The Crosstown Rivalry Just Got Interesting . . . Or Not

New UCLA coach Mick Cronin might lose to USC next season but he has to like the fact he is basically going against a nincompoop in Andy Enfield as his crosstown rival. That’s a dropoff from going against Chris Mack at Xavier for most of his tenure at Cincinnati. Before Mack, Cronin went against Sean Miller at Xavier. Now he will face a guy who … Continue reading The Crosstown Rivalry Just Got Interesting . . . Or Not

USC Morning Buzz: No Way To Generate Excitement

Among the many transgressions of Clay Helton, there has to be some comment on how he has pretty much destroyed the Trojan Huddle, which was the name of the spring scrimmage at the Coliseum. It’s now the Spring Showcase and the crowd at Cromwell Field was far from a sellout in a track stadium that seats 3,000. The fans are smart enough to know it’s … Continue reading USC Morning Buzz: No Way To Generate Excitement

Don’t Compare Magic Johnson To Lynn Swann

When Magic Johnson stepped down as Lakers president of basketball operations, people started saying he was like Lynn Swann because neither was fully committed to the job. Maybe that aspect is true. But they are different in many other ways. My experiences with Johnson were friendly and I saw him act cordial with the media on many occasions. I’ve seen Johnson sign autographs for free. Johnson … Continue reading Don’t Compare Magic Johnson To Lynn Swann

USC Afternoon Notes: Update On Velus Jones/Tee Martin

Wide receiver Velus Jones, who may or may not be transferring, will be at Tennessee’s spring scrimmage Saturday. I wonder if Tee Martin will try to convince Jones to transfer there! Speaking of Martin, he addressed getting fired from USC yesterday at his only press conference for the spring. “It was kind of a perfect storm last year, if you will. It was just a … Continue reading USC Afternoon Notes: Update On Velus Jones/Tee Martin

Can Improvements On Defensive Line And Linebacker Override Defensive Backs?

USC looks better in the spring because of the play of freshman defensive end Drake Jackson and sophomore linebacker Palaie Gaoteote. But will that be enough to compensate for the secondary, where cornerback will be a position a weakness? This seems to be a key question. Even practice observers I’ve talked to for outside opinions tell me the cornerbacks are a problem. There will be … Continue reading Can Improvements On Defensive Line And Linebacker Override Defensive Backs?