July 2010 Archives
ESPN college football analyst Beano Cook said that John McKay was the funniest coach in the history of college football and McKay was the best "game coach" in history.
Matt Barkley on how it will be to not have bowl practices or a bowl game this season and how he will spend his time.
``I've thought about that a lot. I'll probably go overseas and go on a mission trip. Maybe Africa. Maybe South America. It's a unique opportunity.''
Does anyone think that legal document on who attends practice will pertain to, oh, say, the Fat Booster?
Reggie Bush said he is unhappy USC is distancing itself from him according to Pat Yasinskas of ESPN.com.
``I think I'd be lying if I said it didn't (bother me),'' Bush said. ``Obviously, it does, but at the end of the day it is what it is. All I can really do now is focus on the New Orleans Saints and just try to move on. It bothers me and it sucks.
``The whole situation is terrible and nobody feels worse about it than I do. But, at the same time, I can't dwell on the negatives because I do have a job to do and I have a whole organization and a city riding on my back, not necessarily my back, but the team's back.
``I hope someday at some point it can be repaired. We'll see what happens. That's all I can do.''
A reader sends in this post to inform me that USC baseball coach Chad Kreuter is currently serving as technical adviser to the Brad Pitt-film, ``Moneyball,'' which is based on the Oakland A's. Kreuter also plays Rick Peterson, the Oakland A's pitching coach.
He's been impersonating a manager at USC for the past few years so this should be easy for him.
Here is the new USC football practice policy following NCAA-mandated changes.
I mentioned yesterday that USC could sign 10 players in January on mid-year scholarships. If the NCAA does not reduce its sanctions, USC could then sign only 15 players in February, which would be a total of 25.
The hard part is going to be finding 10 guys who can qualify in January. JC transfers would be likely but USC's admissions make it more difficult these days to take a lot of junior-college players and a grade of D is not accepted (unlike at other Pac-10 schools, including UCLA).
Joe McKnight was working out in Orange County a couple weeks ago but apparently not hard enough to pass his conditioning run with the New York Jets.
This follows his much-publicized incident where he threw up during a rookie camp last spring.
Matt Barkley was asked how Lane Kiffin differs from Pete Carroll.
``He's kind of subdued,'' Barkley said. ``He's not off the wall like Coach Carroll. He'll definitely get in your grill though.''
Here's a stat that Lane Kiffin said he never expected:
``The crazy thing is, it shocked me. USC led the Pac-10 in scoring defense last season.''
The BCS announced its policy on ineligible teams (USC) and the computer rankings. USC will still be listed in computer rankings but will be removed for the BCS standings and other teams moved up one spot.
Full release after the jump:
This brave reader sports a USC sticker on their truck despite living in Nashville, Tenn.
Lane Kiffin keeps mentioning Matt Barkley's diet and Barkley keeps downplaying it. But Barkley weighs 220 pounds, about 10 less than last year.
Lane Kiffin said he does not mind media criticism but did mind Tennessee Titans coach Jeff Fisher's critical comments of him last weekend prior to that lawsuit over the hiring of Kennedy Pola.
``When Jeff said that, I did take it personally,'' Kiffin said. ``Not just because he is an SC guy but I have a lot of respect for him.
``(Fisher) feels differently now. Whether or not he can say that or not because of the lawsuit.''
Pac-10 commissioner Larry Scott said he did not believe the theory that Texas used the Pac-10 merely to boost its power in the Big 12 Conference and never intended to move west.
``I don't believe that,'' Scott said. ``I think political forces were at work and prevented them from moving.''
This is an important figure to remember. As of today, USC can sign as many as 10 players in January. It might be hard to find that many, especially high school seniors who will graduate early like Matt Barkley did two years ago.
But it does create some flexibility in bringing in players before the official February signing period.
It would also mean USC could sign as many as 25 players even with the NCAA scholarship reductions.
Pac-10 commissioner Larry Scott said there pretty much no chance that any plans on how to split the new Pac-12 would be decided tomorrow when the athletic directors meet. He did admit a growing feeling that the L.A. schools rivalry with the Bay Area schools needs to be preserved. That would seem to favor a North-South realignment.
But right now everything is on the table. Scott said he expects the Pac-12 to still play a nine-game schedule.
With 71 players on scholarship, USC is currently four under the NCAA-sanctioned number for 2011.
Lane Kiffin said today that wide receiver Brandon Carswell, who is five courses short of obtaining his degree, will remain at USC. Wide receiver Travon Patterson will still transfer to Colorado.
No other players are planning to transfer at this time, Kiffin said.
Lane Kiffin on dealing with reduced scholarships:
``We've got to make sure we're not just signing the top guys but the guys at the bottom of our class are really good players.''
Lane Kiffin made a comment to Matt Barkley about returning to USC for his senior year with the two-year bowl ban.
``We'll see. Hopefully,'' Barkley said.
Lane Kiffin said USC currently has 71 players on scholarship instead of the normal 85.
USC is usually a no-brainer as the No. 1 team in the Pac-10 poll. Was it NCAA sanctions or Lane Kiffin that caused the change this year?
Oregon edges USC in the narrowest voting in the history of the Pac-10 media poll.
1, Oregon (15), 314
2, USC (12), 311
3, Oregon State (3), 262
4, Stanford (1), 233
5, Arizona (2), 222
6, Washingtton (1), 209
7, Cal, 175
8, UCLA (1), 134
9, Arizona State 81
10, Washington State 39
Here's a quote from former Tennessee coach Johnny Majors on Lane Kiffin that USC highlights in its preseason notes.
``I was around him since he took the Tennessee job. I watched practice, talked to the
squad a couple of times, and spent some time in his office. And I believe he is a very good football coach. He's very aggressive and well organized. He's demanding and he and his staff attacked recruiting very aggressively. I think he is going to be very, very successful in
the long run.''
With Pat Haden in command, Mike Garrett's administrative assistant was removed, which means the new athletic director will have his own secretary.
USC coach Lane Kiffin barely gets into this photo of the Pac-10 coaches from New York City this morning.
Washington coach Steve Sarkisian had a little fun with Lane Kiffin on Monday when the Titans filed that lawsuit against him and USC.
Matt Barkley chose himself when ESPN asked him who would be the All-Pac-10 first team quarterback next season. Washington's Jake Locker also chose himself. Stanford's Andrew Luck chose Locker. Arizona's Nick Foles chose Locker and Luck.
Barkley also picked Washington to win the Pac-10 when the QB's were not allowed to pick their own team.
Lane Kiffin said today in New York he was surprised the Titans are suing him according to the Associated Press.
``(It) was done no differently than any we did at SC or Tennessee. I didn't anticipate this. No one would have.''
I wondered about that half-empty stadium in the media guide cover (scroll down). But an astute observer said the dark clouds surrounding Lane Kiffin were entirely appropriate.
The Pac-10 coaches fly back from their media tour tomorrow for Thursday's media day. But who cares when Real Madrid also flies into Los Angeles tomorrow with Coach Jose Mourinho and superstar Cristiano Ronaldo among those arriving. We'll let you guess which gets more media coverage.
The Pac-10 officially announced it would become the Pac-12 with the addition of Colorado and Utah. No word yet on how the divisions will be split but the athletic directors meet Friday to discuss it.
The football media guide cover is revealed! Maybe USC will offer a sticker to revise the national titles, bowl victories and heisman winners following NCAA sanctions.
Not exactly news, but BCS executive director Bill Hancock, the guy who will do anything to oppose a college football playoff and hired political spinmasters to fight a playoff, said USC would vacate its 2004 title if it loses its NCAA appeal.
Here's Matt Barkley's appearance on ESPN today.
Regarding Lane Kiffin, Barkley said, ``He seems to stir up a lot of controversy but we love him.''
Lane Kiffin and Matt Barkley are in New York City today on the Pac-10 media tour. It's interesting USC took a sophomore instead of a senior. Or a junior. But Barkley's the best known player and might take some attention off Kiffin, who will be asked all the wrong questions.
Tomorrow, the pair head to Bristol, Conn. for the ESPN studios.
The Wiz of Odds passed along this Washington schedule poster, which also features the new Pac-10 logo in the lower right corner. Can't wait for that official unveiling. So far, USC seems the only school that hasn't released it.
Unlike the previous two years, USC's baseball schedule for next season is not easy. USC plays North Carolina, Rice, Georgia and Louisville in nonconference games. Pat Haden could have a decision to make in May.
During today's Big 12 media day, conference commissioner Don Beebe said he expected Colorado to join the Pac-10 for the 2011 season.
The New Orleans Saints signed offensive tackle Charles Brown, who was a second-round choice in April.
Pat Haden's legal background is already going to be put to good use with that Titans lawsuit against Lane Kiffin and USC. Let's see how he handles this in contrast to say, Mike Garrett.
The most asinine thing I've seen today was a USC fan website blog that ripped Titans coach Jeff Fisher for his tipped pass that was caught by UCLA tailback Freeman McNeil in the Bruins' 1980 victory over the Trojans.
Even 30 years later, Fisher's class is recalled by those at the game as he answered questions from the media and did not duck interviews. But then, USC fan websites have short memories.
The Tennessee Titans sue Lane Kiffin and USC for interfering with the contract of running backs coach Kennedy Pola.
The Pac-10's twitter page follows 10 UCLA-related sites and 2 USC-related sites, if you count Pete Carroll, who is no longer at USC.
Here's another look at that ``unreleased'' Versus Conference logo that is getting poor reviews.
We mentioned the other day that USC is not releasing its media guide until July 28 when the Pac-10's new logo is unveiled. Well, they didn't wait at Oregon's Autzen Stadium.
Caesar crony Tod Leiweicke, who helped bring him to Seattle, is leaving to become CEO/part owner of the Tampa Bay Lightning. Not quite like Lane Kiffin losing Mike Garrett, but one level of protection is gone.
Being around a die-hard Cal fan over the weekend made me wonder: With USC ineligible for post-season play, what excuse will Cal (and coach Jeff Tedford) have for underachieving this season?
USC's season-opening opponent, Hawaii, has more seniors on its roster than any team in the nation.
Most Seniors on 2010 Roster
1. Hawaii - 30
2. TCU - 27
2. Louisville - 27
4. Army - 26
4. Iowa - 26
4. UTEP - 26
A Win Forever book tour stop in Seattle on Friday drew zero questions about USC's NCAA sanctions from the crowd. No wonder Pete Carroll is smiling.
I wish I had asked him last week if he would donate any of his $7 million to USC's athletic dept. for the revenue lost for not going to a bowl game this season.
No word from adidas yet on when Reggie Bush will reschedule his video chat. It was conveniently dropped the day USC announced it would return his Heisman Trophy. Maybe Bush and Pete Carroll can go on a tour together to only answer questions they deem appropriate.
Pete Carroll finds a friend in Alabama coach Nick Saban, who recently compared unscrupulous agents to pimps.
``I don't know about the "pimp statement"... (but) I am totally on board with what Nick's talking about,'' Carroll told Seattle TV station Q13. ``What his situation is, is exactly what happened at USC. And we have to be proactive in going after these guys -it's just not okay. I'm out of (college coaching) now. The fact that this has come up at Alabama for Nick (Saban) is to show you exactly the situation that we (were) in.''
I guess all the complaints I used to hear from the previous USC regime about Eric Bieniemy and his recruiting tactics while at UCLA were forgiven when that running backs opening was created. Or maybe that made him a more attractive choice.
Maybe Lane Kiffin did not follow proper protocol. Maybe he did. But the guy's got an incredible talent for offending others. As long as he does not offend Pat Haden, he should be OK.
Lane Kiffin wanted to hire former UCLA assistant Eric Bieniemy but the Vikings gave him a raise and new title.
USC coach Lane Kiffin managed to anger someone who is liked by Tennessee and Trojans fans (Jeff Fisher).
Obviously, Lane Kiffin will call plays despite the title of offensive coordinator for Kennedy Pola.
Here is Lane Kiffin's statement on the hiring of Kennedy Pola as offensive coordinator/running backs coach and Tennessee Titans coach Jeff Fisher's displeasure with the protocol.
"I am very disappointed in Lane Kiffin's approach to this," Fisher told the Tennessean. "Typically speaking when coaches are interested in hiring or discussing potential employment from coaches on respective staffs there is a courtesy call made from the head coach or athletic director indicating there is an interest in talking to the assistant.
"So I am very disappointed in the lack of professionalism on behalf of Lane, to call me and leave me a voice mail after Kennedy had informed me he had taken the job. It is just a lack of professionalism."
Despite all the bad news around USC, there are a few winners this week:
Pat Haden -- Rides in on a white horse and fills the small shoes of Mike Garrett.
James Grant -- University spokesperson is upfront in conversations and has a sense of humor, two rare traits in the PR business.
Brandon Carswell -- Will get a fresh start at Cincinnati, which he probably deserves.
Max Nikias -- New USC president looks like a visionary compared to Steven Sample with one move.
And here's a loser:
Pete Carroll -- Wrongly claims only one compliance person worked when Reggie Bush played football and tried to reduce Bush's role in HBO interview. Appeared tin-eared by going on book tour during sanctions and tried to resist questions about it with some members of the media.
July is traditionally the month coaches take off. But Monte Kiffin is working in the football offices. And Lane Kiffin was around this week with his George Hamilton tan. I'm sure Pete Carroll would be around right now too. If he wasn't selling a book.
No one ever said basketball was a strong suit of former athletic director Mike Garrett. A few famous stories: When the job was opened in the mid-1990's, then-Purdue coach Gene Keady called to express interest.
``Who's he?'' Garrett reportedly said.
USC offered the job to Tommy Amaker, who asked to speak to his wife before making a decision.
``What are you? A (wimp)?'' Garrett reportedly said.
Then there was a USC-UCLA game a few years ago when then-coach Steve Lavin said hi to Garrett.
``What's his name again?'' Garrett said.
The media selected Alabama to defeat Florida in the SEC championship game this season. They also picked Ole Miss to finish last in the Western Division. Ed Orgeron probably got a laugh over that.
Former athletic director Mike Garrett confided to friends last month that if he could survive until football training camp, he would remain in his job.
How could we forget former basketball coach Henry Bibby from the previous item? Maybe because we find it easy to forget him in general.
Is Tim Floyd the happiest ex-coach at USC following Mike Garrett's departure? Or Mike Gillespie? Or John Robinson? Or Jim Bush?
Apparently, the updated answer is no, we cannot get enough Caesar videos. Or Will Ferrell.
Can we ever have enough Pete Carroll interviews?
PeteCarroll: 2 book signings on friday! Noon at westin seattle & 7pm at B&N
USC's game against Washington State will kick off at noon (PDT) in Pullman. The game will be shown live on Fox Sports Prime Ticket.
Shouldn't USC president Steven Sample be under criticism right now for not making a move with athletic director Mike Garrett and allowing the situation to linger? But it was never in Sample's makeup to do much with Garrett. And that might help explain why USC is in its current position.
USC's media guide is usually available online by now but don't forget Reggie Bush's name is now being omitted from publication along with the other NCAA requirements on vacated games, so the guide's getting some unexpected editing.
UPDATED: USC responded that the media guide is delayed because the Pac-10 changed its logo and asked the school to wait until July 28 so the new logo is not unveiled yet. After the jump is the response regarding Reggie Bush.
There is already considerable speculation within the athletic dept. that J.K. McKay will succeed Pat Haden as athletic director.
Matt Barkley will represent USC at Pac-10 media day next week along with Coach Lane Kiffin. Hopefully Kiffin won't be sporting the George Hamilton tan he is this week.
Will the NCAA require Florida, South Carolina and Alabama to impose the tough sanctions on practices like at USC?
J.K. McKay on whether USC can retain its high standards of play with scholarship reductions.
``I honestly don't know,'' he said. ``It's going to be tough. Things look good in the short term.''
The Heisman Trust said it still has not made a decision on whether to strip Reggie Bush of his Heisman.
USC said Tuesday it would return its copy of the Heisman. The NCAA forced USC to ``remove'' the award but it did not say it had to return it.
Pat Haden did not make any predictions about other sports but did say Tuesday when he was a student, the baseball team always won the national title.
If Pete Carroll were USC's coach today and Pat Haden were the athletic director, would Carroll remain as head coach?
greggdoyelcbs: I'll say this for USC: The new president and AD make me wanna
like that place. But they gotta get rid of the FB coach
Here's new A.D. Pat Haden on the football team:
``I think we're going to be pretty good. The conference has gotten so good - Oregon's going to be sensational, Jim Harbaugh's done a great job at Stanford. I think this whole conference is so much better than it was three or four years ago. But you know, the Trojans are as good as anybody.''
Although this was at the bottom of the Pat Haden story, I think it is worth mentioning because of so many reader comments on the subject.
When USC appealed the NCAA sanctions, it did not try to reverse the NCAA decision to vacate victories from the 2004-05 seasons.
``My understanding is those are non-negotiable,'' university spokesperson James Grant said. ``You cannot appeal those.''
Here's my story on USC forcing Mike Garrett to retire and hiring Pat Haden as its new athletic director.
We hear within the athletic dept. that instead of cheers for the removal of Mike Garrett, there is apprehension over the hire of Pat Haden.
``They knew what they had with Garrett,'' one member said. ``They don't know right now.''
Pat Haden met with radio, TV and print reporters for more than two hours Tuesday. I can't remember Mike Garrett ever meeting with anyone for one hour.
We hear Pat Haden wants to supervise at least one women's sport, which follows his comments today that he is a big supporter of Title IX.
Pat Haden is going to meet the media this afternoon. He's already ahead of Mike Garrett in that dept.
Let's review:
Mike Garrett: Fired
Todd McNair: Fired
Lane Kiffin: Running a crippled program
Pete Carroll: Making $7 million a year in Seattle
It really is Caesar's World.
Here is USC incoming president Max Nikias' letter regarding Pat Haden and Mike Garrett. No mention of Garrett being fired. But it does mention some new compliance officers. And the controversial Freeh Group's involvement.
PeteCarroll: Wish pat haden the very best in taking over as USC AD! I'll support
in any way. Congrats!
I'll be on the Petros And Money Show (570-AM) around 3:30 p.m. this afternoon. Obviously, Mike Garrett and Pat Haden will be a topic.
Mike Garrett's dismissal makes sense after we heard last week that new president Max Nikias was furious with his comments following the NCAA sanctions. Nikias liked Garrett but could not support him following that incident.
USC will announce today that Pat Haden will take over as athletic director Aug. 3, replacing Mike Garrett.
Garrett told friends he would be safe if he made it to football season, which he did not.
Reggie Bush will do a video chat with fans at 4 p.m. (PDT) today via this site.
What are the odds they let a question slip through on Bush putting USC on probation?
The American Football Coaches Assn. announced 112 players as nominees for its Good Works Team, which is a community service award.
USC's nominee? D.J. Shoemate, who transferred to Connecticut.
The SEC, which has its three-day media day circus this week, announced its preseason all-league team today.
Here's a quote that was largely lost during the HBO Real Sports piece on Pete Carroll.
``I couldnt get back in the NFL until I did something worthy of getting me back,'' Carroll said.
That should erase doubts that he always wanted to get back to the NFL while he was at USC.
While we already mentioned USC is ineligible for the coaches' poll, USC is also ineligible for the Harris Poll. That means the Associated Press poll is the only poll that appears willing to include USC this season.
What's the highest USC can finish in BCS? A reader asks.
South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier on the Gamecocks being added to an NCAA investigation on possible illegal agent activity.
``We're not going to look the other way like possibly Southern California did,'' Spurrier said. ``We're going to abide by the rules.''
Speaking of Pete Carroll, I reminded him that he constantly referred to the NFL as the, ``No Fun League.''
His response? ``That's right, I did.''
But apparently No Fun enough to make $7 million per year.
Pete Carroll says, ``Get the "Win Forever" book yet? Tweet in a photo of you w/ the book & I'll send 1 lucky person an auto'd football!''
I asked Carroll if he would actually be coaching this month instead of selling books and he said, ``this is normal vacation time (in the NFL).''
I'm curious if USC fans are gloating over Notre Dame's weekend news (eight football players arrested for underage drinking) as a respite from the probation story?
The media ballots are due this week for the Pac-10 football predicted order of finish. So I will let the readers offer their suggestions here.
``I was very lucky to go to USC; we had good players. We were expected to win, but we had the opportunity to win. The thing I remember the most is my first year. I started out, I was an unknown selection.
``And I lost the first game, badly. But then we won all the rest of them and went to the Rose Bowl and played a great Michigan team, (with coach) Bo Schembechler. And Bo and I got to be very good friends. Just that year, particularly, stands out.''
-- former USC coach John Robinson during Saturday's induction to the College Football Hall of Fame
Oh well. Former Oregon quarterback Jeremiah Masoli will not be transferring to Hawaii, USC's opening opponent this season.
Does Pete Carroll tweet anything else?
``PeteCarroll: Day off from the #WinForever book tour. Next signing (just added): mon. 11a-12:30p at espnzone LA Live''
Be sure to go down and ask non-book questions!
Here's my column on the current state of the football program following a tumultuous summer.
Wide receiver Brandon Carswell could be headed to Cincinnati, according to sources. Carswell is the latest upperclassmen who might transfer since the NCAA does not require them to redshirt following NCAA sanctions.
BYU athletic director Tom Holmoe on why his school was not invited to join the Pac-10.
Holmoe told the Salt Lake City Tribune that selecting Utah and Colorado ``was not an athletic decision....not about what you do on the field.''
Pete Carroll on the timing of leaving for Seattle just on the verge of NCAA sanctions.
``It had nothing to do with what was going on at USC,'' Carroll said.
During another part of our conversation, I told Pete Carroll, ``I give you two years.'' Not the typical book tour comment but we've had nine years together, so I needed to rekindle what he missed by going to Seattle.
The offensive line's woeful depth highlights this segment.
One observation Pete Carroll made was that if USC actually had only 55 scholarships, the Trojans might need to be run similar to an NFL team, where only 53 players make a roster. That might mean practices where the offense and defense spend more time together since there simply are not enough players to split into two groups for drills.
No Caesar references? In return, I had to mention to Pete Carroll I felt vindicated by his move to the NFL because I told him for nine years he would one day return.
``I know you always thought that,'' Carroll said. ``I guess you are (vindicated).''
Pete Carroll told me today not to mention any Caesar references when discussing the book, ``Win Forever.''
PeteCarroll: Landed in SD! Who's coming to the book signing tonite at 7pm at
balboa park??
Will Lamar Griffith, Reggie Bush, Lloyd Lake or Michael Michaels show up?
Former Oregon quarterback Jeremiah Masoli is reportedly considering transferring to Hawaii. If he gradutes this summer from Oregon, he could conceivably be eligible in time for the Warriors' season-opener against USC.
Former USC tight end Anthony McCoy admits the NCAA sanctions would be tough to deal with if he were still in college.
If you have a question you would like me to ask Pete Carroll, this is the forum. Thanks.
Do yourself a favor and skip the ESPYs.
Back to those scholarship counts.
By the way, who is coaching the Seattle Seahawks during the Win Forever book tour? Jeremy Bates? Ken Norton Jr.?
I'd feel more secure about the future of a UFL team if that is the case.
A group of New York Jets is working out with Mark Sanchez in Orange County this week, including former USC tailback Joe McKnight. Tight end Dustin Keller is also part of the group, which should be at tonight's ESPYs awards show.
USC quarterback Matt Barkley made the watch list for the Davey O'Brien Award. Here's the full list:
In this segment, questions on NCAA and UCLA, two things I could go days without talking about and be happy.
In this segment, questions on scholarship reductions and some perceived ESPN-bashing of USC.
This web site's preseason first-team All-American selections includes three UCLA players and no USC players. Kris O'Dowd and Jurrell Casey made the second team.
John Robinson will be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame during ceremonies this weekend in South Bend, Ind.
Hopefully, he will not miss a passing tournament for San Marcos High School, where he serves as the defensive coordinator.
The Florida coach was interviewed by Paul Finebaum today, who asked Meyer about Lane Kiffin.
``I have a lot of respect for the new guy at Tennessee,'' Meyer said.
Finebaum then asked Meyer if he would miss Kiffin: ``Oh, I gotta not answer that because that will be front page in US tomorrow.''
Even more questions and answers.
Here's Daily News media columnist Tom Hoffarth's take on HBO's Pete Carroll interview.
More questions. More answers. More Pete Carroll interviews on ESPN.
Here's another quote from Pete Carroll's interview on HBO's Real Sports, where he said the NCAA should be ``ashamed.''
``Remember that the people that were involved with this didn't want us to know. They were trying to conceal the information. And they did a good enough job where we didn't know. We would have stopped it. That's where the stoppage comes from.
``We made mistakes along the way. But we didn't make mistakes that would take a program down with the facts that they hold-- I would be ashamed for the NCAA."
Pete Carroll is featured on HBO's Real Sports tomorrow night. He says he believed the NCAA had an agenda with USC.
Why?
``Because they didn't care about what the facts were that were out there. There wasn't hard facts that said there was any connection with us knowing about what was going on. There was nothing.
``So, with that...no court of law -- here is no process that would have gone through and looked at the facts and said this thing all tied together. It would have been thrown out in a heartbeat.''
In this segment, a couple questions about the proposed game with Tennessee.
Last week I posted there were no odds on USC's game with Stanford. There are no odds on any USC game this season because oddsmakers are waiting to see how many players will transfer.
Here's a tweet from Reggie Bush:
``reggie_bush: Glad you guys liked the ESPY Commercial! It was hard not laughing
everytime I had to say it. Funny thing is I have yet to see the commercial''
Will he show at the ESPYs? Maybe USC fans should go to the Nokia Theater and express their opinions?
Pete Carroll spoke to the Associated Press (pictured here) on Monday about USC's NCAA sanctions during his book tour.
``I do feel responsible being connected with it. I've also felt a responsibility, with the way it's come down, to work to try to get the message out there and defend somewhat.''
The picture looks like Carroll is being interrogated by the NCAA.
The NCAA sanctions are somewhat vague in certain areas, such as the way it could not address the 13th game issue immediately and then incorrectly said the Hawaii game was at stake, when any game could be dropped.
But here's another couple questions: Will the NCAA still list Texas' 2006 Rose Bowl victory as a victory over an undefeated, untied team? Or, that game as a No. 1 v. No.2 match-up? (Probably yes, on that last question, but who knows?)
A question about recruiting and one about cultural differences regarding TV analysts.
Time to tackle some questions on a Monday afternoon.
And following up on the Bigger Role post, with Erin Andrews doing College GameDay, it means she probably won't be at any USC-on-probation games this season. That season-opener in Hawaii would have been a definite game for her under her old role.
Thank Pete Carroll, currently on his book tour, for that. (And Reggie Bush. And Tim Floyd).
Following up on the Morning Buzz, we also hear that incoming USC president Max Nikias has asked boosters (and others) what they think of athletic director Mike Garrett.
ESPN announced that sideline reporter Erin Andrews will begin to work on College GameDay and contribute reports to Good Morning America. If one of ESPN's networks also televises the game from the GameDay location, Andrews will work that game as a sideline reporter.
We hear incoming USC president Max Nikias was furious with the comments made by athletic director Mike Garrett immediately after the NCAA sanctions were announced.
``As I read the decision by the NCAA,'' Garrett told boosters in the Bay Area.. ``... I read between the lines and there was nothing but a lot of envy. They wish they all were Trojans.''
``Today I got a purpose for really wanting to dominate for another 10 years.''
Here is Caesar's latest tweet: Leaving in the AM to get the WinForever book tour rolling... NYC here we come!
Does Manhattan really care about the Win Forever care? Does Los Angeles?
Nike (Netherlands) lost to Adidas (Spain) today in the World Cup final, which means the state of Oregon must be in mourning for 24 hours.
If you missed the Open Forum, here's one more chance to ask questions. One per person please.
Time to pick the score of the World Cup final. I'll start things off: Netherlands 2, Spain 1.
Here's a chart where Phil Steele places the Pac-10 third among conferences in the past decade. Imagine where he would rank them without USC?
Here's an update on former USC assistant coach Keith Uperesa, who battled health problems in the past year, but is doing better now.
Here's a New York Times story on how Dodgers executive Howard Sunkin, who referred to himself as a good friend of Pete Carroll during a class at USC, got paid more than $400,000 by a Dodger charity that only had a total budget of $1.6 million.
The Times reports that salary is more in line for a charity with $100 million. Hopefully, Caesar did not donate to the Dodger charity or allow Sunkin to attend many football practices.
Like we said before, the players who are thinking of transferring are those who do not play or play little. The idea that a bowl ban bothers the players is almost irrelevant. None of these guys are leaving because of that. They are leaving because they do not have to sit out a year.
Chris Fisher, a 25-year-old USC graduate, is the new basketball play-by-play announcer. Full release after the jump.
Former USC safety Kevin Ellison had his case continued until next week and did not face a formal arraignment in Los Angeles Superior Court. Ellison was arrested after police said they found 100 pills of Vicodin.
Fullback D.J. Shoemate, who never wanted to be a fullback, is transferring to UConn. We hear wide receivers Travon Patterson and Brandon Carswell are weighing their options.
Hey look, you can go to Seahawks practices this summer if you register beforehand.
Maybe Pete Carroll should have thought of that when he was at USC.
Hawaii coach (and former USC assistant) Gib Arnold in Long Beach watching basketball with his former boss at USC, UTEP coach Tim Floyd. No word if Arnold is looking for any package deals.
No surprise that the coaches' poll will not allow USC to be ranked this season. The AFCA, which runs the poll, is one of the most regressive organizations in college sports, best illustrated by its refusal to make its votes public on a weekly basis and it's robotic agreement to vote the BCS champion No. 1 regardless of who else might be undefeated and deserving of a first-place vote.
The AP poll, of which I am a member, will allow USC to be included in its poll this season.
With Byron Moore's transfer, which really doesn't fall under the NCAA sanction guidelines, it does continue a trend since the end of spring practice. All the players who transferred did not really play or see playing time in the immediate future. Tim McDonald Jr., Jawanza Starling and Drew McAllister are the top safeties going into the fall, so that left little room for Moore, who was best known for decommitting from USC and then changing his mind again on signing date.
Safety Byron Moore will attend Harbor College next season and transfer to another school. Because he is a redshirt freshman, he cannot gain instant eligibility under the NCAA sanctions rule.
USC basketball coach Kevin O'Neill said Wednesday when the Trojans play at Tennessee on Dec. 21, he figured he would bring Lane Kiffin with him.
``I'm thinking I'm going to bring Lane (Kiffin) with me to the game,'' O'Neill said Wednesday at the adidas Invitational AAU basketball tournament. ``That should keep the heat off of me.''
Tim Floyd was in Long Beach watching recruits tonight in Long Beach. If any of them were package deals, he was interested.
Former USC coach Tim Floyd is up to his old tricks at UTEP when it comes to hiring people in his basketball program.
If you buy the book, ``Win Forever,'' which Pete Carroll is relentlessly begging people to do on his twitter account, you will see the cover states the book is written by Pete Carroll with Yogi Roth.
But when you actually open the book, you will see it is written by Pete Carroll with Yogi Roth ``and Kristofer A. Garin.''
So what exactly did Pete Carroll write? With his attention span, probably very little.
USC has no official comment today regarding the letters of apology sent to five schools regarding allegations that tailback Dillon Baxter was illegally contacted immediately after NCAA sanctions were announced.
Washington confirmed that USC sent it a letter of apology over alleged phone calls to tailback Dillon Baxter. Good to know Steve Sarkisian and Lane Kiffin would not backstab each other. At least concerning Baxter.
If you want to make between $80,000-$100,000 per year, how about becoming one of the new directors of compliance USC is going to hire. Warning: Must monitor high-profile athletes 24/7.
More answers as Germany and Spain fight for the World Cup final berth.
NCAA enforcement chief David Price will retire in December. Why do I mention this? Because Price previously worked at the Pac-10, where he personally conducted some investigations of USC in the late 1990's. He even re-opened a case involving USC that the Pac-10 dealt with when he moved to the NCAA. He was not specifically mentioned in the NCAA transcripts regarding the Reggie Bush case, but it would be naive to think he was not involved in some capacity.
Some good questions in this segment on Todd McNair and the NCAA committee on infractions.
USC commit Victor Blackwell from Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana is among 65 players invited to the ESPN Rise Games, a 7-on-7 competition. Here's the full list:
USC has retracted the claim that several schools contacted tailback Dillon Baxter regarding transferring in the wake of NCAA sanctions.
Seantrel Henderson's departure also frees up a scholarship. So now five exist (Jarvis Jones, Jordan Campbell, Seantrel Henderson, Malik Jackson, Glen Stanley).
I'd say it's time for USC to aggresively seek some mid-year recruits for these scholarships to load up before the scholarship reductions go into effect.
The departure of Seantrel Henderson means one thing: USC signed just one offensive lineman in this recruiting class. Blame Pete Carroll for doing a poor job recruiting offensive linemen and leaving Lane Kiffin little time to recover.
Regarding Henderson, it's a mixed blessing. Obviously he was a special talent, but how high-maintenance would he be with his attitude?
Lane Kiffin released Seantrel Henderson from his letter of intent this afternoon.
"As of 1:30 p.m. today, we are releasing Seantrel Henderson out of his national letter of intent with zero penalties and no restrictions. Seantrel has been great through the whole process and we wish him the best of luck with his decision."
In this segment, some questions on Todd McNair.
Linebacker Kent Turene of Lauderdale Lakes (Fla.) committed to USC, according to uscfootball.com. Can he play this year?
Turene is the 11th player to commit for the Class of 2011 as probation does not seem to be hindering recruiting so far.
Since USC released Malik Jackson to transfer to Tennessee, maybe the Volunteers will allow offensive lineman Aaron Douglas or tailback Bryce Brown to transfer to USC to bury the hatchet over the Lane Kiffin affair. Probably not.
USC defensive end Malik Jackson is transferring to Tennessee, the first player to take advantage of the NCAA rule that allows a player to transfer without sitting out a year because of sanctions.
I don't count Jordan Campbell or Jarvis Jones because they would have left anyways. Jackson's case is not surprising because he received poor reviews from the coaching staff during spring practice and never could really crack the playing rotation.
His brother, Marquis, who committed to USC in February, is now at Texas Southern because of academic issues.
Former USC wide receiver Johnnie Morton, who was last seen testing positive for steroids following an embarassing MMA fight, is founder of a company that makes a hangover recovery drink.
In the book, ``Win Forever,'' Pete Carroll said that when he interviewed for the USC job, he relied on advice from former North Carolina State basketball coach Jim Valvano, who coached the Wolfpack when Carroll was the defensive coordinator for the football team.
``Coach Valvano told me that my goal should be to walk out of the interview with, `no negatives.'' Every comment, phrase, or story must be positive, and I had to be prepared to talk only about things that put me in the best light.''
As I recall, Valvano also got his basketball program put on two years' probation.
Win Forever!
Seantrel Henderson remains in limbo after visiting Miami last weekend. Meanwhile, linebacker Glen Stanley is looking to transfer to Florida State. Sources said his transfer is not related to NCAA sanctions. But I doubt USC will give him a release to allow him to transfer without sitting out a year.
Time to pick a winner for the Uruguay-Holland game. I'll start: Holland 2, Uruguay 1.
Remember to follow us on twitter.com/InsideUSC.
Is anyone else getting tired of Seantrel Henderson?
A question here about USC's attitude and how it might affect an appeal.
Today's endorsement for the Win Forever book comes from German soccer legend Jurgen Klinsmann:
``Pete's infectious passion for the game of football, his competitive edge, and his zest for life are a reminder to us all that it's the journey and not the destination that counts. I have been inspired by his enthusiasm, impressed by his professionalism, and chellenged to become an even better coach and person myself thanks to his example.''
Did Klinsmann warn Carroll that his move to German professional football as the coach of Bayern Munich lasted eight months before he was fired?
The Seattle Seahawks won't be that impatient but we suspect the success rate will be similar.
Time to get back to reading Win Forever!
In this segment, the chances of players transferring to USC.
We've got questions to answer and unlike banks, today is not a holiday!
Fireworks at the Coliseum on July 4, 1957. Photo courtesy of USC Libraries from the L.A. Examiner collection.
I've received my highly anticipated copy of Win Forever by Pete Carroll (and Yogi Roth).
Here's a prominent quote: ``Years ago I was asked, `Pete, which is better: winning or competing?'
``My response was instaneous: `Competing . . . because it lasts longer.''
Longer than NCAA sanctions?
A few more answers, including one on the NCAA committee on infractions members.
Peter McBride, a long-snapper from Scottsdale, Ariz., committed to USC today, according to uscfootball.com.
Spain defeats Paraguay to give me a fortunate 4-0 prediction record in the quarterfinals.
The Pete Carroll book tour starts July 13th in Manhattan (of all places). Not sure how many New Yorkers care about a former USC coach now readying himself for a mediocre NFL career. I might have to attend the July 16th stop at South Coast Plaza in Orange County simply because it's dubbed, ``Lunch with a Legend.''
From SEC Sports: ``Take a look back at USC's memorable baseball season,with tribute video review of the championship year in Columbia''
USC was the only school in the country to win three national titles this season (men's and women's water polo, men's tennis).
The Pacific-10 Conference tied the ACC with eight national titles this year. Usually the conference is first by itself. The Pac-10's won 390 titles, which is more than 150 than the next closest conference, the Big Ten.
Conference Titles
Pacific-10 8
ACC 8
Big Ten 5
Big 12 4
SEC 3
Big East 2
Mountain West 1
Ind./Other 4
In today's Daily News, I picked the Netherlands to upset Brazil. So far, so good. Let's see if Uruguay can continue my luck.
Todd McNair's lawyer released a statement here:
``Coach McNair and USC are separating on friendly terms. It is my understanding that this decision does not in any way indicate that USC agrees with the finding against Coach McNair. I understand USC is going to continue to work closely with me and Todd to appeal his finding and penalty.''
Just so everyone is clear on things, it is completely out of order for an assistant coach to be let go on June 30th when his contract is up. USC contracts always expire on June 30th, which is the end of the fiscal year. But football coaches are let go after the season, so the head coach can replace him quickly and the assistant coach can find a job.
This departure shows no signs of being football-related. If it were, why wasn't McNair released like Pat Ruel and Rocky Seto?
Reading between the lines, McNair might be playing nice because he wants to rejuvenate his own reputation and remain hireable in college football.
USC finished 13th in the Directors' Cup. Stanford (1st), UCLA (4th) and California (9th) were the Pac-10 schools that finished ahead of the Trojans.
Here's an updated USC statement on Todd McNair:
"Todd McNair's contract with USC expired on June 30, 2010. USC's appeal of the NCAA's ruling includes an appeal of the findings and sanctions related to Mr. McNair. USC has no additional comments at this time."
So USC is now trying to make it look like it did not fire McNair for wrongdoing related to the Reggie Bush case. Then why did it keep him for the past six months under Lane Kiffin? What changed? Besides sanctions?
Finally, last week's forum is done!
And now on to the next one.
If Todd McNair is hired by another college, they must abide by the NCAA sanctions, which prevent him from recruiting for the next 12 months. Now that USC fired him, here's what has to be done:
``The president of USC or any subsequent employing institution shall provide a letter to the committee affirming that the penalties were complied with during the time of employment.''
If the NCAA committed factual errors in its investigation, as alleged, regarding Todd McNair, why was he fired?
USC issued the following statement on assistant football coach Todd McNair.
"Todd McNair's contract expired on June 30, 2010. We have no additional comment."
This naturally leads to a host of questions, such as:
If USC so vigorously defended McNair's relationship (or lack of) with the would-be sports marketers tied to Reggie Bush, why he is being released now?
Was USC worried if it fired McNair in January, he might say something more damaging at the NCAA hearing in Arizona?
Is USC dumping McNair in hopes of currying favor with the NCAA after being blindsided by the NCAA sanctions?
Here's a view that the Pac-10 will benefit financially more than most expect by adding Colorado and Utah.
Former USC forward Leonard Washington is still looking for another school. Washington is considering UTEP and Hawaii but would like to go somewhere bigger, according to sources.
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