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.
USC sports information is reporting that "seating capacity in the Coliseum has been upped from 92,000 to 93,607 with the addition of seats in the lower northeast (Sections 27 and 28) and southeast (Sections 1 and 2) areas of the stadium."
Those would be the sections on either side of the peristyle/sun deck. The additional seating will allow certain groups to be rearranged (e.g. making the student section more contiguous), with the extra capacity going toward season-ticket holders and possibly some limited general admission.
A representative called this "a year of unprecedented demand." All of the football games are sold out, but there's a chance that a limited amount of tickets (for a couple of games) will go on public sale soon.
In college sports, the Pacific 10 Conference in 1992 instituted a rule prohibiting football players from wearing bandannas, allowing them to wear elastic skullcaps only if they were in the school's primary colors or black.
Former USC coach Larry Smith was instrumental in the formation of that rule, according to conference spokesman Jim Muldoon, and was acutely aware of gang-related issues.
Former NFL player Marcellus Wiley says he has known players to make gang signs while celebrating big plays, even if they have no direct association with those gangs.
"A lot of guys when they get into the league, they aren't actually throwing up gang signs as if they're still active gang members, or were ever gang members," said Wiley, who grew up in South Los Angeles. "But it's just like Reggie Bush wearing [the area code] 619 under his eyes. It's just kind of to symbolize where you came from."
ESPN Radio is hosting auctions to benefit The V Foundation on Wednesday. Different packages will be put up for bid every hour from 3 a.m. until 8 p.m., and several people will get an unforgettable Trojan experience. Most fans won't even be able to find tickets to the Ohio State game -- but you could get the VIP treatment and meet Pete Carroll. Check out the four USC lots below.
In order to bid, tune in tomorrow to ESPN-AM (710). More items are being auctioned on its website, and the ESPN Zone in Anaheim will also host an additional silent auction during the on-site broadcasts.
Last year, more than $800,000 was raised for this great cause.
USC Football Package - 9 a.m. An Opportunity of a Lifetime! Winner and one (1) guest will be invited to observe a team meeting, help set up for practice, meet the coaches, and have dinner with the team. Also included: two (2) tickets to a USC football game. (Winner can choose between Arizona State, Cal, Oregon, or Washington.) Note: NCAA rules prohibit family members from bidding on this experience. Winners must be 21 years of age or older. This experience is non-transferable. Dates and details are subject to change.
The Herd Experience - 3 p.m. Hang with Colin during USC vs. OSU week! Winner and two guests will golf with Colin Cowherd at Pacific Palms Resort the week of 09/08/08 (Tuesday or Wednesday). Winner and 1 guest get front-row seats to see The Herd live broadcast on 9/12/08 with breakfast. Winner also will get access to the 710 ESPN VIP Tailgate Party prior to the USC vs. OSU Football game on 9/13/08 and will receive two (2) tickets to the USC vs. OSU Football Game. Tickets will picked up at the VIP Tailgate party on game day.
Great find by the guys at Trojan Wire ... here's Pete Carroll discussing why he thinks students should play more than one sport.
A number of USC football players have put their speed to use on the track. You may also recall that Gregg Guenther played football and basketball for the Trojans a few years ago. He started eight games at tight end but stopped playing football his senior year so he could concentrate on basketball. He wound up playing in the NFL, not the NBA.
Embedded reporting is a technique well known on the battle field, but a lot of people don't realize how useful it is on the playing field. George Plimpton helped pioneer the practice in the 1960s. Recently we saw Spencer Hall go through football training camp and Stefan Fatsis try to kick in the NFL. Former USC tailback Petros Papadakis even hosts a TV gameshow with a similar premise called Pros vs. Joes.
None of those efforts match the one by Ben Malcolmson.
As part of a story for the Daily Trojan in 2006, Malcolmson tried out for the USC football team -- and made it. You can still hear the excitement in his voice when he talks about it today. "[As a reporter] it's so cool witnessing the Trojans and the greatness that the team has gone through over the past few years -- but it takes on a whole new dimension when you become a part of it."
Two years later, Malcolmson is still embedded with the football team -- now as a staff member. One of his responsibilities is running a popular website and blog at USCRipsIt.com, where fans can get a look deep inside USC football.
You can learn more about Malcolmson's journey this weekend on the season finale of Amazing Sports Stories on FSN West. The half-hour program will air on Sunday at 8:30 p.m.
It was tough for him to name a single highlight from his walk-on days, but one opportunity stood out. "Getting that one play in the Notre Dame game was incredible and something I'll never forget," he recalled. "It still gives me goosebumps today just talking about it."
So a guy walks onto a legendary football team and gets into a big game ... but against Notre Dame. Sounds like a familiar movie with a twist.
"I like Rudy a lot." Then Malcolmson laughed, "but it's hard to support that considering it's a Notre Dame film!"
Late summer is allergy season for college football fans. You've got this incurable itch for the gridiron. Your head is getting stuffy and there won't be any spicy mustard around for two months. What's a fan to do?
FSN PRIME TICKET is coming to the rescue with eight weekends of classic programming, reliving some of the greatest events in Southern California sports history. Although no USC games will be aired, plenty of Trojan athletes are featured in the high school games. Check out your favorite players before they donned the cardinal and gold:
Airing July 11, 9 p.m.: Mater Dei vs. Servite (2006) Featuring USC linebacker Chris Galippo (Servite), future Trojan offensive lineman Matt Kalil (Servite) and heralded USC commit Matt Barkley (Mater Dei).
Remember a couple of months ago when it seemed Pete Carroll was destined for cabin fever? A new NCAA rule was preventing him from traveling the country to recruit. USC's coach apparently suggested that some of his peers might be lazy -- something you could never accuse him of. Carroll could have tossed his hands up in the air and spent all his time on some beautiful South Bay beach. Though he did managed to squeeze that in last weekend, here are some of the ways he's been passing the time:
Getting 5,000 friends on Facebook. The man's been on the social networking site fewer than five months, and he already hit the maximum number of friends (amazingly, only a third of his Facebook friends are in the USC network). As a result, the powers that be created a separate Pete Carroll fan page. You can't make this stuff up.
Leading a peace march/rally. Sure, it hasn't happened. Yet. On Aug. 2, Carroll will be a featured speaker at the Coliseum for LA LivePeace '08. Yes, you are invited.
Not to put undue pressure on the new quarterback, but the Golden Nugget in Las Vegas has set opening lines on two key USC football games, favoring Mark Sanchez and the Trojans by 4 1/2 points over Ohio State and 17 1/2 over Notre Dame.
I was on Dameshek, Denholm, and Long last week and predicted that USC would be favored by at least 2 1/2 points against the Buckeyes, but I'm surprised they're already taking action on the second-to-last game of the season with practice still almost a month away.
Some college football blogs portray Pete Carroll as a larger-than-life figure. Occasionally they'll use Photoshop to make the USC coach into a bit of a caricature.
No need to doctor this picture.
Last month, Carroll joined fellow Trojans Steve Smith, Matt Leinart, Brad Budde, Ron Yary and Jeremy Hogue on a trip to the USS John C. Stennis. The crew of the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier got autographs and even played catch with the USC group. The event sounded like a great morale booster and fun for all involved.
And yes, Carroll drove the aircraft carrier.
Hogue, who played center for USC, did a full write-up (and took photos) that you can see after the jump. Rick Nyberg of ProAngle Media/Vootage also produced the following video:
Conservative pundit Hugh Hewitt made waves last week with his comments about Ohio State slaughtering USC when they play this September in the Coliseum.
It wasn't his over-the-top prediction about the score that riled people, but his over-the-top quip about terrorists attacks after the game.
No, no, no ... he didn't mean Osama was wagering on the Trojans. Actually, it's hard to explain what he meant -- so he's trying to clarify.
Some ideas to improve college football create Hatfield-McCoy style feuds (playoff, anybody?) and others seem like no-brainers (have you signed this petition yet?). Jerry Green (Detroit News) and his friend Keith Ehrenreich (a USC fan) are floating an idea that's easy to like: an annual Pac 10 vs. Big 10 opening weekend.
The concept is simple. At the start of the season, the teams that finished atop the Pac 10 and Big 10 the year before will play each other. So will the runners-up. And the third-place teams. And so on. It's 10 games crammed into one day of football bliss.
The only potential drawback is if the top two teams meet in a BCS game (likely the Rose Bowl), then have to play each other again at the start of the following season. But is that really a problem? Rematches can be intriguing (American football is the only major sport without them). Had USC and Ohio State played each other this year in the Rose Bowl, could you imagine a master tactician like Pete Carroll or Jim Tressel spending the entire summer plotting revenge?
USC starting quarterback Mark Sanchez was on "The Sports Lodge" yesterday with Roger Lodge and Dave Smith. Sanchez gave a great recap on where things are with offseason practices, the ongoing competition for his job, expectations for 2008 and what it's like being one of the most recognizable guys on campus:
This 12-minute interview demonstrates a lot of the qualities that make Sanchez a natural leader.
For more of the "The Sports Lodge," tune in to KLAA-AM (830) weekdays from 6 to 10 a.m.
Alabama sports attorney Donald Maurice Jackson self-published a book last year called "Fourth Down and Twenty-Five Years to Go: The African American Athlete and the Justice System." According to Barnes & Noble, he "attacks the high incidence of criminality and irresponsible conduct among African American athletes as well as the root causes of their inappropriate behavior." I hadn't heard about the book before, but a column from today's Alabama Press Register caught my eye:
Jackson says a lot of the current problems derive from the media and advertisements for commercial products which dictate to young people that "it's acceptable or even preferable to have street credibility and if you don't have some kind of affiliation with unsavory types then you (should) at least comport yourself to make people believe that you do."
Jackson points toward various schools, such as Miami — which is now cleaning up its image — and Southern Cal as being part of the problem.
"For example, I love rap music," Jackson said, "but USC has Snoop Dogg walking around the sidelines and when you connect your program to that element, you are inviting this."
Snoop worries me a lot less than others, but I'd be curious to know if anybody reading this has also read Jackson's book ... and what you thought about it.
UPDATE: Conquest Chronicles made an interesting point about this. Considering who's been roaming the USC sidelines, the school doesn't have a single point in the Fulmer Cup -- the internet's finest measure of misbehavin' programs.
If you've been following the early college football speculation, it's difficult to find an expert who doesn't rank USC in the top 5. Although most experts say that the Trojans are in contention for the BCS National Championship, so far most seem to think they'll fall short of the title.
“I think it will be difficult for USC to win it [BCS Championship] this coming year,” said Point-Spreads.com College Football Annalist and Handicapper Reno Gold. “Oddsmakers are always going to rate the Trojans a little higher than they should based on past results and for good reason; however, this team has too many question marks coming into the season to expect a championship. From looking at their attrition, they will be lucky to win their league.”
I don't buy the Pac-10 analysis, but I'd agree that oddsmakers love USC because of the last few years. I also have a hunch that the school's proximity to Sin City means more LA-area fans can drive in and put money down on the Trojans. It's harder to do that in Georgia, Louisiana and Ohio.
Hulu, for those not inspired to spend every waking moment on the Internet, is a pioneering website that brings television and movie content direct to your computer for free. Such heavy-hitters as Fox and NBC are behind it, meaning they have some of the best programming available. The commercials are bare-boned, so you can cut about 30% of your viewing time and still see the same amount of actual show. Truly revolutionary stuff.
So why's this on a college sports blog? Hulu just added full-length versions of the major 2008 bowl games, including the BCS National Championship, Fiesta, Sugar, Orange, and Cotton. Conspicuously absent is the Rose Bowl, which tends to do its own thing. Those rights are owned by ABC.
Calls to a Rose Bowl representative were not immediately returned, but I'd still love to find out that the 2008 Granddaddy is available online in a similar fashion. One can only hope. In the meantime, we're about 10 weeks from football season, so enjoy the bowl highlights above (sans Rose). To see more college football on Hulu, click here. This is the stuff that both jocks and nerds can get excited about.
[UPDATE: This may have been available for awhile on Hulu, but I hadn't seen it until a recent EDSBS post. A Rose Bowl rep is checking to see if this sort of thing may become available for fans of the Granddaddy.]
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.
After soliciting lots of suggestions, ESPN.com has decided that the "face" of USC football is the "Tailback U" moniker. Among the other top nominations:
Pete Carroll
Ronnie Lott
John McKay
Song Girls
They're also holding a fan vote; Tailback U holds a 35% to 28% lead over Pete Carroll. To participate, click here.
CNBC's The Big Idea did a show this week about winning. Appropriately, they invited USC football coach Pete Carroll to share some of his experience. Former Trojan great Lynn Swann was also on.
Enjoy the video above (if you do not see a video, please email adam@laist.com).
This video of Tiger Woods popped up on USCRipsIt today. According to Ben Malcolmson's blog, Pete Carroll has shown the clip at football team meetings. It's striking how Carroll and Woods speak about competition in the same terms.
It appears I've violated one of blogging's cardinal rules.
10 posts in a row of pure text? The horror!
This video has some perspective from Pete Carroll and Chris Carlisle on competing, winning forever ... you know the drill.
OK, OK, it's a thinly veiled Nike commercial, but it will have to do in this multimediamergency. And it's pretty cool, even if there are no batteries or French Toast involved.
(Full disclosure -- the Swoosh has been my bread and butter for the last couple of years so I normally avoid posts related to the company.)
"I didn't know whether to take it as a compliment or an insult," Maualuga, chuckling, told The Times' Gary Klein.
Here's a scarier thought for USC fans:
Despite being regarded as first-round pick in the 2009 NFL draft, the NFL grapevine has been rife with gossip that Maualgua was wavering on his decision to return for his senior season and was considering leaving USC to enter the supplemental draft in July.
Maualuga told Klein that friends and relatives had suggested the possibility.
"All that is talk," he said. "No matter what people say, I'm here for good and I'm going to graduate on time next spring. I came back for a reason and I'll definitely be at training camp."
I was on the Dave Dameshek show yesterday (710 ESPN) talking about the Dodgers at Wrigley, Indy 500, burgers, and, of course, the Petition for Tradition. In case you missed it, click here to find out about this noble cause. By signing the petition, you're showing support to return to the days when both USC and UCLA wore home jerseys for their annual football matchup, allowing for a rare spectacle of cardinal vs. powder blue. Pete Carroll and Rick Neuheisel are on board ... are you?
Rey Maualuga is getting a lot of preseason hype, and many consider him to be the top linebacker in college football next season. He won the 2008 Rose Bowl Defensive MVP award, but opposing teams can't afford to forget that he lines up with the man who won the same award in 2007. Brian Cushing is featured with Maualuga on USC's 2008 team schedule (above), and Cushing also makes the cover of this year's Phil Steele's 2008 College Football Preview (after the jump)
ESPN is on a quest to name the "Face of the Program" for college football teams around the nation. They ask, "Is it that fabled coach? A legendary player? A memorable play? A unique mascot?"
Some of the suggestions that have come up for USC:
TrojanTV All Access and USCRipsIt have put together another fun video, this one done by Mark Haas. It features Pete Carroll doing a "Jay-walking" bit around campus. Enjoy!
About a month ago the USC football program* released a goofy video featuring tight end coach Brennan Carroll (Pete's son) putting prospective walk-ons through the paces and hamming it up. Initial reaction was either positive or mildly perplexed. Apparently opinions headed south and now the program has decided to yank it off of YouTube. That follows allegations that Rick Neuheisel used it to recruit against USC and Deadspin's blasting the video. A lot was made over the use of profanity, which we all know is prohibited in footba ... wait. Nevermind.
Humor is very subjective. Most of this stuff is targeted to recruits and I doubt that's who was complaining. This particular video was full of absurdity, with delivery varying from deadpan to eccentric. Here are a few actual lines from the video and who I could picture saying them:
Peter Griffin: "Whistle! Whistle! Whistle! Good. I don't have a whistle. I just say whistle."
Dr. Gregory House: When told they don't have enough stopwatches to do two drills at once: "We don't need 'em. I'll do it in my head."
Denny Crane: "I don't necessarily need to check my watch to know it's time to go."
Eric Cartman (or perhaps said to him): "This is dog wosh. Those shorts are way too tight for you. Way too tight on the shorts."
Michael Scott: When asked if there were any prospects: "Zero. But they could all make it."
My guess is that there's some sort of generation gap. I wonder if people upset about the video could identify at least two of these five characters. Then again, Deadspin and Gutty Little Bruins both skew toward the right demographic, and neither one liked it. Obviously if you don't like (or get) the humor, Brennan Carroll might look like a pretty big jerk. And profanity, although beeped, might not be appropriate for younger recruits. So ... what say you?
* The video was produced by TrojanTV All Access and released on PeteCarroll.com and USCRipsIt.com.
Despite some skepticism on Internet forums, a school official confirmed that a USC championship ring that surfaced on EBay "appears" to be the real deal. Although nobody at USC or the LA Times would be able to actually vouch for its authenticity, the seller is offering a 200% money-back guarantee. There are a few oddities though, like a mention that the ring came from an LSU player (probably an error from copy/pasting another eBay listing). You can buy it now for $7,500.
Part of the confusion comes from fans noticing that the ring on EBay doesn't match this photo essay done on WeAreSC.com. It turns out sometimes schools give rings, sometimes the bowl, and sometimes both.
The main ring on EBay, which features a black stone, appears to be the one issued by the Orange Bowl. USC issued one with a red stone. Photos of different styles are featured in the EBay ad, and may be just for comparison purposes -- or possibly not the actual ring so as to protect the original recipient's identity. If you're in the market, ask a few questions before plunking down that much cash. Caveat emptor.
The latest news on the Lloyd Lake v. Reggie Bush trial in San Diego is up on latimes.com. There are a few plot twists (such as the possibility that Pete Carroll and Todd McNair will be called to testify) to the legal case that, at least for now, seem superficial to USC fans. They're more concerned about football-related sanctions that aren't handed down by the court. Here's the sentence that really drew my eye:
The judge said she was not inclined to make the deposition transcripts confidential.
Yes, this was important enough for me to break out the super-fancy Internet highlighter pen. If I could find an animated dancing monkey banging oversized cymbals, it would be here, too.
Assuming the depositions are not sealed, I wouldn't be surprised to see Lake's attorneys hand copies over to the NCAA and/or media within hours of the time they're taken.
Due to space limitations, one other tidbit was left out of the story. The judge was apparently unhappy with how depositions (or lack thereof) have gone so far, and anybody not in compliance with their new dates could potentially face financial sanctions from the court. Here are the relevant depo dates:
June 5-6 Lloyd Lake June 23 Reggie Bush June 27 Lamar Griffin (Bush's stepfather) June 30 Denise Griffin (Bush's mother)
I've heard from multiple sources that the judge was great.
For some more perspective, you can also check out the articles in the San Diego Union-Tribune and by Yahoo! Sports. The former sheds some more light on the courtroom antics and unhappy judge, while the latter has lots of quotey-goodness.
On Thursday, Pete Carroll's status message on Facebook seemed pointed.
..."always compete"...
The only problem is that he can't compete. The NCAA and the BCS won't let him.
Carroll is already upset that he's stuck at home when he wants to be on the recruiting trail. A new NCAA regulation has his feet stapled to the floor this spring. As quoted by the Sporting News a couple of months ago, "I don't want to sound like a jerk," Carroll says, "But other coaches ... they're just lazy."
“Who is this decision best for?” Carroll asked. “It’s certainly not the players and coaches and the fans at large, because we’ve been longing for a playoff for years, especially with the issues that have come up with the bowl pairings in recent seasons.”
Carroll has openly wished for a playoff before. Although admitting he doesn't know what the perfect system would be, he knows this one doesn't feel right. He discussed the issue Nov. 29:
If this ruling holds after a hearing in court Friday morning, the NCAA could gain access to valuable transcripts of Bush and his parents answering questions under oath about whether they accepted improper benefits from Lake while Bush was at USC. Their answers could jeopardize USC wins from 2004 and 2005. Bush and his parents so far have not cooperated with the NCAA.
The article also points out that as of right now, the legal case hinges on Lake's decision whether or not to testify. Imagine if he doesn't testify and has to drop the case, but Bush's testimony results in some NCAA/Heisman/Pac-10/BCS punitive action?
Either way, this could be a very bad day or a very good day for Reggie Bush.
The first Trojan football player on a 2008 season magazine cover appears to be Joe McKnight ("appears" because there's a possibility another preview publication is out). McKnight won't be academically eligible for the last part of spring camp.
Also on the cover are Pete Carroll and crosstown rivals Kahlil Bell and Rick Neuheisel.
To purchase a copy of the Athlon Sports Pac-10 Preview magazine, click here.
It's $5.99, but won't ship for one more month. Same goes for the national edition.
Todd McShay of Scout, Inc. and ESPN put together a self-described "insanely early" 2009 NFL mock draft (it's on ESPN Insider but they're doing a free preview). His top pick might surprise you:
1. Atlanta Falcons -- Fili Moala, DT, USC Atlanta finally gets its playmaking interior defensive lineman. Moala has flown under the radar to this point but he should emerge from the shadow of 2008 No. 7 overall pick Sedrick Ellis and become one of the elite defenders in college football this fall.
That was unexpected, to put it mildly. Moala was overshadowed by Ellis in 2007, but it's a big jump from All-Pac-10 to No. 1 overall draft pick. Of course, college success and NFL stock aren't one and the same. Physicality takes on greater importance. That's why Reggie Bush won a Heisman but people question his status as an every-down back. That's why a subdivision (I-AA) quarterback named Joe Flacco was drafted four rounds ahead of Dennis Dixon. And that was the only conceivable knock against the 6-foot-1 Ellis. The only defensive tackle picked higher this year was LSU's Glenn Dorsey -- taller by a whopping inch.
When asked about his size before the draft, Ellis said, "A lot of people like taller tackles, but I think my height is just great. You get these big 6-5 linemen, and I can get up underneath them and uproot them out of what they’re trying to do."
Whether or not it's right, Ellis puts it out there -- people like taller tackles. Moala is 6 foot 5.
I'm not certain if that influenced McShay, but I do know the other Trojans who made his list of first rounders: Rey Maualuga at No. 9 and Brian Cushing at No. 32. No surprises there.
While we're on the topic of ESPN Insider, Bruce Feldman says USC's 2003 recruiting class is the best ever (nine first day picks, with Moala as the possible 10th). Only Miami's 2001 group would be comparable. To read the full story, you will need that Insider service.
There was a time, a time before cable, when the home uniform reigned
supreme. When teams wore anything that contrasted. This was an
age when college football meant tradition. And in Los Angeles, one tradition was more colorful then the rest. It was shared by USC and UCLA. They were
like gods walking amongst mere mortals. They had fight songs that could make
a wolverine purr and unis so fine they made Sinatra look like a hobo.
In other words ... I've seen Anchorman too many times.
What I haven't seen enough of is the tradition where both USC and UCLA wear their home uniforms when they play for the Victory Bell. Both used to host home games in the Coliseum, so naturally they would wear cardinal and powder blue when they faced off. Shortly after the Bruins moved to the Rose Bowl, the NCAA changed the rules and visiting teams were forced to wear white.
710 ESPN's Dave Dameshek recently got Pete Carroll and Rick Neuheisel on the record to support a return to the good ol' days. Unfortunately, there's more to it. The schools will need to ask the NCAA for a waiver, and you know how red tape can be. Instead of sticking cheerleaders outside of some administrators door, Dameshek (with help from Joyless Joey) is building support with a petition. I'm on board.
Sign it! Share it with friends! There's no "magic number" ... the more people that sign it, the more likely we'll be heard. Click here and get to it!
IMPORTANT CLARIFICATION: I've received a lot of emails saying that the petition requires a donation to vote. It does not. After you sign it, you MIGHT get a screen that asks for donations to keep the site running. However, at the top of the page it says "Your signature has been recorded." You do not need to give them money.
The University of Colorado surveyed attendance at all the spring football games this year (two yet to be played) and found that more than 1.3 million people went to 96 games for an average of 14,331 per scrimmage. Subtracting the top and bottom 10, the average dips to 10,710 -- about the size of a small tailgate party in the SEC. For complete results, download the PDF here.
If you read the full chart, notice how schools approached charging for admission. UCLA was free and USC was $10 (free for students and children 12 and under). The only school with a higher gate fee was Notre Dame, which ranged up to $15 (or about $5 per win last season).
These numbers aren't exactly certified (the survey warns "If marketing people are involved, some numbers could be inflated") and many seem to round to the nearest 100 or 1,000. Still, it's a good way to measure just how important football is to different communities. Note that the combined attendance of USC and UCLA would rank only eighth in the nation.
This year, USC set a record with 22,000 fans at Trojan Huddle. A little digging and some help from USC's sports information department reveals the following historical attendance data. All games were in the Coliseum unless otherwise noted. Also, the Coliseum scrimmage was often held midway through spring practice instead of at the end.
1998 - 1,000 (Howard Jones Field, raining, Paul Hackett's first year) 1999 - 2,000 (Howard Jones Field) 2000 - 4,000 2001 - 2,000 (raining, Pete Carroll's first year) 2002 - Unknown 2003 - 5,000 2004 - 10,000 2005 - 15,000 2006 - 15,000 2007 - 15,000 2008 - 22,000
This Year: USC had another huge draft weekend with 10 players getting selected -- the most of any school. The Trojans also led the way with four first-round picks.
Historical Perspective: USC has sent 446 players to the NFL via the draft. 42 have been picked in the seven years since Pete Carroll arrived, including 11 in the first round.
USC has had 443 players drafted by the NFL, and since Pete Carroll came seven years ago, another 39 have gone on the big board (including 11 in the first round). Today's highlights:
USC had the most players selected in today's first round (4) and most selections in the first two rounds combined (7).
7 players in the first two rounds is an all-time USC record, up from 5 in 1968 and 2006.
4 players in the first round is the most for the Trojans since 1968, when 5 went.
Carson Palmer wanted Cincinnati to draft Sedrick Ellis with their #9 overall pick in this weekend's NFL draft, but Ellis was already taken at #7 by New Orleans. Instead, Palmer was excited to get another Trojan: Keith Rivers.
This is an absolutely surreal experience. I am numb right now. I'm not sure what to do -- jump up and down or cry -- I'm just so excited about being a Cincinnati Bengal. Coach Marvin Lewis made the call. When my phone rang it was an unknown number and I had some friends calling before that so I wasn't sure if I should answer it. I was thrilled to get the call. My agent called after that and told me Carson Palmer was jumping up and down. I will be too - I'm a Cincinnati Bengal!
Sam Baker was taken 21st overall by Atlanta, and Lawrence Jackson went 28th to Seattle. It's still very early, and plenty of other Trojans will have their name called in the next day and a half. We'll keep you posted ...
Second Round Update: San Francisco, with the 8th pick in the second round (38th overall) selected Chilo Rachal, the only Trojan who went pro early this year. Fred Davis went to Washington at 17th in the second (48th overall). On the last pick of Day 1 (32nd pick of the second round, 63rd overall) the New York Giants chose Terrell Thomas.
Keith Rivers is having a party and you're invited -- virtually, that is.
The NFL Draft party is Saturday in Rivers' hometown of Lake Mary, Fla. He plans on live-blogging and sharing photos and videos from the event. No word if Rivers will be streaming, but he is supposed to respond to comments from fans.
All the info will becoming through Rivers' blog on Yardbarker.com, where he started posting earlier this month along with USC linebacker Thomas Williams. Rivers is expected to be a first-round pick, but all the combines and workouts are over. Now it's a waiting game. "There is only so much you can control during the draft so I am just enjoying the process," he said in a release.
FSN Prime Ticket will air the "Lexus Gauntlet Show" tonight at 10:30.
This week's edition focuses primarily on the upcoming UCLA spring football game, with the USC spring football report as a smaller part of the show. John Jackson and Petros Papadakis will give an analysis on the state of the Trojans coming out of this spring.
If you want to see what they're up to across town, new Bruin offensive coordinator Norm Chow will be profiled by Brandon Hancock (who used to play for Chow at USC).
The NFL Network has joined our national obsession with making lists. That's all that's done on a program called "NFL Top 10." Thanks to its deep archives, it makes for a pretty good show. In the clip above, the show dubs USC the nation's top football factory.
Speaking of football factories, USA Today confirmed what most of us already assumed: The states of California, Texas and Florida produce the most NFL draftees. Thank you, weather gods. The article has a lot more about the draft and is worth the read.
USC released its depth chart (two-deep) before the spring game last weekend. The most fluid unit is the offensive line, which currently features 12 players (plus some big freshmen on the way). According to assistant coach Pat Ruel, "My whole offensive line is pretty wide open right now. It's going to be wide open until a couple weeks before we play."
One of the themes that came up with Ruel this spring was the importance of having players who could fill in several positions. For example:
Butch Lewis and Nick Howell can play either left or right tackle.
Zack Heberer can play either left or right guard.
Martin Coleman can play right guard or right tackle.
Kris O'Dowd can play center or guard.
Alex Parsons can play right tackle, right guard or center.
As you can see, there's not always a correlation between learning one spot on the line and learning another.
Ruel said this flexibility "is critical when you start the season because it allows you to always feel like you have some experience in those areas."
That said, two spots seem to be locks: Jeff Byers at left guard and O'Dowd at center.
Spring football is such a tease. For three weeks the sport dances its way into your thoughts. At USC, it culminates with a game in the Coliseum complete with all the accoutrements: Traveler, the Trojan Marching Band and song girls. This year they even dedicated a new mural. (Wouldn't that be awkward if things suddenly didn't work out between USC and the Coliseum Commission?)
Now, it's all over.
Practice doesn't start again until early August. In the meantime, players might take a class or find a summer job. Most will stick around campus to work out. Since you probably can't spot Rey Maualuga while he's doing bench presses, here are a few suggestions to help pass the dog days of summer (a.k.a. now until August):
Meet Pete - Like any good rock star, Pete Carroll is going on tour. He'll be at seven meet-and-greet dinners in Southern California (plus one in San Francisco) from May 28 to June 14. The schedule will be posted at usctrojans.com within a week or two.
Go to Camp - If you're in high school or middle school, USC has summer football camps. If you just want to act like a kid, they've got something for you too. Click here for all the details.
NFL Draft Day - April 26 and 27 (yes, this weekend) will mean a new tax bracket for several recent USC football players. Find out where your favorite star will play on Sundays. Your best bet is a sports bar with some games to pass the time. Hopefully this year goes faster than the last few. If you want to impress your buddies with obscure knowledge, check out this article on the draft's history.
NBA Playoffs - It's not football, but there's no reason you shouldn't support your Trojans in the NBA. The Boston Celtics are the favorites in the East, and they feature Brian Scalabrine and Gabe Pruitt. OK, "feature" might be a strong word, but at least they have good seats. The Washington Wizards are running out of time in their series, but Nick Young should make a contribution in their remaining games. If you really get hooked on this NBA thing, at least one USC player will be drafted June 26.
Fulmer Cup - The offseason means lots of free time for student-athletes. Maybe too much free time. Fortunately for you, college football is big on schadenfreude. Enter the Fulmer Cup, which tracks all the offseason jailarity. Mizzou is currently leading (that's not a good thing).
A Better L.A. - Pete Carroll's personal cause, A Better L.A., is trying to make a difference in the communities near USC. Whether you get involved with them or any other charitable organization, it's always a good idea to volunteer your time.
Pete Carroll held a half-hour press conference on Friday to talk about the state of the team. We clipped some video of his comments about the tailback spot (above), which seems to be the biggest position battle now that Mark Sanchez has been named quarterback.
Also, some quotes on what will feel different between last year's team and this year's ...
Carroll on the new personality of the leadership:
I think we're a little more energetic, a little more outgoing. We had a lot of quiet leaders last year. Keith [Rivers] was somewhat like that. Sammy Baker was like that. John David [Booty] was like that. These guys are a little more outspoken and vocal. There certainly is a lot of energy in this group ... It might be the quarterback play that'll be different. I think we'll get a little more movement out of the QBs than we've had in the past.
Carroll on the differences with Mark Sanchez at quarterback:
Mark's a little more resourceful as an athlete than John David [Booty] was. John David was more of a pocket guy. Mark is quicker to take off and move -- his subtle movements in the pocket, a little quicker to adjust, and just slide and bob and weave in the pocket to find his spacing. He also is quicker to take off and run. John was going to beat you throwing the football. Mark will take off and make some yards with his legs, which is a nice attribute to have.
Matt Leinart was a guy that was resourceful and moved around well and avoided the rush in good fashion and would even run at times (and wished he could run better!). Mark and Matt are very similar in that manner. I think what that provides for us is there will be some times when Mark will make movements (Mitch and Aaron both do the same thing), they'll create some space for themselves and get a second look down the field that could possibly give us some second shots at big plays. We feel that clearly when he's playing. I think that's definitely going to happen, and we really like that. I think that's a boost for us.
USC football recruit Maurice Simmons is listed on the team's initial 2008 depth chart at weakside linebacker. You may remember that Simmons (not to be confused with his many siblings, including at least a couple of Trojans) was arrested on charges of armed robbery last month. Pete Carroll was asked about it Friday at a news conference but couldn't say much other than mentioning that a hearing is scheduled at the end of the month (he thought it might be the 28th) "that will give us a lot more information."
Although it isn't set in stone (especially because of injuries and possible shifts on the offensive line), you can see a full PDF of the chart here.
Pete Carroll has been passively lobbying for a college football playoff since last season. Now, three congressmen are demanding an investigation of the BCS. Said Rep. Neil Abercrombie (D-Hawaii):
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