The USC band offered an apology after it said it “inadvertently” played during a memorial tribute to Cal wide receiver Bryce Turner, who died in January during a non-team workout in Southern California. He was 20.
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.jsSincere apologies to the family of Bryce Turner and Cal fans for inadvertently performing during his memorial earlier.
— The Spirit of Troy (@USCTMB) November 17, 2019
As the stadium video screens showed Turner during a tribute, the USC band kept playing. If you read the responses under the tweet, you will see the level of anger of some Cal fans.
USC band director Art Bartner is retiring this year as he celebrates his 50th anniversary at the university.
Bartner drew praise from USC special teams coach John Baxter after the Cal game.
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.jsDr. Bartner continued hats off to you. You and the @USCTMB created a competitive environment for us on the road and we felt you the entire day. That was honestly the loudest most intense sound that I have EVER heard form you. Your work is incredible and never ceases to amaze!THX https://t.co/DcJkUheIN9
— John Baxter (@CoachJohnBaxter) November 17, 2019
InsideUSC with Scott Wolf 
Because the USC band is such a force, respect in the PAC-12 is fair at best. The band is placed in the nose bleed seats at one or two stadiums and has been subjected to breathalyzer tests at Stanford.
The stupidest thing is the prohibition of the pregame stab of the field by the other team in the city. That school, which doesn’t even know that an acronym is always capitalized sent a student to protect the center of the football field. There, standing hands on hips, was this kid defying a sword wielding armor clad drum major with 300 of his closest friends behind him. This was by far the rudest gesture that Jr. College could convey- protecting a neutral field. But Art’s magnanimous heart allowed the student to stand there 40 miles from his campus and protect the dirt under his feet without calling security for interference with a prearranged field show. The kid was given a dictionary and told to look up magnanimous. (We hear he has made it up to magic in the book. )
So playing during a tribute (without warning) isn’t so bad after all that’s why the band came-to play.
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Start the countdown to next Monday morning
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Fingers crossed. Recruiting is in the 70s.
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If Gomer stays it will be in the 90’s or worse
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I feel a 100 count post on this site next Sunday for Dr. Bartner and the Spirit of Troy. Save up your best stories.
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I like your poison. I’m a Knob Creek man, myself. And you’re spot on about the TMB! One airline that won’t fly us, a couple of hotels that won’t house us!! And one crazy old man leading us, who does whatever the f he wants!! Those were good times!!
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I as at Kal one year when their student section hurled fruit at our band before the game. The people at Kal knew it was coming because they had people with rakes to get the fruit off the field, there was no apology from Kal for this.
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