USC coach Pete Carroll said Thursday he intends to ask UCLA to wear its blue jerseys at next year’s crosstown rivalry at the Coliseum.
So why doesn’t he just wear the Cardinal jerseys tomorrow at the Rose Bowl?
“It’s kind of a bold move to (ask for) that to somebody and I don’t want to be a part of that,” Carroll said. “A lot of our fans remember it’s an old tradition that was special. I don’t see us doing it at the Rose Bowl. That’s not part of the tradition, that’s why that doesn’t fit.”
Apparently Carroll forgets the Trojans wore cardinal at the 1982 USC-UCLA game, which happened to be in the Rose Bowl.
But by waiting until next year, he puts UCLA coach Karl Dorrell in a lose-lose situation. It means Dorrell did not initiate the invitation and he can’t do anything but accept the offer or appear ungracious.