FOOTBALL

If It’s Friday, It’s Time For A USC Notes Column

What are the odds of this happening?

I had lunch with legendary sports columnist/radio host Doug Krikorian on Thursday in Long Beach.

Early on, Doug asks, “How did Clay Helton get hired at USC anyway?”

I had noticed a USC booster sitting at the table next to us but didn’t let that deter the conversation. Besides, he was sitting with a woman who had her back to us.

We continued talking about Helton because Doug is not a fan (like many others). I didn’t notice the woman got up but as she returned to the table, I did notice her: It was Clay Helton’s wife, Angela.

That quickly ended our conversation about Helton.

A big reason we were having lunch was to talk USC football. Again, what are the odds of such a chance meeting?

  • If you are still happy with USC’s victory over Utah, here’s a stat: Pac-12 road teams are 2-10 in Friday night games since 2017. Maybe Utah never had a chance.
  • Former USC defensive end Oluwole Betiku leads the nation in sacks (7) and tackles for loss (10.5) while playing for Illinois. It’s amazing the USC coaches could not see enough to let him play for two years.
  • Former USC wide receiver Joseph Lewis is on the roster at L.A. Southwest College. I hear former USC tailback Lynn Cain is also coaching at the school.
  • Someone was going to say it: A former USC All-American asked me this week, “Can USC recruit a quarterback that can take a hit?”
  • This seems like a good time to remind people that USC’s basketball program remains under NCAA investigation.
  • What is the over/under for special teams penalties against Washington on Saturday?

45 thoughts on “If It’s Friday, It’s Time For A USC Notes Column”

  1. The Los Angeles Herald Examiner is one newspaper I miss…..Thanks, Doug Krikorian, Mel Durslag, Bob Hunter, Jim Murray, Alan Malamud and all….what a great presentation of sport it was! The player’s section was impeccable…lol…you could find a horse for the course in there!

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      3. I almost forgot, Jerry Antonucci! The thoroughbred commentary was superb!: 1. Gets the acid test….2. Switches from grass to dirt….3. Monster in the lane…4. Will be passing tired horses…4. Fractious at the gate…5. Bred in the purple….6. Wire to wire chance….7. Sizzled on the front end…..8. Last to first…9. Scored over this layout….10. Take right back…..11. Caught at the wire… 12. Hat trick in sight…13. Flopped as the favorite etc. etc. etc…

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      1. Prior to his tenure with the Los Angeles Times, Murray was a writer and columnist for Sports Illustrated from 1953 to 1961 and Time magazine from 1948 to 1955. He was also a reporter for the Los Angeles Examiner from 1944–1948, the New Haven (CT) Register and The Hartford Times

        Liked by 2 people

    3. No internet sports news or much radio sports talk back then; I too got my kicks nursing every word from the Herald’s sports gurus. And they all had their distinct styles. “Those were the days, my friend, I thought they’d never end.”

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  3. If Andyain’twinning has said he didn’t know squat about Bland’s bozo BB scam, why is the bozo BB program still under investigation?

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    1. Did i not say years ago when he was a Ucla commit that Oluwole Betiku would be a beast?
      Even our old pal 8-Clap would tell you I called this one.

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  5. The plot thickens with Scott and Angela. It’s a secret affair and one of the secondary reasons Scott takes so many shots at Clay. He’s a rival. Think about the story. Angela has her back towards the two men. This means she was either there when Scott arrived or walked in backwards.
    Scott didn’t answer the question of how Clay got hired because it’s a sensitive subject involving Angela and Pat Haden. Or at least that’s the rumor, and we all know Scott doesn’t repeat rumors.

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    2. Good imagination, Steve. To take it a step further, I predict Scott will start to support SC keeping Helton on, because his firing would mean Helton and Scottie’s lost-love Angela would be leaving town.

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    1. 67 — How can you be so blind as not to see it wasn’t the players that won the game against Utah—- it was the Friday Night Curse [for Pac 12 teams playing away from home] that completed all those long passes and caused the fumbles and created the safety…..
      #…It’sSOObvious….
      #[But,IfUSCLosesInSeattle,ItWillBeThePlayers’Fault]…..
      #….[The”Curse”WillBeOver]

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      2. 67–
        “The Russians!” never gets old. It’s an ‘all purpose’ phrase that slips so easily into any sentence….
        #…After2000YearsWe’veDiscoveredTheUniversalSolvent

        Liked by 1 person

  7. The good ole Hearld Examiner, they covered High School football like no other. I still have a couple of copies from when my name was mentioned after I ran back an interception for a score

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    1. I delivered the Herald in the afternoons. 1976-1977. Before bundling the papers and delivering, I would always read Alan Malamud’s Notes in the Scorecard and Doug Krikorian’s article

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      2. Forgive him Mike, I think Karma has fond memories of the darkest places where he enjoyed such a thing. Most likely Rikers Island, San Q, etc.
        You’d think pictures of his old buddy (cell-mate) was enough.

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  9. Scott,
    Another lie from you. No player worth his salt would question either QB’s injury this year. You have been on JT for this for 2 years, we know it’s from you. I have a great way for you to earn a few extra bucks for your paid “inside info” blog and prove everyone you’re correct about the toughness of JT. You put on pads, stand in there and let anyone on the defense take a run at you. I’d kick in 5 bucks to see it. Even better, wait until JT is healthy and let him hit you I will kick in 10 bucks to see that.

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      1. Inform your pal Harry, to paraphrase Mark Twain, reports of my death are slightly premature although I must acknowledge, alas, that, at 76, the taxman is waiting patiently at the gate to collect his due from me.

        Liked by 2 people

      3. Doug — I remember my grandfather saying pretty much those same words at his 76th birthday party……
        #…btw,HeSaidByeToThisWorldAt96….
        #[TheTaxmanHasABitOfAWaitInFrontOfHim]…..

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  11. Hey Doug Krikorian,
    I am also 76 this year, USC alum. Listened to you and Bud Furillo on
    KABC radio in the weekday afternoons. Attended Hamilton High in
    L.A. Remember Joe Jares who went there and whose father was a pro
    wrestler. Those were the days of the real Rams football!

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  12. That sounds like the real Doug Krikorian because a knock-off couldn’t come up with those sly comments. And I wouldn’t worry about the taxman if I were Doug– he’s already paid his dues while on earth.

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  13. To you Doug…I was a ‘copy boy’ working the night shift and cutting the AP wire in that funky dirty room with the pale green walls and had windows that looked out (north) to the ‘horseshoe’ and Mel’s office was in the NE corner of the floor. Anyway, you came in, must have been after 11:00 pm and I heard “…I got Joe Mullaney fired…” If you said it once you said 4 – 5 times. I think all that was there was you me and ‘Conny’ – he had that glass eye, he drew the night duty that night.

    It sure beats where I was the previous summer – the ‘mailroom’….used to laugh as the bell rang with the last papers coming up from the presses, all those ‘wrappers’ would go running for the can and kick back til the next run came up from ‘down under’. The mens room filled up – every stall door slammed like an accordian. Then the foreman would come in with a broomstick and start shoving it to force the guys out of the stalls. One memorable night I was walking by a dumpster and I heard this guy say ‘Hey buddy..buddy! Is the ‘gimp’ there?’ ‘Gimp?’ ‘Foreman!’ ‘No’ ‘Good’ then I head him as he nestled deeper in the metal can until the bell rang for the next run…..up he popped like ‘Lazarus’

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  14. Pingback: If It’s Friday, It’s Time For A USC Notes Column – InsideUSC with Scott Wolf

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