NEWS

USC Morning Buzz: Perception Is Reality

Some former NFL players got together at an event this weekend in Los Angeles and what was a big topic of conversation?

Whether former USC athletic director Pat Haden is going to get indicted in the College Admissions scandal?

“I always knew he was strange,” said a former Rams offensive teammate. “But now he’s involved in all kinds of shady behavior.”

At the end of the day, whether Haden did something or not, the big problem is he generally created a negative image of USC. Ditto for Lynn Swann.

Two things I often hear from USC players from the mid-1970’s: Haden and Swann were both unpopular with teammates and somehow became back-to-back athletic directors. And let their personalities affect their job performance, which led to extremely poor perception of the USC athletic dept.

  • A long-time USC fan complained to me this weekend that too many teams/coaches wear black instead of cardinal attire like in this picture. Is this just a generational thing or do you think it matters if the school colors are not part of the attire.

The men’s basketball team has actual black uniforms. The USC and LSU track teams wore black uniforms at the NCAA championships last weekend, which is probably as much on Nike as the two schools.

  • USC offered a scholarship to Serra QB Maalik Murphy (6-4, 205) at Sunday’s passing tournament at Howard Jones Field. Murphy, a Class of 2022 prospect, has offers from LSU, Georgia, Michigan and Ohio State.
  • With Haden in the news, time to reprint this Jim Thompson cartoon.

 

29 thoughts on “USC Morning Buzz: Perception Is Reality”

  1. It’s funny how the USC administration went out of their way to say, Tony Bland created a negative image for their university. But his situation has been pretty much been swept under the carpet at this point, and will eventually go away. But Pat Haden, and George Tyndall have tarnished USC on a national level, and their issues will linger for years to come, and may even include prison time for some . And not one peep from the administration, about either one of those two fools destroying the reputation of the school.

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    3. Haden played it safe with the NCAA, was far from astute when it came to selecting coaches and legally over-indulged his family on compensation for their charity work (all salaries had to be approved by a board). But how in the hell does that —or his probable ignorance of the admissions scamming perpetrated by subordinates —–rate “prison time.” Do us a favor Mister Know It All —-list the appropriate criminal statutes, give us the elements for each and provide the evidence proving each element beyond a reasonable doubt.
      #IWon’tHoldMyBreath…..

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      1. The Conventional Wisdom is that Pat Haden played it safe with the NCAA. But consider, fo a minute, a darker explanation- that St. Pat is a member of the NCAA Good OIe Boys Network and happily went along with their decision to nuke SC until it glowed. To me that makes much more sense now that he has shown himself to only be loyal to and promote his own agenda, not USC’s. He is Eric “Otter” Stratton and SC Fans are Flounder. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zOXtWxhlsUg

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      2. What a truly terrifying thought, gt…..
        #TimeForOpenCourtLieDetectorTest…..
        #..RefusalWillBeCountedAsAnAdmission….

        Liked by 1 person

  3. Hey Owns – how did ucla baseball due last night? Number #1 seeded team playing at home and LOST. Let’s see, how we should call it, wait for it………”choka, choka, choka.” Sound familiar? USC with 12 NCAA baseball titles and the little gutties one. No trip to Omaha, can’t get out of Sawtelle. LMAO!

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    1. Oh really, I did not know that.

      No problem though, I was born in Michigan.

      #SUCCXstinkson
      #canyousmelltheincomingbozodeathpenalty?

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      1. Mule just be happy that Michigan-UCLA has even a scintilla of Rosey whiff about it (being that this is that time of the year outside of the regular season open and closer)…sorry Owns – you’re having the best of it at the moment, so low blows necessary to buy some time from the ref…

        Liked by 3 people

    2. UCLA’s loss —to a team that was defeated TWENTY TIMES this season (!) and is only .500 away from home —-is way more than just another choke. This is the kind of loss that causes every high school kid to re-think where they want to play college ball……
      #..TheKindOfExistentialLossThatEndsAProgram…

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      2. James —Remember how great UCLA’s football team looked in those Galahad-all- white uniforms —-the night they got beat 50-0 at the coli?

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      3. MG-Yep – looked like sailor unis minus the snoopy dishes! or cooks? Since this is a Mule session, a little gratuitous Village People or Captain & Tenille allusion may be warranted…certainly, they looked In The Navy and played some Muskrat Love that glorious afternoon!

        Liked by 3 people

      4. I commend you for gently pointing out that I was wrong for predicting the demise of UCLA baseball, James. I was neglecting the Captain & Tenille angle—-“Love Will Keep Them Together.”

        Liked by 3 people

      5. MG-can’t top that one…so to the after show…and keeping to the theme…and with a tip of the cap to Guardians…maybe the Boo-hoo-ruins in those get-ups serenaded Mule that night with a rousing “…and the Sailors said Brandy you’re a fine girl…” Maybe their hearts belonging to the sea explains some things? So ding goes the Victory Bell (for once) Muley our friend, but ding goes the Ship Bell…

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      6. I doubt it MG.

        Thirteen UCLA baseball team members were drafted last week during the MLB Draft. That kind of MLB production won’t hurt the Bruin Baseball program. BTW MG, have the bozos hired a Baseball Program HC yet.

        Mikey Boy when might Felony U field a softball team to compete with this year’s Softball NC – UCLA.

        #SUCCXtheSisyphusof Div1Universities
        #tripstumble&fallto2ndplaceintheNCAAtrackfinals

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      7. Owns —In the past, I’ve always appreciated the scholarly fashion in which you quoted the reply to which you were responding. Today’s “I doubt it” isn’t prefaced by any quote. Do you doubt the lovely lyrics of Captain & Tenille? The 50 to zero score of a certain USC/UCLA contest? Or are you claiming free floating doubt? Of the Cartesian variety (“Dubito Ergo Sum” —i. e., “I doubt & therefore I am”)?
        #OwnsExists

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      9. Lions…Pistons…Red Wings…Tigers…Wolverines…Spartans…Spartan administration (the only thing keeping USC’s from being the most embarrassing pit this side of D.C. and London)…that would be enough for me to, physically or psychologically, trade the land of the U.P. for even the dregs of Westwood…speaking of which, as well as the aforementioned administration issue, since the Mule loves to raise that topic (and can’t really blame him, but as said yesterday, when you’ve been getting walloped on the ropes, if you get a chance to take a shot, low blow or otherwise…)…and not that it’s anything other than a grave matter, which I know we all realize and fully appreciate…but, Mule, the microphone is your’s…

        https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ucla-gynecologist-accusations-20190610-story.html

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      10. Globe –A heart as big as Owns can’t be limited to the love of one university….or even one state…..
        #….WildHeartsCan’tBeBroken

        Liked by 1 person

      11. MG-Like another famous product of Michigan, the Mule’s “… got no kicks against the west coast” and is “…going to K-K-K-K-Kathmandu…” But hopefully not for long…we would miss him so much!

        Liked by 1 person

      12. Great song. Great movie. [I think Owns co-starred with Jane Birkin in that one—-spoke most famous line in screen history: “people who don’t eat red meat become boring”]……

        Liked by 1 person

  4. Yeah like the chicken shit way Haden fired Lane Kiffen on the tarmac. Haden is the consummate organizational wonk and personal benefactor.

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