Scott, don't try to pretend that you read and are some sort of scholar. Stick to what you're good at: taking shots from your protective tower of digital journalism

Scott,

What do you think Pete will be like after he is awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics for the discovery of time travel as he managed to turn back the clock six years in just 60 minutes versus Stanford. The team is no better off than when he took over.

I agree. Aside from 3 Heisman Trophies, 2 National Championships, 4 BCS victories, and a glut of talent at every conceivable position (besides CB), this program is no better than it was under Hackett. What a fraud this, what do you call him, oh yeah, Pete Carroll is! He should be tarred and feathered. Beaten across the head, face, neck, and chest area. String him up now I say!!!

What you say? PC is the best thing to happen to SC in 25 years, you say?
Call off the tar. Cancel the feathers. Take back the rope. And put the billy-club back in the drawer. I guess we'll let Pete coach a few more games after-all.

USC 89,

How can you say that the team is as bad as it was when PC took over?

Give me a break! I'm so tired of bandwagon fans, who the moment USC lost, they turn into haters. USC will always lose games, even after a 13-0 season.

Its the nature of the game and this year is awesome because each week, no one can tell you a game is a lock! 'SC will bounce back and they have 2 games before facing a good Oregon team.

Stop your whining and if you truly do think that this 'SC team is as bad as at the beginning of PC's era, then you have no business being a fan!

This lost hurts, but hopefully the coaches are able to figure out what went wrong and move past this and focus on the rest of the season.

FIGHT ON!

Scott,

"Crony" of Steve Sample?

Bennis is one of the most distinguished faculty members at S.C.

Why do you feel the need to denigrate eveyone you come into contact with?

yes, you are on to something Scott. Few understand that people change-get drunk with power and glory and lose sight of things.

I saw it coming in 2005-no way we should keep Bush off the field on that fatal 4th down call; Bush's lateral was a sign of the arrogance that had permeated the team. PC just didn't see the signs. He was so immersed in his immortality

sureshot -

Add 5 consecutive Pac 10 titles, for good measure.

USC 89 = moron

The mark of a champion is his response to a setback. Under PC USC has always demonstrated a winning attitude. Did anyone expect a free and clear shot at the NC? USC is a target for every team it plays as it has been for 5 years or more. For each of our opponents, it is their "bowl game." The remedy for the Stanford hiccup is to come back strong. Remember, LSU is a target too, and given their performance in the last couple of weeks, it is not likely they will win out, nor will anyone else. So cliche, but when the going gets tough....

Scott calling Warren Bennis a "crony" is just plain sick.

Was Chow Carroll's Cassius?

This is one of the dumbest Scott Wolf posts ever. But what more can you expect from a second rate writer on a second rate newspaper.

I am a daily reader and occasional poster to this blog. I am also a died-in-the-wool Trojan supporter, and this goes beyond athletics. To make a flippant remark like calling Warren Bennis a "crony of Steven Sample" is irresponsible and wreckless journalism. Let's face it, even though this is a blog and you can get away with a lot, to malign reputable faculty members at this institution is not a smart move. I would ask you to keep your comments to football and other areas of USC athletics, and let the judgment of academic credentials lie in the hands of people far more qualified than you. This university has thrived under President Sample and having world-reknowned faculty like Warren Bennis is a major reason we have climbed in the national rankings of universities...not football. I would expect a retraction or apology, but your probably too lazy and unprofessional to do that. And to think that I recommend this blog to people...

As much as I like to pile on the weasel, crony is defined as "a life long friend or associate". So even though it's used in a different context by most people, Scott was being accurate. (although he probably could have used a word that didn't rile up the masses quite so much, but that's why he's the weasel)

My problem with Scott is not that he says negative things about the team/program. WIth everybody blowing sunshine up their you-know-whats, SC could use a little reality check every know and then. My problem is the manner in which he does it. Instead of simply stating the facts or even his opinion, Scott always feels the need to twist the knife a little and baste (yes, I mean baste, or to smother in sauce or butter) his comments in sarcasm or hyperbole.
For instance, when discussing Joe McKnight, Scott tells us the coaching staff needs to either play him, or he's a bust. Of course we all know that using the term "bust" to describe a freshman, 5 games into his very first year out of high school is totally and utterly ridiculous. By that standard, Carson Palmer was a bust. (pedestrian stats through 3 years at SC) Or even Matt Leinart for that matter. Matt didn't even start until his 3rd year. Did that make him an uber-bust? I don't think so.
Instead, Scott could say something much more accurate and objective such as "The decision not to play Joe McKnight is getting more curious by the game. Five games into the season, the top-rated tailback recruit in the nation has gotten very little playing time on a team starving for big-play athletes. Perhaps McKnight is simply a late bloomer, and the staff is grooming him to take a more active role in his sophomore season or maybe his skills don't translate as well to the collegiate level as recruiting services predicted. Either way, a player many fans and media members thought would make major contributions has made little more impact on the team than would be expected from a walk on."
This would tell the whole story without introducing asinine ideas like "bust" to the equation.
Nearly every post, from the Mustain hater/lover baiting, to the jabs at "Caesar" are laced with that same sarcastic rhetoric that does nothing to further our knowledge of the team, but rather inspires many responses such as this. I still read the weasel, because when you cut through the B.S. there's still some good info, but I'd prefer it be written with a bit more professionalism and objectivity. Come on Scott, you're better than this. (Or maybe you're not. I guess we'll see.)
Sureshot

Mr. Wolf is becoming more vitriolic over time. There are no sacred cows in his world, and he is one of those people who relishes insulating others, even Carroll, who he is largely dependent upon for information. I would say it stems from an inferiority complex whereby he attempts to mask it by trying to act superior. We all know people like Mr. Wolf, he is not unique.

I read him only to obtain SC information, but I find I am reading him less and less because he injects his personal opinions too much. Just the facts, please.