FOOTBALL

USC Morning Buzz: Now You Know Why Morale Gets Mentioned

The fact wide receiver Velus Jones and cornerback Greg Johnson, two players who had no business transferring, would leave just days before USC opens spring practice provides a stark example of why I repeatedly stress how much unhappiness exists behind-the-scenes inside the McKay Center.

When Bru McCoy left in January, I was told older players told him they wanted to leave too but were scared. Not all of them are scared as Jones and Johnson demonstrated. Remember this blunt reason I provided on Jan. 29 on what McCoy told another USC receiver what could cause him to return to USC.

Imagine what happens with all this unrest if USC loses some early games? How quickly will players give up or blame each other?

Again, I listed countless examples of how things deteriorated last season, highlighted by the USC-Cal game, when cornerback Isaiah Langley went after quarterback JT Daniels on the sideline.

And where was Clay Helton while his program continued to meltdown Friday? In Portland for a Nike coaches’ clinic. Hey, he hired Aaron Ausmus as strength coach, who cares if a couple guys transfer?

  • USC lost to Grand Canyon, 4-2, on Friday night at Dedeaux Field. The Trojans are 3-5 overall and have played all eight games at home. Grand Canyon is 4-5, in case you wondered.

41 thoughts on “USC Morning Buzz: Now You Know Why Morale Gets Mentioned”

  1. Thje worst is knowing already how truly bad 2019 will be even before it has started. We have a full 9 mos. of this fool in charge to endure because come November – good bye Heltonska and sadly another implosion for the school.

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    1. Alv—I’ve rooted for teams that looked like they didn’t have any chance of winning before —-so this won’t be the first time I hold my breath and hope for the best. But I have to agree with you —-things look bleak. Clay had a chance to right the ship after the Cotton Bowl disaster —-and he brought back the EXACT same staff. Swan had a chance to pull off a course correction after Helton’s 5-7 season —-and he brought Helton back. There seems to be a Death Wish lurking deep in Heritage Hall.
      To be fair, Graham Harrell has a ton of talent left to work with. But, holy shit, what an uphill battle it’s gonna be for him—especially if Clay stubbornly insists on having final say on things —–he just doesn’t see his own limitations…..
      #….AndNeverWill

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  2. It seems If they do not hurry up and hire some one to lead this school in all areas incl athletics, there will be an implosion…an earthquake from alumni,who love the school ; employees,athletes,and coaches who do not can and will leave one way or another.

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    1. I’d say the LACC denial to Rick Caruso’s application for membership is a true start of a ‘push back’ against the insanity that has embedded itself for the past 10 years.

      A rudderless ship only drifts aimlessly for so long until it either wrecks itslef or ‘someone’ or ‘something’ takes charge. USC is leaning towards the latter and most of us ‘know’ what that is based on that ‘progressive’ female incompetent they brought in as ‘temporary president’. Didn’t take long for her to show what she believed in – watch for her to be on Kamila Harris’ election campaign once she finally is shown the door.

      Sadly until USC has a new president we’re stuck with Swann and that’s the worst possible scenario. Save for his stint with the Pitt Steelers, Lynn Swann has never worked a real job in his entire life. All he knows is ‘entitlement’ as was also the case with Haden.

      Need to get a real leader for the university who people trust – best thing that witch did was sack that grad business chairman – it showed her beliefs and how committed she was to force them on everyone else.

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      1. tebow —you keep saying this —-and I’m finally beginning to appreciate what a smart comment it is.
        #SwannHasToGooooooooo

        Liked by 1 person

  5. This can’t continue, but I don’t see it as a morale issue I see it as an issue where kids are running the program through the NCAA’s I’ll conceived blackmail system. I doubt that the players are unhappy as everyone thinks. I see this as immature kid activism trying to change the adults running the system.
    The one solace I get from this is there are very few transfer players who have ever made a real mark for their new team. Does anyone remember Emanuel Moody or Max Browne?

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    1. Steve —Good observation. I’m willing to bet that if any one of the players who’ve left recently were to be interviewed for a full 5 minutes on why they left, we’d hear a lot of muddled thinking. I’m not saying things are perfect at USC right now —I’m just saying the guys leaving wouldn’t really be able to articulate how they were improving their situation by taking off for another school (which, in all probability, represents a new set of difficulties).

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      2. Alv, I can’t take credit for this. I actually posted a statement almost identical and people were kind enough to correct me…again.

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  6. Would not surprise me to see the upper tier schools in the PAC-12 iheading to Ivy League status in 50 years…. irrelevant in sports, minus a few niche sports.

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      1. Agreed, but they’re still a big five conference. USC needs to either go indie or fall into irrelevance with the conference.

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  7. A full ride at SC. Playing football. Good lookin girls. Few responsibilities.
    This is the best time of their life. And they don’t realize it.

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      1. Oh Puds. I didn’t know you cared. It takes me awhile to get warmed up.

        Go watch Evan Weaver’s interview on youtube after Cal’s 3rd spring practice. You want to see a happy player on a happy team-there it is.

        If SC FB team doesn’t get their heads straight, you guys will be jumping out of windows long before Nov 16.

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      2. Unlike some others, I realize two things that I use to guide me:
        1. The sun will rise tomorrow regardless of outcome
        2. History repeats itself…the bears chances of a winning streak are about as good as hillary becoming president.

        Liked by 1 person

      5. Pudly —- Not having been part of the Criminal Justice System, I guess you didn’t know that you’re required to shower during even the briefest of tours at County Jail…..
        #SoMostCalGraduatesDoFine

        Liked by 1 person

      1. Liked by 1 person

      2. Pudly —Nice reminder —but we all need to focus on the fact that Helton is responsible for one of those losing years —-and it doesn’t appear he’s ready to COMPLETELY turn things over to Coach Harrell. Under the right circumstances —-QB play improves as much as it should, remaining receivers stay healthy, Drevno whips the o-line into somewhat more cohesive play and Clancy somewhat holds the fort down —-USC could have a good year. [It would sure help if a 5 star defensive end and a 5 star corner transferred into the program this weekend, though]…….

        Liked by 1 person

  8. Oh pudster…you and Southern Comfort on my ass at one time. I can’t take it.
    Universities Producing the Most Nobel Prize Laureates
    University of Chicago. …
    Columbia University. …
    MIT. …
    University of California, Berkeley. …
    Howard Hughes Medical Institute. …
    Harvard University. …
    UCSB. …
    Technion Israel Institute of Technology.

    CAL, more players on PFF101 than any other COLLEGE TEAM INCL SEC TEAMS.
    eat me.

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      1. There is no free speech on campus but they did hook up the idiot employee that gave the table sitter a shiner.
        Damnit, I would have loved for an idiot like that to take a shot at me.
        See you all at Costa Mesa gun show end of this month.

        Liked by 2 people

      2. On the day that ted was born his daddy sat down and cried,
        Had the mark just as plain as day, it could not be denied….
        Jerome Garcia/Robert Hunter

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    3. Yeah but you know the old adage holds true…the ‘A’ students become the ‘professors’….the ‘B’ the jurists and the ‘C’ those who generate the success for all…everyone in LA County, outside SEIU demoncrats, works for USC just as they do in the Bay area (stanford) and your purported school.

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  9. Most of the dufuses going to CAL now are so inarticulate that they’re afraid to have a conservative speaker on campus for fear of a meltdown. Most students seem to be incapable of thinking for themselves. They just follow the party line.

    Try explaining to any college student the following & have them follow the logic.
    40 million abortions, ergo few young workers, ergo leave the borders open to bring in workers.(and a lot of problems)
    A, B, C & they don’t get it.

    Liked by 2 people

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    1. What a stupid and ignorant comment. There are a ton of young people, and many of them feel so entitled (especially the one’s that come from $$ and are snowflakes ❄️ who can’t take even take the slightest critique) that they feel they’re above taking a job.

      Perhaps you might get some credit had you stated that many current immigrants come from countries where the USA has interfered with and destabilized their governments (i.e. Honduras, El Salvador, Haiti, and soon: Venezuela) and now they are fleeing as economic refugees or from violence after USA puppets that were installed pilfered their countries’ riches and destroyed their economies and their respective social safety nets.

      But you can’t handle the Truth…

      Next!

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      1. You must mean from our southern narco state or Central American socialist countries. Which of those countries did we destabilize?

        Nice try snowflake. Time to go find a safe place. You qualify to be the next Univ Pres of a major school.

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      2. Hey you got that ‘Bernie Sanders’ reply down huh? That’s the one he uses when asked about the true hell Venezuela has become because of ‘socialism’ right? No? Gee what else did your ‘Professor Ivestija’ tell you as the reason the reds built walls all around their ‘workers paradises’?

        BTW goofy list what factual ‘actions’ by the big bad evil USA, ‘destroyed their economies and their respective social safety nets.”

        Sweet they blew that ‘snowflake’ Che Guevara to where he would be welcome after his arrest in Bolivia- – – the campesinos were the ones who dropped a dime on his ‘elitist’ back end to the Bolivian military.

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    2. Cal is just another non- producing over rated university. Tell me some names that have really contributed to society lately where it really counts.
      What the F’ are you doing on this site anyways?

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      1. Why don’t you list who you think your university has contributed to society and let’s all get ready for the ‘progressives’

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