Game Week: Reality Update

I know we're back in game week mode, but I can't help but be entertained by the "nation" and its musings about reality. Reality this ... Reality that ... Reality there, there and there … the "nation" is indeed attempting to soothe its wound – this open, bleeding, puss-filled gash – that is ucla’s 2008 football season. And as a Trojan enjoying yet another year of football greatness, Slick Rick’s “believers” are an amusing sideshow.

I know, I know. There is plenty of other stupid stuff to entertain Trojan fans.

But there’s something about the "nation" falling all over itself in an attempt to validate Slick Rick in the face of 59-0 – that’s fifty-nine-to-NOTHING. The way they squirm while trying to protect what they think is a football heritage – with a twisted “I told you so” delusional validation – is incredibly funny. For example, we get this from Nestor:

… the “optimistic” projection for our first three games was a record of 1-2 while 0-3 was the “conservative” one. […] I think it is becoming clear to everyone at this point that the appropriate measuring stick to judge whether this season is a successful one is not going to be based on W-L record.

LOL. Success “not … based on win-loss record”? What’s so funny is this comes from someone who claims to “deplore moral victories.” Of course, anyone who isn’t biting reality – that is, anyone not part of the “nation” – recognizes this for what it is. Just like our old friend Tydides:

If you believe that what happened today [59-0] is a result of something that we did or did not do, then yes, these are excuses. If you believe that what happened is a result of what BYU did and didn’t do, then these are just realities that we have to accept.

I think it’s easier for Bruin fans to believe the former, because at least that way we have a chance at “fixing” it and still having a great season. The reality is some mixture of both …

Now that’s profound. But, of course, it comes down to that pesky win-loss thing.

Sure, it points to a higher probability of a lesser season by W-L standards, but as has been said many times, I do not judge this season on Wins and Losses.

Right. Let’s forget about wins and losses. Perhaps, if this “nation” tells itself that it just doesn’t matter and “I told you so” over and over and over, it might lower expectations just enough to convince the rest of college football to subscribe to its delusions. But everyone knows this kind of “strategery” only works in the movies.

BTW, what's with all the names from Greek mythology at the "nation"? Menelaus, Telemachus. Tydides. Nestor. Are USC Trojans supposed to be intimidated by the names of mythological characters who defeated the fictional Trojans in the Iliad? It seems ironic – not to mention idiotic and sad in a D&D geek kind of way – that the "nation" uses fiction to get their digs on USC. Why use a name based on anti-Trojan sentiment, when they could just as easily create monikers that express allegiance to ucla? Why can't they just use their real names? But I digress …

Those of us who are actually dealing with (and enjoying) reality – rather than just talking about a biased version of it – are seeing signs that there are very few people buying what the “nation” and, more significantly, what Slick Rick is selling. We saw it earlier this year with the No. 1 recruit in the nation, and we saw it again this past week. Greg Biggins of ESPN’s West Recruiting Blog, gives us the kind of reality the “nation” doesn’t want to hear:

The "soft" commitment from Inglewood (Calif.) receiver Shaquelle Evans to USC is huge on several fronts. Not only are the Trojans getting one of the elite receivers in the West, it puts a dagger in to the heart of their cross-town rivals at UCLA.

Evans, 6-1, 205 pounds, told us just a few weeks ago UCLA was the leader for his signature. He grew up a Bruins fan and the coaches at UCLA were making Evans their top offensive recruit. While USC is loaded at receiver, the Bruins have lacked a big-play threat at the position for years and Evans was/is really the only elite national receiver they're currently in on.

Things changed dramatically with Evans following USC's demolition of Ohio State last weekend. The talented athlete was on the sidelines for the game, and the fact that the big win coincided with UCLA losing to BYU 59-0 pushed the Trojans over the top.

If you don’t think 59-0 – that’s fifty-nine-to-NOTHING – is something that can be explained away by a bunch of “I told you so” blog posts, you’re not paying attention to reality. We're talking about the actual reality, as opposed to the “nation” reality. Sure, Evans’s commitment is “soft,” but as Biggins points out …

… it's difficult to envision Evans signing with anyone else other than USC. The receiver has developed a relationship with several of the Trojans commitments, including quarterback Matt Barkley. He said he likes the idea of staying close to home and the team on the field appears to be rolling toward yet another BCS Bowl.

The irony is as good as Evans is, USC has several players just like him on the roster plus two other big-time receiver prospects already committed. For UCLA, Evans would have made its class.

Now we're not saying Pete Carroll and company recruited Evans just to keep him away from UCLA. We are saying the impact of his commitment to USC could have a greater impact on the Bruins than the Trojans in just how damaging it is in their desire to end the recruiting monopoly in Los Angeles Troy currently owns.

Now that’s what I call reality! We Are SC!

Fight On!

Who Says 'To Hell' These Days?

This is a great week. Not only is USC at the center of the college football universe leading into our “biggest game of the season,” but people are saying stupid stuff all over the nation, which of course I find inspiring.

Sure, we’ve already seen some really stupid stuff before this week, but you tend to appreciate it more when the stupid stuff comes from a hated, albeit respected enemy.

Again, we’ve been away for a while, so I’ll clarify the Displaced take … USC has two primary enemies: Notre Dame, which is hated but deserves a level of respect, and ucla, which is hated and deserves no respect, at all. But I digress …

Not only is Charlie Weis (above) still struggling to figure out this head coaching thing, he remains clueless about how to keep his foot out of his mouth. It’s bad enough that his reputation as an offensive genius is turning out to be merely offensive to Domer fans, but his messed up sense of humor is dragging the Domers down further.

The AP serves up the backstory and the ensuing stupidity:

[Weis] was talking about his expectations for this season, saying his team would make a statement in its opening game against San Diego State.

"Then we'll listen to Michigan have all their excuses as they come running in and saying how they have a new coaching staff and there's changes. To hell with Michigan.” …

Weis said he knew his comment would come up this week. ...

"Anyone who is a Michigan fan should know and understand that that comment pays respect to Bo and his mentality versus when playing an opponent," he said. "So take it for what it's worth. But I think that's a very respectful comment toward Coach Bo's 'To hell with Notre Dame.'"

Actually, anyone who is a college coach should know that Michigan’s players (who weren’t more than four years old when Schembechler retired after the 1990 Rose Bowl) couldn’t care less about the Crew Cut’s historical tribute. “To hell with Michigan!” That’s all they’ll hear.

So, I have to ask: How can this stupid stuff continue to happen after more than three years? I ask only because I want USC’s wins over the Domers to mean something again. We can’t have our storied rivalry be tarnished like this by a loud mouth who does so little (three wins) with so much talent.

I can hear my anonymous Domer friend now … “To hell with Charlie Weis!” he says.

Anyway, I can’t wait until Saturday, and I’m hoping against all hope that Beanie Wells will play. We want no excuses.

Speaking of Beanies, I got a note from Beano this week. He said he noticed that we were posting here again and that Thursdays weren’t the same for him while we were out.

I apologized for the long break and said, “Well, Beano ... We’re Back!”

Beano’s response? “That’s awesome. To hell with Scott Wolf!”

Win Forever!

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!

Once Again ... We're No. 1!

And now for our second "displaced" act ...

Back to No. 1 where we belong?! As any true, 21st century Trojan Football fan knows, the only polls that matter, during the only week that matters, are the ones at the end of the season that get us into the BCS Championship Game. But the fact remains that it is indeed more fun when we're No. 1.

It's even more fun when USC Football takes over the top spot after thoroughly dominating a team from a BCS conference on its home field, while the Ohio State university -- that's "thuh," not "thee" -- and Georgia beat up on 1-AA teams.

Perhaps it will be all-time fun in a few weeks, if/when we take over the No. 1 spot for being No. 1 more than any other program in the land. Certainly, being No. 1 was easy fun this past Saturday, as we enjoyed an extra week to prepare for the Buckeyes.

That said, we here have a particularly good feeling about being No. 1 this season. The last time USC opened the year on the east coast against a team from Virginia, the Trojans won a national championship in Miami adjacent. We'll see what happens this coming Saturday and in the weeks to come, but we'll go ahead and say it now ... I'm feelin' some No. 1 fun come January in south Florida.

If it happens, I can link back to this post and say, "I told you so!" And, if not, I can always erase the link like our revisionist friend Murshed "Nestor" Zaheed. It's gonna be a fun ride, regardless.

Fight On!

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!

UCLA’s “100” Championships

I thought I could make it to August without a single Displaced post. I was content to slumber through March and April without a care during Florida’s run to another basketball championship, not to mention USC’s Sweet 16 showing. I was thinking I could let USC Spring Football and the NFL Draft slide by as I continued my rest until the Trojans begin another season atop the college football world. But, I was wrong …

Instead, the “nation” and its fearless (read shameless) leader Mr. Zaheed … I mean, “Nestor” … thought they could make a big deal out of ugla supposedly winning its 100th national collegiate championship in a team sport.

At least two things struck me about this.

First, ugla won its “100th” championship in women’s water polo. That’s right, women’s water polo. Like many of its other championships -- 22 in men’s and women’s volleyball, 16 in men’s tennis -- the “nation” stakes claim to a “national” title in a secondary sport that no one really cares about.

However, since we here know enough to give credit where credit is due, a “national championship” as recognized by the NCAA is, in fact, a national championship. So, we’ll give the Lady Bruins water polo team as much as they deserve.

That said, what also struck me about all this was how -- in typically hypocritical and convenient ignorance -- “Nestor” and his “nation” forgot the fact that this win by the ugla women’s water polo team was actually the 101st time an ugla team had raised a “national” championship trophy.

As “Nestor” continues to post disparaging, biased remarks about the integrity of USC Football, he somehow forgets that ugla’s softball team was actually stripped of the national title it “won” in 1995. This for enrolling a ringer -- named Tanya Harding (above), of all scandalous monikers -- for one half season and one academic quarter, which she never finished. “A lack of institutional control” was how the NCAA officially described it.

Not only was the ugla softball team stripped of its title, it was also stripped of scholarships, placed on probation for three years and disallowed from playing in the 1997 post-season.

We’re not talking about alleged violations, about which the coaching staff or the school knew nothing. These are violations proven as fact, which resulted in near-death penalty punishment of a celebrated ugla sports team.

Typically, all this happened in 1995, while “Nestor” was a student at ugla. Just another example of the master of selective memory and hypocrisy at work. Speaking of work, what does “Nestor” do for a living? Does anybody know?

Anyway, I wouldn’t have had to write this post had anyone else remembered in any significant way that the 1995 UCLA softball team was, in fact, a fraud and a lousy bunch of cheaters.

But, perhaps this Displaced Trojan was never meant to sleep through three straight months. Maybe it’s time to get ready for the 2007 USC Football season. So much for the summer slumber …
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USC Hockey: It's All Fun and Games ...

Part of the fun of writing a blog is pointing out stupid stuff. Of course, it's funny when that stuff is perpetrated by the domers or the bruins. But, we’re by no means above (or below) mentioning any funny/stupid stuff that happens within the Trojan Family.

Take the curious case of USC hockey goalie Mickey Meyer. I say “curious” not because “USC” and “hockey” seem to form an oxymoron, but because Meyer, apparently playing out some sort of Slap Shot fantasy, decided it would be funny, if not appropriate, to show his bare ass to everyone during a 6-4 loss to BYU.

Now, if you’re in shock upon hearing this, you’re not alone … I too had no idea that USC had a hockey team. Turns out the “Ice Trojans” have their own Web site, play in the hockey Pac-8, and have won the league championship two years running. In fact, USC Hockey has won seven Pac-8 Championships, including four in a row, 2000-2003. But, I digress …

For an account of Meyer’s behavior there is a second-hand report from the AP or Utah’s Herald-Journal:

Mickey Meyer, the Trojan’s starting goalie, pulled his hockey pants down and exposed his buttocks during the final period of an afternoon game against BYU, according to reports.

Meyer, a junior from Clinton, N.Y., was ejected from the regional tournament game and cited by police. North Park Police Sgt. John Italasano said the County Attorney’s Office will now decide whether to criminally prosecute Meyer.

“To be honest with you, I really don’t know (why I did it),” he said. “I had my fill of these refs. ... I thought I’d take a little more control on our side.”

Of course, this stupid stuff is tailor-made for a site like Deadspin, which came through with a nice take.

Meyer is also the goalie who stopped a puck with his head in a 5-3 win over UCLA on Jan. 19. The Trojans play in the Pac-8 Conference, which they won this year, and from what we understand each player is required to put up more than $1,000 of his own money to participate. So we think Mickey earned his little moment.

Surprisingly (or not), ugla “nation” regular “Menelaus” chimed in, jumping at the chance to make some hay. But he, like Deadspin, missed the opportunity to point out the truly funny and/or disgustingly embarrassing element of Meyer’s stunt.

Thanks to the Sports Column blog, which took the time to read through comments left on the Herald-Journal post, we get this:

While the antics might have played well in Socal […] the folks in Utah are upset over the incident. Here is the last reader comment from the article:

“I've read a few of the comments since I explained that my little girls were shocked by what he did. When he "mooned" us, he showed us more than his behind (every one who was there knows what I mean). We're going to make sure that he is prosecuted and that he pays for what he did.”

Yikes. On everyone's parts.

Now, that’s offensive, inappropriate and something to be embarrassed about. Leave it up to us to point this out to the likes of “Menelaus” … but what the hell? We’re talking about freakin’ hockey … club-sport hockey … at USC.

As Allen Iverson says, “We talkin’ about [USC Hockey], man. I mean, how silly is that? … We talkin’ about [hockey], man. What are we talkin’ about, [USC Hockey]?

Fight On!

UPDATE: Ramona Shelburne of the L.A. Daily News adds this: "After Meyer skated off, he was replaced by - no joke - Matt Buttweiler."
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The Jealous "nation" Attacks

As we’ve said here before, it’s funny when fools make fools of themselves, but perhaps it’s even funnier when they simmer in their own jealousy for everyone on the internets to see.

Apparently, it wasn’t enough last week for the “nation” to criticize its own amateur student “journalists.” They had to attack a sports writer from USC, as well. The difference being Arash Markazi is a professional journalist for SI.com, and he was writing about the emergence of USC “basketball.”

As usual, whenever anything threatens to expose its blind paranoia, the "nation" takes offense.

Never mind that Markazi is one of many, many journalists to notice the “Trojan Uprising” in hoops, the ever articulate “Tydides” decided to jump all over Markazi, accusing him of writing a biased piece.

There's another trOJan apologist on the loose, and he needs to be set straight.

As some of us are aware, SI.com's Arash Markaz is a trOJan alumnus, so it should come as no surprise that he is doing his best to turn lemons into lemonade, doing what he and his school does best: spin. […]

It's embarrassing that these writers try to devalue the only aspect of the game that truly matters: the final score.

As we all know, everyone is entitled to an opinion … but for the ugla “nation” this only applies when the opinion is in line with Nestor’s internal reality. But, I digress …

Actually, the most embarrassing part of the post by "Tydides" is classic “nation” stuff -- you know, the fool making a fool of himself sort of thing -- the kind of moronic humor that can only be delivered through the ironic hypocrisy that occurs at the “nation” on a daily basis. Quoting Markazi, our buddy “Tydides” writes:

Seriously, our conference is full of morons, from Marcus the Mouth, all the way to these two trOJan jackass (to borrow a term from N) "surrender monkeys".

"That's having more of a winning mentality," says Aaron [sic] Afflalo. "We know we have to do what we need to do to win a game."

The name's ARRON, Jackass [sic] Markaz. He's a Wooden award finalist, and probable favorite for Pac 10 POY. But his words are the bottom line. We know how to win a game. SUC does not. Spin that.

The funny part? While “Tydides” is attacking “Markaz” for spelling Arron Afflalo’s name incorrectly -- although one could argue that Afflalo misspells his first name every time he writes it – "Tydides" is also showing himself to be the fool he is by misspelling Markazi’s name … all this in a single five-word sentence.

Really, you can’t make this stuff up. It’s almost unbelievable, and yet it’s right there in the blogosphere for all to see. Sure, “Tydides” might tell us that misspelling Markazi’s name was intentional, but we know he’s not that smart. He even misuses a parenthetical “sic” in an apparent attempt to add sarcasm to his tired name calling. Pathetic.

Why all the hate for Markazi? Pure bruin jealousy is the guess here. Not only is Markazi free to write articles about his alma mater for a major publication and get paid for it, he also leads the kind of life the “nation” can only dream about.

We know this because the “nation” continually attempts to convince itself that ugla is “cool” by posting photos suggesting that bruins (even a sorry juggler) get “mad action,” as Nestor puts it. An example is a picture of Lorenzo “Pretty Boy” Mata sitting poolside among women with a certain “don’t-touch-me” body language

Again, we’ll let the “nation” speak for itself:

Yes this is our Mata. The Dude is so money. And look at him. He knows it:
Such is the life of a Ben Ball warrior.

Look at Mata, indeed. The “nation” gives a hat tip to Insomniac’s Lounge, which has a slightly different take on the poolside Mata. Regardless, if this is Nestor’s idea of “action” … well, who knows what kind of life the “nation” leads?

USC on the other hand has a full photo spread of the Trojan Marching Band with SI swimsuit models who aren’t afraid to touch them, in the most popular magazine issue of the year, no less.

And it wasn’t just a band geek thing. Back in August, when the Swimsuit photos were shot at USC, Markazi chronicled his “action,” as Nestor calls it, for SI.com. AOL’s Fanhouse over the weekend reminded us of Markazi’s account of the shoot.

Having graduated from USC two years ago and being the lone Trojan in the group of about a dozen photographers, assistants, make-up artists and editors, I lead the crew down from The Standard to campus, still somewhat surprised that there will be an SI Swimsuit shoot a few feet away from Chano's Drive Inn and the 901 Club as I drove down Figueroa Street. […]

There are probably a laundry list of reasons why hanging out with models is good way of passing the time (I highly recommend it if you have the means).

Obviously, Markazi has the means … or rather the luck. Either way, the point here is that if hanging out and taking photos with hot women is the measure of cool, USC has ugla beat, hands down. We know this criteria is trivial, but we’re not the ones overcompensating for shortcomings. We know it’s all fun and games.

Nevertheless, “such is the life,” as Nestor phrased it, of USC Band geeks and a graduate of the USC journalism program. Of course this, combined with the national attention of the “Trojan Uprising” in hoops, doesn’t sit well with the “nation,” which explains its attack on Markazi. (Note the correct spelling).

We know thy enemy … and they’re just so jealous.

Fight On!
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The ucla bruin Instinct

As we’ve stated here before, it is important to know thy enemy. Of course, this doesn’t mean that we must always engage in debate with our enemies, especially when they don’t want any.

But, we should know what they’re up to at all times, if for no other reason than the comedic value and general entertainment it provides us. Besides, you never know when they'll do something stupid, however frequently that may be.

Such is the case with the bruin “nation,” which continues to show a proclivity for attacking its own.

As it turns out, this ugla instinct is true to the nature of actual bruin bears, which -- according to at least one hunting Web site -- attack their own in the wild as a way of “population control.” An entry on “Calling and Hunting Bears” tells us that "adult male bears will kill cubs if given the chance ..." But, I digress …

Sure, we’re used to seeing the “nation” personally attack its head football coach and anyone else (especially fellow bruins) who don’t subscribe to its narrow points of view. But, last week, Nestor -- no, I will not post his real name again -- and his clan decided to attack a young bruin cub named Ben Azar, an ugla student who writes for the Daily Bruin.

Azar’s offense? He dared to disagree with dumpdorrell.com:

The dumpdorrell.com Web site has criticized Dorrell for every reason imaginable, including poor in-game coaching, failure to take responsibility, inability to recruit and insincerity. It makes some ridiculously baseless, LaRouche-like assertions that should serve as red flags to the people that actually put stock in the Web site. One assertion that really has me chuckling is that the assistant coaches that have left have mostly been forced out by Dorrell, who is using them as scapegoats to deflect responsibility from his “horrible” beginning as a head coach.

It won’t happen, but let’s say this movement actually got what it wanted and a new head coach was hired for this season. How ludicrous would it be to implement a new system and revamp the whole program in a season where they are prepared to be an elite team? It would make a rebuilding year out of what should be a great year for the program.

True to their nature, the bruin “nation” and dumpdorrell.com sought to discredit Azar -- as if an amateur journalist for the ugla student newspaper requires discrediting -- by pointing out and inflating the kid’s questionable reference to Lyndon Larouche.

The assclowns over at Daily Bootlickers are now comparing Dorrell critics over at DD to a known anti-semite and fascist. […]

That is, of course, just uncalled for on the part of these amateuer [sic] idiots at the Daily Bootlicker. Keep in mind though that this is not something new coming out from this so-called joke of a sports section from UCLA's student newspaper.

This from Nestor, who thought it appropriate to compare the buzz about USC “basketball” to opinions about the Iraq War and weapons of mass destruction. As much as Nestor protests the Larouche reference, perhaps the hullabaloo over the "accusation" is designed to distract from the other adjectives Azar used to accurately describe the dumpdorrell "movement": "ridiculously baseless" ... "red flags" ... "has me chuckling" ..."ludicrous."

Not to be outdone, dumpdorrell.com gives us this “not at all verbatim” account of its “conversation” with the Daily Bruin editor Jeff Schenck, during which “dd” professes not to care what Azar thinks … in the midst of demonstrating just how much “dd” cares what Azar thinks.

DD: Will you be printing a retraction or an apology for the piece?
JS: No.
DD: Why not?
JS: It was Ben’s column and Ben’s opinion and we don’t think he called you guys racist.
DD: We don’t care what he thinks about us. Anything printed in the DB reflects on the community. He equated us and critics of Dorrell with a nazi racist criminal. You don’t think LaRouche is racist?
JS: Ben never made that equation. You are reading into that. He said your arguments were like LaRouche’s arguments, silly and extremist.

Clearly, it's the Daily Bruin that couldn't care less what dumpdorrell.com thinks. Nevertheless, the “not verbatim” dialogue continues in a “silly and extremist” manner.

JS: We are sorry if you are offended but we don’t agree with you.
DD: It’s not about us, we could care less what the DB and Ben Azar think about us. Its the larger community that we are concerned about, and allowing this poisonous perception to exist is wrong.
JS: We are sorry if you feel that way. But it is Ben’s opinion and his piece.

As Nestor says, “this is not something new.” The “nation” also has been harassing another bruin student “journalist” named David Woods.

Apparently miffed that Woods wrote a piece criticizing ugla coach Ben Howland, Nestor went all Mike Krzyewski on Woods, comparing Woods to the great Bill Plaschke.

It's pretty clear that this student version of Bill Plaschke is as clueless about the sport as the one the Trojan Times subjects us to every week. […]

The clown ought to look at himself in the mirror, and he would discover that he is not capable of writing a concise, well thought out sports column.

Of course, we’re not above commenting on a student reporter’s bad journalism occasionally, but while it’s one thing to criticize a young student for writing something that the “nation” considers stupid (that is, anything that doesn’t fall in line with Nestor’s narrow point of view), it’s another thing to label Woods an “assclown” in a sincere attempt to embarrass the poor kid. True to form, Nestor goes even further, calling for Woods’ proverbial head:

If you want to write Daily Bruin about this idiot, I'd suggest you contact/email Daily Bruin's Editor-in-Chief Jeff Schenck at jschenck@media.ucla.edu (and at editor@media.ucla.edu). In addition, email sports editor Bobby Gordon at bgordon@media.ucla.edu. Fill up their email boxes folks.

It is just embarrassing that a "senior" sports writer of the student newspaper of the best public university in the country, featuring one of the greatest athletic program in college sports, can write such a misinformed, ignorant article on its hallmark sports program. Time to let them know how they have become a joke. Perhaps they can be chastened before they move on to real jobs. Maybe this could be a wake up call for them before they completely evolve into (it may be too late) the Bill Plaschke of next generation.

Now that’s what an alumni network is all about! LOL.

Of course, like Pavlov’s dogs, the usual suspects followed, led by typically abusive comments from our friend “Tydides”:

I've said it before and I'll say it again: David Woods is an embarrassment to UCLA. I hope he reads BN. I'd like to direct this comment at him: Find A New Career Path. […]

I'll say this right now: Howland did a much better job as a basketball coach last night than Woods did as a writer. […]

Adding his two pennies, “bluestreet” describes Woods as “a shitty sports writer who is clearly asking the wrong questions.”

Geez. It seems like common sense that a head coach of an esteemed basketball program would do a “much better job” at his profession, relative to an aspiring student sports writer … that is, an amateur without benefit of an actual journalism program!

Of course, USC Trojans don’t have these issues … one, because the Daily Trojan is produced by students who attend a real journalism school and who write articles even the ugla "nation" deems "intellectually honest" and "brutally accurate" … two, because we would rather support members of the Trojan Family, particularly our young student journalists, rather than kill them off.

Then again, perhaps we shouldn’t be so hard on these bruins and this “population control” their supposed “nation” employs. It’s all instinct for them, after all.

Fight On!
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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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Designing Keyshawn Johnson

Ever since the 1995 season – the lone bright spot of the second John Robinson era – we’ve known Keyshawn Johnson is a true Trojan. The stories about Keyshawn growing up around the USC campus and serving as a ball boy for the Trojans during the Marcus Allen and Ronnie Lott years is the stuff of Trojan Family lore.

Say what you want about his mouth, his book, or his run-in with John Gruden … Keyshawn walks the walk.

Besides, wouldn’t any proper Trojan have issues with a Notre Dame-loving supposed genius coach, whose only claim to fame is winning a Super Bowl with Tony Dungy’s players? The contrived “Chucky” facial expressions and pseudo tough-guy mannerisms would drive any self-respecting player nuts. But, I digress …

As we should all know, Keyshawn won the 1996 Rose Bowl for USC (despite horrific play-calling by then USC offensive coordinator Mike Riley) and for that, Key will always get every benefit of the doubt from me. The thing is the man deserves props, regardless.

Keyshawn has always been more than just a football player. In fact, relative to other bozos, he’s a freakin’ renaissance man.

For starters, Keyshawn graduated from USC with a degree in history, and upon receiving his first pay check from the Jets -- after they took him first overall in the ’96 draft -- he opened a successful restaurant in Beverly Hills. He’s done all the standard charity/scholarship fund/community work in L.A. and the cities where he’s played (New York, Tampa, Dallas, Charlotte), but he’s also made a point of improving and maturing as a person.

Nowhere is this more evident than in the piece the Los Angeles Times ran yesterday about Keyshawn’s interest and flat out sophisticated know-how in the design of his various homes and other real estate.

"When you're an athlete, most people think you don't know or care anything about design," Johnson says. "That's like saying all actors are on drugs and crazy."

Having invested in spec homes and decorated personal residences in New York, Florida, North Carolina and multiple spots in L.A. since he went pro in 1996, Johnson has become as confident in a furniture showroom as he is on the gridiron. He developed an interest in design when he first became a homeowner, he says, and life experiences have since shaped his tastes.

"I've stayed in some of the best hotels in the world. I read House & Garden and Casa Vogue," says Johnson, adding that he's a fan of Fendi's and Armani Casa's home collections. "I spend hours at Hennessy + Ingalls in Santa Monica looking at architecture books like some weirdo."

Richard Landry, a Los Angeles architect working on a mansion for Johnson in Calabasas, refers to his client as not just an athlete but an aesthete and an entrepreneur, one who has a solid understanding of how design can enrich lives and bank accounts.

"Keyshawn can actually read architectural plans and see the finished work," Landry says. "He strikes me as a guy with a vision who is open to the process."

Other athletes may invest in cars, clothes and diamonds, but Johnson has developed a real estate portfolio — and acquired a hands-on education in design along the way.

Who knew back when Keyshawn was shagging footballs for Marcus and Ronnie that he’d turn out to be this fine example of a 21st century aesthete "metrosexual" dude … so to speak? As Key himself once said, “Talk about your damn Rudy stories!”

Sure, the ugla "nation" might call this a fluff piece initiated by Keyshawn’s PR team (which it is) but what’s wrong with that? It’s not like anyone wants to read a feature about the linoleum and Ikea entertainment center Cade McNown chose for his double-wide trailer in Hollister.

So, we end with the inevitable: Just give Keyshawn the damn ... wallpaper ... or color palette ... or whatever it is designers use for designing stuff! And, Fight On!

We Are SC!
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O.J. Mayo: Not So Fast My Friend

As we concluded yesterday, none of us really know what the hell happened when USC's top-ranked basketball recruit O.J. Mayo was ejected from a high school game last Friday night.

But now we have video -- worthy of another Zapruder film reference -- which brings into question the "thug" label being placed on Mayo by those who are supposed to know their hoops.

Take a good look at the clip, from WSAZ Channel 3, the local Huntington, W.Va., TV news station.

Do you see Mayo taunting and jawing excessively with the opposing team and their fans? And, how in the world does a grown man fall to the ground as a result of the supposed contact Mayo made with the ref?

Judging from what we see in this clip -- and again, we don't know what was said or what else happened at this game -- it appears that Mayo may have a right to be upset about the double-technical called on him. In fact, one might conclude from this video that Mayo showed restraint, given all that was going on around him, and that perhaps he deserves the benefit of some doubt.

Make no mistake. The the opinion here remains that Mayo could be coming to USC for the wrong reasons, but perhaps everyone should step back and see this kid first-hand, in action on and off the court, before we fully form our conclusions.

In the meantime, we've got this highlight clip of the game in question, which shows us what all the on-court hype is about.


I guess they don't play much defense in West Virginia.

Fight On!

Hat Tip: AO via Conquest Chronicles.
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Yahoo Report: Trust in Reggie, Part III

We've been critical of Scott Wolf here in the recent past, but the Los Angeles Daily News' USC beat writer showed his non-hack chops yesterday.

First, Wolf didn't bother to file a story about the new Yahoo! report. Then, he posted this on his "blog":

There's a lot of focus on the Reggie Bush investigation right now. But what does it mean? The existence of tapes does not necessarily hurt USC because the university could challenge the veracity of them if the NCAA used it to punish the football program. Not to mention that taping conversations like that is illegal.

Even if the tapes are correct, without USC's knowledge or complicity, it would be hard to hold the university liable. That doesn't mean USC is off the hook regarding the chance of getting stripped of a national championship, but we're referring more to probation for the program.

Exactly.

Also, in response to a few emails I received about yesterday's Displaced take on Reggie, I'll again reiterate the position here regarding the validity of the Yahoo! "reporting."

Yahoo! Sports is trying to make a name for itself. It sees this “story” as its Woodward and Bernstein moment.

The problem with [commenting on the Reggie Bush issue] is that [doing so] inadvertently gives too much credit to the Yahoo! reporting. As Kirk Herbstreit and Lee Corso [...] said on College GameDay outside the Coliseum [in September]: “IF … IF … IF.”

One of the reasons why none of the established, reputable news outlets are investigating this story is that many of the sources involved are scheming sleaze balls, several of whom have already been convicted of white collar crimes.

The other aspect of the story is that all the parties involved are in some form of litigation against each other, which brings into question whatever statements they make. Never mind what that says about the judgment of Reggie and his family in picking their associates, but no real news outlet is going to push this story … unless it is seeking to make a name for itself.

To say it another way, we go to TrojanWire's Rory MacDonald, who further illustrates the point:

[...] the Keystone Kops of investigative journalism continue to treat the testimony of known extortionists as perennial fact, conjuring up retroactive repercussions for USC [...]

Back to those jokers at Yahoo! [...] may we suggest refocusing your efforts on I don't know, technology? Congratulations on finally getting your much-delayed ad targeting software (Panama) done. It's probably every bit as good as Google's (heh), making your stock well worth paying over 2 times growth for (YHOO currently has a PEG Ratio of 2.10).

(Full disclosure: dumped all my YHOO stock yesterday.)

Perhaps someone should investigate the journalism skills (if not the ethical practices) of Yahoo! Sports and its reporters. We've seen the ugla "nation" do as much, when Yahoo! ran a story the bruins didn't like.

Funny how ugla's belief in the reporting at Yahoo! Sports is a matter of convenience. I suppose that's typical of Nestor. (Again, I will not post Nestor's real name, no matter how many times you ask.) But, I digress ...

Regardless of the motive and journalistic quality of the Yahoo! hacks, the fact is that neither the would-be agents involved nor Reggie Bush's family have shown us much in the way of quality, either.

A comment on yesterday's Displaced post from Jonathan Tu of 82 Sluggo Win, sums it all up:

I put my faith in Reggie back in April. An entire season later I feel that my trust can now be withdrawn as the evidence mounts. I don't consider the evidence in the area of "completely, utterly damning" yet, but I do consider it pretty overwhelmingly in favor of the Griffins doing bad things. I'm not sure where I stand on Reggie but it appears he had knowledge.

It's pretty obvious to me that USC had nothing to do with it. The Griffins may be that dumb to cavort with a guy named Michael Michaels (wearing a bolo tie, no less) but Carroll, Garrett and the rest are definitely not. In that sense I'm not worried about sanctions. Some idiots (i.e., Bruins Nation) will probably toss around terms like Death Penalty but if Alabama of the late nineties/early millenium wasn't hit with the Death Penalty no one will be. I doubt USC even gets a slap on the wrist unless the Todd McNair connection has more meat to it.

Frankly, the worst thing about this whole ugly ugliness is thinking back to Reggie's acceptance speech at the Heisman ceremony. He pointed out LaMar and thanked him (LaMar) for teaching him (Bush) how to be a man. I won't lie: that got me a little teary eyed. To think that these infractions were going on at the same time as this speech makes me want to throw up.

Precisely.

Now, let's move on ... or rather, Fight On!
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USC Song Girls vs. 'Every Man, Woman and Child'

If you’ve ever had the misfortune of sitting too close to the ugla alumni section during a bruin football game, you’ve seen him. His name is Geoff Strand, and he’s an idiot.

Strand is the annoying guy (if you can call him a guy) dressed like an ugla clown, commanding the bruin alumni (“every man, woman and child”) to cheer on his cue, as if ugla grads are too stupid to know when to make noise for their team. I’m certainly willing to give bruin alums more credit than that, I suppose.

As for the fact that Strand is a fool, the evidence is irrefutable:
The funny thing is this video was posted on the “nation” in reaction to a post by Orson at EDSBS, who used Strand as evidence that ugla fans are apathetic Republicans … or did he really mean Nationalists? I’m not sure what to make of Orson’s point, but the comments it spurred are hilarious (and telling), and the cannibalistic thread that followed the “nation” post illustrates the nature of the ugla fan. Rather than defend their man Strand, the bruins give us this:

If I didn't go to UCLA or was not a Bruin football fan, I'd be clowning that freakinsh show too.

And I would also hurl all kinds of insults.

This is just pathetic. I can see some arguments about having a juggler as part of the band show. But this dude is just a clown. He doesn't belong in a college football game.

Go Bruins!

Never mind the comedic value of comparing a “freakinsh show” to a “juggler” at your own college football game, the irony in this post by “bluestreet” is classic. He says his bruiness prevents him from insulting and making fun of Strand, and yet that’s exactly what he does.

Anyway, “MIMBruin” led off the comments with this:

Do we need some new blood? Abso-freakin-lutely. Student yell leaders of recent years haven't been all that creative or distinctive in their style. I think the last good shtick I saw was the crew that brought a toilet lid with the words "FLUSH 'EM!" or "FLUSH IT!" to spur the crowd onto noise.

Hmmm … I don’t know about you, but toilet humor never got me to cheer at a college football game. Then again, I didn’t attend ugla. Someone else who presumably did is “razksig,” who restored my understanding that at least a few people with brains call themselves bruin fans.

Strand bugs the hell out of me
I just think that the crowd is somewhat apathetic anyway, but having a guy up there saying "don't cheer now, wait till I say to cheer" is so bush league. Fans should be on their feet screaming the entire time our defense is on the field, not just after the opposing team's offense breaks its huddle. Football is one sport in which the home crowd can have the greatest effect on the outcome of a game, and this geriatric clown is one thing holding back an already tame crowd. […] I hardly remember Strand leading our section during the SUC game, which was not the case for every other home game I attended. I appreciate his intentions, but he is terrible.

“Bush league” … “terrible” … that’s a good way to put it. But “bluestreet” was even more to the point in his second go around.

[Strand] is a nice guy and all. I am sure he is a good guy.

But he dresses like a freak. He looks creepy along the sidelines. Frankly I think its kind of embarrassing.

He should limit his little routine to alumni gatherings. But even then, his routine is just silly and embarrassing.

“Freak” … “creepy” … “silly” … “embarrassing” … LOL. Of course, you can’t have a thread at the “nation” without some Trojan bashing, and “babyblue98” delivers on cue:

That guy [Strand] has always kind of annoyed me. i've always said who's to say he gets to be the voice who represents the bruin fan? but whenever that guy gets on my nerves, which is every game i attend, i just think that at least he's not as gay as that trojan wearing a skirt riding that white horse around the coliseum.

We know being gay has nothing to do with this, but really, who is this “babyblue” trying to kid? Anyway, “abby8065” gets the thread back on track, attempting to kill two birds with one stone … or tomato, as it were.

pathetic!
I am sorry but that guy is pathetic! I don't need someone to tell me when to cheer or not; and I never cheer when someone tells me to!

He looks like a circus clown and his voice is too damn annoying. I couldn't even watch the entire video, because I wanted throw something at him.

Now he could definitely get the crowd excited if he wore a Trojan t-shirt and let people throw tomatoes at him!

I would just go to the games to get a chance to peg him.

The fun goes on for a few more comments, until the aptly named “True Blue and Gold” points out the truth (if not correct spelling) to fellow ugla fans …

It's really embarassing the way you go after your own. Geoff hasn't done any harm to anyone. If anything he promotes spirit and entusiasm. I don't know if you've noticed but he manages to get the press box side to yell Bruins while the student yell crew doesn't even tell us that it's going on.

Whether or not Strand “hasn’t done any harm” is certainly up for debate, but it is interesting to see how these bruins turn on one of their own.

USC Trojans, on the other hand, don’t have such issues. We’ll have fun here at the expense of our spirit section any day of the week, especially Thursdays.

But rather than use words like pathetic and freak and creepy when presented with video evidence, USC fans use words like lovely and hot … and wedgy.

Fight On!
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USC: We're No. 1 (Early 2007 Edition)

Being true to my fair-weather fandom of USC “basketball,” I’ve been making an effort to learn more about college hoops in preparation for our impending Trojan Uprising. One thing I don’t quite understand is why everybody cares so much about mid-season rankings.

Nestor of the “nation” tried to explain to me the importance of ugla’s recent No. 1 ranking in basketball. “Exposure” … “recruiting” … blah, blah, blah, he said. But common sense tells us that rankings really don’t mean a damn thing in hoops, especially when a 5th place team out of the Pac-10 can win a championship.

Regardless of this season’s rankings, ugla already has its big recruit secured, as does USC and virtually every other program. And ultimately, everything will be played out on the court. So, what does it matter?

In college football on the other hand, rankings are everything. And lucky for us, USC Football is once again top-ranked.

Just ask ESPN, Sports Illustrated, Rivals.com, and Scout.com … We’re No. 1.

You can also ask msnbc.com’s John Walters, another writer we like, who has USC ranked No. 1 for an important aspect of USC Football that also matters: the Trojans’ play-anybody-anywhere attitude when it comes to scheduling non-conference games.

Thank you, USC. […] While most head coaches and athletic directors concur (be it privately or publicly) with Florida's Urban Meyer, who last week said that he considers a 60-0 win against a I-AA opponent "fun", you […] made a date or two with danger on your schedule. Your non-conference, free-to-date-whomever-you-please schedule. […]

As a college football fan, I say thanks. Thanks […] to always fearless USC, who this year travel to Lincoln, Neb, and South Bend, Ind., to face two of the three winningest programs of all-time (having just smacked around the winningest, Michigan, two weeks ago).

Walters goes on to rank the top 10 non-conference games for 2007, and again, we’re No. 1.

1. USC (11-2) at Nebraska (9-5), Sept. 15
Carroll's Conundrum: The Trojans return ten starters on defense, and that's before Pete figures out how to get super stud freshmen Chris Galippo (LB) and Everson Griffin (DE) into the rotation. Nice problem to have. The Maze Unsheathers will likely toss Pac-10 party boy transplant Sam Keller behind center. It's like "Tommy Lee Goes To College" without the horticulture tutoring sessions. In 2005, while the QB at Arizona State, Keller led the Sun Devils to a 21-3 halftime lead versus the Trojans before imploding in the second half.

While we’re at it, USC is also currently No. 1 in several rankings for football recruiting, having already received verbal commitments from 10 of Rival.com’s revised Top 100 high school players (including nine 5-Star studs in the top 50), with a few more who could commit by Signing Day.

The best part of all this is that we don’t play a single snap against any team until September 1. That’s more than seven full months of unadulterated “USC is No. 1” hype, including the covers of season preview publications, features on ESPN, and all sorts of props throughout these internets. How’s that for an impact on exposure, recruiting, blah, blah, blah? Sweet!

No doubt the only rankings that really matter are at the end of the season. But it’s still more fun when we’re No. 1.

Fight On!
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USC Hoops: It's Getting Funny

Took a few days off, figuring that things were once again back to normal in the world of USC Football … that is, by all accounts, the Trojans are No. 1 heading into next season. Then, I realized that perhaps there was something strange (maybe even funny) going on.

It seems as if people who call themselves basketball fans … as well as some who cover the sport for a living … can't wait for this b-ball thing at USC to get going. Last I heard, we were supposed to wait until next season for some one-year wonder to make people notice USC hoops. Apparently, that’s not the case …

Even after the bruins earned a 65-64 victory Saturday, it appears all anyone wants to talk about is how the Trojans “basketball” program is improving … or how USC’s new Galen Center is a great venue that gives the Trojans a boost … or how the perennially presumed basketball gap between USC and ugla – whose position, as we know, is pre-ordained by history – is supposedly closing.

Beating USC in basketball always is a Bruins priority. If not an expectation.

But the stakes have gotten higher. The task is getting tougher.

USC finally has a serious coach in Tim Floyd, who took New Orleans and Iowa State to the NCAA Tournament, and coached both the Chicago Bulls and New Orleans Hornets.

Floyd is making inroads into recruiting blue-chippers. The sort of players USC used to go decades without landing.

In two years at Troy, Floyd has added 6-9 center Taj Gibson and a pair of athletic, 6-5 guards, Dwight Lewis and Daniel Hackett. Three of his top six players, that is.

The Trojans already look like better athletes than the Bruins. And that's before uber-recruit O.J. Mayo joins the USC show next season.

UCLA can hear the footsteps. The challenge to its SoCal hoops hegemony is overt.

Suddenly, Pauley Pavilion seems less like a basketball cathedral ... and more like an old, primitive facility. (What, no luxury boxes? Galen Center has 'em.)

What once seemed a huge talent gap in UCLA's favor ... now it's more like Ben Howland and the Bruins winning on guile, character and institutional memory.

USC certainly can't be penciled in as a pair of "Ws" on the UCLA schedule.

Their game Saturday could have been a tipping point.

Even sports media out here in New York, the mecca of basketball and the birthplace of one Lewis Alcindor, are eager to see the Trojans challenge the bruins’ hegemony in Los Angeles. Dick “Hoops” Weiss, a columnist for the New York Daily News, wrote last week about a “Trojan Uprising” …

[Tim Floyd] inherited a major rebuilding project from Henry Bibby, who was fired at midseason in 2005, but Floyd won 17 games his first year and beat three ranked teams - UCLA, Arizona and North Carolina. This season, he has transformed the Trojans (13-4, 3-1 Pac-10) into a major player in the best league in the country. Expect USC to make the NCAA Tournament and eventually make a run at competing with the Bruins on an equal basis in Los Angeles within three years. […]

The Trojans might not be ready to make a run at Florida and UCLA this season, but Gibson is right - the battle is on. Floyd has signatures and commitments from enough blue-chip prospects in the next two classes to make the Trojans a Final Four contender. In addition to Mayo, Floyd has signed Davon Jefferson, an athletic 6-8 forward from Los Angeles who is taking a prep year in North Carolina. Floyd also inked 6-8 forward Leonard Washington, the best prospect in Louisiana.

Final Four contender … blue-chip prospects … making the Tournament … And, what’s this about USC beating Arizona, North Carolina and ugla last year … in hoops? I find that incredibly difficult to believe. But, I digress …

Certainly, unlike the state of USC Football, this “basketball” stuff is not normal. But it’s funny, nonetheless. And, like other things we’ve found “funny” recently, all this attention being paid to USC “basketball” has the bruins’ proverbial panties in a bunch.

True to form, the “nation” showed its colors after sweating out ugla's one-point win. Attempting to draw parallels with lies told about “WMDs Found In Iraq” of all inappropriate things, Nestor [no, I won’t reveal his real name again no matter how many times you ask] worked himself into a lather, posting one of his grammatically lacking rants to complain about the Los Angeles Times:

Today it is Robyn Norwood's turn to pimp a basketball program, which hasn't sniffed the NCAA tourney in half a decade an elevate it to the level of Duke, North Carolinas of the world. Ms. Norwood writes up an article saying somehow the gap between UCLA and Southern California basketball program is closing despite the fact this year Trojan lost to UCLA in their brand new gym against a Bruin squad that was playing without its second leading scorer. Riddle me this. How can you claim a program is closing gap with the defending champion of the conference after it loses to the same program it beat on its home floor last year?

“hasn't sniffed the NCAA tourney in half a decade an elevate it” … ? “despite the fact this year Trojan lost to UCLA” … ? “a program is closing gap with the defending champion” …?

"Riddle me this." What’s with the broken English?

Anyway, as if on cue, “Tydides” went out of his way to stroke himself with this:

Here's the bottom line (addressed to the excuse-making whiners):
We won. We are UCLA. We are relevant, you are not. We beat you on YOUR homecourt, in front of YOUR fans, WITHOUT one of our best players. You might think you played well enough to win, perhaps even think you "outplayed" the Bruins, but you know what? You didn't, and the scoreboard shows it. It hurts to have to actually have to care about basketball, doesn't it? Will you still care about it now? I doubt it. You are losers. Thank you and good night.

Not surprisingly, “Tydides” still doesn’t get it. There’s no need to hate. Even if real USC fans actually did care about basketball, he needn't waste his limited capacities to write (if you can call it writing) something like this, all full of misplaced anger.

Why isn’t a bruin win on USC’s shiny new floor enough for the “nation”?

I suppose “Tydides” is trying to put USC “basketball” in its place, where new arenas and top recruits and supposedly good coaching don’t threaten to threaten the righteous present and history of ugla basketball. But why address USC fans in this way … unless the threat is real?

I wouldn’t know. As a tried and true traditional USC Football fan, I honestly couldn’t care less about USC “basketball.”

Obviously, the same can’t be said for ugla. They know their basketball … and they know USC is coming. Funny isn’t it?

Fight On!
.