Lights Out

Q: came across this entry you wrote the day before the Stanford game, entitled "Lights Out":
"It's safe to say you can judge an opponent by what time the lights go out in the football office. And the week of the Idaho and Stanford games, the lights went out earlier than Nebraska and Washington State."
http://www.insidesocal.com/usc/archives/2007/10/lights-out.html
Wow, that's pretty damn significant. How much earlier did the coaches leave the week before Stanford? How did you predict the staff's lack of preparation would affect the game? Talk about taking an opponent lightly.

A: Let's just say Nebraska was one of those 11 p.m. games while Stanford and Idaho were more 9 p.m. lights out.

Q: Thoughts on ESPN rating USC as the 132nd most prestigious basketball team to play for in the last 24 years, behind such traditional powerhouses as Iona (MAAC), Ohio (MAC), and Northeastern (Colonial)?

A: Another ridiculous list. Personally, I have USC 89th.

Q: With the ongoing decline of newspapers, how do you see the future of sports print journalism?

A: Obviously, it is an evolving world. The Internet is gaining in popularity although more people read the newspaper than all the USC blogs combined. But I think print journalism will become more analysis and behind-the-scenes as it tries to provide readers things they don't see on TV or maybe the Internet. Newspapers will always exist in some form, but they need to find a way to thrive amid the newer technologies. If you look at USC, there are a lot of would-be writers who provide lousy content, so I think sports print journalism still provides a valuable service. But it needs to adapt.