Ohio State running back Chris "Beanie" Wells did not practice Monday and continued to wear a protective boot on the right foot he injured Saturday against Youngstown State, according to a report issued by the team. Wells has been receiving treatments but officials did not give an exact diagnosis or a timeline for his recovery.
-- David Wharton Reporting from Columbus, Ohio Photo of Beanie Wells by Fred Squillante / The Columbus Dispatch
Response to UCLA's "Monopoly Is Over" ad from USC fans has varied from laughter to, well, that's pretty much the only response we've heard from people who wear cardinal and gold.
Gerrrg, a regular commenter on this blog, submitted the modified version you see here. Click the image to see a larger size.
If you picked up the Los Angeles Times on Monday, you couldn't have missed this ad.
It ran in the Sports section and took up a quarter of a page.
When somebody asked Pete Carroll on Tuesday about the monopoly being over, USC's coach asked the press corps, "Are they talking about the Lakers?"
When reporters didn't drop the subject, Carroll mused that if this were a presidential race, it would have to say whether the candidate endorses the ad.
On Friday, the local USC won an administrative tribunal that helped define who has rights to the "SC" logo, including the interlocking version. The case originated back in 2002.
Here's some additional trivia on the ongoing battle for the "real" USC:
Earlier this year, the USC Gamecocks altered their official school color because of similarities with the USC Trojans. Both schools used the exact same manufacturing color codes for a variant of red known here in Los Angeles as "cardinal." Though the change to another shade of red was subtle, school officials reportedly made the switch after research showed they had lost the brand identity battle in the eye of the public -- even in South Carolina.
In recent years, the Gamecocks have been fighting another trademark battle -- trying to stop companies from making unlicensed "USC 'Cocks" merchandise. Several of those items (mainly hats) have appeared on the Los Angeles USC campus.
The University of Southern California loathes the moniker "Southern Cal," even though it makes a limited run of "Southern Cal" branded apparel every year. The production is necessary for the school to retain its trademark and prevent anybody else from using it.
The school color for Santa Clara University, sometimes referred to as the University of Santa Clara (USC), is also a variation of red.
South Carolina owns www.sc.edu, Santa Clara owns www.scu.edu, and Southern California owns www.usc.edu.
Chow said he became familiar with the book when one of his sons began playing tennis.
"I think it has a lot of life's lessons," Chow said. "It's, 'I can't look at my teammate and say you screwed up.' It's how to allow yourself to be successful and work hard."
Is it a coincidence that Chow's old boss -- Pete Carroll -- is also a longtime fan of the book? Carroll gave it to Carson Palmer, Matt Leinart and Reggie Bush before they had Heisman-winning seasons. Lawrence Jackson, a first-round draft pick, was the latest Trojan to study "The Inner Game."
Originally published in 1972, the book helped pioneer the field of sports psychology. The forward in the latest edition was written by Carroll. Maybe Chow gave Olson the original version.
It wasn't quite what some reporters had hoped for. Stanford Coach Jim Harbaugh was asked at Pac-10 Media Day if he had any remarks about last year's epic upset over USC and whether he would have any more bulletin-board fodder. Last year, he said that the Trojans might be the greatest team in the history of college football -- then the Cardinal came into the Coliseum as a 40+-point underdog and upset its hosts.
Not taking the bait, Harbaugh merely said, "It was a great thrill -- winning in the Coliseum last year. That said, I think our players will agree it's water under the bridge." He added, "I didn't know I was a bulletin-board guy!" Yeah, right.
O.J. Mayo was playing in a cardinal-and-gold Trojans jersey long before he came to L.A. Occasionally people will confuse the USC with the University of South Carolina, and more rarely with the Troy State Trojans. Coincidence? Of course.
But how about this one ... USC Trojans, meet the USC Trojans.
That would be the Utah Southvalley Community Private School. The school refers to itself as USC. Its sports teams are the Trojans. The school colors are cardinal and gold.
When I first read this article, I was pretty sure the April 1 date explained everything. Turns out, it's an honest-to-goodness high school in Utah. I made a call to Principal Steve Marsing, who confirmed that it opened about a year ago and is breaking ground on a new campus this week.
As a private school, it has an "owner" (at least in practical terms) named Bob Jones. He's modeling the campus on architecture from the movie "Troy." A message left for Jones wasn't immediately returned, but we're guessing that he's a Trojans fan -- of the Southern California variety. According to the Salt Lake Tribune,
If the former college athlete gets his way, his cardinal-and-gold-clad high school athletics teams - they're called the "USC Trojans" - would practice in facilities akin to its namesake, the University of Southern California.
Principal Marsing emphasized that the school hopes to excel with academics (targeting a 15-1 student-teacher ratio), but the newspaper buzz is focused on the school's desire to become an elite sports academy. Since these Trojans haven't been formally accepted into the local athletic association, they played football games this year as far away as Canada.
I'm not quite sure what to make of this, but, heck, there are plenty of high schools named Notre Dame ... it couldn't hurt to have one named USC.
Do you hate Love? Hate to love him? Is it a Love-hate relationship?
There were a number of people wearing USC gear at the UCLA-Texas A&M game on Saturday night in Anaheim (not to mention Kansas Jayhawks, Los Angeles Angels and Dallas Cowboys apparel). Among the Trojan positions on the Bruins:
I'm rooting for the Bruins. Pac-10 all the way!
I wouldn't mind if UCLA loses.
I rooted for Stanford, but I'm rooting against the Bruins.
I'm not rooting for anybody. I just bought this shirt as a souvenir.
I guess there's something to be said for clean clothes -- and maybe for claiming a victory over the possible national champion.
The Honda Center crowd was obviously tilted in UCLA's favor. At halftime of the first game (Stanford escaped Marquette in overtime) the NCAA paid tribute to USC's recent national championship in women's soccer. The fans booed.
What's your take ... is it ever acceptable to root for your archrival?
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.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar may be a Bruin, but we'd like to give a big welcome to the biggest blogger at latimes.com. (Just assuming nobody else here is 7 feet 2).
Among his early advice to readers? Shoot the skyhook:
"The 50-plus player can still run with a younger crowd at the park or fitness club, but it's best to avoid knocking around in the mosh pit under the basket. One trick the guys won't see coming? The skyhook ... Think of it as an athletic version of the Hokey Pokey: you put your left foot out, you bring your right arm up, you toss the ball in the hoop, then you shake it all about."
Enjoy more of the big guy's thoughts by clicking here.
In Pac-10 news, Arizona head football coach Mike Stoops issued an apology for comparing Arizona State to a JC:
Yesterday in my annual signing day news conference I regretfully made some comments about sister institution Arizona State University ... These remarks were dutifully reported by the media, and not necessarily taken out of context -- which was within some of my heartfelt observations about the recruiting process and what it entails for individuals and college football programs. But it was a personal mistake and one for which I apologize.
Although fans are in the habit of belittling rival schools (you know you've heard of "that JC over in Westwood" before), coaches probably should be a little more careful about that sort of thing.
Speaking of things to apologize for, it looks as if UCLA football coach Rick Neuheisel may not have said anything too bad at last week's basketball halftime pep rally. Per this YouTube video (about the 1:20 mark), he merely stated that Norm Chow "wants a piece of those guys' butts across town." However, in an interview shortly after, he seemed to imply that something worse slipped from his lips.
As I recall, USC basketball coach Tim Floyd might have said something about kicking UCLA's butt during midnight madness this year. That's not out of line. That's what coaches are supposed to say at pep rallies.
As for alumni? Ricky Ellison told the crowd at August's Tribute to Troy, "There are a lot of UCLA people out there. And there are a lot of Notre Dame people out there. And we kick their ass."
During halftime of a UCLA basketball game this week, newly hired football coach Rick Neuheisel apparently used an inappropriate word in reference to USC. In the video above, Erin Andrews paraphrases with "behinds" and Neuheisel admits, "I wish I woulda' said it that way."
Andrews didn't miss a beat. "Well, you didn't say it that way."
With the new administration in Westwood, the Bruins have put together a formidable recruiting monster. Curiously enough, all of UCLA's top football coaches have a strong tie to USC.
Head coach Rick Neuheisel got his law degree from USC (1986-90).
Offensive coordinator Norm Chow was offensive coordinator at USC (2001-04).
Defensive coordinator Dwayne Walker was associate head coach at USC (2001).
This bizarre year started with Appalachian State and Stanford. It ended with a sophomore Heisman Trophy winner and a two-loss BCS champion.
As far as match-making goes, this season's BCS bowl pairings were all about loweredexpectations.
Expectation: Crown an undisputed national champion by pitting the nation's #1 and #2 teams against each other.
Status: Failure.
Reason: USC and Georgia. It's nothing new: Washington and Miami in 2000. Oregon in 2001. USC in 2004. Auburn in 2005.
Expectation: Competitive bowl games.
Status: Whoops.
Reason: LSU 38, OSU 24 was about as close as it got. West Virginia 48, Oklahoma 28. Georgia 41, Hawaii 10. USC 49, Illinois 17.
Expectation: Guarantee top conferences a representative in the top bowls.
Status: Trick question.
Reason: Yes, the BCS accomplished the objective on face value ... but they overreached. The Big 10 didn't look like a top conference and barely deserved one spot in this year's BCS party, much less two. OSU is 0-9 all time vs. SEC teams in bowl games and were outclassed again today by LSU. Illinois? Well, um, didja' hear Juice Williams is a mobile quarterback? (P.S.: Perennial power Michigan is 2-5 in their past seven bowls and 8-12 all time in the Rose Bowl.)
Expectation: Protect tradition of classic bowl match-ups.
Status: Questionable.
Reason: The Pac-10 #1 vs. Big-10 #2 in the Rose Bowl satisfied about one in three people who responded to a poll on this site. That's not as twisted as the 2003 Orange Bowl between USC and Iowa, but at least that one promised to be a real contest.
Expectation: Generate healthy debate and interest in the sport.
Status: Misguided.
Reason: The projections and predictions are supposed to happen before the games, but now we're left with too many "what ifs." We're also wasting a lot of breath discussing the system (playoff, +1, etc.).
About all the BCS gave us this year was something for The Hat to hang on.
Periodically updated notes from the USC-Cal basketball game:
We observed plenty of those crafty hippies a couple of months ago, but tonight's USC basketball game in Berkeley started on a much more refined note with a violinist performing the national anthem. ... A short while later, Bear Coach Ben Braun was on the P.A. begging fans not to throw things on the court. He also asked people to point out any culprits to the ushers. A drummer in the Cal band immediately pointed to USC's Angelo Johnson and shouted, "It was number one!" ... Johnson was on a roll midway through the second half, but it wasn't a good one. He scored a finger roll on a fast break, but was fouled and rolled into a somersault, where he rolled his right wrist. He went off to the locker room, unable to shoot his free throw. Davon Jefferson committed an intentional technical foul on the play in retaliation (Coach Tim Floyd would later call it "a lack of poise"). The timing couldn't have been worse for the Trojans, as they were just gaining momentum and O.J. Mayo was getting hot. ... Johnson, and the Trojans' momentum, both returned after a couple of minutes. ... Haas Pavilion's most impressive feature is probably the stands, whose steep rise puts even the nose-bleed section on top of the action. ... After the game, Braun pointed out, "Teams aren't scoring a lot of points on USC. They're always stingy on defense." You wouldn't have known, with Cal winning, 92-82. When asked if Berkeley's experience helped, he chuckled, "Four sophomores ... that's a little more experienced than a couple of freshmen." ... Johnson limped out of the Trojans' locker room with ice on his wrist and suffering from back spasm. He said he should be OK, but he looked pretty beat up. Taj Gibson banged up his knee, and the entire team looked drained. ... Asked if anything was different from his expectations, freshman Davon Jefferson observed, "The only thing that's different is the crowd. It's the same basketball style -- up and down -- but the crowd ... sometimes you can't hear the plays. Sometimes they distract you, but you've got to keep your head in it and play hard." ... Jefferson added, "It's a very tough league."
Taj Gibson concurred, "This league is the best in the country."
O.J. Mayo maintained the party line. "I'm pretty sure this is the toughest conference in America from top to bottom."
"There are nine teams that can make something happen in the NCAA tournament," figured Coach Floyd. ... USC was picked 6th in the conference in the preseason media poll. Cal was picked 7th. The Bears were a three-point favorite at home after finishing undefeated prior to Pac-10 play. ... Key stats:
Cal had 22 points from their five bench players. USC had four from their two.
Cal nailed 11 of 25 three-pointers (USC was 5-of-20) while the Trojans scored more points in the paint, 40-30. The Bears hadn't made 10 threes in a game all season, but have now done it three games in a row.
Taj Gibson led the game with 11 rebounds, but fouled out.
USC shot 50% from the field, just ahead of Cal's 49.2%.
Cal led USC in points off of turnovers (20 to 13) and second chances (19 to 10).
The poor guy had to travel to Nebraska for a series of columns poking fun at our Midwestern friends.
If only he'd known they'd pay us a visit a few months later. It would have saved him the trip.
Sure, Illini are not Huskers nor Buckeyes ... but all those Midwesterners seem to have a passion for sweater vests. Jim Tressel's scarlet and gray is a tad less garish than the orange ones you'll see around town this week.
Since both Rose Bowl teams were staying in Century City, I decided to stop by and check on the progress of the T.J. Simers Memorial Midwest Exchange Program (or TJSMMWEP, for short).
From the outside, you could see flags hanging from balconies of the Illinois team hotel. Actually, some looked like beach towels. Maybe they had just discovered that Century City is nowhere near the beach.
It was evident that the regalia was being flown by a large contingent of alumni and boosters. They opted to support their team by staying in the same hotel, allowing them to partake in that hallowed LA fan tradition -- stalking.
It was also clear that most of the people staying at the upscale digs were older and well-off. The Illini are surprisingly popular amongst octogenarians. Younger, broker fans without football skills didn't have the luxury of staying at a place called The Plaza.
According to a photographer from Champaign, the Illinois student newspaper had a tiny budget and eight staffers wanted to make the trip. Since one was from LA, he volunteered his family's couch (and, presumably, floor). That left just enough money to take the group 2,000 miles by Greyhound.
From the state that brought you "Vote Early, Vote Often" comes a quasi-scandal over ticket sales. Apparently the Fighting Illini refuse to say who they gave their best seats to.
"Illinoisans have the right to assume something sinister's going on
because we have proven over and over again that that's how things get
done in this state."
Anybody else curious to know how many S's are pronounced in "Illinoisans?"
USC, as a private institution, is immune to most of these inquiries (though as a non-profit, coaches annual salaries are revealed a couple years after the fact). Too bad -- it would be interesting to know if anybody on the Coliseum Commission got tickets to the big game.
Good: Dispatching Oklahoma, 66-55, with Davon Jefferson getting 23 points and O.J. Mayo taking over the game in the closing minutes as if to say to the Sooners, "My game. Not yours."
Bad:Death threats to members of the Coliseum Commission. Are you kidding me? Not cool! Bad fans! No! That's no way to treat your employees. Do that again and you're spending a long timeout in Pasadena.
Good:Writing a polite and considered response to the people entrusted with running the Coliseum. Ultimately, they work for you and will listen when you ask nicely. Remember, happy employees are productive employees.
The former USC assistant played a major role in several of the Trojans' big recruiting classes and was hired by Ole Miss three years ago to turn that program around. His NCAA head coaching debut didn't turn out as well as some had hoped.
Ole Miss will start posting help-wanted signs along with Michigan, Nebraska, Texas A&M, and plenty other colleges by the time this year is done.
Orgeron remained a solid recruiter at Ole Miss and is still beloved by fans everywhere for his, well ... if you have some time to kill, enjoy these videos ...
Pete Carroll always says that his goal is to win the Pac-10 and the Rose Bowl.
While his team enjoys a bye week (and a chance to get healthy), yesterday's game between Oregon and Arizona just improved his odds at the former while hurting his odds at the latter. The Ducks were a 12.5-point favorite and were expected to win out en route to the BCS national championship game. Instead, they became the 5th team this season to be ranked 2nd and get knocked off by an unranked squad.
Now what?
There are a number of scenarios for USC's bowl hopes, based on the BCS eligibility system and Pac-10 arrangements. Here's a breakdown of what could happen. As you can see, there's a lot of football left to go.
If the Trojans beat Arizona State and UCLA and ...
Oregon beats UCLA and Oregon State: The Trojans will earn a share of the Pac-10 crown, marking their record 6th straight year at the top. However, they will tie the Ducks, and Oregon will go to the Rose Bowl on a tiebreaker (beating USC head-to-head). USC could go to the Fiesta Bowl (vs. Big 12 champ, unless it goes to the national championship game), Sugar Bowl (vs. SEC champ, unless it goes to the national championship game), or Orange Bowl (vs. ACC champ, unless it goes to the national championship game).
Oregon loses to UCLA or Oregon State: USC would win the Pac-10 and go to the Rose Bowl. Even if USC and Arizona State have the same record, USC would win the tiebreaker (since this scenario assumes USC beats Arizona State). There's also a complicated series of upsets that could put USC in the championship game, but it's downright silly to think about.
Apparently there's a reason why Cal is the top public school in the nation. They're crafty. Almost like a George W. Bush impersonation on SNL.
This guy selling tickets (above) took the time to laminate a seating chart and put it on a lanyard so he could show buyers exactly where they were sitting.
For the past 47 years, Sargent Tim McCarthy has been the traffic safety message announcer at all Notre Dame home games. Retired from the Indiana State Police, he continues to entertain the crowds every week with a pun or sharp observation about dangerous activities such as drunk driving.
His pronouncement at this week's USC game ...
"Alcohol might make you feel accelerated, but you may not be able to pronounce it."
A small group of reporters stood in the hallway by Notre Dame's indoor practice facility a few moments ago, waiting for their limited chance to film and observe the Golden Domers. Unlike USC, whose practices are open to the media, Notre Dame restricts access to the first few minutes while the team warms up.
Just as the doors swung open, a familiar refrain began to bellow -- and it wasn't the Notre Dame Victory March. Instead, Tribute to Troy and Fight On boomed on a continuous loop through the facility's PA, getting the Irish used to the sound of the invading Trojans. So used to it, in fact, they mockingly booed when the CD stopped short.
Coach Charlie Weis patrolled the warm-ups with a calm swagger, spinning his whistle around and chit-chatting with players and NFL scouts. He joked about the music, saying they could expect some East Coast tunes in the future. A source familiar with the program said Weis is a big fan of Bon Jovi and Bruce Springsteen.
If you want to scope out another college football blog under the Tribune Company umbrella, check out Brian Hamilton's Around the Bend from the Chicago Tribune. Brian's been hanging out at USC this week, so we're curious to see what he thinks of the land of Troy.
Arizona Director of Media Relations Tom Duddleston and Assistant Director Matt Rector must be two wild and crazy 'Cats.
In addition to their annual football media guide, every school puts out a weekly press release with dozens of pages of facts, stats and charts. Most have been pretty dry this year, but provide important raw material for writers and broadcasters. Rarely do they stand out like Arizona's. What I originally thought was just rough around the edges turned out to be colorful and (unintentionally?) hilarious.
On last week's loss to Oregon State: "Just say that shutting down a team for the second half is swell -- if it already hasn't run amok beforehand."
On facing USC on the road: "Sisyphus rolls into the Coliseum ..."
On the Coliseum crowd: "... the hornet's nest of a stung USC." (OK, it's a mixed metaphor and I corrected a typo - "next" instead of "nest" - but they get a pass.)
Nicknaming their own players: Nic the Quick, Rumbling Rob, Money Mike and "Bondzio. James Bondzio." (Even though his name is Jason.)
On John David Booty: "... the Heisman candidate on the other side." (I'm sure they wrote this before the injury was well publicized, but they didn't miss his Stanford performance since they wrote about that game elsewhere.)
Randomly using the thesaurus: "The Cats faced a plethora of 3rd-and-extra-longs ..."
On coaches' game day locations: "Where you at?" (8 will be on the field, 4 in the press box.)
Among their historical tidbits, the last time the Wildcats ...
blocked a PAT was against USC in 2000.
had a field goal blocked was by USC's Lawrence Jackson in 2006.
didn't score a touchdown was against USC in 2006 (20-3).
gave up 100 yards to two rushers was against USC in 2005 (LenDale White and Reggie Bush).
It's not like USC has a trademark on "Fight On," but it just seems strange to see the phrase surface in any other context. Penn State's official fight song is called Fight On, State and is commemorated in this year's schedule poster for the Nittany Lions.
Adam Rose learned about the highs and lows of USC athletics while going to school. As a freshman, he watched the football team crash to the bottom of the Pac 10. By the time he was a senior, he was in the stands for a National Championship. In between, he liked to argue points as a member of the Trojan Debate Squad. Nowadays, he's just looking to tell a good story. He is currently Sports Editor for LAist, where he covers a wide range of local action. He can also be seen weekly on KNBC 4's News Raw. Adam manages special events in the sports community when he isn't participating himself (he staggered through the LA Marathon and can often be found on local soccer fields). If you have a question about the Trojans or just want to give him a piece of your mind, email: adam@laist.com.
Ohio State running back Chris "Beanie" Wells did not practice Monday and continued to wear a protective boot on the right foot he injured Saturday against Youngstown State, according to a report issued by the team. Wells has been receiving treatments but officials did not give an exact diagnosis or a timeline for his recovery.
Who's the real 'SC?
O.J. Mayo was playing in a cardinal-and-gold Trojans jersey long before he came to L.A. Occasionally people will confuse the USC with the University of South Carolina, and more rarely with the Troy State Trojans. Coincidence? Of course.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar may be a Bruin, but we'd like to give a big welcome to the biggest blogger at latimes.com. (Just assuming nobody else here is 7 feet 2).
Bad: Bruin Bear displayed prominently on campus.
