First Practice Is Over

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USC held a lighter-than-normal first practice today. With an extra week of practice time thanks to the NCAA rules, it’s not unusual to ease into things. There was a bit of news: Cornerback Jonathan Lockett is going to have hip surgery and is out indefinitely.

On the field, Clay Helton was pleased with the how last year’s freshmen looked, such as defensive linemen Oluwole Betiku and Connor Murphy. Sam Darnold had a deep pass intercepted by Jack Jones. But I’m not going to count it because Darnold just lofted it up in a playful manner. It’s called complete job security.

Helton said he would not decide if Matt Fink or Jack Sears is the backup quarterback until the conclusion of the 18 camp practices.

125 thoughts on “First Practice Is Over”

  1. Will SC be able to stay in the NCAA if California secedes from the union? The Sacramento Bee reports that Democrat Attorney General Xavier Becerra has granted representatives from CalExit the authorization to put a referendum about California seceding from the United States on the 2018 ballot.

    • Sweet esp. when they have to pay for their own ‘defense’ and the feds pull all the hardware out (aircraft, vessels, motorized).

      The state flag says it all – a ‘bear’ and a red star – russkies!

      • What happens when the bases shut down? Cannot believe that Mexico will annex California and never fired a shot.

        • That is funny – they get ‘alta California’ back and everyone is happy – not!

          • Wait till they get the tax bill for the homeless alone in this state, schools, I don’t know how they’ll support us?!!?!?

          • I’m gonna’ move out to ‘Berdoo up near Verdemont and watch the meth labs explode down in Alberhill.

          • First pump em’ up with how the libs stole it all and then give em’ detailed road maps to Beverly Hills, WEHO, Malibu, Santa Monica, Bel Air Tech, Westwood, Encino, Toluca Lake, Hancock Park the whole enchilada.

            I’ll be watchin’ all the engines overheating heading for El Cajon pass and points northeast – hi yo silver away!

          • It starts with voting for a new Republican Governor to reverse all the junk Moonbeam has done! Otherwise, it gets worse!

          • You got that right! They all live in SoCal. I’m sure Mom wants him near.

          • I mean really Duke, TUCSON, or the media capital of the world? Hmmm. Mo Money!

          • I wonder if he knows that he would immediately become the best player in our programs history and arguably the best player in the confrence since Westbrook, Harden, and DeRozan.

          • I’m sure he does, obvious to everyone as our basketball history is what you might call a little thin…

          • It’s very quiet on MBIII. He’s definitely reclassifying to 2017! Not even Nick Young is talking!

          • I went through moon beam the first time, I was there when he took that moniker. I thought then, no one could ever be so silly as to elect such a failure. But alas, I, as my wife will corroborate, am as wrong as I will always be. Maybe a third time will be our charm.

          • No more Moonbeam!!!!
            We need a real Republican Governor in CA to throw out ALL of the illegals! All of them! Reverse the .12 gas tax hike and get rid of the idea of being a sanctuary state!

          • I haven’t looked at a dictionary for years, as a matter of fact, many of the words, technology, and certainly the idioms I use today aren’t in those books. But there was a time sanctuary meant a holy place. Not sure sanctuary means the same thing now.

          • Sanctuary means a “safe haven” now. Like a safe space. My tax dollars need to stop supporting all of these illegals! The laws they break are the same laws I as an American would get punished!

          • We took Lil Romeo so we could get DeRozan. It happens. And the Bagley’s have skills.

          • So what do you think. Let’s say Marvin is cleared to play this season. Do you think we will end up with him shocking Duke for The Trojans?????

          • Yes! SC will shock the COLLEGE BASKETBALL WORLD! ✌️✌✌
            MBIII needs to speed things up! School starts soon! CAE needs to be ready to tell someone he will be gray shirted in order to make room for MBIII!

          • That’s a good point. I dont know why he’s even gonna keep Ucla around. He’s a Nike SuperDuperFreak. You see his brother had on the 11’s in the picture. There’s NO WAY that Marvin Bagley will wear Under Armour. Yep! The difference in baskteball shoes and apparel is important to this kid.
            NIKE IS KING IN BASKETBALL!!!!!!!!!!

          • His family sticks together. If they all don’t show up at Btech, then you have your answer! Lavar won’t like it b/c that means his fat kid will get benched!
            Apparel is important, but the chemistry has to click! It clicks at SC! ✌️

          • I just cant see him at Arizona either. Trier is the man right now for them, and he doesnt want to share top freshman billing with Ayton. He’s already the #1 Overall pick in the NBA Draft. He would forever be known as the face of USC Basketball if decides to be a Trojan. We are well represented in the NBA right now. As for legacy status he’ll be the greatest player that the University has ever had and that could be appealing to him.

          • You are right on all points! No shared billing! Instant media fame! The media and paparazzi would live on campus!

          • Seriously. It’s the perfect storm for our program who is just starting to break out and not even peeking, but all that spotlight stuff and USC being a contender is happening.

          • CAE will close the deal….if he hasn’t already! I’m hearing nothing! NOTHING!
            If it was bad news, it would’ve leaked by now!

          • That’s probably good for us. If I was a Duke fan I’d definitely be aware of Andy Enfield and USC. I don’t have twitter, but USCHoopsCom side twitter column on their website usually had good 411. I couldn’t help but notice there’s been more “Andy Enfield and USC were in the first row” tweets than ever. We’re growing our rep!

          • I have Twitter—-yes I see those tweets you state, but nothing more. I check everyone’s Twitter! It’s very quiet regarding MBIII. Very quiet!

          • I believe you’re right!

            Side note—too bad about Boormeester!
            I’m sure he’ll sue! And WIN! His gf said it repeatedly she was not abused!

          • That’s some sh*t you don’t do to a person. The females are just as bad as the athletes. I hope it works out for him. I’m glad he was making the right decisions the whole time and his name can continue to stand tall!

          • It will work out for him in the long run….he can continue training. He’ll find a judge that will push to reinstate him. SC will comply. I think that’s all he wants. Same as Bryce Dixon—before all the junk started coming out. We know how that turned out. Don’t believe Boormeester is a hood rat.

          • Check out Joseph Lewis. New post on site.
            Oh sh*t! He’s YUGE!!!

          • Just received tweet—-Zagoria—he must be close to someone in the Bagley camp! MBIII is at Btech as of Monday. Don’t know if his entire family is there. He took AZ off his visits! Hee Hee!!I still say he will be a Trojan!

          • The last few months Arizona has faded in being a threat to sign him. That’s good news. I hope he ends it soon.

          • Btech is his last visit. He’s not an UA guy!

            ALL NIKE!!!!! As soon as I get more tweets, I’ll pass them on!

          • Andy what’s the word?
            Kentucky writer for SBNation predicted Bagley goes to USC. He’s gotta pick any day now right if SC starts class in a couple of weeks right?

          • I have a strong feeling he would have a star studded freshman season leaving a big bright foot print on the program. I think he’ll be a star in the NBA also.

          • It’s all about money! I’m sure Trump had his hand in that! Moonbeam would receive money for his project if he’d just get rid of all the illegal aliens! Play by Trumps rules!

          • Garry Trudeau, the far left kook cartoonist who writes Doonesbury, gave him that nickname 40 years ago when Governor Moonbeam was our Governor the first time.

          • Yup, it was well earned. Poor, poor pitiful me. And his female counterpart Linda R.

      • I have very few kind thoughts about the current administration in D.C., and I think many of you will be quite surprised at the breadth of lawlessness that comes out of the Mueller investigation.

        To raise secession is hardly the answer!

          • IMO, Hillary’s heart is kinder, but she, too, is so invested in how we currently finance elections. Plus, she’s an INTJ, and that sort of personality is very unlikely to be the first woman president.

          • She’s what you are – a fraud but she’s also a megalomaniac a real witch out of #3)). As they said on Greg Gutfeld’s Show last night her book should have been titled “Weiner $cr3w3ed Her”

            Come on out lover of woodie – you know you do – carry the light for the sweetest con ever – the peckerhead

          • You mean John Wooden? He was great. John McKay was great. PC was great.

            I already said that.

          • Hillary was so kind to all those women her husband raped, fondled and sexually harrassed with her Bimbo Eruption Squad.

          • I don’t doubt that Bill and the Donald would be scandalous on tape, discussing women.

          • Thus far, I have never posted here except with this login, and I’ve used it for a fair time. I didn’t attend UCLA, or USC, but I grew up following McKay’s teams and Wooden’s teams. I root for excellence, not teams or schools.

            I didn’t follow politics more than casually until the very surprising result last election day. If you’re familiar with Plato’s critique of democracy, I found it decisive. Sadly, philosopher-kings/queens aren’t the answer. Who guards the guardians?

            I didn’t think much of Obama as a President. I had understood that election finance reform was an important plank of his 2008 campaign. A lot of Americans were furious in 2008, and he wasted that anger, by directing most of his energy to (1) killing the electoral college, and (2) elevating election finance to the primary position it deserves.

            Regardng the Elect. College, if we’re going to even attempt democracy, the popular-vote winner should take office. Period. This ain’t 1789. The EC is an absurd anachronism.

            Re election finance, I offer a quote from an appellate judge appointed by Ronald Reagan: “The real corruption is the ownership of Congress by the rich.” Neither that judge nor I share Bernie Sanders’s POV. I don’t think Bernie knows anything about the problems of operating a business. Yes, regulation is needed, because we’re all selfish and self-interested, but it must be effective regulation, and most of what we have now is ill-thought-out, and then never revised/corrected for its problems. (P.S.: humans ARE causing climate change; only non-scientists any longer dispute that. Please direct me to ONE paper, in any respectable scientific journal, in any language, that disputes that.)

            In one sentence, Plato summed up my feelings about our elected officials, and my unfortunate, shameful role in that:

            “One of the penalties for refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors.”

            So there it is, Alvarado. You needn’t reply, for reasons that should be apparent.

          • The results of the last election are EXACTLY why the electoral college was instituted. A handful of voters in two states should not elect the president. It’s not going anywhere nor should it.

          • We are talking about the “national” popular vote winner, are we not? What is this rubbish about a handful of voters in two states?

          • No boyo you are ’88 straight’ it matters not how much you deny – it is you truly you.

            You gave yourself away with your musings about your man crush on jackie b – you did that repeatedly in the past – hug him.

            As to your political musings – well I give you the State of CA in 2017 – a one party state controlled by the ever increasing militant progressive left.

            You know noting about history conflating removal of the electoral college and 1789. The electoral college purpose is to prevent mob rule in major cities (blue dem controlled cities) i.e. 1789.

            You want ‘election finance reform’ (password for rigged for the elite left) abolish all SEIU and other corrupt govt or private industry worker unions from giving a dime to any politician Can’t have that can we because the govt. unions are the largest block of union members in the USA and they always always vote left – demokratiche left.

            Go worship woodie and bel-air tech

          • As I said, the elect. college is an anachronism, period. Which two states do you refer to? CA and NY, or PA and OH, or FL and TX? You make no sense.

            And election-finance reform remains a necessary prereq. to any legitimate democracy. It’s a tough sell, I agree, because the incumbents of both parties are invested in the current system. Therein lies the real obstacle.

            But, you cave dwellers may be right that no change in election finance will come. I certainly hope you’re wrong. If you’re not, I suspect that your kids and grandkids will live in place a little like Mexico, or many countries of that kind. Those masses with the skills for the new economy–they WILL go to the gun; ignore that at your peril.

          • Elect finance reform should be even handed. It’s meant to sever the success and wellbeing of elected officials from excessive connection to large donors, from whatever stripe, unions or businesses, Soros or Koch, Mercer or his Dem. partner Simons. It’s a bad thing no matter who the big donors are.

          • Hanging chads, popular vote, all I see is one side who declares a mis-vote, and cry for months after. The party and their former candidate can’t even agree where the blame goes.
            As far as the electoral college goes, please, really.
            And campaign finance reform, only if it doesn’t effect their union coffers, hmm..

            Truly dedicated to equality, long as they’re more equal than the rest.

          • Trump is trivial to me. Popular vote is not. Campaign finance reform is not. And no, I see the Dems and the Pubs as much the same.

          • Which point do you dispute:

            (1) Too much inequality undermines the health of a democracy?

            (2) The way we now conduct democracy is not working well, and we need to tinker and experiment with new ideas?

            To quote my contentions, then to label them “lib crap” does not constitute a reasoned argument. Argue your position, as would an Adams, or Franklin, or Hamilton, or Jefferson.

            You attended college, right? Your labels got by as essays at USC? I doubt that. I have two friends who used to teach there, and they wouldn’t pass you for mere labeling. Let’s hear YOUR assumptions and inferences therefrom.

            I’m the type who can reverse on a dime–if you have the logic to show me I’m wrong.

          • A president can’t change the electoral college. It would take a constitutional convention. The idea was to quell mob rule and give the ENTIRE nation a voice. We live in a republic and democracy is just a part of that. Crying like the left has been doing will never change it.

          • Of course he can’t. But he can focus on that and on election-finance reform as THE foremost problems, as opposed to tackling healthcare, which is a legit issue for debate, but less important than the other two, given that 70%+ of Americans WERE insured in 2008, was not an equivalent problem.

            A bunch of states have passed the popular vote compact, and it’s in committee right now in Ohio and PA and NC and GA and elsewhere.

            And the Dems–still too clueless to bring every Trump gaff back to that one issue, that would change so many things going forward.

            A republic is no more than a country in which the rulers do not inherit power. Get out your dictionary, then explain what YOU mean when you use that word. It had meaning to Ben Franklin, when it was all kings and queens, but now it’s an anachronism. Don’t let the dead busy the living.

            The entire nation Should get a voice, and each citizen’s vote should count the same. Moreover, I predict that the voting rate would ascend 10% or more, if everyone’s vote really counted?

            There was no need for you to vote in CA, was there? You could not change the outcome of the electoral college here, nor of a Senatorial race. I don’t know where you live, Steve, but perhaps you couldn’t even impact any outcome in a Congressional election either (probably not, given rampant gerrymandering–by BOTH parties).

            Similarly, there would have been no need for me to vote in California either. It was a done deal. If either of us had lived in Texas in November, no need to vote there, either, right? Opposite outcome, but same reasoning.

            And therefore, a bunch of people don’t and didn’t vote, and our turnout is pathetic among Western democracies.

            Mr. Republic Man, is that turnout problem a good thing, or a bad thing? Does it say anything about our republic?

        • I think many of you liberals will be quite surprised at the breath of lawlessness that comes out of the Debbie Wasserman Schultz investigation. Hello Democrat congressional espionage ring and endless corruption and who knows what else.

          • Marv, see my comments below. The Dems are no different.

            Richard Posner: “The real corruption is the ownership of Congress by the rich.”

            Who appointed that leftest Posner, you ask? Oh, Ronald Reagan.

            You see only the shadows in the cave, Marv, and I guess it would make you too uncomfortable to step into the light. Plato had you pegged 2500 years ago. I guess he was Hall of Fame smart, huh?

        • Ben, been a while but still nothing. When they ever find something it will be blown way out of proportion. But I am sure you will believe every word of it.

          • Steve, in an investigation of this kind, “a while” is a lot longer than this. Have you noticed that Trump’s getting zero done has not affected his core supporters (and you, apparently), but there are stirrings within the Republican Congress. Flake, for instance. The big donors wanted an agenda, and Trump simply cannot deliver it.

            My prediction: probably before yearend, 4-6 Repubs. from the Hill will visit the Donald in the WH, and explain that the party leadership will not oppose impeachment, and ask him to resign.

            Everyone was counting on healthcare savings to finance the tax cuts for the wealthy and the infrastructure program. So, now, how do you finance those without a yawning deficit, given that we’re not far from full employment?

            Midterms are next year.

            What is your prediction, Steve?

      • Not only that, CA will have to pay for all of the roads that are being used as inter state highways. CA will never leave the US.

    • Interesting notion. I had thought that the Civil War was fought to establish that states cannot simply drop in and out of the Union. I guess that 700,000 American deaths were not enough, huh?

      See what Jack B thinks. He knows his law.

      • You liberals are funny funny funny but since you now control our once great state you are no laughing matter.

    • NCAA will have to go international. For Jerry Brown to be in a different country would be a dream come true.

  2. Brandon Pili freshman DT from Alaska, 6’3 230 lb, has video of himself dunking basketball on twitter. Oooowieee! Hope he can tackle.

  3. Bama player busted for dui? Will he play in opener? Come on, it’s ok for everyone but us!!!

    • Cam Robinson had a gun and the sitcky-icky, but Saban told Finebaum that he is not gonna punish his player because Louisiana State police were provoking the incident. Sure!!!!!!!

      • I thought it was unregistered, couldn’t prove possession…much better not to have it registered,right?

        • Saban went all in on Finebaum. But he tried to turn this into an attack against his players from Louisiana police. Just hearing Gun next to an Alabama player should have been enough.

          • Wasn’t the judge the one talking about air conditioning, and how the poor players had to work in such harsh conditions?

  4. “Helton said he would not decide if Matt Fink or Jack Sears is the backup quarterback until the conclusion of the 18 camp practices.”

    Last year Gomer started Max Browne, and said he could not see much difference between Browne and Darnold.

    What did Gomer’s brilliant decision cost the Trojans last year?

  5. how do they wait on locket and hip surgery until now…no clue of problem until now? he seemed like a key defense back…

  6. His size and strength iis impressive. Wole Betiku has so much potential to be a dominant pass rusher. I think hes gonna get plenty of chances to be on the field. I hope he takes a big step from last year to now. And Murphy has it in his blood.

    • USC is preparing to flip a Ucla commit who said he is all in at Ucla! #steele

      • I seen the headlines a few days ago. He wants to be a Trojan. Just like Darnay Holmes and Jalen Phillips (according to Hunter Echols). They spilled the beans at the Army practices. In Echols interview with Scott Schrader he said Phillips was gonna be a Trojan if Holmes were a Trojan. There’s gonna be more.

        • I figure.. Why play for last place when you can play for Rose Bowls and potential NCs.

          • It’s an easy decision. A no brainer to put it another way. Strong family bloodlines is the only thing that kept Phillips from flipping.

  7. I would think Fink knows the system, knows the coaches, knows the players and would get the nod before putting in Sears.

    • Game 2 or game 5 or game 8–that may be decisive. Fink’s been here, he has improved, he knows more. But unless Fink gets a lot of productive mop-up time preceding a hypothetical injury to Sam D., Sears will probably close the gap between the two.

      Consider: Sam was being touted when he worked the scout teams. Has Fink been touted in that way? My impression is that Fink isn’t a natural passer. Am I wrong about that?

  8. Scooter, you did not mention the wide receivers and how well they did on Saturday. I guess there was nothing negative to write about them, so you didn’t.

        • My heart can’t take this rollercoaster anymore. I know you heard what that guy said at the other side when he went to campus for his lady’s class and he said he ran into Enfield so he shouted after he got of the phone and makes him if Bailey was coming and CAE winked at him and said we’re trying. That could mean just that. I’m not trying to be negative because we came this far, but I guess Enfield and his staff will never pull a player’s ride which is admirable. Ucla is only in the picture because we aren’t sure about a ride being available. This is Jesus Shuttlesworth-ish. At least we know where wants to be✌✌✌

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