight On!

* Download the audio recording of the press conference.
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Sugar Bowl: What Can ND Say?

So, we gave the domers a break yesterday. Instead of making note (or fun) of their 41-14 embarrassment versus LSU in the Sugar Bowl, we decided to comment further on USC’s statement in the Rose Bowl and continue our fun with “Wedgygate.” It was a simple choice, actually.

It’s all old news for the “Irish.” A humiliating 27-point loss on national television. Nine … nine … straight bowl game losses – a new NCAA high (or low). An all-time losing record in bowl games, 13-15.

Perhaps worse, ND’s 10 victories in 2006 came against teams with a combined record of 57-70. In its three losses (Michigan, USC, LSU – the only good teams on the schedule) the “Irish” were outscored 132-69. And still, Charlie Weis has no significant wins in two years as “Irish” head coach.

In a backward way, ND’s season also reminds us of Pete Carroll’s second year as our man at USC. As we mentioned, he ended 2002 with a Heisman-winning QB and a BCS Orange Bowl win.

Of course, "Irish" QB Brady Quinn didn’t win the Heisman, and the domers didn’t win a BCS bowl game. But more to the point, while USC was “just getting started” entering Carroll’s third season in 2003, ND and Weis appear to be just starting over in 2007 …

ND is heading into a re-building year, having to replace at least six starters on defense and seven on offense, including Quinn, the team’s best player. Even worse ND will probably start the over-hyped incoming freshman Jimmy Clausen at quarterback.

To be honest, watching the Sugar Bowl, I almost felt sorry for the “Irish” … almost. But posting about their sorry loss seemed like piling on … not that there’s anything wrong with that when it comes to debunking the work of the Domer Hype Machine.

Still, there really is no need to take shots at the second-class state of ND football, since even the east coast biased media is doing that already. As for ESPN.com, a sarcastic and caustic Mark Schlabach wrote this:

Even after Notre Dame lost its ninth consecutive bowl game Wednesday night -- yet another one in ugly fashion with a 41-14 loss to No. 4 LSU in the Allstate Sugar Bowl -- there is hope for Fighting Irish fans.

Even without record-setting quarterback Brady Quinn, receiver Jeff Samardzija and many more of its best players next season, Notre Dame will finally end its postseason drought, now the longest in NCAA history.

The Fighting Irish will end the postseason losing streak that dates back to 1994 because next season they'll be playing in some second-tier bowl game in a nondescript place like Shreveport, La., which is where they should have been playing during much of the last two decades.

Ouch.

Against LSU, Notre Dame once again proved it doesn't deserve to play in BCS bowl games, which have become its birthright because of the school's national stature and ability to draw high TV ratings.

And by shutting out the Fighting Irish in the second half and erupting for 577 yards of offense in the game, the Tigers again proved Notre Dame is no longer capable of beating teams like LSU. Or Ohio State, Michigan and Southern California, which also handed the Fighting Irish lopsided losses in the past 12 months.

Ugh. Talk about piling on. Before the Sugar Bowl, Schlabach quoted Quinn:

"I get tired of hearing how bad we are," Quinn said. "I mean, that's all people seem to be saying sometimes. Notre Dame is one of those universities where it's kind of like either you love it or you hate it. It's tough because you've got to deal with the criticism all the time. So [if] we win a big game against a great team like [LSU], you can't really say a whole lot."

And if you don’t win … which ND hasn’t … there really isn’t much to say, either.

Fight On! Beat the Vandals!
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USC Football: Video Says It All

Whether we’re on the internets, the ebays or the google we’ve all noted the majesty of video in the blogosphere. At no time was this more evident to us college football geeks than over these last few days of “Wedgygate” at the expense of the lovely USC Song Girls.

But the multimedia aspects of the Internet can also enhance and provide context for the written word as it is captured on blogs and in traditional newspapers. A case in point is Pete Carroll’s post-Rose Bowl comments about the importance of USC’s New Year’s Day win versus Michigan.

As we’ve seen and read, Carroll’s press conference statements are like streams of his consciousness, thick with run-on sentences and multiple thoughts within a single breath that can make it difficult to capture in written words the depth and meaning of what he says.

Reading three different newspaper accounts of his post-game presser, we see one of his statements quoted three different ways. Sure, each account records the essence of what Carroll says, but none do so with the emphasis and inflexion that captures his statements completely.

Video from NBC Sports on the other hand, does just that. You can see the relief, determination and pleasure in Carroll’s eyes as he rambles. You can see the energy and charisma that gets his players and recruits excited about the future of USC Football. You can fully understand what he is telling us. It’s subtle, but it’s there.

(For those video-challenged readers, here’s the transcript, which is the third best thing, audio being the second.):

"This is very important. You know, a young team wondering about what it feels like to be a great team and what that sense is. We’ve had that sense over the years at times, and when you feel that strong about your teammates and what we’re doing and the program, you’re really hard to beat. And we almost captured it. You know we almost had it this season. We didn’t quite get it done, and we missed our opportunity to take it all the way to the top. But it doesn’t matter. It’s all over with, you know. We won a Rose Bowl, had a great night, and did capture the feeling as we go into the off-season.

"The fact that we had our issue the last time we were here, our guys know that wasn’t us. That was the game out of the last 65 games that stood out because it was so unusual and so different, and we put it there for that reason and left it behind us. And charged on and started this, really, this is an opportunity – I don’t mind telling you – this was an opportunity to kick start what’s going on for this football team for the future, and I think we captured the night."

And, this exchange with a reporter:

“Pete you alluded to next season a little bit on the field. Is there any question where you’re going to be next season?”

“No. There’s no question. I have no question.”

No question. Video on the Internet is a wonderful thing.

Kind of like there was no question that our wonderful Song Girl "in question" is the lovely Megan. Although we already featured her yesterday, as did virtually every other college football blog, Beano tells me we have a tradition to uphold here.

So, true to this post and today being Thursday, we go to the video* …


Not sure what I like better … the free-form dancing or the standard not-quite-precisely-coordinated choreographed numbers. Then again, it doesn’t really matter.

*Hat Tip: The Wizard of Odds.