On Saturday, I was sitting in my father’s house watching something called the Emerald Bowl, only because USC was playing. To be honest, I’d never heard of the game and had no idea it existed; but decided to watch to see how Troy would react to participating in such a meaningless and degrading event….

As the clock wound down and the Trojans were going to defeat Boston College, I couldn’t believe what I was seeing: Pete Carroll and his players actually celebrating and acting as if they’d accomplished something….

Instead of being embarrassed about finishing 5th in the Pac-10 and accepting a bid to this humiliating event, they acted as though they’d just won another Rose Bowl….

To put it in perspective, if they’d finished higher in the Pac-10 they would have gone to the Sun Bowl….

Yes, Christmas in El Paso is an upgrade over the Emerald Bowl….

That about says it all….

I would have hidden my head in shame and declined a bid to San Francisco, but I guess Carroll wanted the extra practice time and the chance to end the season with a win….

Maybe he’s right, but in my opinion the Emerald Bowl is beneath a great program such as USC and I would have stayed home and left it to the UCLA’s of the world….

As time ran out and the Trojans reacted as if another National Championship trophy was going to Heritage Hall, I turned to my dad and said “Can you believe this? This is like North Carolina, Duke or Kentucky celebrating winning the NIT.”….

My father responded with a great point: “No, winning the NIT takes five wins. USC winning this piece of crap bowl is like winning a first round NIT game. An NIT championship is much more prestigious than winning the Emerald Bowl.”

A brilliant observation and an example of how wisdom comes with age….

Than, after actually being happy about winning a game absolutely nobody cares about or watched, Carroll and the players were presented the fabled Emerald Bowl trophy, which they proudly carried around the field….

If I were in charge, as soon as the team returned to Los Angeles I’d dismantle the trophy and give it to the janitor to use for spare parts. Just the thought of that monument to failure sitting in Heritage Hall next to Heisman and National Championship trophies sickens me….

Please, Mike Garrett and Pete Carroll, if you decide to put that testament to mediocrity in Heritage Hall, at least have the decency to keep it in the basement or in a case with the women’s field hockey titles….

Wait, I have a better idea: How about keeping the Emerald Bowl hardware in the locker room, raised on a platform and surrounded by bright lights? This way, every player and coach would get a daily reminder of how much they embarrassed the university this season….

I don’t blame Bob Arum and Manny Pacquiao for threatening to pull out of the Floyd Mayweather fight over Team Mayweather’s grandstanding attempt to disrupt Pacman. Forcing him to submit to Olympic-style drug testing; which means random, unannounced blood tests at any time of the day or night, including the day of the fight, is simply an attempt to rattle and unnerve Pacquiao….

Sure, Floyd would be subject to the same tests, but he’s used to the showmanship trash talking that’s going on. He knows Manny is already furious at Floyd Sr. for accusing him of steroid use and this is another attempt to rattle him….

So if I were Pacman, I’d call their bluff and cancel the fight unless they backed off. The Pretty Boy needs this fight a lot more than Manny, so I’d give them an ultimatum and then fight another opponent if Team Mayweather stood firm….

But my concern is this: Why in the hell is Paulie Malignagi going to be the replacement, instead of Shane Mosley? I know Mosley has a fight against Andre Berto on January 30, but this can easily be resolved….

Just give Berto some step-aside money and promise him the Pacquiao-Mosley winner….

Mosley-Pacquiao would do big box office and Shane would have a great chance to win, so why not?….

Malignaggi is a very good boxer with good hand speed and boxing skill, but has no chance against Pacman….

Paulie was overpowered by Miguel Cotto and Ricky Hatton, neither of whom has the hand speed, skill or power of Manny. If this fight happens, Malignaggi would not be able to keep Pacquiao off of him and get stopped in the middle rounds….

This fight is a waste of time and if Pacquiao-Mayweather isn’t going to happen, we need to see Mosley-Pacquiao….

Of course, we all hope common sense prevails and Floyd-Manny can be saved; but if not let’s get another competitive fight ready….

If Mayweather sticks to the drug testing nonsense and actually gives up this fight, where does he go next? If the Pacquiao-Malignaggi fight is made, why not Mosley? Shane has been calling out the Pretty Boy for years and this is another big money, big box office, big PPV fight….

In reality, though, Floyd needs this Pacquiao fight for two reasons: 1) He claims to be the greatest fighter of all time, but his resume’ of opponents doesn’t back that up. He needs to step up to this challenge, tell his people to drop this whole drug testing thing and make the fight happen. Team Mayweather people work for him, not the other way around. 2) With his rumored IRS and money problems, Floyd simply cannot turn down a potential $30M payday….

I believe both fighters and the promoters realize how important this fight is for the sport and we’ll see the two of them in the MGM Grand Garden ring come March 13….