FOOTBALL

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

USC wide receiver Drake London holds his Pro Day today.

It’s more to assure NFL teams than anything else because his stock is high. But NFL teams want to evaluate his speed.

“He’s really a can’t-miss guy,” said an NFL scout. “But everyone wants confirmation of their belief of what he can do.

“And let’s face it, if it wasn’t for some of the people who coached at USC before, there might be fewer questions until he gets out on the field.”

  • Defensive end Solomon Tuliaupupu is getting a lot of build-up in spring practices.

“I don’t think there’s anyone that has true USC blood more than Solomon,” defensive line coach Shaun Nua said. “He loves this place.”

Tuliaupupu is a redshirt senior who has never actually played since he arrived in 2018 because of various injuries. I think it would be great if he has a successful season. At the same time, people should probably wait to see if he gets through training camp in the summer before making pronouncements.

  • How many players were “gold-plated” this week? Not Josh Conerly.
  • The USC basketball banquet was Thursday and it’s always interesting whenever Andy Enfield gives out awards. For several years, he didn’t give out a team MVP award.

The curious part Thursday was Enfield did not give any awards to Ethan Anderson or Max Agbonkpolo. But he did give the best defensive player award to Kobe Johnson.

Anderson and Agbonkpolo each averaged 21 minutes per game. Johnson played seven minutes per game. The awards shutout for Anderson/Agbonkpolo couldn’t have anything to do with their transferring? Of course not.

By the way, if Johnson was the team’s best defensive player, why didn’t he play more than four minutes in the Miami game when USC needed some defensive stops? Thanks, Enfield.

  • USC graduate Rachel Scott of ABC News (above) will deliver the commencement address for the Annenberg School next month.
  • Tyler Lozano became the first USC baseball player since 2010 to hit 3 homers in a game. And the Trojans lost, 14-12, to Arizona State on Thursday night.
  • And now for some history:
Stubby Shaw (right) at his bar on Figueroa and 37th street circa 1956-57.
  • One of the things I love writing about USC history is the way I stumble across more stories. I’ve written before about Stubby Shaw, who opened “Stubby’s Trojan Barrel” in 1955. Around 1965, Shaw sold it to Marlin and Mike McKeever and in 1975 it was bought by Julie Kohl and became “Julie’s Trojan Barrel.”
  • This story came from an alum:

One night, in the early 1960’s, a customer kept giving Shaw a hard time, making rude comments and threats. As the customer prepared to leave, Shaw ran out the back entrance of the bar and went to the front entrance, which had two swinging doors like a Western saloon in the movies.

When the customer exited, Shaw punched him so hard, he flew back into the bar through the swinging doors. “Don’t ever come back here again!” Shaw growled.

If you look at the photo, I’m not sure why anyone would antagonize Shaw.

  • I’ve been writing about cartoonists recently like Art Brewster.

Here’s one of the most-famous artists, Karl Hubenthal, who worked for the Los Angeles Examiner and then the Herald-Examiner. Hubenthal designed the uniforms, helmets and original Norseman logo for the Minnesota Vikings.

Karl Hubenthal (left) receives award from Norman Rockwell and Tamara Kraushaar in 1958 in downtown L.A.
Rams artwork by Karl Hubenthal
Karl Hubenthal’s most famous artwork was for the Minnesota Vikings.
  • And here’s an illustration of Ricky Bell by Alan Maver.
  • Here’s a photo of a captured Japanese midget submarine displayed at the USC-UCLA game at the Coliseum on December 12, 1942, about a year after the Pearl Harbor attack. As always, the Coliseum clock stands out.
  • Here’s one of those rare times where USC wore its cardinal jerseys for a road game. This was the USC-Georgia Tech game in 1973. The No. 1-ranked Trojans won, 23-6. Anthony Davis is pictured.
  • Talk about a crystal-clear color photo. Here’s Charles White vs. Cal in 1976. USC won, 20-6. The Bears should wear these uniforms again.
  • This game program is a collector’s item. USC vs. Notre Dame on Dec. 6, 1930. It turned out to be Knute Rockne’s final game as coach at Notre Dame.
  • Just in case you didn’t believe that USC professor Frank Baxter has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. A USC professor called me last week after I wrote about Baxter. “You know you crushed a few egos here,” he said, referring to some USC professors who fancy themselves as the most prolific in school history.
  • Nothing to see here, just director Frank Capra (It’s A Wonderful Life), Frank Baxter and Eddie Albert (Green Acres) on the set of “Our Mr. Sun” in 1956.

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

    1. There’s more contact in the USC Sobg Girl’s practice than what these Ladies of Troy are doing…

      LOL!

      OH MY SIDE HURTS FROM LAUGHING SO MUCH!

      AHA HA HA HA HA HA HA!

      Like

      Reply

      1. No ’67, the guy Stubby smacked was a loud-mouth, alcoholic, fat-cat, bozo AH.

        #Let’s hear for the auld Ripple and Puke AH’s.

        Like

    3. The Ladies of Troy are in for a rude awakening once the season starts and all their days of practicing “avoid contact at all cost” training exposes their lack of physicality mentality.

      Have a look at this, good lord it looks like they’re practicing for a season of playing hopscotch…

      LMFAO!

      OH MY SIDE HURTS FROM LAUGHING SO MUCH!

      AHA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!

      ‘Ol MULE SHOE IS SETTING THESE GIRLS UP TO TAKE A BEATING!

      WOW!

      $100 MILLION DOLLARS FOR THIS NONSENSE?

      UNBELIEVABLE!

      Like

      Reply

    4. OMG!

      LMFAO!

      THAT GIRL LONDON WAS HINDERED BY A STUBBED TOE FOR HER PRO DAY WORKOUT!

      OH MY SIDE HURTS FROM LAUGHING SO MUCH!

      AHA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!

      YOU COULDNT MAKE THIS SHIT UP!

      OH THAT IS FUCKING PRICELESS!

      Like

      Reply

  2. gee,how long til john menshuns the dahjurs wining agian,probaly onley gonna say some thing if thay evr loose,may be thare couch sed some thing meen to him and he up set,or he gonna wate til thay loose owt uv the bayse bal turn a mint,smdh

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

  3. Drake London will expose himself as a possession receiver today, and his stock will probably slip a little because he lacks separation speed.

    Like

    Reply

  4. Josh Conerly was a loss in the winners and losers, now he’s not gold plated. Too bad the kid couldn’t see the roses for the sneakers. He is not a Trojan now and with NIL money flowing in from top selling shoes he will probably always have a job in a Chinese shoe factory.
    Time will tell if he picked the wrong new coach, but sentiment and reason say no for me.
    Maybe Scott had some juicy thoughts of future snarky bits about Josh, and that’s why he’s news. He’s not coming (unless the magic portal opens) and that is that.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  5. “USC wide receiver Drake London holds his Pro Day today.”

    Word is that she’s about 80% recovered from her sprained toe nail injury that led to her canceling her pro day weeks ago.

    Cross your fingers and toes for her today

    Like

    Reply

      1. He works really hard to be a total turd. Someone that polished must work very hard. To bad most all of us ignore and don’t even read his posts.

        Liked by 2 people

    2. Translation for those that don’t know how to read teboweenie:
      “Oooooh, Drake, you have such broad shoulders.. I will be watching you at the pro day. ….you big hunk of a man?!!?”

      Okay to come out the closet, Teboobs. Besides, your pink toenails are a huge giveaway.

      Like

      Reply

    3. Tebow. Word is that you were very late yesterday morning getting the news on the twitter stock. It’s still there on the thread for all to see. Haha haha haha haha haha haha haha haha haha. And hahaha hahaha.

      Like

      Reply

    1. Glad you brought it up, George– it has always amazed me how Christmas is so built up and yet Good Friday and Easter are all about chocolate bunnies, if anybody even gives a second thought about these days. There would not be a Christian religion without Easter, although I can’t buy the idea of a bodily resurrection, only a spiritual one
      (if we’re lucky).

      But back to the mundane, that picture of A.D. being gang-tackled should remind us why having a stable of running backs should be a staple (unless you have a durable Ricky Bell-type)

      Like

      Reply

      1. Lawyer John,

        Per the bible, On Easter Sunday night, Christ appeared to the 10 apostles, ( Thomas was not there and Judas was gone) and Christ asked if they had something to eat. They gave him a bit of fish and he ate it. Now that tells you that he had a physical body

        Like

      2. Easter has always meant so much more to me than Christmas, not that Christmas isn’t also worthy of celebration. Just that His resurrection is so awesome!

        Liked by 1 person

      3. If you take in the whole picture of who Jesus was and the eyewitness accounts perhaps you could buy in. Sometimes it just takes some of us longer.

        Liked by 1 person

  7. You clowns really should watch these videos I’m posting.

    ‘Ol Mule Shoe appears to be just as soft as his cousin Clay.

    I almost feel bad for the Ladies of Troy, but if none of them are willing to speak up about how this clown ‘Ol Mule Shoe doesn’t know what the fuck he’s doing then they deserve the ass kickings they have coming their way once the season starts.

    This isn’t even going out on a limb to say this, so here goes, Rice is going to give ‘Ol Mule Shoe and the Ladies of Troy fits.

    Home Opener

    USC 28

    Rice. 24

    After that shit will go sideways for the Ladies of Troy

    Book It!

    Like

    Reply

  10. HI PASADENA. CHECK OUT BILL SHARMAN. USC BASKETBALL ALL AMERICAN. THEN ALL NBA WITH THE CELTICS AND A GREAT BASEBALL PLAYER TOO. RE SANDY. WELL IF YOURE NOT MARRIED SHEWAS RAISED A CATHOLIC AND HASNT TIED THE KNOT YET. BUT I DO SEE A COMPATIBILITY PROBLEM THERE. AMDG MIGHT NOT FLY WELL THERE PAL. BUT MAYBE. ALWAYS HOPE. AND MICHAEL LIKES HER MAYBE. MAYBE SECRETLY. I DUNNO

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

      1. AOC. Sandy Cortez. Haha. Just kidding around with you and Michael. He doesn’t like her all that much. But she was raised Catholic and gave good drinks as a bartender. Or so I hear. AMDG bro.

        Liked by 1 person

  12. people who have never participated in a spring practice make dumb comments…maybe they even never really observed one…Well, particularly with all new coaches and many new athletes…it is about learning to implement the new offense and defense…the techniques needed, the routes that are to be run ,etc…it is not identical to fall practices which incl all the applications learned such as real blocking and tackling which for this SC team will incl the pulling of guards and tackles like the old days and real pursuit gang tackling which all have to be learned for this team…but you already knew all this , right? one learns to walk before one learns to run,or even plays hop scotch;although I never played hop scotch as some seem to have.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    1. Seeing how the Ladies of Troy couldn’t tackle worth a shit for the past decade, learning to tackle should have been the first fucking thing the Ladies of Troy should have been taught.

      But then again ‘Ol Mule Shoe is running the show and he obviously doesn’t have a clue about tackling…so there you go.

      Like

      Reply

      1. Ol peenus breath….non-binary, gender-nonspecific human life form PARTICIPATION TROPHY.

        Like

    2. Tim

      I participated in spring practice as well as fall practice. Supposedly you are to learn the offense and defense and special teams without real hard tackling. That doesn’t work because guys are accustomed to htting and being hit. For SC, they need to learn how to tackle with authority, gang tackle, and punish the carrier.

      One time in fall practice we had live tackling. I was playing defense and I did not care for the qb. he rolled out and it was one on one with me and the qb. My intent was to hurt him. I gave him my best shot and snobber knocked him. I thought he was going to be down for awhile. Wrong, he just bounced up from the hit. I was not happy.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

      1. HI PASADENA. TELL US MORE. WHERE DID YOU PLAY. LOYOLA?? ANYWHERE ELSE ?? I BET YOU WERE GOOD RIGHT ??AMDG BRO.

        Like

      2. yes tackle in practice is a must,and will be stressed in the fall I am sure,but before one blocks certain techniques must be taught,and for the ‘D’ line certain techniques must be taught and tackling is the same, or penalties will be called. SC has not been taught fundamentals for years…I think we basically agree,I played in military school the early -mid 50’s no face mask 1 year, then a face mask next year, & and we wore full unis and blocked and tackled every day, we played both offense and defense.

        Like

    3. Hi Tim. 100% correct as you always are bro. Tell these knuckleheads how it is. They don’t understand. I’m talking about Tebow and his like.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

      1. I think most fully understand ,some just want to write something negative about SC,even though they understand.It is so obvious these coaches have a history of knowing how to get it done, as opposed to those that do not have a clue.

        Like

  13. C’mon, Scott. Get it together. The picture of SC and GT was from 1969. I can look at the photo and tell right away that it’s not AD. It’s Clarence Davis wearing #28, and it’s at the Coliseum. You can tell by the decal in of 100 which celebrated the 100th anniversary of college football. You might want to have someone edit your photos, especially of the African American players which you seem to have a hard time accurately IDing.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. David,

      I agree that it might be Clarence Davis. However, if you look at the seats in the background, they are yellow. The colisuem seats are dark. I believe that Scooter is correct in saying that they were away.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

    2. Mr. Goodman, Scott will not defend himself, but I looked it up and the picture indeed is of Anthony Davis in 1973 beating Georgia Tech at their stadium. Davis ran for 71 yards, Lynn Swann caught 2 tds, and J.K. McKay caught one t.d.

      You might be more careful before you start chastising people in such a superior, rude manner.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

      1. LJ, just for grins I googled it. Scott posted this exact thing 4 years ago- July 10, 2017. The picture he posted then shows Georgia Tech in white jerseys. The one from today is the 1969 game and that’s not AD. The helmet does give it away.

        Either way it’s a great pic. Glad Scott keeps us flooded with history.

        Liked by 1 person

    1. PT, I’ll tee off since Scottie is MIA.

      Can’t recall if anyone mentioned The Formosa? Been around since the 1930s, I think it was closed for a while and is now renovated back to its original look. Formosa chicken salad and the Chinese BBQ pork. John Wayne used to hang out back in the day.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  16. May all of you be filled with joy this good Friday and may your Easter be a day of great wonder. It is also Passover for the Jewish among us. Jesus did what he came to do, and did it perfectly for all of us.

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

  17. Thanks for the Good Friday and Easter greetings Steveg49 but I don’t like to celebrate Good Friday with a sense of joy. Cardinal Dolan pointed out this morning that the crucifixion of Jesus, man’s attempt to destroy his creator, was such a horrific act that nature itself rebelled against it. The earth convulsed with an earthquake and the sun turned off it’s light with an eclipse. I am going to mediate on that for the next few hours as well as the sorrowful mysteries and then watch Mel Gibson’s Passion of the Christ. I find that when I do these things Resurrection Sunday becomes more joyous. Just my take on it. So thankful that I have found God in my life. How do others embrace this special time ?

    Liked by 4 people

    Reply

    1. Great thoughts.

      One thing I always remember on Good Friday- Jesus did not die because He could not suffer any more physical punishment, He died and gave up His spirit when there was no more wrath to take. It is finished!

      Sunday’s coming!

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply

      1. I’m late thanking all of you for sharing your heartfelt Good Friday comments cuz I surprised myself & decided to walk up to Saint Theresa’s Church. ….
        btw, You are right on point, Mrs. Helton:
        “No one takes my life from me; I lay it down freely. I have the power to lay it down, and I have the power to take it up again. I choose to lay down my life for my sheep.”
        —St. John, Chapter 10

        Liked by 2 people

    3. Jesus was not that willing to go through what he did, as a human, but submitted his will and himself to the will of the Father. The Father brought on the tear in the temple curtain, the earthquakes and darkness during mid day as a sign to mankind who is really in charge. So much sadness surrounds the greatest gift ever to mankind, and all we have to do is accept it as that gift, we cannot earn it nor do we deserve it. Happy Easter

      Liked by 3 people

      Reply

  18. USC baseball has slipped even farther then the football program. Both programs have rich histories. The good news USC football in on the way back behind the leadership of Lincoln Riley, but USC baseball year after year is headed downward. The current standings show USC in near to last place below such programs as Cal, Washington, and many others. Coaching in college baseball makes a huge difference it appears it is time to get rid of Coach Jason Gill . No way scholarship limitations are the reason. Come on California is a hot bed for players year and year out no way Cal, Washington, Oregon, Oregon St, and even another private school Stanford should have better programs than the Trojans. If USC can afford a million dollars a year for a low revenue women’s basketball program they can certainly afford one of the top college baseball coaches in the country. It is embarrassing USC was for many years at the top of the college baseball world no way it should have slipped this far.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

  20. I thought London looked good in the vid. Especially considering he was only able to start running on a treadmill a week before the combine. Seems to be the #1 WR pick.

    Liked by 1 person

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

Leave a comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.