Answer Monday!

Q: Objectively, if Kiffin and Sark are so lame, how did they get those head coaching jobs? Did the schools not vet them properly...are the AD's stupid?

A: I think it shows the power of Pete Carroll. Athletic directors want a piece of it. They don't know what's going on at USC, but they think they are getting it transported to Tennessee and Washington. As for the vetting process, hey, they didn't call me.

Q: Scott, you've implied many times that the real OC is coach Carroll. Do you think that Sark will run a more open offense at Washington, since he will be calling the shots? (Of course UW's talent may limit what he'll be able to do, similar to the situation Chow found himself in at UCLA).

A: I think he will be inclined to throw more deep passes but I don't know that the difference will be dramatic between here and Washington. He's going to have to use Jake Locker's skills too, which means his speed. I think Carroll and Sarkisian were in agreement most of the time, so I'm not expecting a different look.

Q: Would you consider writing a book with Caesar, like Bisheff did with McKay, only better ( hopefully ).

A: Yes, but it would be the book to end all books on USC football and Caesar. I'd want it to be no-holds-barred and tell the truth. But some people cannot handle the truth, so we might have to wait, like the national archives, before we release the information.

Q: Which former Trojan has had more success in the NFL than you anticipated? Conversely, which Trojan did you think would have a good NFL career but hasn't?

A: Lofa Tatupu's been a Pro Bowler several times. No one thought he would be this good in the NFL or he would not have lasted until the second round of the draft. I thought Mike Williams would be successful but obviously his career was a huge disappointment. I also thought Winston Justice would thrive in the NFL but that's also not happened yet.

Q: Why is Rick N getting such a free pass at UCLA for the abysmal season? Obviously that team has close to no talent on offense but to think he is not getting criticism for a team that is 20 teams worse than any Dorrell team is just absurd. What about Norm Chow?? offense made ZERO progess the entire year and was worse at any stretch when Dorrell was there. How come no critism for him?

A: Well, what is the alternative? Neuheisel was the dream hire for UCLA fans so they are going to be patient because they have no other choice. He can blame Karl Dorrell for at least two seasons but UCLA knows it cannot hire a big-name coach, so they will support Neuheisel as long as it takes. As for Chow, his track record makes it easy to blame the talent. The honeymoon might be over after this year, but I doubt it.

Q: I am attending an upcoming USC basketball game at the Galen Center. What would be a list of a few must-experience things that are at the newish arena? Can be anything from the food, architecture, USC tradition, etc.

A: First, go to the soft-serve ice cream machine. It works. The first thing to check out are the huge figures built into the brick on each corner of the arena. Granted, the basketball player looks like a 1953 CYO castoff, but hey, it's still worth it. Then go to the lobby. There's an impressive display on the walls with a trophy (or something) to signify every national championship. There's also the blurry facisimiles of every Sports Illustrated featuring a Trojan on the cover. There's also a nice timeline on the wall of USC's athletic history. At some point, you will run into large photos of USC athletes. And that's where you hit those photos I mentioned of basketball player Jackie Gemelos, who has never actually played a game for the Trojans because of three knee operations and volleyball player Taylor Carico, who just transferred. Maybe this is a jinx like the Sports Illustrated cover jinx. I would also check out the practice gyms connected to the arena, to see how far USC's come from the days when the North and South gyms were the only practice facilities. Enjoy!