May 2007 Archives

Rumor is that USC super lawyer Carmen Trutanich is representing safety Josh Pinkard following his arrest for suspicion of driving under the influence. Look for it to become official tomorrow.

As we already reported last night, linebacker Rey Maualuga's case was officially dismissed today by the City Attorney.

Ineligible defensive tackle Chris Barrett is trying to decide what to do next and is considering the NFL supplemental draft, Canadian Football League and NFL Europe as possible options.
Barrett could also transfer but that seems less preferable.

Scott Mahoney, the step-father of USC linebacker Kaluka Maiava, called to say that a group of girls involved in the large altercation against Maiava's little brother apologized at school Wednesday for their actions.
Kaluka Maiava got hit from the side while removing his brother from the altercation, Scott Mahoney said.
``It's pretty much over,'' Mahoney said. ``If Kaluka didn't go to USC no one would even mention him.''

USC linebacker Kaluka Maiava was injured trying to pull his brother out of an altercation, according to his step-father. Plus some news on Rey Maualuga.
http://www.dailynews.com/sports/ci_6025271

We hear wide receiver Mike Williams looked much better than expected in workouts although he's also been slowed by a hamstring injury.

USC might have about 10 tailbacks but if you read the previous post, the Vegas oddsmakers list C.J. Gable (not Chauncey Washington, Allen Bradford, Hershel Dennis, Joe McKnight) as the Trojan tailback with a chance to win the Heisman.
And we all know how Vegas always has inside information.

Looks like John David Booty and West Virginia tailback Steve Slaton are co-favorites to win the Heisman Trophy according to the current Football Futures odds.
But look at what other Trojan is drawing bets for the nation's top award.

The things we do for you readers.
It's official: Quarterback Mitch Mustain will not, I repeat, will not wear No. 13 next season.
USC coach Pete Carroll said he was unaware anyone gave Mustain the same number as tailback Stafon Johnson even though Mustain is listed as No. 13 on the team roster (let's see how long that stays online).
``I clear all number requests,'' Carroll said. ``We've never even talked about what number he would wear. I asked if anyone knew about it today. It won't be 13.''
If Jim Healy were around, this is where you might hear, ``Who goofed? I've got to know.''

Questions, questions, questions:

USC coach Pete Carroll said early this evening that safety Josh Pinkard got pulled over and was arrested for suspicion of driving under the influence earlier this month. Pinkard's status on the team remains unchanged. His July 24 hearing is about a week before USC players report to training camp.

It might seem like basketball usually gets overshadowed by stories like Gabe Pruitt being ineligible or how it might affect USC's APR next year, but sometimes there are feel-good moments. Guard Lodrick Stewart presented Coach Tim Floyd with a certificate thanking him for ``the best two years of basketball in his life.''
Stewart said he gave Floyd the certificate after the season to show how much he appreciated what Floyd did for his career, which stalled the first two years and really didn't kick into gear until his senior season.

USC's got the money to install ``ribbon boards'' on each side of the concourse. Ribbon boards are the thin scoreboards that are used for graphics or give scores of other games. Staples Center has them inside their arena. We also hear the entire student section will be on the floor level next season instead of using portions of the upper deck like last year.

Last week a USC spokesperson said new quarterback Mitch Mustain would wear No. 13 next season. An odd choice, yes, because it's the same number as tailback Stafon Johnson. Because Mustain is redshirting, there is no conflict with two offensive players wearing 13 although it is admittedly awkward, especially with so much speculation about Johnson transferring.
Well, USC coach Pete Carroll said Monday no official decision's been made on what number Mustain will wear. So we might be back to square one, if not the No. 1.

You might have heard Notre Dame wants to play Baylor in 2012 at either the Cotton Bowl or the Dallas Cowboys' new stadium. But the Irish also want the game to be considered their home game, which means NBC would get the TV rights and Notre Dame would earn more money.
Baylor capitulated, apparently just happy to play Notre Dame, but the Big 12 is trying to hold up the game, claiming it owns the TV rights when a team plays on a neutral field in an area considered a Big 12 viewing area. Good luck Big 12.

Dorsey High safety Rahim Moore, a UCLA commit, talking to USC coach Pete Carroll at the Coliseum during a gathering of high school juniors.

A group of veteran USC players went out to dinner a few nights ago and were asked who would start at tailback this season. Their answer: Hershel Dennis.
That's a testament to Dennis' strong spring practice and also illustrates that players are usually loyal to those in their own peer group.

Forty runs and 59 hits later, Stanford completed its sweep over USC. Sunday's battle for last place saw the Cardinal win 10-5. The Trojans finished 27-29 but it could have been worse. They could have been men's volleyball.

Freshman wide receiver Jamere Holland, beset by injuries the past 12 months, ran the opening leg on the 4x100-meter relay today in the West Regionals as the Trojans ran a season-best 39.50 to win the event.

We now hear that St. Bonaventure tailback Darrell Scott prefers LSU as his No. 1 choice and Florida No. 2. Our Ventura County sources tell us Scott considers USC and UCLA as his backup choices if he chooses to stay close to home.

This is a picture taken outside the Sports Arena in 1961. The woman is picketing an ``anti-communism'' school featuring Roy Rogers, Ronald Reagan and Pat Boone. But that's not why we posted the picture.
We're fascinated by the huge sign in the background that says ``Figueroa Theatre.'' Any L.A. history buffs or residents who remember this structure and its purpose, feel free to comment.

There's been some buzz this week because USC offered a scholarship to Mater Dei quarterback Matt Barkley, who will only be a junior next year.
This only reinforces what we've stressed a lot lately, that USC is being forced to offer scholarships a lot earlier thanks to the competition.
And we might add we hear Barkley's noted the arrival of Arkansas quarterback Mitch Mustain and how it might affect him if he signed with USC.

Answers, answers, answers.

It might not seem important that USC guard Gabe Pruitt was academically ineligible following the spring semester because he turned pro anyways, but the Trojans could lose a scholarship next year if Pruitt's ineligibility lowers the team's Academic Progress Report score below acceptable limits.
``It's a possibility,'' USC coach Tim Floyd said.
The NCAA does not automatically penalize schools when an athlete turns pro early, if that athlete is in good academic standing. For example, Nick Young's early departure is not expected to hurt the Trojans' APR score.
The Trojans already fell below the minimum score of 925 (roughly 60 percent graduation rate) in this month's ratings but were not penalized because of a squad-size adjustments for sports with small rosters.

Hamburg teammates Justin Wyatt and John Walker probably did not further their NFL hopes this week as the Amsterdam Admirals scored 41 points against their defense in a 41-31 victory. Wyatt started and recorded two tackles and a pass defensed while Walker started and recorded one pass defensed. Punter Tom Malone’s Berlin team lost at Frankfurt, as Malone punted four times for a 43.5 average and a long of 55.

An NAIA school told me today they were interested in defensive tackle Chris Barrett, who they believe would have immediate eligibility if he transferred.
That presents an interesting dilemma for Barrett, who is ineligible for the Trojans. Should he transfer to a lower division for his final season? Barrett might be tempted but another consideration is that he is only about three classes short of getting his degree at USC.

With the NCAA Track and Field West Regionals this weekend, here's a photo of an often overlooked figure at USC: Track coach Dean Cromwell (with Greta Garbo of course). Cromwell won 12 NCAA titles, including nine straight from 1935-43. He also coached the football team for five years for those of you who think only of football.
My favorite Cromwell story is that in the early 1940's, he won an NCAA title by sending just four athletes to the finals and did not attend the meet himself. Legend has it the four athletes ran out of money about halfway across the country and only got to the finals when the University of Michigan paid the rest of the way.

Wide receiver Jamere Holland, out the past few weeks with a groin injury, is going to accompany the USC track team to the West regionals but it is not decided whether he will actually run in a relay. Holland's received an injection to lessen the pain in case he does run this weekend.

Now you too can have the honor of following Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis as he recruits across the country.
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en&q=&msa=0&msid=102790552061960146919.000001121ff0891e20b91
But no mention on the site of the barbecue Weis held last weekend?

Kenny Ashley, who signed with USC in 2006, on campus looking to see if there remains any interest. Because he did not qualify academically, it's not even certain he would meet requirements now.

Questions, questions, questions:

Matt Leinart charged the general public $20 to attend his birthday party in Phoenix last weekend, although he requested a VIP area within the VIP area where he stayed most of the night, according to the Arizona Republic. The paper reported Leinart finally left the VIP area at 1 a.m., when ``he meandered around the entire floor wearing what looked like an effortless smile while high-fiving his fellow athletes and getting especially handsy with women.''

Point guard Brandon Jennings, one of the top prospects in the nation from the Class of 2008, committed to Arizona today. Jennings originally committed to USC last fall.
As recently as mid-March, Jennings remained firmly committed to USC.
But as we understand it from high-school basketball sources, a third party entered the picture around that time and began influencing his decision making. Shortly after that, Jennings decommitted and announced UConn and Arizona were also under consideration.
It reminds me that when Jennings committed to USC, a college basketball analyst commented, ``l'll believe it when I see the signed letter of intent.''

Defensive tackle Chris Barrett is the only player ruled ineligible following the spring semester. However, several players still need to complete summer courses before we close the book on academic concerns before the the start of the season.
We also heard that Barrett's tried unsuccessfully to get a grade changed that might have affected his status.

The USC basketball team might travel to Mexico this fall to play several exhibition games. The NCAA allows teams to travel abroad every four years and this year makes sense because the Trojans lost their top three scorers and need to blend freshmen into key positions.
More important than the three games down in Mexico, the NCAA would allow 10 practices if USC made the trip.

Defensive tackle Chris Barrett did not pass enough classes this semester. Here's the details:
http://www.dailynews.com/usc/ci_5953003

Quarterback Mitch Mustain enrolled in school today and attended his first summer class. For those of you wondering, he will wear No. 13 next season.

The Raiders contacted former USC defensive end Manuel Wright about working out for the team. If they signed Wright, the Raiders (read Lane Kiffin) would have six USC players on the current roster. Minnesota, Kansas City and Cincinnati also spoke to Wright, who is a free agent.

Here's future Lakers forward A.C. Green jumping ball against USC forward Derrick Dowell at the Sports Arena in 1985. Sharp-eyed readers might notice the center circle logo is different because the Sports Arena also hosted high school basketball playoffs that weekend (UCLA Library).

Sheffield United is expected to name Bryan Robson as its coach Tuesday. He's considered ``the most complete'' midfielder to ever play for Manchester United according to Wikipedia. But who knew he ever played at the Coliseum? Here he is in 1986 as the captain of England's World Cup soccer team in an exhibition against Mexico.

We hear new Arizona State coach Dennis Erickson is frustrated by the new trend of recruits committing so early. Here it is May and a lot of schools already have 10 commitments.
It was discussed by several other Pac-10 coaches during yesterday's recruiting combine at Stanford, especially since it cuts down so much on evaluation periods and forces schools to offer scholarships earlier than usual, otherwise they might get beaten to the punch by their rivals. You wouldn't want a recruit to feel unwanted after all.

No banter between USC coach Pete Carroll and UCLA coach Karl Dorrell yesterday because Dorrell missed the Nike camp at Stanford to attend a similar camp in Hawaii.

Tailback Darrell Scott of St. Bonaventure made a strong impression at Stanford today in front of all the college coaches, and it sounds like a three-team race at the moment (USC, Penn State, Florida).
UPDATED: We heard through another source that Scott also wants to visit LSU and Florida State. As we suspected, the big drawback with USC is the number of tailbacks already on the roster.

No, we're not talking about the FA Cup. Today at Stanford, USC coach Pete Carroll, UCLA coach Karl Dorrell and Notre Dame's Charlie Weis are among those expected to watch about 100 recruits work out. The best part, of course, is when the coaches pretend to be civil to each other.

A USC ballcarrier is tackled by Iowa players at the Coliseum in 1925. The Trojans won, 18-0, before 66,000.

Here's answers to most of this week's questions:

Former USC tailback Jaguar Jon Arnett takes the field at the Coliseum in 1958 for the Los Angeles Rams, but first he has to get past the Ramettes.

USC center Matt Spanos did ``great'' in his spring-semester classes according to Coach Pete Carroll and will be eligible next season.
It's a relief to Carroll because Spanos was considered the No. 1 center after spring practices and will finally be eligible and being forced to sit out last season.

Raiders coach Lane Kiffin is scouring the country for prospects. He just released former USC defensive back Kris Richard yesterday, which meant he only had six ex-Trojans on the roster (Chris McFoy, Justin Fargas, Mike Williams, Darnell Bing, William Buchanon) along with Josh Booty, the older brother of John David Booty.
But he's not entirely provincial. Kiffin also hired three former UCLA assistants (Tom Cable, Kelly Skipper, Brian Schneider) on his coaching staff.

We couldn't resist showing another picture of Greta Garbo posing with the USC track team in 1926.