May 23, 2013 Comments 3 notes USC eye candy BFF Layla
I want to hang out with Layla!  Totally worth a trip to LA! (Then again, a trip to Los Angeles is worth the trip on its own. But the chance to become BFFs with Layla Kiffin makes it even better.)

I want to hang out with Layla! 

Totally worth a trip to LA! (Then again, a trip to Los Angeles is worth the trip on its own. But the chance to become BFFs with Layla Kiffin makes it even better.)

May 22, 2013 Comments 4 notes USC college football Marqise Lee
USC Trojans Football: Marqise Lee Moving to Defense? My latest for Rant Sports.  There’s been casual chatter about this since last season, but think about it. He started out in high school as a defender. Lane Kiffin said he could be a first-round pick playing defensive back. What if he’s EVEN BETTER on defense than at WR? Whoa.  

USC Trojans Football: Marqise Lee Moving to Defense?


My latest for Rant Sports. 

There’s been casual chatter about this since last season, but think about it. He started out in high school as a defender. Lane Kiffin said he could be a first-round pick playing defensive back.

What if he’s EVEN BETTER on defense than at WR? Whoa.  

April 28, 2013 Comments 5 notes USC NFL Matt Barkley Eagles

Not to put you on blast, Jerry, but I think we get it. 

April 22, 2013 Comments 6 notes USC Matt Barkley

Kiff kind of suited the play-calling toward Marqise,” Barkley says. “It was rough at times, because defenses kinda knew what was coming. It was sort of predictive. Robert Woods is a great player. … You want to be respectful of your coaches, because they are your elders, but when it falls on your shoulders, you probably should get involved.

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NFL draft prospect Matt Barkley regrets not being more outspoken, forceful at USC - Yahoo! Sports


Nothing we didn’t already know, but it’s interesting to hear it coming from Barkley. 

It’s a shame he didn’t speak up last season, obviously because changing things up could’ve helped a lot, but also because as a four-year starter and team captain and elder statesman of sorts, he might’ve had a little bit more leeway to be outspoken. 

Even if the coaches are stupid enough to keep looking at Lee again this season, whoever the new quarterback is won’t be able to get away with it.
February 27, 2013 Comments 2 notes NCAA USC college football enforcer needs some enforcing
The NCAA is ‘Out of Whack’ Been saying this for years. Now that the NCAA fired its own Director of Enforcement for screwing things up, maybe we’ll get meaningful change (LOL). And for the record, Julie Roe Lach was only director for a few years. Girlfriend might be the scapegoat, but it’s hard to believe she’s the only problem.  [Read more…]

The NCAA is ‘Out of Whack’

Been saying this for years. Now that the NCAA fired its own Director of Enforcement for screwing things up, maybe we’ll get meaningful change (LOL). And for the record, Julie Roe Lach was only director for a few years. Girlfriend might be the scapegoat, but it’s hard to believe she’s the only problem. 

[Read more…]

February 13, 2013 Comments 1 note USC Cody Kessler

I’m just definitely going in to compete,” Kessler said. “That’s why I came here in the first place — to compete. And with Matt gone, obviously for Me, Max and Max, the door is wide open for someone to come in and take it.

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I was a Wittek fan until the Sun Bowl, but now I’m hoping Kessler gets the edge by virtue of being the only USC quarterback not named Max. 

USC Trojans Cody Kessler ready to make most of opportunity - ESPN
January 09, 2013 Comments 7 notes usc layla kiffin

A lot of good it does sleeping in the office; you still go 7-6.

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Layla Kiffin, ladies and gentlemen. 

(As if y’all didn’t love her enough already.)

Watching the BCS on TV, Lane Kiffin Thinks About Big Picture for USC
December 27, 2012 Comments 4 notes USC Sun Bowl Georgia Tech Lane Kiffin
All I wanted for Christmas was for Pat Haden to put the Gibbs slap into permanent rotation in his “Dealing With Lane Kiffin” repertoire:  Lane Kiffin not only looks like a chump in his Sun Bowl sombrero, but apparently, as usual, he’s acting like one, too.  The big USC story today is another negative one: the Trojans were reportedly 60-90 minutes late for an official Sun Bowl dinner. USC was getting there as Georgia Tech was leaving, so the 90-min. estimate is probably more accurate, because I’m guessing the Yellow Jackets’ football team likes to eat.  The LA Times made it sound like USC’s flight to El Paso came in late, so practice ran late and they didn’t get to dinner on time, and that Sun Bowl officials knew what was going on. Deadspin said there might’ve been some sort of injury delay at practice.  Even if there are legitimate reasons for being late (flight delays are incredibly common, especially over the holidays, but USC should’ve avoided most of those on their charter flight), the headline is “USC Shows Up Late for Sun Bowl Dinner” which only makes the program look bad - a common side effect of the Lane Kiffin regime, it seems.  I completely understand why the team wouldn’t want to cut practice short, giving GT the dreaded competitive advantage. What I don’t understand is how USC continues to let Lane Kiffin make the program look like a joke.  Whether or not the reasons for the team’s lateness were valid, Kiffin has pulled enough crap that the only story the media jumps on is the one that insinuates that USC just runs on its own schedule and showed up when it felt like it, schedule be damned.  If bowl officials knew USC had been unavoidably detained, they should’ve made sure Georgia Tech was aware - even if the Yellow Jackets didn’t want to alter their schedule, it at least would’ve made it seem less like they stormed out because they were Trojans stood them up. If it’s just Kiffin being Kiffin - again - he needs more than a Gibbs slap. As a USC fan, I’m  beyond fed up with his shenanigans, which are an embarrassment to the program.

All I wanted for Christmas was for Pat Haden to put the Gibbs slap into permanent rotation in his “Dealing With Lane Kiffin” repertoire: 

Lane Kiffin not only looks like a chump in his Sun Bowl sombrero, but apparently, as usual, he’s acting like one, too. 

The big USC story today is another negative one: the Trojans were reportedly 60-90 minutes late for an official Sun Bowl dinner. USC was getting there as Georgia Tech was leaving, so the 90-min. estimate is probably more accurate, because I’m guessing the Yellow Jackets’ football team likes to eat. 

The LA Times made it sound like USC’s flight to El Paso came in late, so practice ran late and they didn’t get to dinner on time, and that Sun Bowl officials knew what was going on. Deadspin said there might’ve been some sort of injury delay at practice. 

Even if there are legitimate reasons for being late (flight delays are incredibly common, especially over the holidays, but USC should’ve avoided most of those on their charter flight), the headline is “USC Shows Up Late for Sun Bowl Dinner” which only makes the program look bad - a common side effect of the Lane Kiffin regime, it seems. 

I completely understand why the team wouldn’t want to cut practice short, giving GT the dreaded competitive advantage.

What I don’t understand is how USC continues to let Lane Kiffin make the program look like a joke. 

Whether or not the reasons for the team’s lateness were valid, Kiffin has pulled enough crap that the only story the media jumps on is the one that insinuates that USC just runs on its own schedule and showed up when it felt like it, schedule be damned. 

If bowl officials knew USC had been unavoidably detained, they should’ve made sure Georgia Tech was aware - even if the Yellow Jackets didn’t want to alter their schedule, it at least would’ve made it seem less like they stormed out because they were Trojans stood them up.

If it’s just Kiffin being Kiffin - again - he needs more than a Gibbs slap. As a USC fan, I’m  beyond fed up with his shenanigans, which are an embarrassment to the program.

December 07, 2012 Comments 11 notes USC Rant Sports Marqise Lee Matt Barkley
USC Trojans Coach and QB Disagree on Playcalling Ok USC fans, how many of you thought Matt Barkley targeted Marqise Lee too much this year? Stared him down, threw to him for basically no gain when Robert Woods was wide open, etc.? I watched every game, and that’s what I thought, too. I know I’m not alone because I’ve heard a lot of you on Twitter saying the same thing, usually in all caps, to effect of WHERE IS ROBERT WOODS??? Upon further review, Matt Barkley agrees with us, but (shocker) Lane Kiffin, playcaller extraordinaire, does not.  Here are some crazy numbers I came across when I was trying to figure out who’s right for this piece: 2011: Robert Woods, 111 catches; Marqise Lee, 73 catches; tight ends Xavier Grimble and Randall Telfer, 225 catches 2012: Marqise Lee, 112 catches; Robert Woods, 73 catches; tight ends Xavier Grimble and Randall Telfer, 224 catches Yet in 2011, USC went 10-2, and in 2012, they went 7-5. Womp.  Also worth noting: How many drops did Lee have again? (Lots) He set new Pac-12 single season receptions and receiving yards records, but he could’ve a lot more.  Drops + interceptions made a big difference, as did the production from the supporting cast If Kiffin is so good as a play caller, replicating those numbers that way, in back to back years, then he’s holding out on us, because the play calling this year was….not awesome. The other option? Total haphazard luck and he couldn’t do it again if he tried. 

USC Trojans Coach and QB Disagree on Playcalling

Ok USC fans, how many of you thought Matt Barkley targeted Marqise Lee too much this year? Stared him down, threw to him for basically no gain when Robert Woods was wide open, etc.?

I watched every game, and that’s what I thought, too. I know I’m not alone because I’ve heard a lot of you on Twitter saying the same thing, usually in all caps, to effect of WHERE IS ROBERT WOODS???

Upon further review, Matt Barkley agrees with us, but (shocker) Lane Kiffin, playcaller extraordinaire, does not. 

Here are some crazy numbers I came across when I was trying to figure out who’s right for this piece:


2011: Robert Woods, 111 catches; Marqise Lee, 73 catches; tight ends Xavier Grimble and Randall Telfer, 225 catches

2012: Marqise Lee, 112 catches; Robert Woods, 73 catches; tight ends Xavier Grimble and Randall Telfer, 224 catches

Yet in 2011, USC went 10-2, and in 2012, they went 7-5. Womp. 

Also worth noting:

  • How many drops did Lee have again? (Lots) He set new Pac-12 single season receptions and receiving yards records, but he could’ve a lot more. 
  • Drops + interceptions made a big difference, as did the production from the supporting cast
  • If Kiffin is so good as a play caller, replicating those numbers that way, in back to back years, then he’s holding out on us, because the play calling this year was….not awesome. The other option? Total haphazard luck and he couldn’t do it again if he tried. 
December 04, 2012 Comments 7 notes USC Sun Bowl Tony Burnett
USC football player apologizes for tweeting gripes over El Paso visit USC safety Tony Burnett apparently isn’t happy about spending New Year’s Eve in El Paso.  He also tweeted: I’ve been to El Paso no one wants to be there New Year’s Eve #sorrynotsorry. I can’t say I blame him. I mean, take football out of the equation, and the two places I’d want to spend New Year’s are LA or Miami. Now put football back in the equation, and you have the Rose Bowl on New Year’s Day, and the National Championship in Miami on Jan. 7. USC hoped they’d be going to at least one of those, so I understand the disappointment but you know what? The Sun Bowl didn’t lose five games and end up in El Paso this year. That was USC football. And as cool as it would’ve been to get back to a BCS bowl the first year back in the postseason, that expectation may have been a bit lofty.  Burnett briefly deactivated his Twitter account after taking heat for the comments, and later apologized (“To the city of El Paso and representatives of the Hyundai Sun Bowl, I apologize for my remarks. My team and I are grateful for the opportunity to play in our first bowl game in three years and we are appreciative of all of the hard work that goes into making the game happen”) but let’s be for real. His opinion about going to El Paso and the Sun Bowl probably hasn’t changed.  At least one person is backing him up. A commenter on the KFOX14 story who is in El Paso with the Army says he can’t wait to get out of “Hell Paso” and that Burnett is spot on.  But pay attention to the last sentence in the article: “Ticket prices start at $15.” You think you’re going to go anywhere in LA for just $15 on New Year’s Eve? No, no you’re not. The cab you take to get you to your ritzy and overpriced NYE party is going to cost more than $15. I can’t even get in and out of a Starbucks in LA without spending that much!  Remember friends, the more you save on NYE party plans (and football plans!) the more you have left over for champagne to toast in the New Year! 

USC football player apologizes for tweeting gripes over El Paso visit

USC safety Tony Burnett apparently isn’t happy about spending New Year’s Eve in El Paso. 

He also tweeted: I’ve been to El Paso no one wants to be there New Year’s Eve #sorrynotsorry.

I can’t say I blame him. I mean, take football out of the equation, and the two places I’d want to spend New Year’s are LA or Miami.

Now put football back in the equation, and you have the Rose Bowl on New Year’s Day, and the National Championship in Miami on Jan. 7. USC hoped they’d be going to at least one of those, so I understand the disappointment but you know what? The Sun Bowl didn’t lose five games and end up in El Paso this year. That was USC football. And as cool as it would’ve been to get back to a BCS bowl the first year back in the postseason, that expectation may have been a bit lofty. 

Burnett briefly deactivated his Twitter account after taking heat for the comments, and later apologized (“To the city of El Paso and representatives of the Hyundai Sun Bowl, I apologize for my remarks. My team and I are grateful for the opportunity to play in our first bowl game in three years and we are appreciative of all of the hard work that goes into making the game happen”) but let’s be for real. His opinion about going to El Paso and the Sun Bowl probably hasn’t changed. 

At least one person is backing him up. A commenter on the KFOX14 story who is in El Paso with the Army says he can’t wait to get out of “Hell Paso” and that Burnett is spot on. 

But pay attention to the last sentence in the article:

“Ticket prices start at $15.”

You think you’re going to go anywhere in LA for just $15 on New Year’s Eve?

No, no you’re not. The cab you take to get you to your ritzy and overpriced NYE party is going to cost more than $15. I can’t even get in and out of a Starbucks in LA without spending that much! 

Remember friends, the more you save on NYE party plans (and football plans!) the more you have left over for champagne to toast in the New Year!