#fighton — Public Fediverse posts

USC Sunday Buzz: Transaction Time

Lincoln Riley held his press conference yesterday in the new football building. But USC is not allowing any visual documentation of the inside of the building yet, so it was probably the first press conference in years that didn’t include video from local media.

• Josh Goossen-Brown, the director of player development for USC baseball, has been hired as an assistant coach at Santa Clara.
• Former USC wide receiver Jay Fair is seeking a fifth-year of eligibility following Friday’s legal ruling that made all Class of 2022 athletes’ eligible. Whether USC is interested remains to be seen.
• Former USC women’s basketball player Rayah Marshall has signed a 7-day contract with the Connecticut Sun.

USC Sunday Buzz: Transaction Time

Lincoln Riley held his press conference yesterday in the new football building. But USC is not allowing any visual documentation of the inside of the building yet, so it was probably the first press conference in years that didn’t include video from local media.

• Josh Goossen-Brown, the director of player development for USC baseball, has been hired as an assistant coach at Santa Clara.
• Former USC wide receiver Jay Fair is seeking a fifth-year of eligibility following Friday’s legal ruling that made all Class of 2022 athletes’ eligible. Whether USC is interested remains to be seen.
• Former USC women’s basketball player Rayah Marshall has signed a 7-day contract with the Connecticut Sun.

USC Sunday Buzz: Transaction Time

Lincoln Riley held his press conference yesterday in the new football building. But USC is not allowing any visual documentation of the inside of the building yet, so it was probably the first press conference in years that didn’t include video from local media.

• Josh Goossen-Brown, the director of player development for USC baseball, has been hired as an assistant coach at Santa Clara.
• Former USC wide receiver Jay Fair is seeking a fifth-year of eligibility following Friday’s legal ruling that made all Class of 2022 athletes’ eligible. Whether USC is interested remains to be seen.
• Former USC women’s basketball player Rayah Marshall has signed a 7-day contract with the Connecticut Sun.

USC Sunday Buzz: Transaction Time

Lincoln Riley held his press conference yesterday in the new football building. But USC is not allowing any visual documentation of the inside of the building yet, so it was probably the first press conference in years that didn’t include video from local media.

• Josh Goossen-Brown, the director of player development for USC baseball, has been hired as an assistant coach at Santa Clara.
• Former USC wide receiver Jay Fair is seeking a fifth-year of eligibility following Friday’s legal ruling that made all Class of 2022 athletes’ eligible. Whether USC is interested remains to be seen.
• Former USC women’s basketball player Rayah Marshall has signed a 7-day contract with the Connecticut Sun.

USC Sunday Buzz: Transaction Time

Lincoln Riley held his press conference yesterday in the new football building. But USC is not allowing any visual documentation of the inside of the building yet, so it was probably the first press conference in years that didn’t include video from local media.

• Josh Goossen-Brown, the director of player development for USC baseball, has been hired as an assistant coach at Santa Clara.
• Former USC wide receiver Jay Fair is seeking a fifth-year of eligibility following Friday’s legal ruling that made all Class of 2022 athletes’ eligible. Whether USC is interested remains to be seen.
• Former USC women’s basketball player Rayah Marshall has signed a 7-day contract with the Connecticut Sun.

Saturday Buzz: USC Quietly Opens Camp

I hit a nerve Friday when I mentioned freshman wide receiver Trent Mosley was 20 years old. So is freshman safety Madden Riordan. And freshman quarterback Jonas Williams.

One interesting aspect of this is that under the NCAA’s new “five for five” eligibility plan, the five-year window starts upon full-time college enrollment or the year after turning 19.

For a quarterback, that might become an issue. This is also what happens when athletes are held back in high school or start high school late.

• If you are looking for practice reports from Friday, Lincoln Riley is not allowing the media to attend until Tuesday and even then it will be limited to viewing stretching and light drills.

Saturday Buzz: USC Quietly Opens Camp

I hit a nerve Friday when I mentioned freshman wide receiver Trent Mosley was 20 years old. So is freshman safety Madden Riordan. And freshman quarterback Jonas Williams.

One interesting aspect of this is that under the NCAA’s new “five for five” eligibility plan, the five-year window starts upon full-time college enrollment or the year after turning 19.

For a quarterback, that might become an issue. This is also what happens when athletes are held back in high school or start high school late.

• If you are looking for practice reports from Friday, Lincoln Riley is not allowing the media to attend until Tuesday and even then it will be limited to viewing stretching and light drills.

Saturday Buzz: USC Quietly Opens Camp

I hit a nerve Friday when I mentioned freshman wide receiver Trent Mosley was 20 years old. So is freshman safety Madden Riordan. And freshman quarterback Jonas Williams.

One interesting aspect of this is that under the NCAA’s new “five for five” eligibility plan, the five-year window starts upon full-time college enrollment or the year after turning 19.

For a quarterback, that might become an issue. This is also what happens when athletes are held back in high school or start high school late.

• If you are looking for practice reports from Friday, Lincoln Riley is not allowing the media to attend until Tuesday and even then it will be limited to viewing stretching and light drills.

Saturday Buzz: USC Quietly Opens Camp

I hit a nerve Friday when I mentioned freshman wide receiver Trent Mosley was 20 years old. So is freshman safety Madden Riordan. And freshman quarterback Jonas Williams.

One interesting aspect of this is that under the NCAA’s new “five for five” eligibility plan, the five-year window starts upon full-time college enrollment or the year after turning 19.

For a quarterback, that might become an issue. This is also what happens when athletes are held back in high school or start high school late.

• If you are looking for practice reports from Friday, Lincoln Riley is not allowing the media to attend until Tuesday and even then it will be limited to viewing stretching and light drills.

Morning Buzz: Lincoln Riley Measures The Standard For USC

Here was a quote from Lincoln Riley yesterday that wasn’t earth-shattering but still telling.

“The standard is championships every year… it’s USC,” Riley said.

What Riley said it’s true. It’s also similar to what he said at his introductory press conference in 2021.

But maybe Riley should spend more time explaining why he hasn’t upheld the standard? What’s he done wrong the past four years? How much is his fault? Does he take any accountability? In the past four years, it’s not really his style to take blame for his wrongdoings.

By the way, what’s his signature accomplishment so far at USC? Destroying the nation’s greatest intersectional rivalry. Congrats to Mr. Muleshoe!

• Remember last weekend, when I said USC officials refused to confirm when training camp opened? They finally said it will open Friday (July 31). Not July 30 as some around here erroneously insisted.

Morning Buzz: Lincoln Riley Measures The Standard For USC

Here was a quote from Lincoln Riley yesterday that wasn’t earth-shattering but still telling.

“The standard is championships every year… it’s USC,” Riley said.

What Riley said it’s true. It’s also similar to what he said at his introductory press conference in 2021.

But maybe Riley should spend more time explaining why he hasn’t upheld the standard? What’s he done wrong the past four years? How much is his fault? Does he take any accountability? In the past four years, it’s not really his style to take blame for his wrongdoings.

By the way, what’s his signature accomplishment so far at USC? Destroying the nation’s greatest intersectional rivalry. Congrats to Mr. Muleshoe!

• Remember last weekend, when I said USC officials refused to confirm when training camp opened? They finally said it will open Friday (July 31). Not July 30 as some around here erroneously insisted.

Morning Buzz: Lincoln Riley Measures The Standard For USC

Here was a quote from Lincoln Riley yesterday that wasn’t earth-shattering but still telling.

“The standard is championships every year… it’s USC,” Riley said.

What Riley said it’s true. It’s also similar to what he said at his introductory press conference in 2021.

But maybe Riley should spend more time explaining why he hasn’t upheld the standard? What’s he done wrong the past four years? How much is his fault? Does he take any accountability? In the past four years, it’s not really his style to take blame for his wrongdoings.

By the way, what’s his signature accomplishment so far at USC? Destroying the nation’s greatest intersectional rivalry. Congrats to Mr. Muleshoe!

• Remember last weekend, when I said USC officials refused to confirm when training camp opened? They finally said it will open Friday (July 31). Not July 30 as some around here erroneously insisted.

Morning Buzz: Lincoln Riley Measures The Standard For USC

Here was a quote from Lincoln Riley yesterday that wasn’t earth-shattering but still telling.

“The standard is championships every year… it’s USC,” Riley said.

What Riley said it’s true. It’s also similar to what he said at his introductory press conference in 2021.

But maybe Riley should spend more time explaining why he hasn’t upheld the standard? What’s he done wrong the past four years? How much is his fault? Does he take any accountability? In the past four years, it’s not really his style to take blame for his wrongdoings.

By the way, what’s his signature accomplishment so far at USC? Destroying the nation’s greatest intersectional rivalry. Congrats to Mr. Muleshoe!

• Remember last weekend, when I said USC officials refused to confirm when training camp opened? They finally said it will open Friday (July 31). Not July 30 as some around here erroneously insisted.

Lincoln Riley Big Ten Media Day Highlights (Lowlights)

Lincoln Riley spoke at Big Ten media day and — big surprise — Notre Dame was a prime topic.

“Nothing’s changed from my vantage point. We want to play the game. I want to play the game. We would be playing the game had some things come true that were said. And so hopefully we get to that point.”

So Riley’s lips are moving but nothing’s happening. The earliest the rivalry will resume is 2030.

• Riley said USC moved into the new football building 10 days ago.

• On making the College Football Playoff: “I do believe we’re more equipped than at any point in the previous few years. That’s not a hope or a wish, there’s a lot of facts to back that up.”
• On Gary Patterson: “You can’t put a price tag on this guy’s experience. I mean, there’s just not much that this guy hasn’t seen.”
• On Jayden Maiava: “Of all the guys that I’ve been fortunate enough to coach, I don’t know that I’ve had anyone that has improved from day one to this point as much as Jayden has.”

Lincoln Riley Big Ten Media Day Highlights (Lowlights)

Lincoln Riley spoke at Big Ten media day and — big surprise — Notre Dame was a prime topic.

“Nothing’s changed from my vantage point. We want to play the game. I want to play the game. We would be playing the game had some things come true that were said. And so hopefully we get to that point.”

So Riley’s lips are moving but nothing’s happening. The earliest the rivalry will resume is 2030.

• Riley said USC moved into the new football building 10 days ago.

• On making the College Football Playoff: “I do believe we’re more equipped than at any point in the previous few years. That’s not a hope or a wish, there’s a lot of facts to back that up.”
• On Gary Patterson: “You can’t put a price tag on this guy’s experience. I mean, there’s just not much that this guy hasn’t seen.”
• On Jayden Maiava: “Of all the guys that I’ve been fortunate enough to coach, I don’t know that I’ve had anyone that has improved from day one to this point as much as Jayden has.”

Lincoln Riley Big Ten Media Day Highlights (Lowlights)

Lincoln Riley spoke at Big Ten media day and — big surprise — Notre Dame was a prime topic.

“Nothing’s changed from my vantage point. We want to play the game. I want to play the game. We would be playing the game had some things come true that were said. And so hopefully we get to that point.”

So Riley’s lips are moving but nothing’s happening. The earliest the rivalry will resume is 2030.

• Riley said USC moved into the new football building 10 days ago.

• On making the College Football Playoff: “I do believe we’re more equipped than at any point in the previous few years. That’s not a hope or a wish, there’s a lot of facts to back that up.”
• On Gary Patterson: “You can’t put a price tag on this guy’s experience. I mean, there’s just not much that this guy hasn’t seen.”
• On Jayden Maiava: “Of all the guys that I’ve been fortunate enough to coach, I don’t know that I’ve had anyone that has improved from day one to this point as much as Jayden has.”

Lincoln Riley Big Ten Media Day Highlights (Lowlights)

Lincoln Riley spoke at Big Ten media day and — big surprise — Notre Dame was a prime topic.

“Nothing’s changed from my vantage point. We want to play the game. I want to play the game. We would be playing the game had some things come true that were said. And so hopefully we get to that point.”

So Riley’s lips are moving but nothing’s happening. The earliest the rivalry will resume is 2030.

• Riley said USC moved into the new football building 10 days ago.

• On making the College Football Playoff: “I do believe we’re more equipped than at any point in the previous few years. That’s not a hope or a wish, there’s a lot of facts to back that up.”
• On Gary Patterson: “You can’t put a price tag on this guy’s experience. I mean, there’s just not much that this guy hasn’t seen.”
• On Jayden Maiava: “Of all the guys that I’ve been fortunate enough to coach, I don’t know that I’ve had anyone that has improved from day one to this point as much as Jayden has.”

USC Pitcher Grant Govel Returns For Junior Season

USC pitcher Grant Govel has decided to return for his junior season after being drafted in the 16th round by the Pittsburgh Pirates.

I didn’t expect Govel to turn pro but if he had, USC would have been in a dire position. As it is, the Trojans have still suffered severe losses in the transfer portal and still might not be good next season.

With his return, at least USC knows it has its No. 1 pitcher and can count on him every Friday night during the season. Govel was 10-3 last season with a 2.87 ERA.

USC Pitcher Grant Govel Returns For Junior Season

USC pitcher Grant Govel has decided to return for his junior season after being drafted in the 16th round by the Pittsburgh Pirates.

I didn’t expect Govel to turn pro but if he had, USC would have been in a dire position. As it is, the Trojans have still suffered severe losses in the transfer portal and still might not be good next season.

With his return, at least USC knows it has its No. 1 pitcher and can count on him every Friday night during the season. Govel was 10-3 last season with a 2.87 ERA.

USC Pitcher Grant Govel Returns For Junior Season

USC pitcher Grant Govel has decided to return for his junior season after being drafted in the 16th round by the Pittsburgh Pirates.

I didn’t expect Govel to turn pro but if he had, USC would have been in a dire position. As it is, the Trojans have still suffered severe losses in the transfer portal and still might not be good next season.

With his return, at least USC knows it has its No. 1 pitcher and can count on him every Friday night during the season. Govel was 10-3 last season with a 2.87 ERA.

USC Pitcher Grant Govel Returns For Junior Season

USC pitcher Grant Govel has decided to return for his junior season after being drafted in the 16th round by the Pittsburgh Pirates.

I didn’t expect Govel to turn pro but if he had, USC would have been in a dire position. As it is, the Trojans have still suffered severe losses in the transfer portal and still might not be good next season.

With his return, at least USC knows it has its No. 1 pitcher and can count on him every Friday night during the season. Govel was 10-3 last season with a 2.87 ERA.

If It’s Friday, It’s Time For A USC Notes Column

USC baseball assistant coach Travis Jewett has resigned to take a position with Vanderbilt. It means USC has lost its top two assistant coaches since the season ended.

He will be replaced by Bill Mosiello, who has been a candidate in the past for the USC head-coaching job and was a Trojan assistant in 2007.

• The lawsuit filed by Brian Kennedy highlights another problem with USC. There are very few Trojans working in the athletic dept. and they don’t fully appreciate the people who donated for decades.

In the past, the athletic dept. had long-time employees with USC ties that knew how to keep boosters invested in the university and would regularly meet with them. It was smart business because you could go to those donors for repeat donations.

That hasn’t been the case lately. No one knows who anyone is anumore. This lawsuit also never would have happened under Pete Carroll. But you-know-who doesn’t like to mingle with the public.

• One of my favorite Kennedy stories happened a few years after a USC-UCLA game at the Galen Center. Kennedy had courtside seats right next to the USC bench. USC lost to UCLA, and as Andy Enfield walked off the court, Kennedy told him, “You got outcoached!”

• And now for some history:

• Brice Taylor is one of the most amazing stories in USC history, the first All-American (1925) and first African-American player in school history. He also played football despite having only one hand.

The puzzling thing is USC did not have an African-American player for another 27 years after Taylor graduated. This was obviously deliberate but the question is why after Taylor’s success?

Well, here’s another weird twist to the Taylor-USC legacy. During most or all of this 27-year period when USC did not have any African-American players, it also omitted Taylor from its official list of All-Americans.

A campaign was started by Brad Pye, Jr., sports editor of the Los Angeles Sentinel and Deke Houlgate, Sr., a USC graduate who created his own college football rankings system, to get Taylor officially listed as an All-American.

I spoke to Pye about it once and he said he and Houlgate were forced to push hard with USC officials for Taylor’s inclusion. If you read anything on Taylor, he was a beloved figure wherever he went, so his omission is even more disgraceful.

Let’s remember USC also did not have an African-American basketball players during this period and Coach Forrest Twogood waited until 1959 to integrate the team. Another disgraceful period in the athletic dept.’s history.

As crazy as all this sounds, Taylor did attend the 1950 USC “men’s football banquet” that featured 18 members of the 1925 team.

And in 1957, he had his footprints placed in cement at halftime of a USC game, which was an honor given to every USC All-American in those days. By 1957, Pye and Houlgate had successfully had Taylor reinstated to the official list.

Those footprints are still on display at the McKay Center (but not for public viewing).

Taylor became the football coach at Southern University in 1928 and started the Bayou Classic with Grambling. He eventually became a teacher and football coach at Jefferson High School in Los Angeles, where he would open the gym on Saturdays and hosted Sports Nights during the week for neighborhood children.

He was the Teacher of the Year in Los Angeles in 1969 and was also appointed to positions by Gov. Ronald Reagan and Mayor Sam Yorty.

A DIFFERENT WORLD

Imagine a 600-student food fight. It happened at USC in 1975. Wonder what John Hubbard thought about it?

PICTURES OF THE WEEK

Anne Wiazemsky

Edy Williams

If It’s Friday, It’s Time For A USC Notes Column

USC baseball assistant coach Travis Jewett has resigned to take a position with Vanderbilt. It means USC has lost its top two assistant coaches since the season ended.

He will be replaced by Bill Mosiello, who has been a candidate in the past for the USC head-coaching job and was a Trojan assistant in 2007.

• The lawsuit filed by Brian Kennedy highlights another problem with USC. There are very few Trojans working in the athletic dept. and they don’t fully appreciate the people who donated for decades.

In the past, the athletic dept. had long-time employees with USC ties that knew how to keep boosters invested in the university and would regularly meet with them. It was smart business because you could go to those donors for repeat donations.

That hasn’t been the case lately. No one knows who anyone is anumore. This lawsuit also never would have happened under Pete Carroll. But you-know-who doesn’t like to mingle with the public.

• One of my favorite Kennedy stories happened a few years after a USC-UCLA game at the Galen Center. Kennedy had courtside seats right next to the USC bench. USC lost to UCLA, and as Andy Enfield walked off the court, Kennedy told him, “You got outcoached!”

• And now for some history:

• Brice Taylor is one of the most amazing stories in USC history, the first All-American (1925) and first African-American player in school history. He also played football despite having only one hand.

The puzzling thing is USC did not have an African-American player for another 27 years after Taylor graduated. This was obviously deliberate but the question is why after Taylor’s success?

Well, here’s another weird twist to the Taylor-USC legacy. During most or all of this 27-year period when USC did not have any African-American players, it also omitted Taylor from its official list of All-Americans.

A campaign was started by Brad Pye, Jr., sports editor of the Los Angeles Sentinel and Deke Houlgate, Sr., a USC graduate who created his own college football rankings system, to get Taylor officially listed as an All-American.

I spoke to Pye about it once and he said he and Houlgate were forced to push hard with USC officials for Taylor’s inclusion. If you read anything on Taylor, he was a beloved figure wherever he went, so his omission is even more disgraceful.

Let’s remember USC also did not have an African-American basketball players during this period and Coach Forrest Twogood waited until 1959 to integrate the team. Another disgraceful period in the athletic dept.’s history.

As crazy as all this sounds, Taylor did attend the 1950 USC “men’s football banquet” that featured 18 members of the 1925 team.

And in 1957, he had his footprints placed in cement at halftime of a USC game, which was an honor given to every USC All-American in those days. By 1957, Pye and Houlgate had successfully had Taylor reinstated to the official list.

Those footprints are still on display at the McKay Center (but not for public viewing).

Taylor became the football coach at Southern University in 1928 and started the Bayou Classic with Grambling. He eventually became a teacher and football coach at Jefferson High School in Los Angeles, where he would open the gym on Saturdays and hosted Sports Nights during the week for neighborhood children.

He was the Teacher of the Year in Los Angeles in 1969 and was also appointed to positions by Gov. Ronald Reagan and Mayor Sam Yorty.

A DIFFERENT WORLD

Imagine a 600-student food fight. It happened at USC in 1975. Wonder what John Hubbard thought about it?

PICTURES OF THE WEEK

Anne Wiazemsky

Edy Williams

If It’s Friday, It’s Time For A USC Notes Column

USC baseball assistant coach Travis Jewett has resigned to take a position with Vanderbilt. It means USC has lost its top two assistant coaches since the season ended.

He will be replaced by Bill Mosiello, who has been a candidate in the past for the USC head-coaching job and was a Trojan assistant in 2007.

• The lawsuit filed by Brian Kennedy highlights another problem with USC. There are very few Trojans working in the athletic dept. and they don’t fully appreciate the people who donated for decades.

In the past, the athletic dept. had long-time employees with USC ties that knew how to keep boosters invested in the university and would regularly meet with them. It was smart business because you could go to those donors for repeat donations.

That hasn’t been the case lately. No one knows who anyone is anumore. This lawsuit also never would have happened under Pete Carroll. But you-know-who doesn’t like to mingle with the public.

• One of my favorite Kennedy stories happened a few years after a USC-UCLA game at the Galen Center. Kennedy had courtside seats right next to the USC bench. USC lost to UCLA, and as Andy Enfield walked off the court, Kennedy told him, “You got outcoached!”

• And now for some history:

• Brice Taylor is one of the most amazing stories in USC history, the first All-American (1925) and first African-American player in school history. He also played football despite having only one hand.

The puzzling thing is USC did not have an African-American player for another 27 years after Taylor graduated. This was obviously deliberate but the question is why after Taylor’s success?

Well, here’s another weird twist to the Taylor-USC legacy. During most or all of this 27-year period when USC did not have any African-American players, it also omitted Taylor from its official list of All-Americans.

A campaign was started by Brad Pye, Jr., sports editor of the Los Angeles Sentinel and Deke Houlgate, Sr., a USC graduate who created his own college football rankings system, to get Taylor officially listed as an All-American.

I spoke to Pye about it once and he said he and Houlgate were forced to push hard with USC officials for Taylor’s inclusion. If you read anything on Taylor, he was a beloved figure wherever he went, so his omission is even more disgraceful.

Let’s remember USC also did not have an African-American basketball players during this period and Coach Forrest Twogood waited until 1959 to integrate the team. Another disgraceful period in the athletic dept.’s history.

As crazy as all this sounds, Taylor did attend the 1950 USC “men’s football banquet” that featured 18 members of the 1925 team.

And in 1957, he had his footprints placed in cement at halftime of a USC game, which was an honor given to every USC All-American in those days. By 1957, Pye and Houlgate had successfully had Taylor reinstated to the official list.

Those footprints are still on display at the McKay Center (but not for public viewing).

Taylor became the football coach at Southern University in 1928 and started the Bayou Classic with Grambling. He eventually became a teacher and football coach at Jefferson High School in Los Angeles, where he would open the gym on Saturdays and hosted Sports Nights during the week for neighborhood children.

He was the Teacher of the Year in Los Angeles in 1969 and was also appointed to positions by Gov. Ronald Reagan and Mayor Sam Yorty.

A DIFFERENT WORLD

Imagine a 600-student food fight. It happened at USC in 1975. Wonder what John Hubbard thought about it?

PICTURES OF THE WEEK

Anne Wiazemsky

Edy Williams

If It’s Friday, It’s Time For A USC Notes Column

USC baseball assistant coach Travis Jewett has resigned to take a position with Vanderbilt. It means USC has lost its top two assistant coaches since the season ended.

He will be replaced by Bill Mosiello, who has been a candidate in the past for the USC head-coaching job and was a Trojan assistant in 2007.

• The lawsuit filed by Brian Kennedy highlights another problem with USC. There are very few Trojans working in the athletic dept. and they don’t fully appreciate the people who donated for decades.

In the past, the athletic dept. had long-time employees with USC ties that knew how to keep boosters invested in the university and would regularly meet with them. It was smart business because you could go to those donors for repeat donations.

That hasn’t been the case lately. No one knows who anyone is anumore. This lawsuit also never would have happened under Pete Carroll. But you-know-who doesn’t like to mingle with the public.

• One of my favorite Kennedy stories happened a few years after a USC-UCLA game at the Galen Center. Kennedy had courtside seats right next to the USC bench. USC lost to UCLA, and as Andy Enfield walked off the court, Kennedy told him, “You got outcoached!”

• And now for some history:

• Brice Taylor is one of the most amazing stories in USC history, the first All-American (1925) and first African-American player in school history. He also played football despite having only one hand.

The puzzling thing is USC did not have an African-American player for another 27 years after Taylor graduated. This was obviously deliberate but the question is why after Taylor’s success?

Well, here’s another weird twist to the Taylor-USC legacy. During most or all of this 27-year period when USC did not have any African-American players, it also omitted Taylor from its official list of All-Americans.

A campaign was started by Brad Pye, Jr., sports editor of the Los Angeles Sentinel and Deke Houlgate, Sr., a USC graduate who created his own college football rankings system, to get Taylor officially listed as an All-American.

I spoke to Pye about it once and he said he and Houlgate were forced to push hard with USC officials for Taylor’s inclusion. If you read anything on Taylor, he was a beloved figure wherever he went, so his omission is even more disgraceful.

Let’s remember USC also did not have an African-American basketball players during this period and Coach Forrest Twogood waited until 1959 to integrate the team. Another disgraceful period in the athletic dept.’s history.

As crazy as all this sounds, Taylor did attend the 1950 USC “men’s football banquet” that featured 18 members of the 1925 team.

And in 1957, he had his footprints placed in cement at halftime of a USC game, which was an honor given to every USC All-American in those days. By 1957, Pye and Houlgate had successfully had Taylor reinstated to the official list.

Those footprints are still on display at the McKay Center (but not for public viewing).

Taylor became the football coach at Southern University in 1928 and started the Bayou Classic with Grambling. He eventually became a teacher and football coach at Jefferson High School in Los Angeles, where he would open the gym on Saturdays and hosted Sports Nights during the week for neighborhood children.

He was the Teacher of the Year in Los Angeles in 1969 and was also appointed to positions by Gov. Ronald Reagan and Mayor Sam Yorty.

A DIFFERENT WORLD

Imagine a 600-student food fight. It happened at USC in 1975. Wonder what John Hubbard thought about it?

PICTURES OF THE WEEK

Anne Wiazemsky

Edy Williams

USC Morning Buzz: Was It Really Worth Alienating A Booster?

Did USC really need to alienate booster Brian Kennedy to the point of Kennedy filing a lawsuit?

Let’s review: For more than 25 years, USC has had two football practice fields. Howard Jones Field and Brian Kennedy Field.

After the construction of the new football building and expansion, it still has two football fields. One is still called Howard Jones Field. So why isn’t the other one still called Brian Kennedy Field?

Did USC want to charge Kennedy twice for the same practice field? Or does it think it could find another donor to pay for his name on the field?

The athletics project — including the new Dedeaux Field — still needs to raise another $25 million for completion. No one is banging the door down for their name on a football field. Or the baseball stadium clubhouse or dugout (which are for sale).

So why alienate a booster who already paid and would probably keep donating, if you treat him right?

I can say this: Kennedy had USC written in his will. I highly doubt that remains the case given the rancor caused by all of this.

Since the death of Wayne Hughes, USC doesn’t really have a super booster any more. So it doesn’t make sense to alienate one.

• USC held its Beach Blanket Bingo in Hermosa Beach yesterday. Did you go? You know who I didn’t see there? Lincoln Riley.

To paraphrase Claude Rains in Casablanca, “I’m shocked! Shocked to find that Lincoln Riley was not there.”

USC Morning Buzz: Was It Really Worth Alienating A Booster?

Did USC really need to alienate booster Brian Kennedy to the point of Kennedy filing a lawsuit?

Let’s review: For more than 25 years, USC has had two football practice fields. Howard Jones Field and Brian Kennedy Field.

After the construction of the new football building and expansion, it still has two football fields. One is still called Howard Jones Field. So why isn’t the other one still called Brian Kennedy Field?

Did USC want to charge Kennedy twice for the same practice field? Or does it think it could find another donor to pay for his name on the field?

The athletics project — including the new Dedeaux Field — still needs to raise another $25 million for completion. No one is banging the door down for their name on a football field. Or the baseball stadium clubhouse or dugout (which are for sale).

So why alienate a booster who already paid and would probably keep donating, if you treat him right?

I can say this: Kennedy had USC written in his will. I highly doubt that remains the case given the rancor caused by all of this.

Since the death of Wayne Hughes, USC doesn’t really have a super booster any more. So it doesn’t make sense to alienate one.

• USC held its Beach Blanket Bingo in Hermosa Beach yesterday. Did you go? You know who I didn’t see there? Lincoln Riley.

To paraphrase Claude Rains in Casablanca, “I’m shocked! Shocked to find that Lincoln Riley was not there.”

USC Morning Buzz: Was It Really Worth Alienating A Booster?

Did USC really need to alienate booster Brian Kennedy to the point of Kennedy filing a lawsuit?

Let’s review: For more than 25 years, USC has had two football practice fields. Howard Jones Field and Brian Kennedy Field.

After the construction of the new football building and expansion, it still has two football fields. One is still called Howard Jones Field. So why isn’t the other one still called Brian Kennedy Field?

Did USC want to charge Kennedy twice for the same practice field? Or does it think it could find another donor to pay for his name on the field?

The athletics project — including the new Dedeaux Field — still needs to raise another $25 million for completion. No one is banging the door down for their name on a football field. Or the baseball stadium clubhouse or dugout (which are for sale).

So why alienate a booster who already paid and would probably keep donating, if you treat him right?

I can say this: Kennedy had USC written in his will. I highly doubt that remains the case given the rancor caused by all of this.

Since the death of Wayne Hughes, USC doesn’t really have a super booster any more. So it doesn’t make sense to alienate one.

• USC held its Beach Blanket Bingo in Hermosa Beach yesterday. Did you go? You know who I didn’t see there? Lincoln Riley.

To paraphrase Claude Rains in Casablanca, “I’m shocked! Shocked to find that Lincoln Riley was not there.”

USC Morning Buzz: Was It Really Worth Alienating A Booster?

Did USC really need to alienate booster Brian Kennedy to the point of Kennedy filing a lawsuit?

Let’s review: For more than 25 years, USC has had two football practice fields. Howard Jones Field and Brian Kennedy Field.

After the construction of the new football building and expansion, it still has two football fields. One is still called Howard Jones Field. So why isn’t the other one still called Brian Kennedy Field?

Did USC want to charge Kennedy twice for the same practice field? Or does it think it could find another donor to pay for his name on the field?

The athletics project — including the new Dedeaux Field — still needs to raise another $25 million for completion. No one is banging the door down for their name on a football field. Or the baseball stadium clubhouse or dugout (which are for sale).

So why alienate a booster who already paid and would probably keep donating, if you treat him right?

I can say this: Kennedy had USC written in his will. I highly doubt that remains the case given the rancor caused by all of this.

Since the death of Wayne Hughes, USC doesn’t really have a super booster any more. So it doesn’t make sense to alienate one.

• USC held its Beach Blanket Bingo in Hermosa Beach yesterday. Did you go? You know who I didn’t see there? Lincoln Riley.

To paraphrase Claude Rains in Casablanca, “I’m shocked! Shocked to find that Lincoln Riley was not there.”

Fresno State Readies For USC

Fresno State coach Matt Entz, who used to be an assistant at USC, spoke today about playing the Trojans on Sept. 4.

“Playing USC is probably like playing the Avengers, they’re pretty talented. they’re pretty gifted,” Entz said.

“Where can we create mini victories within a game? That can help us stay close and keep it tight. Being a complemetary team can help us in a game like this.”

At first I thought Entz was referring to the old L.A. Avengers of the Arena Football League but that’s me.

I did find his comment about playing complementary football interesting. He saw how Lincoln Riley coaches first-hand a couple seasons ago.

Riley has gotten a little better at playing complementary football but I’m eagerly waiting to see how Gary Patterson handles that during the season.

Fresno State Readies For USC

Fresno State coach Matt Entz, who used to be an assistant at USC, spoke today about playing the Trojans on Sept. 4.

“Playing USC is probably like playing the Avengers, they’re pretty talented. they’re pretty gifted,” Entz said.

“Where can we create mini victories within a game? That can help us stay close and keep it tight. Being a complemetary team can help us in a game like this.”

At first I thought Entz was referring to the old L.A. Avengers of the Arena Football League but that’s me.

I did find his comment about playing complementary football interesting. He saw how Lincoln Riley coaches first-hand a couple seasons ago.

Riley has gotten a little better at playing complementary football but I’m eagerly waiting to see how Gary Patterson handles that during the season.

Fresno State Readies For USC

Fresno State coach Matt Entz, who used to be an assistant at USC, spoke today about playing the Trojans on Sept. 4.

“Playing USC is probably like playing the Avengers, they’re pretty talented. they’re pretty gifted,” Entz said.

“Where can we create mini victories within a game? That can help us stay close and keep it tight. Being a complemetary team can help us in a game like this.”

At first I thought Entz was referring to the old L.A. Avengers of the Arena Football League but that’s me.

I did find his comment about playing complementary football interesting. He saw how Lincoln Riley coaches first-hand a couple seasons ago.

Riley has gotten a little better at playing complementary football but I’m eagerly waiting to see how Gary Patterson handles that during the season.

Fresno State Readies For USC

Fresno State coach Matt Entz, who used to be an assistant at USC, spoke today about playing the Trojans on Sept. 4.

“Playing USC is probably like playing the Avengers, they’re pretty talented. they’re pretty gifted,” Entz said.

“Where can we create mini victories within a game? That can help us stay close and keep it tight. Being a complemetary team can help us in a game like this.”

At first I thought Entz was referring to the old L.A. Avengers of the Arena Football League but that’s me.

I did find his comment about playing complementary football interesting. He saw how Lincoln Riley coaches first-hand a couple seasons ago.

Riley has gotten a little better at playing complementary football but I’m eagerly waiting to see how Gary Patterson handles that during the season.

Fresno State Readies For USC

Fresno State coach Matt Entz, who used to be an assistant at USC, spoke today about playing the Trojans on Sept. 4.

“Playing USC is probably like playing the Avengers, they’re pretty talented. they’re pretty gifted,” Entz said.

“Where can we create mini victories within a game? That can help us stay close and keep it tight. Being a complemetary team can help us in a game like this.”

At first I thought Entz was referring to the old L.A. Avengers of the Arena Football League but that’s me.

I did find his comment about playing complementary football interesting. He saw how Lincoln Riley coaches first-hand a couple seasons ago.

Riley has gotten a little better at playing complementary football but I’m eagerly waiting to see how Gary Patterson handles that during the season.

Sunday Buzz: World Cup Gaffes Of The Day

It’s a great World Cup final when John Strong of Fox thinks Matt Damon is Brad Pitt.

https://twitter.com/TheOnlyCritic/status/2078924990372589639?s=20

And over on the BBC, Guy Mowbray is having just as rough a day.

https://twitter.com/big_business_/status/2078927420007109076?s=20

Sunday Buzz: World Cup Gaffes Of The Day

It’s a great World Cup final when John Strong of Fox thinks Matt Damon is Brad Pitt.

https://twitter.com/TheOnlyCritic/status/2078924990372589639?s=20

And over on the BBC, Guy Mowbray is having just as rough a day.

https://twitter.com/big_business_/status/2078927420007109076?s=20

Sunday Buzz: World Cup Gaffes Of The Day

It’s a great World Cup final when John Strong of Fox thinks Matt Damon is Brad Pitt.

https://twitter.com/TheOnlyCritic/status/2078924990372589639?s=20

And over on the BBC, Guy Mowbray is having just as rough a day.

https://twitter.com/big_business_/status/2078927420007109076?s=20

Sunday Buzz: World Cup Gaffes Of The Day

It’s a great World Cup final when John Strong of Fox thinks Matt Damon is Brad Pitt.

https://twitter.com/TheOnlyCritic/status/2078924990372589639?s=20

And over on the BBC, Guy Mowbray is having just as rough a day.

https://twitter.com/big_business_/status/2078927420007109076?s=20

If It’s Friday, It’s Time For A USC Notes Column

USC football is having a “Beach Day” on Tuesday in Hermosa Beach from 8-10 a.m. between 9th and 10th street. The players will work out, play dodgeball, sign autographs and pose for photos.

• LeBron James spoke at the Time magazine 100 gala last night after the magazine named him athlete of the century and took a moment to thank USC.

“Obviously, if it wasn’t for the coaching staff and the medical team, everybody at USC being there in a timely fashion, we would possibly be sitting here without our son.”

• And now for some history:

• Below is a great photo of a March, 1952 spring practice that showed the depth of USC’s backfield. From left, Al “Hoagy” Carmichael, Jim Sears and Addison Hawthorne under the watch of Frank Gifford (far right), who two months earlier was the 11th pick in the NFL Draft by the New York Giants.

• It always fascinates me how people can pretty much dedicate their lives to someplace like USC and then within a short time, they are forgotten.

Here is an example: Charlie Graves was USC gymnastics coach and a P.E. professor from 1928-57. He won a national title in 1938 and is in the USA Gymastics Hall of Fame.

• Johnny Carson hosted the first noon rally of the football season at Bovard Auditorium the day before USC hosted Pitt at the Coliseum on Sept. 25, 1954. At the time, no one knew Carson would go on to become America’s best-known late-night talk show host with his 30-year reign on The Tonight Show (1962-92).

Carson was a writer-performer for CBS when he hosted the rally.

• When the recently retired USC track coach Dean Cromwell celebrated his 75th birthday in 1954, the Football Writers of Los Angeles had a birthday cake for Cromwell at their luncheon. The only problem was they forgot to invite Cromwell.

• Has USC ever not had an attendance problem with basketball?

In 1954-1955, the average attendance was 1,642. The previous year, when USC won its conference title, it averaged 3,173 per game.

But those figures were attributed to the fact USC games were played at unsuitable venues like the Shrine Auditorium, Olympic Auditorium and Pan-Pacific Auditorium.

Here’s what an alumni publication wrote in 1956:

“Within the next year — perhaps in time for the 1956-1957 basketball season — the new 17,000-seat Coliseum arena will be completed. Both public and student interest in basketball should soar, particularly with the arena being situated right next door to the Trojan campus. Let us hope so.”

The Sports Arena was completed in 1959. Once it became unfashionable, the theory was attendance problems would be solved once USC built an on-campus arena (the Galen Center). See how history repeats itself!

• Maybe things would be different if the “Howard Jones Memoral Fieldhouse” had ever been built. It would seat 10,000 and cost $1,000,000 and the athletic dept. tried to raise the money in 1947.

The fieldhouse was to be located where the George Lucas School of Cinematic Arts and McKay Center currently reside. But only $38,000 was raised and the rendering below is all that got produced.

• On a lighter note, do you remember in 1991 when Traveler bumped a Stanford Dollie cheerleader during the USC-Stanford game at the Coliseum?

Traveler was running down the then-existing track and his shoulder hit Debbie Bain, who was performing a dance move, knocking her to the ground in the third quarter. Bain was not injured and rejoined the Dollies in the fourth quarter.

A member of the Trojan Knights responsible for clearing the track said there were at least three other incidents that night where Traveler almost hit someone.

“I would like to see (Traveler) slowed down a bit,” said Scott Seidenverg, who was a Trojan Knight.

The best quote came from Richard Saukko, who owned Traveler and dressed as Tommy Trojan for decades.

“The girl was told to be off the track and she insisted on still kicking,” Saukko said.

PICTURES OF THE WEEK

Ingrid Boulting

Astrid Heeren

If It’s Friday, It’s Time For A USC Notes Column

USC football is having a “Beach Day” on Tuesday in Hermosa Beach from 8-10 a.m. between 9th and 10th street. The players will work out, play dodgeball, sign autographs and pose for photos.

• LeBron James spoke at the Time magazine 100 gala last night after the magazine named him athlete of the century and took a moment to thank USC.

“Obviously, if it wasn’t for the coaching staff and the medical team, everybody at USC being there in a timely fashion, we would possibly be sitting here without our son.”

• And now for some history:

• Below is a great photo of a March, 1952 spring practice that showed the depth of USC’s backfield. From left, Al “Hoagy” Carmichael, Jim Sears and Addison Hawthorne under the watch of Frank Gifford (far right), who two months earlier was the 11th pick in the NFL Draft by the New York Giants.

• It always fascinates me how people can pretty much dedicate their lives to someplace like USC and then within a short time, they are forgotten.

Here is an example: Charlie Graves was USC gymnastics coach and a P.E. professor from 1928-57. He won a national title in 1938 and is in the USA Gymastics Hall of Fame.

• Johnny Carson hosted the first noon rally of the football season at Bovard Auditorium the day before USC hosted Pitt at the Coliseum on Sept. 25, 1954. At the time, no one knew Carson would go on to become America’s best-known late-night talk show host with his 30-year reign on The Tonight Show (1962-92).

Carson was a writer-performer for CBS when he hosted the rally.

• When the recently retired USC track coach Dean Cromwell celebrated his 75th birthday in 1954, the Football Writers of Los Angeles had a birthday cake for Cromwell at their luncheon. The only problem was they forgot to invite Cromwell.

• Has USC ever not had an attendance problem with basketball?

In 1954-1955, the average attendance was 1,642. The previous year, when USC won its conference title, it averaged 3,173 per game.

But those figures were attributed to the fact USC games were played at unsuitable venues like the Shrine Auditorium, Olympic Auditorium and Pan-Pacific Auditorium.

Here’s what an alumni publication wrote in 1956:

“Within the next year — perhaps in time for the 1956-1957 basketball season — the new 17,000-seat Coliseum arena will be completed. Both public and student interest in basketball should soar, particularly with the arena being situated right next door to the Trojan campus. Let us hope so.”

The Sports Arena was completed in 1959. Once it became unfashionable, the theory was attendance problems would be solved once USC built an on-campus arena (the Galen Center). See how history repeats itself!

• Maybe things would be different if the “Howard Jones Memoral Fieldhouse” had ever been built. It would seat 10,000 and cost $1,000,000 and the athletic dept. tried to raise the money in 1947.

The fieldhouse was to be located where the George Lucas School of Cinematic Arts and McKay Center currently reside. But only $38,000 was raised and the rendering below is all that got produced.

• On a lighter note, do you remember in 1991 when Traveler bumped a Stanford Dollie cheerleader during the USC-Stanford game at the Coliseum?

Traveler was running down the then-existing track and his shoulder hit Debbie Bain, who was performing a dance move, knocking her to the ground in the third quarter. Bain was not injured and rejoined the Dollies in the fourth quarter.

A member of the Trojan Knights responsible for clearing the track said there were at least three other incidents that night where Traveler almost hit someone.

“I would like to see (Traveler) slowed down a bit,” said Scott Seidenverg, who was a Trojan Knight.

The best quote came from Richard Saukko, who owned Traveler and dressed as Tommy Trojan for decades.

“The girl was told to be off the track and she insisted on still kicking,” Saukko said.

PICTURES OF THE WEEK

Ingrid Boulting

Astrid Heeren

If It’s Friday, It’s Time For A USC Notes Column

USC football is having a “Beach Day” on Tuesday in Hermosa Beach from 8-10 a.m. between 9th and 10th street. The players will work out, play dodgeball, sign autographs and pose for photos.

• LeBron James spoke at the Time magazine 100 gala last night after the magazine named him athlete of the century and took a moment to thank USC.

“Obviously, if it wasn’t for the coaching staff and the medical team, everybody at USC being there in a timely fashion, we would possibly be sitting here without our son.”

• And now for some history:

• Below is a great photo of a March, 1952 spring practice that showed the depth of USC’s backfield. From left, Al “Hoagy” Carmichael, Jim Sears and Addison Hawthorne under the watch of Frank Gifford (far right), who two months earlier was the 11th pick in the NFL Draft by the New York Giants.

• It always fascinates me how people can pretty much dedicate their lives to someplace like USC and then within a short time, they are forgotten.

Here is an example: Charlie Graves was USC gymnastics coach and a P.E. professor from 1928-57. He won a national title in 1938 and is in the USA Gymastics Hall of Fame.

• Johnny Carson hosted the first noon rally of the football season at Bovard Auditorium the day before USC hosted Pitt at the Coliseum on Sept. 25, 1954. At the time, no one knew Carson would go on to become America’s best-known late-night talk show host with his 30-year reign on The Tonight Show (1962-92).

Carson was a writer-performer for CBS when he hosted the rally.

• When the recently retired USC track coach Dean Cromwell celebrated his 75th birthday in 1954, the Football Writers of Los Angeles had a birthday cake for Cromwell at their luncheon. The only problem was they forgot to invite Cromwell.

• Has USC ever not had an attendance problem with basketball?

In 1954-1955, the average attendance was 1,642. The previous year, when USC won its conference title, it averaged 3,173 per game.

But those figures were attributed to the fact USC games were played at unsuitable venues like the Shrine Auditorium, Olympic Auditorium and Pan-Pacific Auditorium.

Here’s what an alumni publication wrote in 1956:

“Within the next year — perhaps in time for the 1956-1957 basketball season — the new 17,000-seat Coliseum arena will be completed. Both public and student interest in basketball should soar, particularly with the arena being situated right next door to the Trojan campus. Let us hope so.”

The Sports Arena was completed in 1959. Once it became unfashionable, the theory was attendance problems would be solved once USC built an on-campus arena (the Galen Center). See how history repeats itself!

• Maybe things would be different if the “Howard Jones Memoral Fieldhouse” had ever been built. It would seat 10,000 and cost $1,000,000 and the athletic dept. tried to raise the money in 1947.

The fieldhouse was to be located where the George Lucas School of Cinematic Arts and McKay Center currently reside. But only $38,000 was raised and the rendering below is all that got produced.

• On a lighter note, do you remember in 1991 when Traveler bumped a Stanford Dollie cheerleader during the USC-Stanford game at the Coliseum?

Traveler was running down the then-existing track and his shoulder hit Debbie Bain, who was performing a dance move, knocking her to the ground in the third quarter. Bain was not injured and rejoined the Dollies in the fourth quarter.

A member of the Trojan Knights responsible for clearing the track said there were at least three other incidents that night where Traveler almost hit someone.

“I would like to see (Traveler) slowed down a bit,” said Scott Seidenverg, who was a Trojan Knight.

The best quote came from Richard Saukko, who owned Traveler and dressed as Tommy Trojan for decades.

“The girl was told to be off the track and she insisted on still kicking,” Saukko said.

PICTURES OF THE WEEK

Ingrid Boulting

Astrid Heeren

If It’s Friday, It’s Time For A USC Notes Column

USC football is having a “Beach Day” on Tuesday in Hermosa Beach from 8-10 a.m. between 9th and 10th street. The players will work out, play dodgeball, sign autographs and pose for photos.

• LeBron James spoke at the Time magazine 100 gala last night after the magazine named him athlete of the century and took a moment to thank USC.

“Obviously, if it wasn’t for the coaching staff and the medical team, everybody at USC being there in a timely fashion, we would possibly be sitting here without our son.”

• And now for some history:

• Below is a great photo of a March, 1952 spring practice that showed the depth of USC’s backfield. From left, Al “Hoagy” Carmichael, Jim Sears and Addison Hawthorne under the watch of Frank Gifford (far right), who two months earlier was the 11th pick in the NFL Draft by the New York Giants.

• It always fascinates me how people can pretty much dedicate their lives to someplace like USC and then within a short time, they are forgotten.

Here is an example: Charlie Graves was USC gymnastics coach and a P.E. professor from 1928-57. He won a national title in 1938 and is in the USA Gymastics Hall of Fame.

• Johnny Carson hosted the first noon rally of the football season at Bovard Auditorium the day before USC hosted Pitt at the Coliseum on Sept. 25, 1954. At the time, no one knew Carson would go on to become America’s best-known late-night talk show host with his 30-year reign on The Tonight Show (1962-92).

Carson was a writer-performer for CBS when he hosted the rally.

• When the recently retired USC track coach Dean Cromwell celebrated his 75th birthday in 1954, the Football Writers of Los Angeles had a birthday cake for Cromwell at their luncheon. The only problem was they forgot to invite Cromwell.

• Has USC ever not had an attendance problem with basketball?

In 1954-1955, the average attendance was 1,642. The previous year, when USC won its conference title, it averaged 3,173 per game.

But those figures were attributed to the fact USC games were played at unsuitable venues like the Shrine Auditorium, Olympic Auditorium and Pan-Pacific Auditorium.

Here’s what an alumni publication wrote in 1956:

“Within the next year — perhaps in time for the 1956-1957 basketball season — the new 17,000-seat Coliseum arena will be completed. Both public and student interest in basketball should soar, particularly with the arena being situated right next door to the Trojan campus. Let us hope so.”

The Sports Arena was completed in 1959. Once it became unfashionable, the theory was attendance problems would be solved once USC built an on-campus arena (the Galen Center). See how history repeats itself!

• Maybe things would be different if the “Howard Jones Memoral Fieldhouse” had ever been built. It would seat 10,000 and cost $1,000,000 and the athletic dept. tried to raise the money in 1947.

The fieldhouse was to be located where the George Lucas School of Cinematic Arts and McKay Center currently reside. But only $38,000 was raised and the rendering below is all that got produced.

• On a lighter note, do you remember in 1991 when Traveler bumped a Stanford Dollie cheerleader during the USC-Stanford game at the Coliseum?

Traveler was running down the then-existing track and his shoulder hit Debbie Bain, who was performing a dance move, knocking her to the ground in the third quarter. Bain was not injured and rejoined the Dollies in the fourth quarter.

A member of the Trojan Knights responsible for clearing the track said there were at least three other incidents that night where Traveler almost hit someone.

“I would like to see (Traveler) slowed down a bit,” said Scott Seidenverg, who was a Trojan Knight.

The best quote came from Richard Saukko, who owned Traveler and dressed as Tommy Trojan for decades.

“The girl was told to be off the track and she insisted on still kicking,” Saukko said.

PICTURES OF THE WEEK

Ingrid Boulting

Astrid Heeren

If It’s Friday, It’s Time For A USC Notes Column

USC football is having a “Beach Day” on Tuesday in Hermosa Beach from 8-10 a.m. between 9th and 10th street. The players will work out, play dodgeball, sign autographs and pose for photos.

• LeBron James spoke at the Time magazine 100 gala last night after the magazine named him athlete of the century and took a moment to thank USC.

“Obviously, if it wasn’t for the coaching staff and the medical team, everybody at USC being there in a timely fashion, we would possibly be sitting here without our son.”

• And now for some history:

• Below is a great photo of a March, 1952 spring practice that showed the depth of USC’s backfield. From left, Al “Hoagy” Carmichael, Jim Sears and Addison Hawthorne under the watch of Frank Gifford (far right), who two months earlier was the 11th pick in the NFL Draft by the New York Giants.

• It always fascinates me how people can pretty much dedicate their lives to someplace like USC and then within a short time, they are forgotten.

Here is an example: Charlie Graves was USC gymnastics coach and a P.E. professor from 1928-57. He won a national title in 1938 and is in the USA Gymastics Hall of Fame.

• Johnny Carson hosted the first noon rally of the football season at Bovard Auditorium the day before USC hosted Pitt at the Coliseum on Sept. 25, 1954. At the time, no one knew Carson would go on to become America’s best-known late-night talk show host with his 30-year reign on The Tonight Show (1962-92).

Carson was a writer-performer for CBS when he hosted the rally.

• When the recently retired USC track coach Dean Cromwell celebrated his 75th birthday in 1954, the Football Writers of Los Angeles had a birthday cake for Cromwell at their luncheon. The only problem was they forgot to invite Cromwell.

• Has USC ever not had an attendance problem with basketball?

In 1954-1955, the average attendance was 1,642. The previous year, when USC won its conference title, it averaged 3,173 per game.

But those figures were attributed to the fact USC games were played at unsuitable venues like the Shrine Auditorium, Olympic Auditorium and Pan-Pacific Auditorium.

Here’s what an alumni publication wrote in 1956:

“Within the next year — perhaps in time for the 1956-1957 basketball season — the new 17,000-seat Coliseum arena will be completed. Both public and student interest in basketball should soar, particularly with the arena being situated right next door to the Trojan campus. Let us hope so.”

The Sports Arena was completed in 1959. Once it became unfashionable, the theory was attendance problems would be solved once USC built an on-campus arena (the Galen Center). See how history repeats itself!

• Maybe things would be different if the “Howard Jones Memoral Fieldhouse” had ever been built. It would seat 10,000 and cost $1,000,000 and the athletic dept. tried to raise the money in 1947.

The fieldhouse was to be located where the George Lucas School of Cinematic Arts and McKay Center currently reside. But only $38,000 was raised and the rendering below is all that got produced.

• On a lighter note, do you remember in 1991 when Traveler bumped a Stanford Dollie cheerleader during the USC-Stanford game at the Coliseum?

Traveler was running down the then-existing track and his shoulder hit Debbie Bain, who was performing a dance move, knocking her to the ground in the third quarter. Bain was not injured and rejoined the Dollies in the fourth quarter.

A member of the Trojan Knights responsible for clearing the track said there were at least three other incidents that night where Traveler almost hit someone.

“I would like to see (Traveler) slowed down a bit,” said Scott Seidenverg, who was a Trojan Knight.

The best quote came from Richard Saukko, who owned Traveler and dressed as Tommy Trojan for decades.

“The girl was told to be off the track and she insisted on still kicking,” Saukko said.

PICTURES OF THE WEEK

Ingrid Boulting

Astrid Heeren

USC Morning Buzz: A Bullish Season Prediction

Like Joel Klatt and a host of others, J.D. Pickell tends to be a USC homer.

Here he predicts USC goes 10-2 this season.

The only losses are to Oregon and Ohio State. So he’s bullish on USC.

But let’s review his record of opinions on USC.

https://twitter.com/jdpickell/status/2077561514135781820?s=20

Here he is downplaying the disappointing 2023 season (which was followed by a worse 2024), by the way. But he will never remind you of this.

https://twitter.com/jdpickell/status/1726693979226517961?s=20

USC Morning Buzz: A Bullish Season Prediction

Like Joel Klatt and a host of others, J.D. Pickell tends to be a USC homer.

Here he predicts USC goes 10-2 this season.

The only losses are to Oregon and Ohio State. So he’s bullish on USC.

But let’s review his record of opinions on USC.

https://twitter.com/jdpickell/status/2077561514135781820?s=20

Here he is downplaying the disappointing 2023 season (which was followed by a worse 2024), by the way. But he will never remind you of this.

https://twitter.com/jdpickell/status/1726693979226517961?s=20

USC Morning Buzz: A Bullish Season Prediction

Like Joel Klatt and a host of others, J.D. Pickell tends to be a USC homer.

Here he predicts USC goes 10-2 this season.

The only losses are to Oregon and Ohio State. So he’s bullish on USC.

But let’s review his record of opinions on USC.

https://twitter.com/jdpickell/status/2077561514135781820?s=20

Here he is downplaying the disappointing 2023 season (which was followed by a worse 2024), by the way. But he will never remind you of this.

https://twitter.com/jdpickell/status/1726693979226517961?s=20

USC Morning Buzz: A Bullish Season Prediction

Like Joel Klatt and a host of others, J.D. Pickell tends to be a USC homer.

Here he predicts USC goes 10-2 this season.

The only losses are to Oregon and Ohio State. So he’s bullish on USC.

But let’s review his record of opinions on USC.

https://twitter.com/jdpickell/status/2077561514135781820?s=20

Here he is downplaying the disappointing 2023 season (which was followed by a worse 2024), by the way. But he will never remind you of this.

https://twitter.com/jdpickell/status/1726693979226517961?s=20

USC Morning Buzz: A Bullish Season Prediction

Like Joel Klatt and a host of others, J.D. Pickell tends to be a USC homer.

Here he predicts USC goes 10-2 this season.

The only losses are to Oregon and Ohio State. So he’s bullish on USC.

But let’s review his record of opinions on USC.

https://twitter.com/jdpickell/status/2077561514135781820?s=20

Here he is downplaying the disappointing 2023 season (which was followed by a worse 2024), by the way. But he will never remind you of this.

https://twitter.com/jdpickell/status/1726693979226517961?s=20

Sir Lincoln Of Riley Doesn’t Face This Scrutiny

England fans and their media are demanding Thomas Tuchel be fired after losing to Argentina, 2-1, today at the World Cup.

Imagine if Sir Lincoln of Riley faced this scrutiny instead of four-plus years of indifference from the USC supporters. He wouldn’t have made it past Year 2.

https://twitter.com/talkSPORT/status/2077509757053620496?s=20

Sir Lincoln Of Riley Doesn’t Face This Scrutiny

England fans and their media are demanding Thomas Tuchel be fired after losing to Argentina, 2-1, today at the World Cup.

Imagine if Sir Lincoln of Riley faced this scrutiny instead of four-plus years of indifference from the USC supporters. He wouldn’t have made it past Year 2.

https://twitter.com/talkSPORT/status/2077509757053620496?s=20

Sir Lincoln Of Riley Doesn’t Face This Scrutiny

England fans and their media are demanding Thomas Tuchel be fired after losing to Argentina, 2-1, today at the World Cup.

Imagine if Sir Lincoln of Riley faced this scrutiny instead of four-plus years of indifference from the USC supporters. He wouldn’t have made it past Year 2.

https://twitter.com/talkSPORT/status/2077509757053620496?s=20

Sir Lincoln Of Riley Doesn’t Face This Scrutiny

England fans and their media are demanding Thomas Tuchel be fired after losing to Argentina, 2-1, today at the World Cup.

Imagine if Sir Lincoln of Riley faced this scrutiny instead of four-plus years of indifference from the USC supporters. He wouldn’t have made it past Year 2.

https://twitter.com/talkSPORT/status/2077509757053620496?s=20

Sir Lincoln Of Riley Doesn’t Face This Scrutiny

England fans and their media are demanding Thomas Tuchel be fired after losing to Argentina, 2-1, today at the World Cup. They didn’t like strategy or substitutions.

Imagine if Sir Lincoln of Riley faced this scrutiny instead of four-plus years of indifference from the USC supporters. He wouldn’t have made it past Year 2.

https://twitter.com/talkSPORT/status/2077509757053620496?s=20

We can do this. We can overcome them if we stick together. #FightOn

Is USC’s Offensive Line A Strength Or Not?

USC’s entire offensive line returns intact led by left tackle Elijah Paige, who is a three-year starter.

That has led some to say the offensive line is a USC strength.

But they didn’t always shine last season and I have doubts about the unit despite its experience, especially since the offensive line has been an Achilles’ heel for the Trojans during the entire Riley Era.

I’ve been at odds with some pundits for several years about this as they always claim the line is better and will be excellent, but for some reason it doesn’t happen.

They have had moments but have never been dominating over the course of the season. Some believe there might be 1-2 new starters, which suggests the returning five is not as good as some people think.

This is all part of the same issue with the secondary and linebackers. We will see how good they are during the season. Right now, it’s just guesswork.

Is USC’s Offensive Line A Strength Or Not?

USC’s entire offensive line returns intact led by left tackle Elijah Paige, who is a three-year starter.

That has led some to say the offensive line is a USC strength.

But they didn’t always shine last season and I have doubts about the unit despite its experience, especially since the offensive line has been an Achilles’ heel for the Trojans during the entire Riley Era.

I’ve been at odds with some pundits for several years about this as they always claim the line is better and will be excellent, but for some reason it doesn’t happen.

They have had moments but have never been dominating over the course of the season. Some believe there might be 1-2 new starters, which suggests the returning five is not as good as some people think.

This is all part of the same issue with the secondary and linebackers. We will see how good they are during the season. Right now, it’s just guesswork.

Is USC’s Offensive Line A Strength Or Not?

USC’s entire offensive line returns intact led by left tackle Elijah Paige, who is a three-year starter.

That has led some to say the offensive line is a USC strength.

But they didn’t always shine last season and I have doubts about the unit despite its experience, especially since the offensive line has been an Achilles’ heel for the Trojans during the entire Riley Era.

I’ve been at odds with some pundits for several years about this as they always claim the line is better and will be excellent, but for some reason it doesn’t happen.

They have had moments but have never been dominating over the course of the season. Some believe there might be 1-2 new starters, which suggests the returning five is not as good as some people think.

This is all part of the same issue with the secondary and linebackers. We will see how good they are during the season. Right now, it’s just guesswork.

Is USC’s Offensive Line A Strength Or Not?

USC’s entire offensive line returns intact led by left tackle Elijah Paige, who is a three-year starter.

That has led some to say the offensive line is a USC strength.

But they didn’t always shine last season and I have doubts about the unit despite its experience, especially since the offensive line has been an Achilles’ heel for the Trojans during the entire Riley Era.

I’ve been at odds with some pundits for several years about this as they always claim the line is better and will be excellent, but for some reason it doesn’t happen.

They have had moments but have never been dominating over the course of the season. Some believe there might be 1-2 new starters, which suggests the returning five is not as good as some people think.

This is all part of the same issue with the secondary and linebackers. We will see how good they are during the season. Right now, it’s just guesswork.

If It’s Friday, It’s Time For A USC Notes Column

Former USC basketball player Chad Baker-Mazara has joined the Gigantes de Carolina-Canóvanas team of Puerto Rico’s BSN, the team announced.

• Former USC football player Uchenna Nwosu’s foundation donated $10,000 to St. Pius X-St. Matthias High School this week.
• Former USC women’s basketball player Kiki Iriafen has been named a WNBA All -Star for the second straight season.

• And now for some history:
• With the Major League All-Star Game approaching, here’s a good piece of trivia: USC has had three players selected twice. In 1979, Steve Kemp, Fred Lynn and Roy Smalley on the American League. In 2003, Aaron Boone, Mark Prior and Geoff Jenkins on the National League.

• There are simply not enough good pictures of one of the greatest Trojans of all time, Gus Williams. But here is one of Williams in 1975 vs. UCLA and forward Richard Washington. Williams averaged 21.2 points and 5.4 assists this season (without a 3-point line). UCLA won this game, 89-84.

 The above 1953 picture shows USC running back Addison Hawthorne (23), who joined the team in 1952. Hawthorne was the first African-American to play at USC since All-American Brice Taylor in 1925. But few discuss him today.

He was a well-known player at Pasadena City College and one wonders what he endured if there was a 27-year absence of African-American players at USC. And what changed after Taylor that no African-Americans were on the team for such a long time?

If you think it was all just a sign of the times, remember stars like Kenny Washington, Jackie Robinson and Woody Strode played at UCLA in 1939. So let’s appreciate Hawthorne, who is a historical figure with USC football.

A DIFFERENT WORLD

The USC campus isn’t exactly a hub of activity during Christmas break. And getting people to show up two days after Christmas would be a chore.

But that wasn’t the case in 1945. USC was playing Alabama in the Rose Bowl and a huge, star-studded rally before a packed audience on Dec. 27, 1945 at Bovard Auditorium.

Who showed up? Movie stars like John Wayne, Gail Russell, Barbara Hale and Diana Lynn along with Coach Jeff Cravath and the USC football team. Band leader Alvino Rey provided the musical entertainment. Even some Alabama students showed up.

Wayne and Russell were set to shoot the classic Western, “Angel and the Badman” in a four months, which probably explained why Russell attended the rally. Hale later became best known as a regular cast member on “Perry Mason” while Lynn was only 19 at the time of the rally but was well known and ended up with two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

• Does anyone remember Johnny Wilson’s Ready Room? It was a popular restautant located on Restaurant Row on La Cienega Blvd.

It opened in 1943 and didn’t close until 1989. But did you know who Johnny Wilson was? He went to USC and was the NCAA champion in the high jump in 1939 and tied for the title in the event at the 1940 NCAA championships. He cleared 6-feet, 6-inches both years and this was 30 years before the Fosbury Flop was invented.

PICTURE OF THE WEEK

Gloria Guida

VIDEO OF THE WEEK

Actress Joanna Pettet died this week, so I’m replaying a video from one of her best-known films, “Casino Royale.”

https://youtu.be/M2KXYEjtuXY?si=Hy-FEWOUSsnvXcEl

If It’s Friday, It’s Time For A USC Notes Column

Former USC basketball player Chad Baker-Mazara has joined the Gigantes de Carolina-Canóvanas team of Puerto Rico’s BSN, the team announced.

• Former USC football player Uchenna Nwosu’s foundation donated $10,000 to St. Pius X-St. Matthias High School this week.
• Former USC women’s basketball player Kiki Iriafen has been named a WNBA All -Star for the second straight season.

• And now for some history:
• With the Major League All-Star Game approaching, here’s a good piece of trivia: USC has had three players selected twice. In 1979, Steve Kemp, Fred Lynn and Roy Smalley on the American League. In 2003, Aaron Boone, Mark Prior and Geoff Jenkins on the National League.

• There are simply not enough good pictures of one of the greatest Trojans of all time, Gus Williams. But here is one of Williams in 1975 vs. UCLA and forward Richard Washington. Williams averaged 21.2 points and 5.4 assists this season (without a 3-point line). UCLA won this game, 89-84.

 The above 1953 picture shows USC running back Addison Hawthorne (23), who joined the team in 1952. Hawthorne was the first African-American to play at USC since All-American Brice Taylor in 1925. But few discuss him today.

He was a well-known player at Pasadena City College and one wonders what he endured if there was a 27-year absence of African-American players at USC. And what changed after Taylor that no African-Americans were on the team for such a long time?

If you think it was all just a sign of the times, remember stars like Kenny Washington, Jackie Robinson and Woody Strode played at UCLA in 1939. So let’s appreciate Hawthorne, who is a historical figure with USC football.

A DIFFERENT WORLD

The USC campus isn’t exactly a hub of activity during Christmas break. And getting people to show up two days after Christmas would be a chore.

But that wasn’t the case in 1945. USC was playing Alabama in the Rose Bowl and a huge, star-studded rally before a packed audience on Dec. 27, 1945 at Bovard Auditorium.

Who showed up? Movie stars like John Wayne, Gail Russell, Barbara Hale and Diana Lynn along with Coach Jeff Cravath and the USC football team. Band leader Alvino Rey provided the musical entertainment. Even some Alabama students showed up.

Wayne and Russell were set to shoot the classic Western, “Angel and the Badman” in a four months, which probably explained why Russell attended the rally. Hale later became best known as a regular cast member on “Perry Mason” while Lynn was only 19 at the time of the rally but was well known and ended up with two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

• Does anyone remember Johnny Wilson’s Ready Room? It was a popular restautant located on Restaurant Row on La Cienega Blvd.

It opened in 1943 and didn’t close until 1989. But did you know who Johnny Wilson was? He went to USC and was the NCAA champion in the high jump in 1939 and tied for the title in the event at the 1940 NCAA championships. He cleared 6-feet, 6-inches both years and this was 30 years before the Fosbury Flop was invented.

PICTURE OF THE WEEK

Gloria Guida

VIDEO OF THE WEEK

Actress Joanna Pettet died this week, so I’m replaying a video from one of her best-known films, “Casino Royale.”

https://youtu.be/M2KXYEjtuXY?si=Hy-FEWOUSsnvXcEl