121 thoughts on “Petros Papadakis: `It’s Really Sad Over At My Alma Mater’

  1. Petros is like some god to Wolfie and he likes him because Petrros always talks up Wolfie, the big backscratchers they are, and has him on his show, where Wolfie consistently says nothing but the obvious in a very nasally tone.

    Petros will say anything for a plug and actually thinks we give a crap about what his Greek-loving dad thinks. They all hate Haden (and his money) with a passion. Boy, do they! The USC AD has really pissed them all off.

    Now, according to Petros, and therefore Wolfie, USC is all sad. What a crock! In reality, USC is doing fantastic – just not in football. It’s hard to have it all, but at least we didn’t give up a 31-point lead in the Alamo Bowl against a team with all of its stars out with injury. Where it’s really sad is actually at Oregon.

    • The context of the conversation was SC’s football program. Within that context, everything he said was spot on. Your prior comments have implied you have some history with P and his family. That’s fine, I don’t know them personally. However, I can’t fathom how any non rah-rah could disagree with what he said.

      • I have no idea what the context of the conversation was. Never heard it.

        And I have no history with P or his family and never ate at their restaurant. Have just heard him on the radio and seen him on TV. On the radio at least, I’ve heard both Petros and his father go after Haden big-time for how he has treated them. You’ve never heard this on his show?

        So, what did Petros say that we all don’t already know? That everybody is sad at SC nowadays? What else? I’m no rah rah and I don’t want Helton. Fill me in, please.

        • It all stems from the PC era when the school no longer permitted recruits to dine there when looking at USC. John Papadakis couldn’t get over the fact that he no longer could have his picture taken with a future football star as well not permitted to bore them to death with his war stories at the restaurant – the place closed what 4 yrs. ago?

          A friend of mine went to the South Bay Trojan Club luncheon the day before the UCLA game in November and told me John Papadakis was the guest host speaker. He stated all there were slowly bored to death with Papadakis going on and on (20 minutes+) about the 1967 game i.e. hardly anyone there was alive then.

          • Doesn’t surprise me. Very enlightening.

            He’s a bore on the radio too. Thinks he’s General Patton, when in reality he was a tough but very slow USC LB who looked like his feet were stuck in mud against any speed.

  2. Getting sadder. We just blew a 22 pt lead in basketball game with 14 mins left at UW

    • That should make Scott happy. Now he has something negative to write about.

      • Let’s face it. USC choked big-time. At the end they just looked so bad. Constant turnovers, deer-in-the-headlights play. The losing culture certainly still exists in USC hoops. Even USC’s best players looked bad at the end. Lots of ghosts on that team.

        • You’re probably right, but I still stand by my comment. Hopefully the team will learn and grow from this. And don’t forget that this team was picked to finish 10th in the Pac -12 this year.

          • Hopefully, they will learn to inbounds the ball and move it down court under pressure. They sure haven’t figured that out yet.

            When discussing USC hoops, which was as bad as you can get last year, it’s always about learning and growing. Not much solace that we’re better than people thought, considering we’re still really bad when it counts.

            It was amazing to watch them lose all composure. You could see this loss coming. At least they’ll be middle-of-the-road this year and respectable.

            Wolfie’s gonna have fun with this one and I don’t blame him. Choke City.

          • I can appreciate you black or white viewpoint, although 18 year old kids aren’t going to learn unless they are subject to real life circumstances….let’s see how they adjust to handling a 20 plus point lead with less than 15 minutes left, and inbounding the ball under pressure…..I don’t think that they faced that situation before in their previous two losses…

          • No i would say both of those teams about the same. Young and athletic. Uw has Andrews as their leader as a senior that helps, but both teams like to get it up and down the floor. The fact UW was at home was a game they should win .

          • They will play each other again Jan 30 at galen. We need to win that one, home court in Pac 12 needs to be protected. Just think if Stanford hadnt lost at home to Oregon in football they might have made the semifinal game. Have to win at home!

          • It’s always tough to win on the road, especially when you lose your best playmaker….just ask UCLA how difficult it is to win on the road…we’re still one more strong recruiting class away from being a Top 25 team….

        • Man you are so right. McLaughlin is a useless point guard. Jacobs being out in the 2nd half cost them the game for sure. Enfield stands there with no idea what to do in those situations.

  3. I’m glad somebody actually gets it, because the football program is only going to be as good as it’s assistant coaches, and year after year since Pete Carroll’s last days, USC has failed in that department. SC has been struggling with leadership, direction , and player development over the last 5 years, and all of that has to do with coaching. Lane Kiffen, and Steve Sarkisian hauled in the talent, but had no idea what to do with it .

    • We need more offensive and defensive line emphasis. Always have quality skilled players. How about some big physical offensive and defensive lineman . We lack in that dept

      • And that’s been a issue for the last 5 years, and Pete Carroll actually admitted to lacking off in that department prior to leaving USC, and Lane Kiffen missed on several lineman, so now the problem is glaring.

      • It’s one thing to recruit them and another to hire the assistant coaches to develop them beyond their high school skill level.

    • Coach Harvey Hyde was very very hard on Helton’s lack of securing a quality assistant this a.m. on KSPN 710 AM. The inference is the long ugly lonely road that awaits us due to Helton’s lack of self-confidence were he to hire a quality assistant.

      • USC’s gonna be in for a rough year next season. Brutal schedule, mediocre team and coaches. Isn’t that pretty obvious to all?

        • Yeah it is but, legitamate or not, the sense is that Helton isn’t finding the right personnel that other teams are even with the salary USC has available for new hires.

          • He’s doing the exact same thing Steve Sarkisian did, but if he’s expecting different results, then he is delusional.

          • USC is officially a mediocre program with a big-time name. Plaschke told us to hire Helton so we did and have been getting killed ever since. Only good thing is that the players don’t have to practice much anymore. No wonder they love Helton.

            Gonna be a long 2016 season. Will lost to Alabama by a minimum of 3 scores just to get started.

          • What’s even more galling is if, as has been suggested and it certainly looks that way, the hire was by Nikias. I don’t blame Nikias but I do blame Haden for either not having the cajones to make the decision or if unwilling to – to do the right thing and step down and allow a new athletic director to make a strong move rather than the evolving gutlessness or unwillingness by Haden to ‘play the man’.

            Plaschke is just the sports version, as all sports columnists are. of a political pundit on cable – able to run his mouth because he has a steady income and doesn’t have to deal with the consequences if his ideas tank.

          • I’ve heard Nikias made the hire too. At USC, it’s not about winning big in football anymore. It’s about money and playing it safe, which will eventually lead to a lot more lost revenue.

            Haden started out by saying we were going to win the right way. He doesn’t talk like that anymore because it blew up in his face. Then he said Notre Dame was the only true brand in college football. That didn’t work either. Then he hired Sark, let Nikias hire Helton and now we’ve officially been neutered.

            So, it’s really sad at USC nowadays? You ain’t seen nothing yet.

          • You have to wonder Jack how long it will be before Haden is forced out regardless of Nikias’ backing. Athletic departments run on contributions and it should be very telling what the atmosphere is like at the first on Helton attends – how the guests see him and assess him – that will bring a change faster than anything. In addition the ex-players that have already been pretty vocal about the mess at Heritage Hall.

            I think a first step ought to be JK McKay leaving i.e. guy reminds me of Art Fiwler who followed Billy Martin wherever he went 9NYY, MN, OAK, TX) as his pitching coach or more recently Mickey Hatcher hanging onto Mike Scoscia – still unemployed 3 years later.

            I think Haden needs someone other than an ‘old freind’ as his second in command – maybe get a reality check of what looking in the mirror really means.

          • Both Haden and McKay should be gone. The AD gig is just a lot tougher than either envisioned. Lambs to the slaughter.

            Maybe the university is changing away from the strong football orientation we’ve always had. Nikias has his own agenda for fundraising purposes and it doesn’t include dealing with embarrassing football incidents. He has no idea what big programs do to ensure they stay at the top – or get back up there. Hence Helton, our new less-than-powerful leader.

          • Yeah you may well be on to something i.e. the USC brand moving forward in the 21st century is that of academics and football had better understand that.

            You know ‘maybe’ this works – Helton but he just comes across too much as a ‘pleaser’ to all he meets.

            Yeah re. the Bobsey Twins – time to leave and take their ‘golden lives’ with them – smooth for them both and it’s time, esp. for Haden to get some very hard chin music on how tough life can be – a fact many many billions have found out a long long time ago.

          • I was told when Haden first came in that would happen and I didn’t believe it was possible for a former Trojan football star to betray the program.

          • Haden was on the Board of Trustees at the time a search was conducted to replace Steven Sample. Haden pushed for Nikias to be appointed as the next USC President and then Nikias pushed for Haden to be hired as Athletic Director, at the annual salary of $2.5 million, plus benefits and bonus.

          • I have no beef with Nikias – what Haden has transformed into is comical and pathetic. He had absolutely no ambition to do the hard work and secure a solid head coach –

            That’s because Haden has no true idea of what really hard work is – it is working 16+ hrs. a day for weeks to produce a change that no one around claims is possible.

            That is what this job entailed – not a quick hire of a reclamation project because one thought “…oh man how cool would that be huh??? I’d be a hero forever!!!”

            Hard work is work that is done alone – a leader is one that has a vision not someone who was angered that Sarkisiamn had the temerity to be what Sarkisian will always be – a drunk.

            If Haden chose Helton why isn’t that common knowledge – it isn’t because, as of 4th January 2016, it is highly unlikely Haden has the stones to publicly admit he made the choice. Haden doesn’t want any responsibility anymore – I get that – good ok – fine then resign as AD and focus on the far easier job liasoning with architects and clubby wealthy donors primed to purchase luxury suites.

          • J.K. McKay was hired to act as Lane Kiffin’s babysitter when Kiffin was brought on board. Kiffin is gone, and the question remains – why is J.K. McKay still walking around campus and getting paid to do nothing ? Haden and McKay are just money bloodsuckers. I will not give another dime to SC until these idiots (and Max Nikias) are gone.

          • Nikias is worthless as well and should be shipped back to Greece. Wasn’t there at least a few members on the Board of Trustees who still care about SC football who could have demanded Haden be relieved of the duties of hiring the present coach. Tom Herman was sitting out there ready to be taken had SC only asked. Just incredible bungling of this.

          • The USC Athletic Department gang all suffer from “Affluenza.” Spoiled brats lining their pockets with our contributions and season ticket sales.

          • I remember back in 2001, bill plaschke called Los Angeles a “bruin Town.” I cannot count how many times bill plaschke has made a bold prediction, and come out totally wrong. The guy is a clown! If clay Helton weren’t such a nice guy then I seriously doubt plaschke would have endorsed him. Being media friendly has its merits!

          • Yep. Plashke is a f’ing idiot. He was the one who led the charge giving Sark credit for Pete Carroll’s wins. “Sark was 39-3 as USC OC”….lol…first time ever a non head coach got credit for W/L.

          • Plaschke is all about defending the media friendly people. One good quality sarkisian had, was that he was very engaging to the media. Plaschke hates the Kirk gibson’s of the world, who hated the media, and loves the Clay helton’s.

          • …And if, by some miracle, we lose by just one score, everybody will take it as a sign of big things to come —which it won’t be.

        • If Clay Helton really valued his job, then he would have hired the best coordinators available, and let them bring their position coaches.

      • Exactly, and Clay Helton’s insecurities are glaring, and more then likely will affect his future.

    • All of it has to do with Pat Haden, the Athletic Director. He has turned SC into Duke.

      • I wish we could be at Duke’s present level. They are better than us now and their coach is far better.

  4. WA just defeated us 87-85 – Davis out with ankle injury – we had a 22 pt lead w. 14+ to go. Tough loss

    • Jacobs, not Davis. This loss aside, they can’t be this much worse without him on the floor.

    • Brutal loss. Completely dominant first 25 minutes. Tough to call it a learning experience when U-dub had no business being on the floor with the Trojans – it was that stark. Hopefully they do gain something from the experience.

      • Not sure about that assessment.UW pretty athletic where it went wrong is our failure to take the ball constantly inside.with our size and ability we showed to beat them off the dribble. That UW team with the two additions they have coming next year could be a force to reckon with. Uw just as good as us right now , just young

    • Jacobs is out with the Ankle injury. Tough loss. We were dominating that team until he went down. We’re the better team. And we’ll show UW that next time. Jacobs makes our team go. Plain and simple.

  5. For the Record. Petros wanted Kyle Wittingham or Clay Helton to be our coach. As far as his interview goes, for once I agree with EVERYTHING he spoke on. And it would be great if someone could E-Mail that video to Pat Haden. Seriously, thank you to Petros for telling it like it is. Loud and clear!

    • Since we hired Helton, Petros should be happy with Haden, no? What am I missing here?

      • True. I think after he got canned as the Trojans Basketball PA guy, Haden es no Bueno to Petros anymore.

        • He (Petros) brought that totally on himself – he’s gone far very fast for a guy his age and has little idea of what a struggle life is for so many in his profession that would die to have the gigs he has.

  6. I haven’t been on this blog for awhile so I don’t know if anyone has pointed this out: Why did USC fire all those assistant coaches before the bowl game? Why didn’t they wait until after the bowl game to let them go? I just didn’t understand that. Complete incompetence, by whoever is in charge!

  7. Petros and his father so full of themselves…Petros was a walk-on at SC after he realized he couldn’t play at CAL…and the past ten years or so has marketed himself as Captian of the USC Football team…if his ratings were 1/100th of his ego he’d be syndicated. Go away Petros and take your Dad with ya !!!

    • The funny part is, Petros was named a captain as kind of a joke. People cheered (myself included) during garbage time when Petros might get a carry on offense.

      Those were the days when USC had such a good team that they could afford to have a plucky comic relief. Speaking of which, here are the top movie candidates for plucky comic relief:

      7. Kronk – Emperor’s New Groove
      6. Mongo – Blazing Saddles
      5. Brick Tamland – Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy / Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues
      4. Harpo Marx – Any Marx Brothers Film
      3. Jay and Silent Bob – Clerks / Mallrats / Chasing Amy / Dogma / Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back / Clerks II
      2. Alan – The Hangover / The Hangover: Part II / The Hangover: Part III
      1. Donkey – Shrek 1 – 4

      • Sorry Helen, but Mongo will always be #1. Alex Karras was actually a real football player as well.

      • Petos was a Trojan FB player and is currently employed in the lucrative Radio and TV industry.

        Helen on the other hand, currently acts the fool on inside Bozo U.

        • I can’t wait for Helen’s new predictions for 2016 after her stellar 2015 prognostications on Bryce Dixon, Chris Petersen and Ricky Town.

    • uh, he WAS Captain and voted Most Inspirational Player!! and he is 16th no the career TD list for the school!!

      consequently, i’d say his word carries more weight than any of you Rummys on this blog!!!

      #NotTooShabby

      • Hey Everyone, we just flushed out Charlie Bucket aka Petros Wish I had Skillz Popanococka

        • Crotch Boy Bucket loves PP and Wolfie. Always has. Birds of a feather.

          As Helen said, PP was more of a joke captain than anything. Anybody who ever saw him run couldn’t stop thinking of molasses.

          • Difference betwixt Petros and Stinkman: PP has has a valid point.

            Stinkman is a furious Bozo fan blowhard,

          • Beg to differ. Petros represents a low point in Trojan football history but he had speed. Hue Jackson said he was the second fastest guy on the team.

          • Funny you say that. I heard his old man, John, say on his show that Petros ran the fastest forty on the team, faster than Sultan McCullough. I found my self actually laughing out loud at sports radio.

            I saw Petros run many times. I’d call him a decent, solid short yardage back, because the dude was definitely caught from behind more than once. Probably the slowest RB in USC history, after Sunny Byrd. Not evasive in the least.

            It Hue really said and thought Petros was that fast, he was either lying or trying to impress his pops. I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt.

          • Petros only became a short yardage back after a severe injury and that is what he is remembered as. Before that he had some serious wheels. He broke one against Cal that got called back but he showed break away speed.
            I’m not trying to make him into something he wasn’t but at one time he had speed.

      • Be nice Charlie. its not the fault of USC fans that some have certain behavioral problems. There is a reason USC has the nickname of “University of Spoiled Children”. They exhibit behavioral problems from overindulgence by their rich parents. Not their fault.

        • i saw a promo on TV….a new OJ Simpson drama is coming out. John Travolta is playing Shapiro, i think Cuba Gooding is OJ….

          OJ is truly the Face of Clown College….love that even MORE humiliation is being heaped on the Dummies!!!

          #MustSeeTV

    • Would that be like USC fans who are full of themselves in thinking Clay Helton is going to return the team to success? Petros is staying…take that Internet trolls!

    • From Wikipedia re Petros Papadakis: Didn’t know he was a ucla reject. All the little gutties love the fatty now:

      Petros planned to play football for the UCLA Bruins, but the Bruins lost interest in recruiting him and canceled his visit to campus.

      Papadakis started his College Career at the University of California, Berkeley. He left the Cal Fall football training camp, undetected, in the middle of the night and hitchhiked back to Los Angeles after being homesick after one week.

    • John Papadakis is more a Trojan than you two clowns are or will ever be. You know nothing about Petros on the football field. That handle of yours is childish like you are the only two that have a vested interest in USC. You know anything about the other athletic programs either men or women?

      • you really like ball washing those Papacockas !!!
        I played at SC FYI and well as another Top 10 program.

      • just because we utilize ghost protocol…..doesn’t mean we don’t have an important voice….Seriously….does the CIA tell us their every move?

      • Chuckie – How many Cadre members does it take to screw in a light bulb?

        Answer: I don’t know – they haven’t figured out how to do that yet.

        #Cruisin’ForABruin

    • Petros has a daily radio show, Hillary. You, on the other hand, don’t. Nobody cares what you think or say except for comic relief.

      • … says the moron who reads every one of my posts and feels compelled to provide a moronic retort.

  8. What is going on at USC is disgusting. This is not going to get any better. If Helton has a sister, she will be the next hire. Nikias and Haden will love it.

  9. AUUUUU-WOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

    TESTIFY, Petros!!!

    getting DOWN, to the SOUNDS!!!!

    oh i FORGOT, Petros and wolfman are the two CRAZY gueys!!!
    (for saying how it IS!!)

    HAWR-HAAAAAWR!!!!

    #ClownCollegeExposed

  10. I predicted 3 loses for the Trojans, but they lose 4. So I’m predicting 5 loses next season, so we chall see what happens.

    • I predict USC upsets an Alabama team who will lose everybody. Somehow we win. BUT…

      I think we’ll lose 4-5 games.

      • Very bold prediction, Sam —why do I have a sneaking feeling you could be right?

      • That’s improvement over this year so Helton will get a contract extension from Haden.

      • I meant regular season, and if they didn’t play two cupcakes in the beginning of the season , they probably would have lost two more.

  11. As I write this 19 people have replied to SW’s post. Not a very large #, considering the size of the Trojan fan base. Raises the question, how hot is the heat on Haden? How deep is the unhappiness with Helton?Generally speaking , people with a complaint will be more likely to voice their concern than those that are happy or neutral. Would be interested to know what the volume of emails to HH is and how many are supportive versus negative. One thing I am certain of is that no one on this blog has any verifiable, credible first hand knowledge of what is happening at HH.

    • Petros used to be an insufferable homer when he started in broadcasting….but when he started calling it like he saw it, he took off on Radio and TV. he also worked very hard to improve his diction a great deal and now has an utterly entertaining shtick.

      Petros and wolfman are the Bird and Magic of LA sports journalism.

      #UltimateTruthers

  12. I don’t think that I could agree anymore with what JP said. If PC had a fault, it was that he did really push out a lot of good coaches and then replaced them(in his later years at SC) with assistants or other guys that he brought in that couldn’t coach but he felt that he could work with. CH might work out great but it wasn’t what they needed. USC football is in a great period of instability. They’ve had 4 HC’s in the last 6 years. Who wants to come to a program like that whether it be assistants or recruits. The number one thing that they need to do is re-establish stability in that program. You don’t do that by hiring another question mark. They needed to hire a well known proven winner. The name alone would establish some stability. Assistants and recruits would be thinking “this guy has won everywhere he has gone….how could he not win with all the talent SC has?” People would be thinking “this guy is going to be there for awhile”. Right now there are a lot of people saying(particularly, the recruiters from other schools) “this guy will be there for 2 more years and then he will be gone too”. A good AD would have understood that. PH is incompetent. If you want to protect his reputation just say that for the sake of his health, SC is giving him a job as a fund raiser. He’s good at that. But he’s a terrible AD. He’s the highest paid AD in football and yet he’s not doing the job. As I have said before, if SC goes 8-5 next year(and that’s very possible considering their tough schedule) the fans and alumni and boosters are going to be crying for Clays head. That’s just going to bring more instability and he will have a very tough time recruiting for 2017.

  13. Petros is so well spoken, analytical and objective. He is a southern cal grad as well! Why can’t southern cal reproduce likes of petros and wolf?

    #AllhailWolfandPapadakis

  14. This disaster has been brought to you by the Domer loving traitor known as Patrick Benedict Haden who is trying to de-emphasize football at SC. This disgrace of an AD has made 3 terrible hires in a row. No one is stupid enough to do that. This is purposeful. Haden always wanted us to be Stanford but the problem is it looks like Stanford pre-Harbaugh. Helton, nice guy and all, has no business being head coach at SC. Would any other Power 5 school hire him? The answer is no. SC should not be training ground for new coaches. Under Helton the SC offense is a mess and has regressed since the ND game. He doesn’t know what he is doing. This has all the makings of a losing season next year thanks to Haden.

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