Wow, before I could do any columns, there were so many things going on at USC, but now that they have settled down, where do I start? Well, let’s start with…
A) Bye Bye Pete- Right after the Halloween Massacre known as the Oregon game, I went to a USC football practice to get together to get a feel for the team along with some Trojan insiders. USC losing was not a surprise, but the margin, and more importantly, the seeming lack of leadership and direction was stunning. I couldn’t get the image of Pete at halftime saying he was basically clueless as how to stop Oregon , and that hopefully the offense would score enough points to hang in there, It was a startling admission that the team was unprepared. It was at this practice that one of the guys I know who is usually straight with me about the team told me, “Don’t be surprised if Pete is out the door this season.” I took him at his word and as the dismal play continued throughout the season and the lack of preparation and discipline from the players continued, I continued to remember what my USC friend had told me, so I was hardly stunned when Pete announced he was leaving for the USC. Pete is, in the vein of most NFL coaches, a “10 year guy”, a firm believer a coach can rarely stay in the same place more than 10 years before he burns out or his players tire of listening to him. Pete is 58 years old, and the window of opportunity for him to take off was closing.
Pete Carroll’s time at USC was absolutely magical, and there is no reason for any
USC fan to be bitter for him leaving. He brought a moribund program that was
dead in the water and drawing 50,000 spectators and stuck with offensive
“stars” like Petros Papadakis, and brought big time players, 90,000 screaming
fans, and national prominence. He owned Notre Dame, UCLA, and the Big Ten.
He brought pride to the school and attention to the plight of the inner city. In the
End, he probably spread himself too thin, but he will always be up there with
John McKay in my book. Thank you, Pete…
B) The Lame (Lane) Hire- A head scratcher to say the least. According to some people that I trust, Jon Gruden was very nearly the hire after Mike Riley turned USC down, but the hiring body wasn’t comfortable with the fact that he might not be a very good recruiter and weren’t too enthralled with the coaches he might bring in. Kiffin is a great recruiter who has great energy, but very immature and undeserving of the jobs he has corralled FL head coach and coach of two of college football’s great programs (USC and Tennessee ) at age 34? Okay, I take that back— Oakland should not be considered an NFL team. Ironically, winning 5 games with Oakland might be Kiffin’s greatest accomplishment!
Kiffin was hired because he has come with the promise of a “dream” coaching staff of his dad , defensive guru Monte Kiffin, an old USC favorite, defensive line coach and recruiting legend Ed Orgeron, offensive line coach Tim Davis (still not here) and offensive coach Norm Chow—not here—more on him later.
I personally would have hired a guy who wanted the job, Utah coach Kyle Whittingham, not a big marquee name but a tough minded, disciplined coach who tutored under Urban Meyer, and who has won some big games against big name programs.
I’m willing to give Kiffin a chance, what choice do I have? But at this point, as Dave pointed out, he is less Pete Carroll and more like UCLA coach Slick Rick, more con man than coach, more about bluster and style than substance. Is that what USC has come to? I say Lane Kiffin won’t be USC coach when my daughter graduates from college—2013…
C) The Chow Disaster- First off, let me break away from the pack and say I’m more than happy with Norm Chow not being the USC offensive coach. The popular refrain around here is “Pete couldn’t win without Norm”. How about “Pete’s players made Norm look good?” Norm Chow is a dinosaur whose two seasons in the NFL and two seasons at UCLA have been abysmal. Norm comes across as this cerebral Dr. Frankenstein of offense but, having been around people that I trust, he is one bitter guy who right or wrong, felt he was pushed out the door at USC. Yet a USC alum, Jeff Fisher, hired him and got him a high paying NFL job, where he got fired because he simply didn’t produce. When I saw on the ESPN ticker that he was going to be hired at USC, I knew the chances of that happening were about as good as Shaquille O’Neal and Dave Smith going all BFF. He and Kiffin detest each other. Chow going to UCLA had nothing to do with the “chance to work with Rick Neuheisel”. Norm was like the girl you dumped and her way of getting back at you is going out with some guy you don’t care for. Norm’s move wreaked of vindictive and more the chance to give the bird to USC, but he couldn’t beat his old buddy Pete. Yet USC is getting hammered, and rightfully so, for getting turned down by Chow in their courtship. Mike Garrett should be ridiculed for getting on television and being giddy about going after Chow. Chow saw a chance to get an extension from UCLA and embarrass USC, and he took it.
Other Notes-
Kiffin is getting drilled for leaving Tennessee after just one season—hey I wish he would have stayed—but how can anyone blame him for passing up the opportunity? Loyalty is one thing, but when your dream job is right in front of you, then you take it. Life is about upward mobility. And sorry, Los Angeles is better than Knoxville in any world…
If any of these ESPN moralists would take a look at the NCAA rules, they’d see what Ed Orgeron did was within the rules. But they’re too SEC-centric and hurt to be objective when it comes to USC, What about Notre Dame hiring Brian Kelly before a huge bowl game? It’s all in the timing…
So Blake Griffin is out for the season? As Phil Jackson noted, it’s not a curse, it’s karma. Donald Sterling is a bad human being and eventually things even up when you screw people over…
Vladimir Guerrero is a Texas Ranger—and will get a standing ovation from me every time he bats in Anaheim this season. By the way, Andre Dawson’s election to the Hall Of Fame bodes well for Big Daddy Vladdy, as their career numbers mirror each other, except for Guerrero’s higher batting average and impact on the game was much bigger…
So Mark McGwire WAS on steroids? And, in other news, the sun rises in the East…
Kentucky ’s John Wall is the best all around college basketball player I have seen in a long time…
For a long time, local newpaper writer Tom Hoffarth, who covers radio and television, always had Dave Smith rated in his Top 10 of local sports talk hosts, and I believe it was 3 or 4 times he had him rated tops. I think Dave would know. Anyway, in his last poll he had Dave’s former partner Roger Lodge rated the best, if you looked from the bottom up. Yup, he had ole Roger rated the worst sports talk host and I couldn’t agree more. I would further comment but since I don’t listen to the self promoting blowhard anymore I can’t. Dave Smith not having a job in this market while bums like Lodge and screamers like Stephen A. Smith do is just brutal. Dave might be a moron, but he’s OUR moron…
