USC Morning Buzz: The Steve Sarkisian Saga Continues

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SARK.SCRIMMAGEIs the Steve Sarkisian saga over? It doesn’t feel over. Even with Sunday’s statements from Sarkisian and Pat Haden there is uncertainty within the program and speculation another shoe might drop. Could he be suspended? Or worse? That might sound drastic but it is what some, including players, are thinking right now.

Here’s my story on Sarkisian with some details on why Saturday night’s incident does not surprise people in the athletic dept.

And here is columnist Mark Whicker’s take on how Sarkisian deserves a suspension.

58 thoughts on “USC Morning Buzz: The Steve Sarkisian Saga Continues”

  1. TMZ.reporting here….Have read at least four other papers and USC sites, and counting.Who if I name I’ll be deleted. They find Marks and your reactions overblown and outrageous..
    Earlier I predicted a poll would follow,hour later you didn’t disappoint.
    Now TMZ reporting follows. How is it that so many other professionals have moved on to football? Yet the witch hunt continues here?..
    All agree Sark blew it, and if repeated will bring consequences. Leave it there,Move on to reporting football.
    From what your peers are saying about your writing, I’d go to damage control.

    • In an effort to make lemonade from the lemons accrued from the Cutty Sark Rah-Rah act, Klown U will produce “I’m going to Porky’s” commercials, featuring Cutty Sark, to run after 2016 Klown U FB victories.

    • Really? On ESPN First Take they featured a segment on Coach Cutty Sark. Skip Bayless and Stephen A. Smith were unanimous that it was an outrage for the head coach to treat those who care the most about the football program so poorly at an event he had attended before and knew was very important and that he should be suspended.

  2. The Steve Sarkisian Saga Continues?

    And why would that be? Perhaps it results in more hits on Wolf’s blog, and more readers of yellow journalism periodicals.

    ‘Write On,’ boys, while the rest of us ‘Move on.’

    • Wolf is over dramatizing this. He must be applying for a job with Entertainment Tonight (is it still on TV? I have no clue) or TMZ.

  3. SarkAfterDark suddenly has some amazing problems, both public and private, to deal with now. It’s shocking how the world can become an altogether different place so quickly.

    I actually feel sorry for the guy (and certainly his children) and his nightmare-come-true existence. It’s never good to feel sorry for the man in charge of Trojan football. Hope he’s got some good friends. He’s gonna need them.

    • Sark needs help… Alcoholism is serious stuff. Seen too many lives and families destroyed by alcohol abuse…

  5. This is not a surprise to me in any manner. Coach O’Neill was a problem. Orgeron doesn’t drink and was run-out of the Coliseum. 7ark brought drinking into the locker room after games as he did (allegedly) up in UW. He is going through a divorce and has now acted irresponsibly in public. Its simple to connect the dots here for anyone familiar with this pattern of behavior. I’m praying for him to take some time to begin to put his life in order and then come back to the football team so he can maximize all that he has in front of him.
    There is too much responsibility for 7ark with his team to act in any other manner than as a role model for all of his players.
    Pat Haden is the man in charge and is also responsible for this deterioration. I hope he sets a good example and acts in a manner that “by which his mother wouldn’t be embarrassed.”

    • “Going through a divorce” is not an excuse. I was a big drinker at USC in my fraternity, but I grew out of it. The two divorces I went through didn’t lead me back to drinking. I had my career to be concerned with, to hell with the ex wives.

      • Going through a divorce, acting irresponsibly in public and alcohol in the locker room attests to a pattern which is not good as a leader of young men. Whatever is seen in public usually is worse in private. If there is no pattern and they’re just coincidences, it will stop and not repeat itself. However, there also seems to be a pattern under Pat Haden’s watch regarding alcohol and bad behavior by his coaching staff.

      • I believe he was suggesting that the drinking was likely a cause of the divorce, not the effect.

  9. Does anybody remember when USC was a football school? It appears those days have given way to the era of scandals. With players litigating and buffoonery by the coach one wonders if it was the right call to place TV commentator in charge.
    While it seems Mr. Wolf likes these scandals it is entirely possible he’s as tired of them as we are. Maybe it IS time to get a real coach and a real athletic director and play some football.

  10. To most of us other than trolls, this is not a high point in our football season. Sark screwed up, yes. Wolf, it is barely a story now, you have exposed it for all it is worth, get off your politically correct bandwagon, you look like the self righteous westwood trolls who come on here. You are not part of USC football, that is by your own doing. I am amazed you got this story on time, that you actually went to something and didn’t cut and paste. Or did you?
    Suspension is totally idiotic. He is on the carpet, he will not screw up again or else he knows he is gone. He just needs to watch his back at the airport at night.

    • don’t kid yourself, EVERY newscast is showing the video, as i drove to the Candy Factory today, EVERY am sports show was talking about it and in even heard them mention it on a “new music” rock station (which is anything past 1956 to me).

      #BigBopper

      • Yes, and then tomorrow it is gone, some new big headline. Kinda like Roquangate? Anyway, Haden won’t fire the head coach 12 days before the season starts for something he said.

        • Roquangate? That was an issue ONLY to Trogies. Let me know when Stuart Mandell and Herbie chime in on it.

  13. They tried to make me go to rehab but I said, ‘No, no, no.’

    Yes, I’ve been black but when I come back you’ll know, know, know

    I ain’t got the time and if my daddy thinks I’m fine

    He’s tried to make me go to rehab but I won’t go, go, go

    I’d rather be at home with ray

    I ain’t got seventy days

    ‘Cause there’s nothing

    There’s nothing you can teach me

    That I can’t learn from Mr Hathaway

    I didn’t get a lot in class

    But I know it don’t come in a shot glass

  14. To the rah rah’s who think this is no big deal and Wolf is blowing it out of proportion. It’s all over the national media and you know they are digging for more dirt on Sark. Think about this idiot going into some recruits house with the parents sitting there, think they might ask a few questions about Sark’s current and past behavior ??? Think about the next time he brainfarts a game away, think there will be whispers that he spent too many nights that week geting hammered ? Pat Haden, MISTER POLITICALLY CORRECT, has to either suspend, ” suggest ” he go into rehab or fire him, otherwise he looks weak ( which he is ) and the school, who is all about image, looks like it’s OK with their head football coach acting like a character from Animal House issuing some weak apology, which didn’t address Sark being DRUNK, that will just make it all go away. To quote Dean Wormer, ” Fat, drunk and stupid is no way to go through life, son. “

    • It’s time for Haden to go, too. Not only did he hire Sarkisian, but he did it after it was known to many people that Sarkisian was a party animal. He did not do his due dilligence.

      In Haden’s five years as AD, he let Lane Kiffin, whom he did not hire, embarrass the program and now this. If scott Wolf is correct, he then allowed Sark to drink in the locker room after games. That is a huge NO-NO. And Let’s not even talk about Andy Enfield, whom he hired.

      I seriously doubt usc will fire Haden right now. He has built up too much goodwill amongst many influential USC alumni. But if those donors want what’s best for usc, they will stop donating money, until a new AD is hired.

      • I’m a little confused here Cool. Yesterday I made a comment about Sark’s behavior, mainly about his being drunk and you called me out for stirring things up.

        Today, you are here asking for Haden to be fired. Did you have a change of heart? You see, I don’t care about a couple of f-bombs. I would prefer the coaches choose different words, but there is a big difference between bad language and Sark getting drunk when he knows he has to speak.

        If he is an alcoholic, he needs treatment. I would also agree that if this has been a pattern of behavior tracing back to Washington, then Haden did not perform his due diligence and should be held accountable. But do your best about being a tad less judgmental here. We aren’t even disagreeing.

        • my question for you probation is how old are you? You act like a 12 year old on this board. All you do is come here to stir things up. I come here to talk to Trojan fans, and offer my opinions, mostly in goodwill. I am an adult! I am no USC fan, but that does not mean I have to make enemies with their fans.

          You on the other hand come here all the time and troll them like a 12 year old. Also, you always talk about sc’s problems, and sugarcoat ucla’s problems. Because of that it is very hard to take you seriously. You are a true nuisance! I am just glad I don’t have to deal with you in person, at least I don’t think I do. I just wonder what the people around you feel. I can totally see you as that person who doesn’t get invited to birthday parties/weddings because those people think you are annoying. I am so glad I am not you.

          • You obviously don’t read my posts and have me confused with someone else. I talk football all the time here without incident and insult.

          • The fact of the matter is you don’t like hearing bad things about ucla, and you act like a child when you do. Reality is reality! USC football has embarrassed themselves off the field the last few years, but there have been some incidents at ucla too. Have an open mind, because people will take your opinions more seriously when you do.

          • Your reality seems to be your own. You came over to an SC site and criticized a kid that has yet to play a down for UCLA. You didn’t line being called out on that. Have you ever seen a Trojan come over to the UCLA site and criticize one of their own? Never.

            I am a Bruin. I don’t pretend otherwise. Loyalty is not a bad trait. If you have a UCLA criticism, tell it on the Wang site. Criticizing UCLA on a Trojan site probably makes people, including Trojans, respect you less, not more.

          • I am sure I am older than you. I hope u actually become a real Bruin fan someday.

  15. I’m not agreeing with Wolf, but….
    Sark, come on, man. You represent USC, what were you thinking? I know boys will be boys, but you gotta know better. Wow…completely disappointed with our coach.

  16. Alcoholism is a serious disease! The reason I know, is because I am a recovering alcoholic. Alcoholism is in the genes for a lot of people including me, and maybe sarkisian. This is a huge problem for USC. Unless they have a special season this year, they need to let sark go at the end of year. The last thing you want is an alcoholic coaching your team.

  17. Brethren:
    Only recently have I developed a taste for devils water. I used to have a nice refreshing glass of lemonade after leading my men into battle. Although in 71 Walton gave me a small piece of paper you’d place in your mouth and the world became a magical place. It really changed my life!
    #Acidisnotacrime

    JW

    • g’nerd, reports were you closed Rush Street Sunday morning at 5AM after the end of the convention.

  18. To all you Southern Cal Rah Rahs saying that it is time to move on. When this happens again (with alcoholics it always does) and if sarkisian is leading the trojans to a winning season, all of you will be here saying the same thing “who cares, lets move on, who hasn’t gotten drunk before?” Which makes all such hypocrites because if he is leading a losing season, all of you will be calling for his head not because of his alcoholism but lack of football success. in any case, “bye bye Sark”

    • i’m sure you are correct. Seems like all the trolls have had the same experience. Let’s hope Coach Sark is smart enough to get help.

  19. Pat Haden has spoken. Sarkisian issued an apology for the way he presented himself. That will be the extent as far as his job is concerned.

    It may be worth while however to see if there is a need for counseling on Sark’s part as to if he may need help with drinking going forward.

    As some mentioned here alcoholism is an illness. I don’t think anyone should lose their job for such. If any thing they may need counseling.

  20. There’s a human side to this story that involves Sark’s wife and children. That side makes me sad for the guy. Rivalry aside, I wish him the best with his personal issues, and better days ahead. This story, though embarrassing for USC, will dissipate. But if the guy has a drinking problem, that’s not something that will just go away without help. I trust he has some loyal friends who can guide him through this.

  22. Last year, PH arrived at the BCU game and was three sheets in the wind if you know what I mean.

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