Mmmmm, Beefy ...

The Trojans sat down for some serious pre-game grub at Lawry's in Beverly Hills on Thursday night. After chowing down on 799 pounds of prime rib (plus creamed corn, creamed spinach, and mashed potatoes), they topped it off with apple pie. The annual Rose Bowl tradition was a big photo op for the players and the media, who all seemed to have a great time. It was the third straight Beef Bowl for the Trojans and their 20th overall.

USC's prime rib poundage set the all-time record, eclipsing Purdue's mark of 734 set prior to the 2000 Rose Bowl Game. General Manager Todd Johnson anticipated that record could be broken tonight by the Illini. A 1965 article in Sports Illustrated claimed the "contest" was "more reliable than fortune cookies and tea leaves in predicting the Rose Bowl victor." So far, it's been right 35 out of 51 times.

Alatini "Tiny" Malu (weighing in at a mere 330 pounds) was singled out by Pete Carroll at most likely to win the clean plate award. "We left all the big team eating to that table over there and Tiny Malu," he joked while motioning over a group of offensive linemen. "Tiny, we kinda' put you out there, brother. Once again, this is kinda' your time of year that you've got to stand out!" Then he added, "The table here with Parsons, Howell, and these guys ... they did some damage tonight, too."

Coach Pat Ruel came over to his offensive linemen, pointing at each one, "He's going to run tomorrow, he's going to run tomorrow ..."

Zack Heberer swore he only finish two cuts of prime rib, but Ruel retorted, "That's a four plate helping if I ever saw one." Heberer stuck with his two-piece claim as teammates insisted he'd polished off several more.

To avoid getting in trouble, nobody really wanted to fess up to over-eating. Sedrick Ellis even revised his Disneyland churro tally, insisting he only had one the day before (a picture on this site show him clutching four at once).

Asked about all the freebies this week, Martin Coleman tried to get philosophical. "It's not about the destination, it's the journey -- all the fun we're having right now."

Alex Parsons rolled his eyes. "He read that on a bathroom stall somewhere." Parsons may not have eaten the most beef, but he did seem like the biggest ham of the night. He continued clowning on his tablemates. "Every day Martin comes up with a joke and it's usually from one of those little popsicle wrappers ... Zack's favorite [part of the Rose Bowl experience] is the practices. He loves running."

John David Booty, whose favorite Lawry's fare is the creamed corn, and this year's Rose Queen tried making one of the restaurant's famous spinning salads.

When asked whether these events are a distraction, Booty replied "I don't think so. A lot of us have been through this several times. I think we really know how to have fun when it's time to have fun. We get back into football when it's time for that." He repeated a familiar refrain about Pete Carroll prepping the team by taking them out to events earlier in the year like the AVP Tournament in Hermosa Beach

Carroll later took the podium to address the crowd, which filled several rooms. The proceedings had to be simulcast throughout the restaurant so that everybody could see. He showed a lot of enthusiasm for the team's return to the festivities. "So many people want to know if it's any fun going back to the Rose Bowl again. Heck, yeah it is! This is freakin' great!"

Before wrapping up, he smiled, "For those that are just tuning in, there is a football game coming up on the first. It's not all just parties and fun." He emphasized that Illinois was a big challenge for USC and that the team was working hard in preparation.

At least for the evening, though, it was just a good time. Throughout the event, Carroll pointed out that this was an opportunity to pass things along from "big brother to little brother," a comment acknowledging transition as much as tradition.

It seemed like a fair analogy.

Back at the tables, Coleman chided Parsons, "You talk to much."

Parsons shot right back, "You sweat to much. You put off so much body heat that I sweat over here!"

Yup. Just like brothers.