Congrats: LA Times columnists Bill Plaschke and T.J. Simers were both honored by the Associated Press Sports Editors this week. Get Well Soon: UCLA superhero John Wooden was hospitalized after a fall today. We all wish him a speedy recovery and hope to see him courtside at a USC-UCLA tournament game in the coming weeks.
Anybody watching the end of the USC-Arizona basketball game last night saw a Wildcat fan throw a water bottle onto the court and pelt guard Dwight Lewis on his right foot. It was so close to the USC bench that announcers thought the bottle almost hit Coach Tim Floyd.
Arizona Coach Kevin O'Neill got on the mic, called out the jerk, and apologized to USC. It was a classy move appreciated by Wildcats and Trojans alike.
After the game, Floyd told reporters, "That kind of thing can happen in any arena. We're not bothered about it. It's one person."
Apparently, it's not one person that O'Neill is worried about. The day before the game, he filmed a video message and e-mailed it to 16,000 members of the "Zona Zoo" student cheering section, chastising them because of inappropriate behavior at their game against Stanford. "We want to make sure this weekend [when] we play USC and UCLA that we show national TV audiences that we are a positive, energetic, enthusiastic student section. ... Please, be positive in your approach to the basketball games."
So much for that. Here's the video of his plea:
It's a striking contrast to the enthusiasm of Arizona State fans, whom I'll rant about tomorrow.
Pete Carroll added "boogie boarding" to his interests.
Also, offensive line coach Pat Ruel wrote on Carroll's wall:
Foo Fighters LA March 5th!!! I am not Foo-in!!! Seriously Best of You,
Learn to Fly and Everlong! I am going unconscious........took a ride in
UFO it was Boss!
I don't care how creative other schools get, nobody can be cooler than this staff. Nobody.
The Los Angeles Avengers kick off their Arena Football League season tonight at Staples Center. Former Trojan players Lonnie Ford (fullback) and David Davis (kicker) will be on the turf for L.A.
Fellow USC alum John Walker plays DB for the New York Dragons.
The league's commissioner is David Baker, father of USC senior Sam Baker. At the NFL combine this week, Sam joked about his dad getting him a gig as QB in the AFL.
Around New Year's, Tim Floyd said that it would be good to go .500 in the Pac-10. With a solid win over Arizona, USC did at least that, clinching at least an even conference record with three games to go. That all but secures a spot in the NCAA Tournament.
Prepare for plenty of dance puns and metaphors.
Prior to the game, ESPN had 'Zona as a 7 seed and USC and an 8 seed in their online projected bracket. With contests remaining against Arizona State, Cal, and #8 Stanford, the Trojans could potentially turn some heads before the Pac-10 Tournament.
After scoring in the first 39 seconds last night, USC led Arizona wire-to-wire. It wasn't utter dominance, but it was the next best thing: an unexpectedly strong win in a hostile environment against another team on the bubble.
The best sight of all, for Trojan fans, was Daniel Hackett running around the court. The point guard has suffered a litany of injuries this season. His return is critical for the team to succeed in tournament play.
USC is alone in 4th place in the Pac-10, half a game behind Washington State and two games ahead of both Arizona schools. They'll take on Arizona State in Tempe on Saturday.
It's almost the weekend! Here's how to kill time waiting for the clock to strike 5.
Football
Unsurprisingly, the Bush situation is not much of a concern to Pete Carroll. He's way too busy listening to sweet tunes, sporting new T-shirts, and poking peeps on Facebook.
Scout picks USC vs. Ohio State as the best out-of-conference game of 2008. The Trojans' showdowns against Notre Dame (16) and Virginia (31) also made the top 40 list.
The latest person to fall get shoved off the Patriots bandwagon? Oscar Lua.
John David Booty is getting a bad rap thanks to some unflattering photos from a workout. Seasoned forum surfers may recall that Brian Cushing dealt with similarly unnecessary cheap-shots a couple of years ago.
Hoops
Yes, it's college. Yes, somebody created a drink called the O.J. Mayo. Yes, it's made from O.J., mayo, and vodka. Yes, it's on YouTube.
USC faced off against UC Irvine, where former Trojan coach Mike Gillespie is now at the helm. Not only did the Anteaters win, but USC coach and Gillespie son-in-law Chad Kreuter was tossed. Sounds like an awkward family reunion.
ESPN 710 has opened voting for its Southern California Sports Awards.
You may recall that a Trojan did pretty well at the LA Sports Council Awards this year. There's also a USC athlete up for the Sullivan Award (see below).
Among USC's five nomination listings from ESPN:
College Female Team of the Year: A true Cinderella story, USC's women's soccer team finished second in the Pac-10 standings (20-3-2, 6-2-1), but first in the nation as it claimed its first ever, and the Pac-10's first-ever national nhampionship. ... Prior to this season, USC had never advanced past the second round of the NCAA Tournament ... Sophomore goalkeeper Kristin Olsen was named the tournament's most outstanding defensive player.
College Male Team of the Year: The Trojans football team, under Pete Carroll, had another phenomenal season, finishing with a record of 11-2. That gave them the Pac-10 title, and a berth in the Rose Bowl, where they dominated Illinois, 49-17.
Inspirational Athlete of the Year: Ricky Rosas; USC ... Volunteer 'Gatorade Bartender' and office aide, Ricky Rosas has assisted the USC football office for nearly two years. Rosas enjoys working with the program and attends nearly every practice and home football game with the Trojans.
College Male Athlete of the Year: Sedrick Ellis, USC football ... Ellis played all 13 games for the Trojans and finished the season with 58 tackles, 8 1/2 sacks, seven deflections, two fumble recoveries, and one forced fumble. He was a unanimous choice on the 2007 all Pac-10 first team. Ellis was named USC's Co-MVP.
College Female Athlete of the Year: Kristin Olsen, USC Soccer ... The USC goalkeeper collected 12 shutouts throughout the season. She was named the most outstanding defensive player of the NCAA Tournament, and she was named second team All American by Soccer Buzz and the National Soccer Coaches Assn. of America.
To participate in voting, click here. You will have to register for the ESPN 710 VIP Club.
USC sophomore golfer Jamie Lovemark has also picked up a big nomination -- for the Sullivan Award. The annual prize is presented to the nation's top amateur athlete. His profile in USA Today:
Lovemark, 20, of Rancho Santa Fe, Calif., won the NCAA individual title as a freshman at Southern California last year. He also played on the victorious U.S. Walker Cup team, finishing 3-0 in his matches. Last spring he won the Pacific-10 individual title and led the Trojans to the team title.
To vote for this year's Sullivan Award (no registration needed), click here.
Wednesday was a beautiful day to talk Trojan hoops. Seriously, check out the view from the Galen Center windows (more pics after the jump). With temps in the 80s, even a certain USC coach was raving about it on his Facebook profile. (According to his status, "Pete Carroll loves this SoCal weather…and it’s only February!")
Unfortunately, you won't see the curtains open when USC plays their regular season finale at 11 a.m. next Sunday against Stanford. The sun can create a nasty glare off the hardcourt. Maybe they can fix that next year, because the view is spectacular.
On to more pressing matters, USC men's basketball team is on the bubble for the Big Dance. With four games left to play, Ben Bolch explained what's going on with Hackett, the upcoming tournaments, and the implication of coming back against the Ducks. Oh, and don't forget this weekend's road trip to Arizona!
The Dodgers held a press conference today for the groundbreaking on Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum modifications. The temporary conversions are being made for an exhibition against the Boston Red Sox on March 29. That should leave plenty of time to return things to normal before USC's first home game against Ohio State on September 13th.
This YouTube video came up in the discussion of yesterday's Conquest post. It's a classic ... The Spirit of Troy performing with Fleetwood Mac in an empty Dodger Stadium. "Tusk" earned the Trojan Marching Band its first platinum album.
Here's something you haven't seen in the USC bookstore.
Pete Carroll has his own line of clothing. These shirts have appeared on people connected with the USC football team for the last few months but weren't available to the public until recently.
USC can be tricky when it comes to licensing (and astute business minds don't want to gamble on Carroll jumping to the NFL, no matter how unlikely the scenario), so we noticed that the words "USC" and "Trojans" are not on any of the items. The Trojan helmet logo used on several shirts is not the official one endorsed by the school (USC has a strict graphic identity program).
It is endorsed by Carroll and his signature is on most items -- so it's all good for Trojan faithful.
This is an ideal gift for diehards and "the fan who has everything." If your son or daughter just got into USC and needs a basic shirt, start with something more traditional.
Bonus points: Proceeds go to support Carroll's charity, A Better LA.
In the wake of Oscar season, it seemed appropriate to share a little about this classic film score. From the school's website:
Another famous USC song is the regal processional march, "Conquest," by Alfred Newman. It is usually played after every USC score and victory. This stirring battle cry, from Newman's score to the 1947 motion picture classic "Captain from Castile," has become synonymous with the championship tradition of USC since the Trojans adopted it in 1954 during a basketball game against Oregon State. Newman, a legendary composer of film music, was the musical director of Twentieth Century-Fox Studios.
In light of USC's basketball uniform experimentation, I thought this recent Newsweek article was pretty interesting:
The Raiders alternated between mostly black and mostly white uniforms, depending on whether they were playing at home or away. Knowing that appearance affects people's mood and outlook, psychologists wondered whether uniform color influenced the Raiders' aggressiveness. Using data from the 1970s and 1980s, they found that the team racked up way more penalty yards—a measure of aggression—when they wore black than when they wore white, for infractions both minor (encroachment) and major (roughing the kicker). The pattern held even when the scientists took into account different conditions and styles of play at home and away.
The Trojan committed 16 fouls while wearing black against UCLA. Wearing white in their next two games, they averaged 12.5 (17 against Oregon and eight against Oregon State). All three contests were played at home. USC has averaged 15.4 fouls in Pac-10 play.
It also seems amusing that the NCAA moved to block visiting teams from wearing their home uniforms in football (see: USC-UCLA), but there's no problem with USC basketball or Oregon football trying endless combinations of home uniforms.
Photo courtesy of Jaime Rodriguez (a.k.a. Valley Trojan). You can see more of his work from the Oregon State game on SCPlaybook.com.
USC's men's basketball team will host Oregon State tonight. The Beavers are a 17-point underdog and are 0-14 in the Pac-10. I wonder if there's a prop bet available that the Oregon State won't be able to score 40.
After this game, the Trojans finish the regular season against Arizona and Arizona State on the road and Stanford and Cal at home. Then it's the Pac-10 tournament and either the NCAA or NIT tournament.
Assuming USC beats the Beavers, it would only need one victory in its final four Pac-10 games to finish .500 in league play. Though no team has ever gone to the Big Dance with that record in this conference, this season is likely to see it happen for the first time. Two wins would all but guarantee a bid.
In front of 3,217 fans, Los Tricolores downed the Women of Troy, 3-1, in women's soccer action at the L.A. Coliseum.
Mexico was using the match as a tuneup for Olympic qualifying. Last week, it beat ASU, 3-0, and tied UCLA, 1-1.
To put things in perspective, the Bruins had been ranked #1 for much of the 2007 season and were the last No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament, falling to the Trojans in the semifinals. USC went on to take their first national championship in the sport.
USC looked a little sluggish and was outplayed by Mexico for much of the game. It was tied, 1-1, in the closing minutes, but a couple of sloppy defensive mistakes -- rare for this Trojan squad -- gave the game away.
What did yesterday's come-from-behind victory over Oregon prove for USC's men's basketball team?
That the Trojans have more uniform choices than perimeter players.
More importantly, USC showed that it can put together a full 40 minutes with its current roster. When the Trojans fell behind, 40-25, it didn't even look like they could put together a full first half. Considering their lack of bench depth, the final score was shocking -- and a huge relief for Trojan fans. This game was a must-win for USC.
You didn't see a miracle whip those fans into a frenzy, but a wild Mayo shot. The freshman guard hit from 30 feet out to help the Trojans pull away in the 81-75 victory and avoid any Spanich-esque revenge by the Ducks. Afterward, Mayo told reporters that he tries that shot in practice games of H-O-R-S-E and it was just "another opportunity."
Speaking of O.J. seeing "opportunities," one of the things people will soon forget is how many ridiculously low-percentage shots Mayo has been taking. That was especially evident in the first half, when he also picked up three early fouls. But when he makes them (as started happening in the second half) and USC wins, all is forgiven.
Ultimately, Mayo will get the lion's share of the credit for this victory -- and he deserves it. After coming off of the worst performance in his life last week against UCLA, he responded by matching a career high 32 points -- 21 in the second half. Don't forget that it was a great team effort. The team put down another gritty performance and picked up its first win this season without Mr. Grit himself (Daniel Hackett).
The squads are coached by close friends Ali Khosroshahin, who led the Women of Troy to the NCAA championship last year, and Leo Cuellar, who was a popular figure as captain of the Mexican men's team before taking the women to their first Olympics and World Cup.
Their relationship goes back a long way. Khosroshahin played for Coach Cuellar at Cal State Los Angeles and eventually became his assistant coach there. He had high praise for his mentor. "He's opened a lot of doors for me. He's definitely given me an education in this sport that I think most people living here don't get." During USC's championship run, "I think I called him at least once a day."
Cuellar was equally impressed with his student, calling him a part of his family. "He's very intense, he's very convinced of his ideas. He likes to study, he likes to prepare. He's obviously trying to innovate."
Khosroshahin was hired by Mexico when Cuellar took over the team in 1998 and has been involved with the program ever since. Asked what his formal affiliation was, he shrugged and smiled. "Scout. Assistant Coach. Whatever [Leo] decides!" In his last job at Cal State Fullerton, he connected Cuellar with Marlene Sandoval -- now one of the top players for Mexico.
USC freshman midfielder Ashli Sandoval (no relation) hopes to be in Marlene's shoes one day. As one of four Trojans of Mexican American descent, she told reporters that she views this game as a tryout.
Expect tonight's matchup to be a good one. USC is playing at almost full strength (Amy Rodriguez is training with the U.S. national team) and Mexico, ranked 22nd internationally, traditionally gets tough matches from American schools. Last week, Mexico tied UCLA, 1-1, and beat Arizona State University, 3-0.
With Beijing trials just around the corner, Cuellar feels that these matches are a critical preparation. “To come here and play the champions, as a part of our preparation for Olympic qualifying, is a great opportunity for us."
During last month's Rose Bowl, I did a double take when USC's sideline started doing the Soulja Boy (a choreographed dance popularized through MySpace). I pointed it out to others in the press box and they thought I was nuts. Possible, but at least my eyes didn't deceive me. A friend just sent me this seven-second clip.
O.J. Mayo's draft status, an unusual way of making the NCAA tournament and the secret to beating the Trojans ... it's all in this week's podcast with LA Times reporter Ben Bolch. Just click play to get all the insight:
As an added treat, here's a few minutes from Wednesday's post-practice press gaggle with O.J. Mayo. It's a pretty good representation of what life's like for USC's players and media corps:
After the jump, we've got some interesting info released by Heritage Hall ...
USC's football coach is now a member of Facebook. Out of all the nation's social networking sites, it probably has the least e-glitter. Started as a college-only network, it's now open to anybody but is especially popular with students.
Carroll lists his interests as teaching, coaching, playing basketball and surfing. He likes to watch "24" and his favorite book, of course, is "The Inner Game of Tennis."
Favorite Music? James Brown, the Fray, Foo Fighters, Beach Boys, Bruce Springsteen, Jack Johnson, Kanye West, the Rolling Stones, and Stevie Wonder.
He's in only one group, even though there are dozens of groups dedicated to him (including Pete Carroll Is God, Pete Carroll Is a Saint, Pete Carroll for President). He's a member of "1,000,000 USC Fans," along with 102 other people.
The funniest part is that Carroll lists five of his favorite quotes, but a student at Northwestern (of all places), wrote on Carroll's wall that the three most common Pete-isms were missing: "I'm jacked," "I'm pumped" and "I'm psyched!"
If you're on Facebook and want to add Pete Carroll as your friend, click here.
Wide receiver Vidal Hazelton had surgery on torn stomach muscles. Hazelton may give Trojans fans hope that at full strength he will improve upon his 50 catches, 540 yards and four touchdowns.
He should be able to participate in spring practice next month.
Women's Basketball - Nadia Parker had 18 points and 10 rebounds as the Women of Troy shut down UCLA 49-36. It was a historic low point total for the Bruins and half of their season average. It was USC's seventh straight win over UCLA ... USC is in sole possession of fourth place in the Pac-10 and could be a dark horse candidate for the NCAA tournament.
Women's Water Polo - USC opened up MPSF play with wins over No. 10 UC Irvine and No. 8 Arizona State. Michelle Stein was named the league's player of the week after scoring seven goals on the road trip.
Women's Swimming and Diving - In its last dual meet of the season, No. 25 USC beat No. 15 UCLA, 158-142.
Baseball - The Trojans open the season on Friday with a three-game series at Florida International.
Men's Tennis - No. 6 USC fell to No. 7 Texas at the ITA National Indoor Championships in Seattle over the weekend.
Women's Tennis - Coming off two losses, No. 11 USC cruised to a 7-0 victory over No. 52 San Diego.
Men's Volleyball - USC continued its oddly symmetrical league play last week, beating UC San Diego and losing to Long Beach State. The Trojans take a break from MPSF this weekend and instead will play in the Hall of Fame Classic in Springfield, Mass.
Lexus Gauntlet - It's all but over. USC leads 50 to 17.5, and it takes 55 points to clinch at least a split title. This will continue the odd tradition USC and UCLA alternating wins of the annual trophy. It's oddly like men's volleyball.
The legendary San Pedro restaurant is owned by former USC football player John Papadakis and his brother Tom. John's sons are Taso and Petros, who also played for the Trojans. Petros now has a talk show on KLAC-AM (570) and is the PA announcer at USC basketball games.
On its website, they modestly claim to be "perhaps the greatest Greek restaurant the world has ever known!" Scores of loyal Trojans and other locals have agreed for decades.
The Taverna used to host recruiting dinners for USC, but that caused some controversy when somebody realized the restaurant lies marginally outside of the maximum distance the NCAA allows those events to be held from campus.
To this day, the Taverna still welcomes other USC-related events and is a part of school lore. Its loss would be sad for the Trojan Family and San Pedro.
O.J. Mayo, Davon Jefferson and Angelo Johnson shared their thoughts after the game last night.
Davon's composure and frame of mind just minutes after the final buzzer were remarkable. O.J. was using some language he hasn't allowed most people in the media to hear before, but we couldn't share that here.
After the Trojan's abominable 56-46 loss to UCLA, maybe Tim Floyd wouldn't mind coaching the Flint Tropics instead. This debacle was covered from almost every angle, so you'll hear about pretty much everything in the MSM.
I was at a funeral yesterday, and the Trojans were dressed for one today. As part of the grieving process, here's what USC fans will have to go through (with Kubler-Ross quotes from Wikipedia).
Denial: "It can't be happening." -- USC's top two players, O.J. Mayo and Davon Jefferson, each scored 4 points in the game. In front of O.J.'s mother, no less.
Anger: "Why me? It's not fair." -- Four of USC's starters played the entire 40 minutes. Jefferson was the exception, getting 8 minutes of sub time from Keith Wilkinson.
Bargaining: "Just let me live to see my children graduate." -- Daniel Hackett was telling people after the game that he hopes to be back in 20 days.
Depression: "I'm so sad, why bother with anything?" -- Three starters (Mayo, Jefferson and Johnson) combined for as many points as Mayo had turnovers (10).
Acceptance: "It's going to be OK." -- It was hard to coax something positive out of USC's players in the locker room, but Mayo could point to one thing. "The offensive end didn't really dictate the way we played defense. We played really hard on defense and showed a lot of heart."
At least it was a good weekend for the Trojans in a number of other sports, including victories over the Bruins in women's hoops and swimming. The Lexus Gauntlet is all but wrapped up.
It's distracting when the student section spins giant pinwheels at opposing players trying to attempt free throws, but how surreal is it to see a few hundred Will Ferrells staring at you while you try and take a shot?
"Semi-Pro" also sponsored a routine by the Trojan Dance Force, featuring a throw-back look and a finish with every girl doing the splits.
We're not even going to touch that one, but it looks like we gave Ferrell just the publicity he wanted.
The USC all-blacks had an impressive turnout tonight, blanketing the stadium with an ominous new look. Trojans fans are clad in a different color than usual as part of a "Black Out the Bruins" campaign as they go for the season sweep over UCLA.
Although the new uniforms are pretty hard-core (all the way down to black shoes) compared with the baby blue of UCLA, the strangest juxtaposition is a sea of fans waving Will Ferrell face masks to distract the Bruin's free throw shooters. Ferrell, a USC alum, wasn't able to make it tonight. We're just guessing he's at the NBA All Star game to promote "Semi-Pro," his movie coming out at the end of the month. Tyler Murphy, who lettered for the Trojans in 2001, is also in the movie and is in attendance tonight along with Tom Selleck, Al Cowlings and Nick Young.
Matt Leinart was shown on the jumbotron sitting with Brynn Cameron and their baby. Brynn, who plays for the USC women's basketball team, is coming off of a big victory today at Pauley Pavilion, where the Women of Troy spanked the Bruins, 49-36. Matt is probably coming off of another great weekend clubbing in Hollywood.
Brush strokes and backstrokes may be kindred souls.
Appreciating black and white photography can share ties with watching game film.
Their link? The same person making the art might also be making the play.
"It seems like art and athletics make strange bedfellows, but athletes are so focused," explains Karen Koblitz, curator for a special art show that opens this weekend at the Galen Center. About 30 unique pieces are on display, each crafted by a USC student-athlete. "It takes so much to be the best at their sport and reach the level they've reached. They understand that the same kind of energy is put forth into art. I think it's an interesting dynamic, and I think that's why some of them do so well in the fine arts."
The Louis Galen Annual ARTLETICS Exhibition is free to the public during all athletic events and upon special request. Now in its third year, this edition features two- and three-dimensional pieces from Trojans you may recognize in football, basketball, swimming, water polo, tennis, rowing, and track and field.
Koblitz serves on the Roski School of Fine Arts faculty and runs the ceramics department. She's taught many athletes over the years. One semester, there were six football players in the same class. "I was talking with one of their counselors, and she thought I might an interesting motivational speaker to talk with the students. I said, 'Oh, yeah! Maybe we can bring some of their artwork and have it around!'"
When they realized how much work it would be to set up the art for one night, the plan morphed into ARTLETICS. The first year it was held in Heritage Hall in the same cases as the school's fabled Heisman Trophies.
This year's exhibitors express what makes many of them unique -- culturally and competitively.
Dina Hegazy (swimming) is presenting black and white photographs taken at her family's farm in Egypt. Martin Coleman (football) grew up in Tonga and incorporates designs in his work that are inspired by his childhood. Two of his pieces are also titled in Tongan. A compelling digital photo by Jordan Thompson (water polo) captures one of his youthful teammates, who hails from Egypt, standing along a grizzled old man in a Los Angeles street.
Nick Young returned to the Galen Center on Friday to hang out, goof around with his old teammates and enjoy the new flat-screen TVs that were just installed in the player's lounge.
Young now plays for the Washington Wizards, passing on what would have been his senior season this year. He's scheduled to be honored by the school during halftime of Sunday's game against UCLA.
Asked what his favorite memory was from the rivalry, he seemed to joke "just a few weeks ago when we got the victory." Reminded about the 2006 upset in the Sports Arena, he recalled it as a great game -- especially by Ryan Francis.
He said USC's youth is noticeable, but predicted another victory over over the Bruins.
If things get hairy for USC, will the Trojans resort to the good ol' fashion faceblock (right)?
Or what about the inbound-off-the-nose play? (If you click the link, you'll see Alfred Aboya take a nasty shot to the kisser.)
Let's face the music ... neither side can afford for things to get too rough when the Bruins invade the Galen Center on Sunday.
Readers of this blog are probably familiar with USC's litany of injuries (half of which have happened to Daniel Hackett), but it's been a tough stretch for UCLA, too.
Per Diane Pucin in today's LA Times, forward Luc Richard Mbah a Moute (pictured right being, um, blessed by Arizona's Nic Wise) should be returning from a sprained ankle and swingman Michael Roll is probably out for the season. Roll's replacement, James Keefe, is struggling to get sound after shoulder surgery.
And don't forget Aboya, who's gotta be sore about that inbounds. Although apparently he isn't hurt, maybe it should be illegal to take aim at a player's dome. There's some good discussion about that on What's Bruin.
Speaking of headaches, don't forget that the last time these two teams played, Mbah a Moute and Lorenzo Mata-Real suffered concussions. One person who hasn't forgotten? Davon Jefferson, who actually is hoping for a physical game.
Although most of Troy doesn't look at this as just another game, Tim Floyd is trying to maintain a sense of normality around the basketball program. He's got a daunting task this week thanks to a depleted roster and a bitter UCLA coming into the Galen Center. If you thought the Bruins' home loss to USC and last weekend's loss to Washington weren'tt enough motivation, wait until you read tomorrow's paper.
Speaking of reading the paper, LA Times reporter Ben Bolch sat down for another insightful podcast. Listen as he breaks down what you need to know about this weekend's big rivalry:
Also in store for Sunday's showdown:
The Trojans are rallying behind a "Black Out the Bruins" promotion. Coach Tim Floyd is encouraging fans to show their support by wearing -- you guessed it -- black.
The first 1,000 students at the game will also get a free Nike iD T-shirt. Black, of course.
Three USC alumni will be featured guests: Nick Young (now playing for the Washington Wizards), Will Ferrell (most famous as an intern at Heritage Hall) and Tyler Murphy (2001 hoops letterman who is in "Semi-Pro," Ferrell's new movie).
There's a new art exhibit in the Galen Center lobby featuring work from USC student-athletes. We'll have more on that tomorrow.
Heritage Hall confirmed today that Pete Carroll and Rick Neuheisel have discussed bringing back the tradition of allowing both teams to wear home jerseys ... however there is "nothing official or final yet."
Although both coaches would like for this to happen, USC reps say to check back in early December.
Throughout February, you can hear the crash of football pads on Howard Jones Field, but none of the players on USC's practice turf are wearing Trojan jerseys.
Meet the California Blue Knights, a team of police and other law enforcement officers. A large number of the players serve in USC's Department of Public Safety. Don't picture any wild scenarios from The Longest Yard. Although one of their nearby opponents (Bakersfield Falcons) is made up of prison guards, they play other agencies from around the country in the National Public Safety League. The last few years, the Blue Knights have scheduled games in Florida, Texas and Washington, D.C. Ultimately, they're doing this to have a good time and raise money for charity.
Most players have high school (and sometimes college) experience, but many haven't worn a uniform for a long time -- at least not the football variety. Greg Nesbitt played in the CFL about a decade ago. He also spent time with the NFL's Seattle Seahawks and Minnesota Vikings.
Nesbitt echoed a number of players when he said the camaraderie is his favorite part of the Blue Knights. For him, it's all about "playing on the weekends, getting together, seeing these guys outside of uniform, and just having fun!"
DPS officer Rick Gonzalez has been with the team for four seasons, but it had been about 11 years since he played his last high school game. Law enforcement officers are expected to be in good shape, so Gonzalez said it wasn't too hard getting back on the field. "I work out every day lifting weights. I actually work out with the football players here and their strength and conditioning coaches. The only thing I have to do is adjust to hitting and being hit."
Tracy Pierson of BruinReportOnline.com broke news this week that USC and UCLA will restore a great tradition and allow both schools to wear home (color) uniforms when they face each other.
For decades, both teams played their home games in the Coliseum and it was customary to see cardinal and blue clash on the gridiron. That ended when UCLA moved to the Rose Bowl in 1982 and the NCAA recognized a golden opportunity to botch things up. It implemented a rule that visiting teams wearing home uniforms would be penalized and lose a timeout. Both schools acquiesced.
Reportedly (the story was available on BRO for Scout premium subscribers, but now it's in the Daily Bruin and Conquest Chronicles), USC coach Pete Carroll and UCLA coach Rick Neuheisel have agreed that the home team will decline the penalty and burn a timeout to allow sartorial splendor to make a comeback.
"KCAL reported that the State of California was looking to sell their
shares of ownership to the [Sports Arena] and Coliseum. From this posting, I
figure that a deal was made and possibly ownership??? Anyone???" -- Char
This question from a post on Tuesday brings up an interesting hitch in the deal struck between USC and the Coliseum Commission.
Although I didn't see the KCAL report, I would guess it referred to casual discussions in Sacramento about selling the Coliseum (and adjacent Sports Arena). One of the most confusing parts of the whole negotiation has stemmed from the fact that the State of California owns the property -- outright. No shares involved.
Technically, the state leases everything to the Coliseum Commission, which has nine voting members. There are three each from the State, County of Los Angeles, and City of Los Angeles.
That's where yesterday's deal might get sticky. According to the school, the agreement ensures that "USC will also have representation on the Coliseum Commission."
Since the Commission was created by a Joint Powers Agreement, it would presumably need approval from the state, county and city before it could modify the body's makeup. That's just one three more hurdles for this agreement to clear. Hopefully it's merely a formality, since all parties involved seem happy with the way things are moving.
For those of you keeping score at home, there have been three "moving targets" involved with the negotiations:
The lease between the state and the Coliseum Commission.
The lease between the Coliseum Commission and anybody else (primarily USC).
The state's option to sell the whole thing off or lease to somebody else.
The limitations of the state-Commission lease are what created some of the initial friction in the Commission-USC lease (USC was asking for a longer term than the Commission had with the state).
The state's option to sell is unlikely at this time, but not impossible because of budget shortfalls in Sacramento. It would require some incredible political maneuvering to make a sale happen.
The state's option to lease to somebody else is effectively closed (it has a new deal with the Commission that lasts for almost 50 more years). However, I'm still shocked that there wasn't any public debate last year about the state leasing directly to USC. Although there would have been some hangups (like who would get custody of the Sports Arena), it would have been a very intriguing option for some of the parties involved.
Two USC alumni went to Rio last week for Carnival and wound up lost in a Brazilian rain forest. They hacked their way through the dense foliage for 26 hours until a rescue crew found them. Local reporters jumped on the story, eager to talk about these young men from the land of movie stars (the most outlandish articles, sadly, are available only in print).
They didn't catch any tropical diseases but maybe the media circus was contagious.
Since their return, bizarre outbreaks have been cropping up all over Troy.
USC and the Coliseum Commission tentatively agreed to keep the Trojans playing on their home field for two, 25 or 47 years. The announcement was complete with the Trojan Marching Band, an appearance by Pete Carroll, and, in the middle of everything, a surprise proposal by a private equity firm to take over the Coliseum for $700 million. If none of that works out, state lawmakers might just offload the property.
Reggie Bush was scheduled to give a deposition on the 25th in response to accusations that he called "cowardice." The case took another strange turn when Lloyd Lake stormed out of his own deposition. Allegedly, somebody accompanying Bush's legal team flashed a gun at him. Lake's attorney told ESPN, "Come on, we're lawyers. I don't threaten people, I sue them."
As ugly as it may get in civil court, things couldn't get much worse for another Trojan on the hard court. Cyberspace is running out of room to list all of Daniel Hackett's injuries. At last count, he's suffering from a fractured spine, partially torn oblique, bruised pelvis and sprained ankle. At least the broken jaw is healed. Another guard -- Marcus Simmons -- is hoping to hobble out against UCLA on his own sprained ankle to help USC's depleted roster.
OK, maybe that last one isn't a media circus -- but it should tell you something when a USC-UCLA rivalry game fades into the background of all this other news. Don't worry, O.J. Mayo is still getting ink.
At least nobody in the Trojan family has their mugshot on TM ... nevermind. Don't tase me JDB's bro!
With so much going on at USC, the Old Gray Lady found it fit to print a feature on a young blond boy. Yup, high school junior Matt Barkley's commitment to USC is even big news in the New York Times.
One of Troy's most popular figures, Will Ferrell, is stepping it into high gear to promote his latest movie. Ferrell appears in Sports Illustrated's swimsuit edition with Heidi Klum and can be seen on billboards for "Semi-Pro" rocking short-shorts. He spoke with Arash Markazi about his old job in USC's sports information office, where they could probably use an extra hand right about now.
The Trojans may add some more international (or at least multi-lingual) hubbub when the women's soccer team plays the Mexican women's national team next week.
If the Trojans were playing Brazil, maybe the circus could come full circle.
All 10,258 seats at the Galen Center will be full when USC hosts UCLA in men's basketball on Sunday.
If scalping tickets isn't your thing, FSN PrimeTicket/FSN HD will be broadcasting the game and -- best of all -- holding a viewing party at El Guapo in Hollywood (7250 Melrose Ave., three blocks west of La Brea).
Food will be half-off and FSN will be giving away free USC gear (T-shirts, hats, thermal Ts, etc.).
The game tips off at 7 p.m. Whether you're watching in person or with friends at El Guapo or another sports bar, we recommend getting there early.
There will be a news conference at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday at the Coliseum.
The list of attendees includes:
USC representatives
Elected officials
Representatives from the State of California
Representatives from the County of Los Angeles
Representatives from the City of Los Angeles
Coliseum Commission members
USC Trojan Marching Band members
The flags of the Pac-10 institutions will also be flown.
What ever could this mean?
It's safe to say that the band isn't going to be called upon to celebrate another counter proposal. Looks as if the Trojans will be back in the Coliseum this fall.
Women's Basketball - The Trojans recovered from a rough road trip by returning to the Galen Center and sweeping the Washington schools. USC is 11-1 at home. Against Washington State, the Women of Troy were led by Nadia Parker (23 points) and Heather Oliver (21 points), who both had career highs. The WSU game was on Think Pink day at USC, a tribute to raise awareness for breast cancer. It was also the Trojans' chance to host Coach June Daugherty, who has made a comeback this season after a different sort of medical crisis.
Women's Tennis - No. 8 USC fell in the consolation quarterfinals of the ITA National Team Indoor Championships this past weekend. It was the Trojans' third straight 4-3 decision, and came after a seven-hour match the night before. Top singles Lindsey Nelson and Amanda Fink won their matches.
Men's Tennis - The Trojans are 7-0 after downing No. 27 Boise State at home this weekend. They're head to the ITA National Team Indoor Championships ranked sixth in the nation.
Men's Volleyball - No. 9 USC has had one loss and one victory in all five weeks of league play, but last week's win was a sweep of rival UCLA -- pushing Troy even further ahead in the Lexus Gauntlet.
Golf - In men's action, sophomores Rory Hie and Jamie Lovemark tied for fifth individually at the UH-Hilo Intercollegiate in Waikoloa. During the tournament Hie shot a school record 62 on the par-70 course. The Women of Troy are competing at the Northrop Grumman Regional Challenge in Palos Verdes.
Swimming and Diving - USC's men's and women's squads both lost to No. 3 Stanford over the weekend in their final competition this season at McDonald's Swim Stadium. Next up, Pac-10 Championships.
Tim Floyd gave the men's basketball team the day off from practice yesterday. The team will need all the rest it can get.
With the thinnest roster in the nation's toughest conference, the Trojans are looking pretty beat up.
Daniel Hackett? Rumors are swirling that he's out for the season with a fractured spine. That wouldn't be his first major back injury, and he's already dealt with a broken jaw and sprained ankle this season. Who knew hoops was so dangerou
Here's something you haven't seen in the USC bookstore.
Go ahead ... poke Pete Carroll.
