Lane Kiffin Statement On Sun Bowl Incident

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Lane Kiffin denied there was an altercation after the Sun Bowl.

“Contrary to media reports, there was not a brawl or altercation in our locker room after the Sun Bowl. There was a noisy verbal exchange among a couple players who were frustrated with the outcome of the game. It lasted less than a minute and was nothing physical. It happens sometimes in football locker rooms after a disappointing loss.”

I’ve heard there were a lot more than a “couple players” involved and I don’t think it would be such a talking point for those in the locker room if it was just a couple players involved.

I never wrote there were punches thrown. I heard about physical contact but no punches. I’ve also heard of the players who tried to break up the altercation were completely ignored.

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  • betomas

    Just saw a commercial on ABC 7 news about the “Trojan Turmoil” with Rob Fukuzaki asking if there was a “brawl” after the Sun Bowl embarrassment.
    Oh Brother.

    And to think that there are more bad news to come. This is horrendous for recruiting and for the program’s reputation. Why the hell would Fitts and other top recruits want to step into this fracas and into Kiffin’s failed system??

    I hope that “Puss in Boots” Haden is not simply still sitting on his hands and that he makes a statement or does something.

  • betomas

    I thought this was a non-story when the incident went away after New Year’s day, but this is what an ESPN article says about it:

    One USC player, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said that he
    arrived at the locker room a few minutes after most of the team but saw
    a chaotic scene, though he never saw punches thrown.

    “When I came into the locker room … it was just pure chaos in there,” the player
    said. “… I think there was a lot of frustration. There were some
    things said by some guys on our team who are just hotheads.”

    Several other upperclassmen, including senior safety T.J. McDonald,
    came to Barkley’s defense, the sources told ESPN. A security guard
    confirmed only that “tempers flared,” while other sources said that “it
    was haymakers.”

    • http://4chan.org/ m00t

      Quoting other people’s work, you might as well just take Wolf’s ‘job’

      • betomas

        How is this for quoting other people’s work…this is the title of a recent Yahoo article:

        “USC becomes an even bigger joke with reports of “flat-out brawl” in locker room after Sun Bowl” by Frank Schwab.

        What? You like this? YOu like that SC has gone down the tubes and that now it is the butt of all jokes? You like that this debacle has ruined any value of a USC degree?

        • http://4chan.org/ m00t

          Exactly, you’re just quoting other people’s work, you’re doing just as good of a job as Wolf is.

          And yes, I’m sure my degrees from USC are completely useless now that we had a losing season. Quite frankly, I’m worried I may be fired today for being a USC grad, instead of graduating from a real school. God, I only wish my performance was measured based on work and not by my alma mater’s football record.

          • betomas

            They’re not completely useless, but a lot of fans feel like the value of their degree has rapidly diminished (even if by perception only). People are walking with an empty feeling, a burden on their shoulders. It’s not fun for fans to constantly get heckled about the one sport that SC has dominated–football. In this economy, everything matters & many Trojan fans are feeling the effects of the football program (not to mention the basketball program) as the butt of so many jokes. The articles I posted just prove my point. Haden needs to make take a strong stance and since he isn’t going to fire Kiffin, he needs to step in and get the best asst. coaches and staff.

          • http://4chan.org/ m00t

            Perhaps the socioeconomic area in which you are accustomed places a heavier emphasis on football performance than mine. 13 days out of the year aren’t really going to determine my happiness for the remaining 352. Unless, of course, we go undefeated.

          • betomas

            Not sure what you do for a living, but I talk a lot of people on a daily basis and I hear all of the talk and get a lot of questions regarding college football (not just USC) and the conversations doen’t bode well for SC right now. I’d like to see Haden in the media, reassuring all fans that he is doing something about this fiasco.

          • http://4chan.org/ m00t

            Fiasco? Hyperbole is a useful tool, but overuse dulls it when it is appropriate. I would rather Haden be doing his job and putting a better product on the field/court/whatever than wasting his time quelling the imaginary fears of bandwagon fans (yes I realize many booster are bandwagon fans, and part of his job should be to reassure them, but wasting time addressing the masses is useless).

          • betomas

            No hyperbole here.
            fiasco (fɪˈæskəʊ)

            — n , pl -cos , -coes

            a complete failure, esp one that is ignominious or humiliating

            Yes, a fiasco.

          • http://4chan.org/ m00t

            So you calling a usc degree useless isn’t hyperbole? I’m sure there are a few thousand kids who would disagree. If that’s the case the logical thing to do would be to shut down a 100+ year old institution, because of 1 losing season of football. Or do you think that was a bit of hyperbole.

          • betomas

            You’re the one that somewhat sarcastically stated that your degrees from USC are useless. I wrote: “They’re not completely useless, but a lot of fans feel like the value of their degree has rapidly diminished.”

            I’m simply saying that big time football has real repercussions on $$$ and on how people view an institution and its grads, whether we like it or not. Are you really going to tell me that the humiliation and accusations of fraud (altercation, deflated balls, petty jersey switching, LOIC redux) that everyone affiliated with the school has suffered aren’t going to make people question whether they want to go to USC? I see a lot of fans hanging their heads low these days and that has a negative effect on the school too.

          • http://4chan.org/ m00t

            “You like that this debacle has ruined any value of a USC degree?”

            those are literally your words. If you can’t differentiate between “useless” and being “ruined any value”, than I don’t know how effective my arguments can really be. I completely agree that this current state of affairs has an effect on prospective new enrollees. However, taking our history and fanbase in mind, and current academic standings, I doubt anybody would be swayed as dramatically as you seem to think they would be. If you disagree, that’s fine, it’s your opinion. But we’ll be back in football (we always are), and our academics are still climbing.

  • Raz Stirbu

    Anyone who has played any team sport at a competitive level understands that tempers flare behind closed doors. One should frankly be encouraged by the feistyness of the current Trojan freshmen; it assured me they hate losing. Fight on!

  • ThaiMex

    Lemme see……Before you a$$holes get to El Paso, TWO of your (“ignant”)starters bad mouth the hosting city, which I thought was most peculiar since one of those troubled young men was from a true DUMP, Watts. Perhaps, both those idiots should have stayed at home.
    Next, your LYING CLASSLESS head coach, has the team show up nearly TWO HOURS late for a SCHEDULED Dinner, hosted by Bowl Officials. TACKY, TACKY, TACKY.
    Finally, after getting TROUNCED, (along the way loosing FIVE of your last SIX GAMES, and finishing with a THREE GAME LOSING STREAK, after starting the season as The # 1 Ranked team…finishing UN-RANKED!) U Stupid Clowns decide to show a “little fight” amongst yourselves, POSTGAME, in the Host’s locker room. Way to keep it classy torgans!
    Anybody on the team get arrested lately?
    The

    University of
    Stupid
    Cheaters
    Fit On!

  • Golden Trojan

    Some observations, correct me if I’m wrong. These seniors are the last of the Pete Carroll recruits. Many of whom were frankly prema donnas who play up in the prime time spot light but become selfish when times get tough. Pete was losing control his last couple years. The freshmen seem to care have heart and maybe tired of these underachieving seniors. Gives me hope. Oh and my USC degree has served me well whether Robinson or Hackett were the football coach. We are more than football, we are Trojans, we Fight On in everything we do.