 The USC-UCLA rivalry is the most overrated in college football. There is a rivalry. There is some emotion. There is some dislike.
But, c'mon. It's in L.A.
There are the sellout crowds at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and the Rose Bowl. There's the delight the Bruins took in ending the Trojans' national championship hopes in 2006 with a 13-9 upset. There's the 1967 game, in which the No. 4 Trojans and their Heisman Trophy candidate, tailback O.J. Simpson, defeated the No. 1 Bruins and their Heisman Trophy winner, quarterback Gary Beban, 21-20. The game turned on Simpson's 64-yard, gravity-defying touchdown sprint in the fourth quarter. Dan Jenkins, the best college football writer since Grantland Rice, has that '67 game on his short list of all-time greats.
But, c'mon. It's still in L.A.
These people don't know how to hate a college football opponent. The weather's too nice. There's too much else to do. College football is just not important enough.
-- Excerpt from Ivan Maisel's new book, "The Maisel Report: College Football's Most Overrated & Underrated." Click here to read more on USC-UCLA. Click here to see the Maisel Report website and read more excerpts. Click here to buy the book.
 ... to buy this DVD.
The former USC quarterback and NFL signal caller narrates the latest in a series of DVDs from Team Baby Entertainment. We haven't thoroughly product-tested this item, but how can you go wrong with something a magazine once described as a "marriage of (ESPN) SportsCenter and Baby Einstein?"
From the press release: "Baby Trojans utilizes specific USC footage, graphics and merchandise to help teach children such early-learning skills as counting, spelling, shapes, and color recognition. The program is further enhanced with a spirited soundtrack featuring music by the famed Trojan Marching Band."
This gift is good for: Babies, the new parent who has everything, and probably USC fans who enjoyed "Pineapple Express" a little too much.
This gift is bad for: Notre Dame students, professional film critics, and anybody else over the age of 6.
Price: $14.98.
Where to find it: The Team Baby Entertainment website, by calling 1-877-766-TEAM (8326), or at Best Buy, Toys R’ Us, and Babies R’ Us, and, of course, the USC bookstore.
-AR
Father's Day has come and gone and I know you're already busy planning for next year. Here's something to file away. Assuming it happens around the same time in 2009, Dad might love a trip to the USC Flashback Fantasy Camp.
In the video above, you get a taste of what it's like for participants to train under USC offensive line coach Pat Ruel (video by Mark Haas for USCRipsIt.com). Fantasy campers get quite an experience, as chronicled by WeAreSC's LQ Singian. [Note: If you're still wondering why Pete Carroll connects so well with college players and recruits, in one of LQ's videos Carroll paraphrases from "Dumb and Dumber": "So you're saying there's a chance ..."]
Still not sure? Dad will also appreciate the great photo ops.
USC alum Dave Hobrecht is the artist behind some of the work you'll find in the campus bookstore (and, of course, Surfer Magazine).
On May 3 from 12 to 4 p.m., he'll be hosting a reception at the USC Collections store in Costa Mesa's South Coast Plaza.
Prices for his original USC-inspired work range from $200 for limited-edition prints (unframed, 26"x21")to $12,500 for original charcoal drawings (framed, 45"x35").
The full invite is after the jump.
Read on »
 Traveler is taking up permanent residence inside the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
A 14-foot-by-14-foot mural is being installed at the edge of the stadium's tunnel and will be visible to most of the crowd during football games. Dubbed "Tradition," the artwork features USC's mascot being ridden back from another championship at the Rose Bowl (symbolized by a bed of roses on the horse's back) and the Roman numerals for 1888 -- the year of USC's first football game.
This is the third large-scale sports mural done by local artist Mike Sullivan. Trojan faithful are sure to remember the Mario Danelo tribute he created last year at San Pedro High School. Posters of that mural can be seen hanging in a number of restaurants and other local venues, and proceeds from their sale have gone to the Mario Danelo Endowed Football Scholarship Fund.
Read on »
 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.
You can pick up some of the new gear on PeteCarroll.com. It's perfect for tailgating, studying or poking your favorite football coach on Facebook.
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.
I can't be the only one who feels like Henry Bemis from time to time.
Major props to anybody who understands the reference.
I've made sure to read each book in the gift idea category, but there aren't many shopping days left until Christmas and there are a few left on my nightstand and to-read list that may be of interest to Trojan fans (or more to the point, their loved ones). If you need a few more ideas, here's a listing of things that could be good but I haven't checked out personally -- yet. If you write any comments, please be aware this list is subject to change as I create individual posts for as many of these as possible ...
- Conquest (David Wharton and Gary Klein). Two LA Times writers give you the inside scoop on how USC shot back up under Pete Carroll. I'm about halfway through and so far, so good.
- One Night, Two Teams: Alabama vs. USC and the Game that Changed
a Nation (Steven Travers). Account of how race relations were impacted
by USC's success against Alabama. Trojan icon John Papadakis was apparently involved in this project.
- Saturday Rules (Austin Murphy). A college football columnists from Sports Illustrated follows the 2006 season (heavy USC coverage) to argue why
college is better than pro.
- UCLA vs. USC: 75 Years of the Greatest Rivalry in Sports (Lonnie White). An LA Times writer and former USC player profiles the rivalry's history in all sports. I've thumbed through it and it's got a lot of detail.
- The Contrarian's Guide to Leadership (Steve Sample). I've actually read this one. It's a personal favorite, written by USC's President.
- A Darker Shade of Red (Lloyd Pye). Former Tulane football
player's fictional account of the brutal pre-1990 redshirt/scholarship
system. Random, but it's the only fiction suggestion I've had.
- The Art of War (Sun Tzu). Recently reported as one of Pete Carroll's favorite philosophers.
- Tom Kelly's Tales from the USC Trojans (w/Tom Hoffarth). Self explanatory.
- Trojanology Triva Challenge: Southern Cal Football. Trivia games about
USC football history (sold in package w/Tom Kelly's book on Amazon)
 EVK's cafeteria can't hold over 90,000.
Doheney Library doesn't draw millions of TV viewers.
The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum? It's been doing both of those things for decades.
No one place is a greater part of the shared USC experience than this majestic facility. Chris Epting has compiled a photo-book consisting of a couple hundred Coliseum images that can take your breath away. It's part of the Images of America series by Arcadia Publishing.
Remember that this is not just about USC. You'll see Olympic images, baseball configurations, Pete Rozelle handing Pete Lombardi the first Super Bowl trophy (another photo from that days shows partially empty stands!), and even an artificial ski-jump ramp coming out of the peristyle. Lots of famous faces are included.
Of course, there are a bunch of USC pictures inside the 128 pages.
Epting has additional features on his website, including more photos and a 360°view from mid-field. There's also a short video that poses a random question -- who is Dr. John Paul Ryan? Apparently there's a plaque honoring him in tunnel 19, but Epting's research didn't turn up a reason why. The plaque references halftime of the Cal game in 1996.
This gift is good for: Angelinos. Sports fans. Architecture aficionados. Nostalgics. People who appreciate black and white photography.
This gift is bad for: Somebody looking for reading material or a detailed written account of the facility's history.
Price: $19.99.
Where to find it: Major booksellers, including
online retailers like Amazon, or direct from Arcadia Publishing.
There are plenty of websites about USC, but four lead the way with fans who can never get enough content.
In the past year, a lot changed in Troy's digital landscape. A trio of sites emerged that take a close look into Heritage Hall, plus one that originates from within. All of them offer basic information to the public, but you'll have to subscribe to access premium content like videos, practice reports, and members-only message boards.
All four are also helping realize the full potential of online journalism. If you visit games, practices at Howard Jones Field, or any number of other USC events, you'll see dedicated reporters and photographers from each site covering up-to-the-minute news and developing features. I asked the publishers which aspect of their site they were most proud of; all referenced their hard-working staff.
The similarities continue. Each is affiliated with a national sports news network. Except for the USC-run site, all build communities through their message boards and cover high school recruiting. All of them are also big supporters of Ricky Rosas, and the three independent sites teamed up for a successful family holiday drive this past weekend.
A subscription to any of these could make a die-hard Trojan very happy. The pricing is similar, but each has differences in their core packages and add-ons (such as magazines and premium access to affiliate sites).
In picking a site, don't just go by these bullet points. The first three all have a different editorial feel. Despite some membership cross-over, there is also a difference in their message board communities. To learn more about it, check out the free content and consider the 7-day trials that each offers.
Read on »
Like a good offensive scheme, Todd Erickson's "Road to the Rose Bowl" is well-balanced. It's chock-full of interviews, stories, photos, and, for good measure, a few recipes. Even if you only read the USC parts, you can tell that a lot of research went into this book. There are over 450 photos and 125 recollections from people who have played a part in The Granddaddy of Them All®.
The current edition, subtitled "50 Years of Lawry's Beef Bowl," uses the popular Rose Bowl pre-game tradition as a running theme. For those unfamiliar, the Beef Bowl is a large dinner party hosted by Lawry's The Prime Rib in Beverly Hills. Each school attends on separate nights the week before the game, and there's all sorts of lore behind the significance of who eats the most (both individually and as a team). The book has great anecdotes about the festivities.
As for gridiron anecdotes, Erickson said one of his favorites is about USC coach John Robinson and Michigan coach Bo Schembechler and a controversial call in 1979. "It seems to epitomize these two legendary
coaches and the storied college football programs they helmed. They
represent the best of the Big Ten and Pac-10, making it through the
gauntlet of their respective conferences to be able to match wits with
each other in the greatest bowl game of college football. I love how
they became great friends off the field, and the sense of humor they
shared about one of the most controversial officiating decisions ever
made in the history of the game."
That game is celebrated with a two-page spread, as are all the others from 1957-2005. With the most Rose Bowl appearances, the Trojans earned the most ink in the book.
To stay up-to-date, you can get a special insert covering the 2006 game (though it's one that Trojan fans might rather forget). High-definition copies are available for pickup at the restaurant, or you can download and print everything from the book's website. Future editions (scheduled for 2009 and 2013) will include more years (in both directions), but for now this volume is sure to please.
As promised, the book can also fill your belly. Original recipes for Lawry's prime rib, whipped cream horseradish, creamed spinach, and creamed corn are included in the back. This gift is good for: Any college football fan. Historians. Foodies. Coffee tables.
This gift is bad for: Backpackers. OCD statisticians. Dieters (if you make the creamed spinach).
Price: Listed at $29.95 but you can often find it for less (try Amazon, but they might be out of stock at the moment).
Where to find it: Most major booksellers, including online retailers. Some may be out of inventory. If so, check with Lawry's in Beverly Hills (310-652-2827) and see if they can hold a copy for you.
Add-on ideas: Need to make this gift a little more meaty? Lawry's sells bottles of their Vintage Sherry
Salad Dressing, CC Brown's Hot Fudge and Seasoned Salt and Pepper in
the restaurant and on their website. They also have gift certificates
available for the restaurant. If you want to be really creative, memorabilia from the Beef Bowl
(gifted to participants, never sold to the public) occasionally makes it onto eBay. While none of the traditional
pins are currently listed, they do have one of the recent trading cards.
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The USC-UCLA rivalry is the most overrated in college football. There is a rivalry. There is some emotion. There is some dislike.
