FOOTBALL

Morning Buzz: USC Gets Rid Of Familiar Faces

Lynn Swann won’t win any popularity contests with USC fans. Or rank-and-file athletic dept. employees.

The word is Swann got rid of former USC coach John Robinson, who has been a goodwill ambassador of sorts, hosting events and appearing at booster clubs working with the athletic development staff.

Not only did USC let Robinson go, sources said he was told he would have to pay for his season tickets if he wanted to keep them.

Robinson did serve two stints as USC football coach and won a national title in 1978. You would think USC could give him free tickets to games, if he actually wanted to watch Clay Helton coach.

The other casualty was Rick Carr, director of athletic security. Carr was probably best known to fans as being the guy who accompanied the football coach at games as a bodyguard (below).

Since 2011, Carr was in charge of security for all 21 teams, including travel and games. He lso assisted with any off-campus issues that arose and worked with the compliance office.

Sources said Swann told Carr he was no longer needed because USC would not have any more scandals or off-field problems to deal with. Oh really?

Swann’s reign has been marked by federal investigations involving former assistant coach Tony Bland, former senior associate athletic director Donna Heinel and former water polo coach Jovan Vavic.

The departures could be related to declining season-ticket sales and revenues as USC’s fiscal year ends June 30. Neither Robinson nor Carr knew of their impending exits, sources said.

 

 

Image result for rick carr usc

 

 

 

 

49 thoughts on “Morning Buzz: USC Gets Rid Of Familiar Faces”

      2. gt —which is why we can expect a text from Swann to Carr today, “Come back—-this whole thing was nothing more than a clerical error…”
        #…”ButWeDidItToYouOnPurpose,John…”
        #”…Don’tMakeABigFuss—You’veBeenThruItAllBeforeWithGarrett..”

        Liked by 2 people

    1. I can’t see Meyer wanting any part of this shit show, and I can’t see SC hiring someone him because they would actually have to pay him serious coin.

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      1. Could be right…but recall that when he took over both Florida, and especially Ohio State, they were also (admittedly far less stanky) shitshows…

        Again, you’re probably right…I’m really more using it as a shorthand for “S-O-S!!!!” and including the “urban” reference for our “friends” in the “lusher” chocolate chip guzzling landscapes to the north…

        Liked by 2 people

    2. SC might be waiting for a couple of things to happen with regards to Meyer: One, things die down a bit. Bringing in Meyer anytime soon would only add fuel to the fire that presently surrounds the university. Two, let Meyer cool down, rest during retirement, so that he can regain the fire needed to do the job correctly.
      if Meyer were to get things going again at SC, another Carroll-like run could be in the cards. This time, however, if the Trojans were close, a lot of those Carroll teams (2006, 07,08,09) were “close”, would have made the playoff, and won two or three more national titles.

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      2. Why get excited about saint Urban. If he comes it would only be temporary, he would have to retire in a couple of years, then what? Look for a coach with a desire to stay a while. Then pay him like Jimbo Fisher.

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  3. Swann couldn’t take the pressure of not being the fairest just like sleeping beauty, so he had them axed. Swann is a joke, plain and simple. No class.

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      1. James —I like picturing the 7 happy, little dwarfs standing in front of Swann for the cast call…..
        #OneForEachMajorSport

        Liked by 2 people

      2. Hard to tell most days if we’re living through Sleeping Beauty, Sleepy Hollow…Alice in Wonderland…H.R. Puffinstuff…Game of Owns (aka Mule aka Buffy aka Jenny)…

        Couldn’t we just have a nice 2019 Lord of the Rings: Return of the King?

        Liked by 2 people

      4. Exactly…just want to see the equivalent of the line from the movie to the effect of “…you will answer to the King of…”

        Liked by 3 people

    1. 67 —Your last sentence begins with that magic word:”If”……
      We need to hear the way Swann spins things to know exactly how petty, shortsighted and ugly this really is —IF his explanation is as lame as the one he handed out when he axed the song girls from basketball games, we’ll know that Swann and company deserve all the crap that’s headed their way…..
      #…AndNoOneWillShedATearWhenItArrives….

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      1. Michael – I would be really surprised if Robinson is being given the bum’s rush out the door, as described by Scottie. That makes no sense to me.

        Liked by 3 people

      3. Having nasty fun with this story would violate all of Scott’s principles….
        #IKnowScott&HeWouldn’tDoSomethingLikeThat……
        #[UnlessHeHadSomeGoodReason]…..

        Liked by 3 people

  5. This has to be about revenue or lack thereof. I received our renewal for season tickets and was sticker shocked. Even a mini-plan cost more than a full season in the cheap seats a few years ago. I thought I had reached a level of income where buying tickets was not an option, but this year it looks like we will have to watch games on TV, buying a couple of home games and the always cheaper away games online.
    I have met and spoken to Jolly John, unless he’s become a curmudgeon in his old age I cannot think of a better person to have around for the football program. Maybe the rams would like an old ex-coach for publicity purposes.

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    1. “I have met and spoken to Jolly John, unless he’s become a curmudgeon in his old age I cannot think of a better person to have around for the football program.”

      Rialto Trojan, great post, thank you

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  8. The thing about this is that Robinson was truly beloved by former players. If HH is going to listen to the disgust about letting him go it will be from former players and not because of fan uproar.

    #SwannNeedsToLetSteveLopesGoAndSoon

    #MightHaveToBreakOutThe”WinOneForTheFatMan”SloganAgain

    #RobinsonEvenMadeBeatingPerennialLoserNorthwesternFun

    Liked by 5 people

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    1. Coach Robinson didn’t make it “fun” for Northwestern coach Gary Barnett —-he looked like he was passing a kidney stone on the sidelines…

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      1. Seeing as USC lost to both ND and UCLA that year, I had a fun time finally winning a big game that year.

        #EvenIfItWasOnlyJustARoseBowl

        #KeyshawnWouldHaveHad400-500MoreYardsThatYearIfRobinsonStuckToOneQB

        Liked by 1 person

      2. Talk about having fun —- remember Keyshawn galloping 40 yards to the endzone with not one Northwestern defender within 10 yards of him? Even the announcers were laughing.
        #EndOfLineForBarnett’sCinderellaTeam….

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  9. There’s going to be around 40,000 less familiar faces attending Trojan football games at the Coliseum due to Pat Haden, Lynn Swann and USC’s BoT insistence on raising ticket prices and keeping Clay “Errand Boy” Helton on as the Trojans head coach.

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    2. Pudly —More and more stories are coming out about UCLA moving their entire sports program to “one of the Korean countries —– not sure which one yet”…..

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      2. Ha! [You sound like you should be on the debate stage with the other sterling candidates….]
        #”It’sTimeForPeaceWithWestKorea!”
        #”AllItWouldTakeIsSomeDiplomacy….”

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  11. DING goes the VIC BELL

    #Canyoubozossmellthedeathpenalty?
    #I’mguessingfelonyuhasn’tforgiventheFATGUYforlosingtheuglyuglyO/TMcNowngame
    #isittrueMcNownneverlostaRivalryFBgame?
    #SUCCXstinkson

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    1. Jenny:

      Your Kuiper Belt Object syndrome kicking in again?

      Is it true no one cares? Does the word “duh” mean anything to you?
      Again referring to the inconsequential…is it true McNobody never sniffed a sub-2 loss season? Come on down – ding, ding! But that’s true for all bRUINs, so let’s not pick on the pilot of the SS Holy Toledo…

      The games that mattered between the teams, JRob never lost (see 1976, 1978, 79)…

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      2. MG-may well have let 2-4 within grasp national championships slip away, but yeah, very few coaches accomplished the big game results of JRob-1…

        Liked by 1 person

      3. Xcuse me MG but when I see Kuiper Belt & Fucla together, I double over in laughter. Mule hasn’t a comeback yet except ding goes the $6.8million bell.

        Liked by 1 person

      4. Big Bear: The polar opposite of a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup (two terrible tastes that taste terrible together)…

        Like

      5. Yimmy, Yimmy, Yimmy, Yimmy, Yimmy, yiiiiiiiimmy does your babysitter know you’re making an ASS of yourself in public?

        BTW Yimmy, when was the last time Felony U fired a winning HFBC by phone message?

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      6. Jenny one of those little rocks out in the Kuiper Belt bump you in your She-fUCLA place again….tears for the pathetic…what’s that number Jenny? J-E-NN-Y-1-9-7-5

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