ESPN Zone grand opening to have a distinct USC flavor

The ESPN Zone at LA Live (1011 Figueroa Blvd. at Chick Hearn Court) is having an official grand opening this Thursday at 6 p.m.

The event will raise money for A Better LA, a charity founded by Pete Carroll.

Carroll will be in attendance, along with former Trojans Fred Davis, Lawrence Jackson, Willie McGinest, Rodney Peete and Curtis Conway. The Trojan Marching Band and USC Song Girls will also be on hand.

Tickets are $125 for adults and $75 for anybody under 21. For more, go to www.staplescenterfoundation.com or call (213) 742-7166. A portion of the ticket price is tax deductible.

-- Adam Rose

After BCS championship, is 3-D broadcast technology coming to a theater near you?

Cheerleaders look better in 3-D.

Injuries look worse.

Bell-ringing collisions? They have a little more ring-a-ding-ding.

But if Thursday's screening of the BCS National Championship Game between Florida and Oklahoma was any indication, 3-D sports broadcast technology is not ready for prime time.

81 movie theaters in 35 states broadcast a special version of Florida's 24-14 victory over Oklahoma to audiences wearing traditional 3-D glasses. It was the first public broadcast of a live sporting event using the technology.

Sign(ing) of The Times

David Wharton and Gary Klein -- the L.A. Times' tireless USC beat writers -- will be signing books Saturday morning before the USC-Arizona State game.

"Conquest" chronicles the Trojans' return to college football's promised land under Pete Carroll.

You'll find Klein and Wharton near the Peristyle outside the east end of the Coliseum from 10 a.m. to noon. They'll be on the ESPN autograph stage, between the ESPN 710 live broadcast and the Trojan Football Alumni Club tailgate.

ESPN will hold its Trojan Trivia Game from 9 to 10 a.m. Steve Bisheff is also scheduled to sign copies of "Fight On! The Colorful Story of USC Football," specific time TBD.

The game kicks off at 12:30 p.m.

-- Adam Rose

Best USC-Ohio State Deal Yet - SOLD OUT

UPDATE: GAME TICKET PACKAGES HAVE BEEN SOLD OUT. TAILGATE TICKETS ARE STILL AVAILABLE FOR $65.

By now you know that USC-Ohio State tickets are the hottest in the land. Forget face value. Cheap seats start online at well more than $250. Some of the best spots are going for several thousand dollars a pop.

So how about this deal: $300, and get a full tailgate catered by one of the city's most popular restaurants? Score!

Lawry's The Prime Rib is hosting a tailgate at the Coliseum from 2 to 5 p.m. on Sept. 13. The full package is $300 per person and includes a game ticket and tailgate with a full Lawry’s signature prime rib meal buffet, lounge seating with large umbrellas and big screen TVs.

Tickets for the tailgate alone cost $65 per person. If you do the math, your price for the game is less than what it'll cost you from a ticket broker. And who doesn't want chow from a restaurant not only legendary in Los Angeles, but in the entire world of college football?

For tickets and more information, contact Summer Stearns at (310) 360-6281, Ext. 225.

[NOTE: An earlier version of this post listed a lower price. Although it's gone up, it's still a deal!]

UPDATE: GAME TICKET PACKAGES HAVE BEEN SOLD OUT. TAILGATE TICKETS ARE STILL AVAILABLE FOR $65.

Think Pink

Thursday night, Victoria's Secret will sponsor Pinkapalooza at the Santa Monica Pier to launch its new back-to-school collection. The Pink collegiate line includes USC sweats, T-shirts, totes and, of course, underwear.

Tomorrow's festival runs from 5 to 10 p.m., headlined by a Fall Out Boy concert at 9 p.m. (who said emo and preppy can't get along?). There will also be a contest between USC and UCLA fans, with the winning school getting a sponsored tailgate for this year's rivalry game at the Rose Bowl. The first 3,000 people to show up with a pass (you can print it here) will also get free rides and games all night.

For those who haven't been, the Santa Monica Pier has hosted some great events this summer, including Ronnie Renner's world-record-breaking motorcycle jump. Organizers expect 15,000 people for Pinkapalooza.

George Carlin - On Location at USC

Back in 1977, $5 would get you a ticket to watch George Carlin perform at USC. It was his first HBO special, and obviously it wouldn't be his last.

As you probably know, Carlin passed away this week. In his honor, HBO2 is airing all of his specials. They start tonight at 8. (that may be 5 p.m., depending on your service provider) with the one filmed at USC. If you don't get HBO or can't watch it tonight, here's the opening of the show. It has nothing to do with sports (if you want that, check out this routine), but transcends pretty much everything. For the entire special, click here (be forewarned, the material in the last link is a little vulgar -- for 1977).

The Thundering Herd's New View

Normally sitting in the corner of the end zone, USC's Thundering Herd would have some pretty sweet seats for Saturday's exhibition game in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum between the Dodgers and Boston Red Sox. This might be the most blue anybody has seen in the stadium's history (even when UCLA played there).

For more about the game's setup, you can take a look at a writeup and photo gallery on LAist. Ben Malcolmson also has a story about Carroll & Co. taking batting practice in the Coliseum.

It's worth noting that USC's football spring scrimmage is just a few weeks away, and there are a couple of teeny-tiny dirt patches on the field. Plus, the dugouts are literally dug out of the ground (about 12-15 inches). Hopefully things will be back to normal by April 19.

Traffic and Weather Together

It's 8 a.m. and traffic is already starting to slow on the freeways around the Rose Bowl. Click here for an up-to-the-minute map.

It's a crisp 46 degrees but will jump to 72 by kickoff before returning to the mid-50s when people are walking back to their cars. If you're going to the game, bring sunscreen and a jacket. Hour-by-hour predictions are here.

Do-It-Yourself Beef Bowl

The Beef Bowl has come and gone, but you can recreate the experience in just three easy steps ...

1. Call 100 of the hungriest guys you know and invite them over for dinner.
2. Show the video that was played for USC at this year's Beef Bowl (above).
3. Cook prime rib and several hearty side dishes. Lawry's recipes are detailed below.

If you want to break the record, your dinner guests will have to polish off at least 870 pounds of prime rib. That's the new mark set by Illinois, who unseated USC after just one day. The Trojans ate 799 pounds the night prior, which bested Purdue's 1999 high of 734 pounds. It's easier with more people -- Illinois happened to break the attendance mark, too.

If tradition holds true, the Illini are now the favorites to win the Rose Bowl (though Vegas odds makers remain unimpressed). The team eating the most at the Beef Bowl wins the Granddaddy of Them All almost 70% of the time. Michigan has historically skewed things, as they have no difficulty eating at Lawry's but choke when they get to Pasadena. Ironically, a Wolverine holds the individual record with a reported eight slabs in one sitting.

Enjoy these recipes, which have satiated a dozen Heisman Trophy winners (half of them hailing from USC). The sliders sound good for game day.

Special thanks to Todd Erickson and Lawry's for an exclusive look at this video.

How To Get To Pasadena

If your New Years Day plans involve any part of the Tournament of Roses, you should know that driving and parking in Pasadena is an absolute nightmare.

A relative of mine lives within walking distance of the Rose Bowl and I often park at her house during major events. On the way to a game last year, Pasadena Police closed additional roads without warning and refused to let my carpool go to our reserved spot on private property.

Check out my tips from last year (along with pictures of fans navigating barbed-wire fences because of the Police bungle) as well as some great resources from the City of Pasadena.

Another thing you should consider ... Go Metro! Here's what they have to say about this year's Rose Bowl:

Fans attending this game can also utilize the Metro Gold Line and exit at Memorial Park Station. They can then walk a short distance down Holly Street to the Parsons parking lot at 100   West Walnut Street to catch a free game shuttle starting at 10 a.m.

Metro does not allow eating, drinking or smoking on board Metro trains or buses. To ensure public safety, Metro prohibits the following items from being brought on board the Metro Bus or Rail system: flammable products, barbecues and oversized items such as ladders, umbrellas, tents, chairs and coolers.

More information is available on their website.