FOOTBALL

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

I’m pretty sure USC didn’t know who Texas baseball assistant Troy Tulowitzki was before the coaching search.

But USC likes splashy hires. Remember when Michael Cooper was hired as women’s basketball coach. At one time, Mike Garrett wanted to hire as the men’s basketball coach.

It was almost like USC used college baseball web sites to conduct its search. The key for Tulowitzki will be who he hires as his assistants because he needs to hit the ground running.

  • USC will host Vermont at the Galen Center in men’s basketball next season. The Catamounts!

RESTAURANT OF THE WEEK

In 1964, the cool cats went to Daddy-O Drive-In on 35th and Vermont.

  • One of the all-time greats, running back Hugh McElhenny, died last Friday. He was 93.

McElhenny wanted to go to USC.

In 1948, McElhenny graduated from Washington High School in Los Angeles. If you talk to anyone who was around in those days, they can tell you about McElhenny’s exploits in football and track.

McElhenny wanted to go to USC but did not have the grades. So he went to Compton College, coached by former USC player Tay Brown. But after just one season, he learned the University of Washington could accept him immediately. USC needed him to go another year to Compton.

McElhenny went to Washington, became an All-American, rushed for 296 yards and 5 TD’s vs. Washington State and returned a punt 100 yards for a TD vs. USC. He then became the ninth player selected overall in the 1952 NFL Draft and was selected for the Pro Bowl six times.

  • A USC student during the early 1960’s told me about his first trip to New York City, when he stopped by P.J. Clarke’s restaurant and bar on Third Avenue.

All of a sudden there was commotion around two guys who walked in: The USC student recognized them immediately, as NFL stars Frank Gifford and  McElhenny.

“The women flocked to them,” the USC student said.

  • And now for some history:

There have been a lot famous people who attended USC football games over the years. But look at this picture from 1933 USC-Stanford game at the Coliseum.

Here are Babe Ruth (center) and President Herbert Hoover at the game with USC president Rufus von KleinSmid. A crowd of 95,000 attended the Homecoming game.

Probably got a bigger reception than when Will Farrell attends a game.

During the week, festivities included a performance from The Three Stooges on campus.

Recognize anyone in this photo? It’s the 1934 Junior Prom at USC and the guy on the far right is Rod Dedeaux, who went on to became a legendary baseball coach. Dedeaux was in charge of the “decorations” for the event, which took place at the Biltmore Bowl.

It’s the intersection of 7th Street and Grand Ave. for Christmas, 1940.

VIDEO OF THE WEEK

This weekend marks the return of Glastonbury Festival in England after a two-year hiatus because of COVID-19.

With that in mind, here’s a classic performance by David Bowie in 2000. The unappreciated part is how American musician Gale Ann Dorsey holds her own performing the Freddie Mercury part in “Under Pressure.”

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

    1. These “Friday” deals keep getting better and better. We owe Scott for casting this gems our way once a week.
      #Yeah,DorseyHoldsHerFrickingOwn…BigTime

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply

      2. No worries, Michael. “This,” “These”, whatever– we read the corrections into the prose.

        By the way, I have been doing some catching up at work and this is the first time I have looked at the blog in June. Did I miss anything? Did Wiley ever pick up a big guard or tackle?

        Liked by 1 person

  2. Troy Tulowitzki had a 13 year MLB career and was a five time all-star. Stating that USC had no idea who he was before the search is one of your dumber posts, and that’s saying a lot!

    Liked by 4 people

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    1. Remember Carnations Ice Cream Shop on Wilshire and Highland? Great spot to take your USC girlfriends for a hamburger and a malt.
      #SadDayWhenItChangedHands&TurnedToCrap

      Liked by 2 people

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      1. MALTS…the only way to eat a hamburger,and fries, for some reason you have to shop around to get one these days with your burger

        Liked by 2 people

      2. Really? You worked to deliver their dairy products? Well that’s funny because the actual spelling was/is ‘Adohr’ – it was the name of founder of the dairy Merritt Anderson’s wife ‘Rhoda’ spelled backwards

        Like

  5. One question: was Will Farrell a ball player or a politician? All I know is he will never draw a crowd like that in the coliseum, it currently only holds about 70k fans.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

  6. Any blog post anywhere that mentions the song “Under Pressure” is ok with me.

    #ShameOnVanillaIceForLiftingTheOpeningBassLine-TheRiffWillAlwaysBelongto’UnderPressure’

    #IceIceBabyIsASongForPosers

    Liked by 2 people

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  7. Speaking of famous faces at USC games Jim Morrison of The Doors supposedly attended the 1967 USC-UCLA game.

    There is a photo out there if anyone can find it.

    #CelebritiesAtUSCGamesAndMusicSeemToBeTheThemeToday

    Liked by 2 people

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      3. He didn’t die. He moved to Africa to become a gun runner.

        #ArthurRimbaud

        #JimAndPamLivedHappilyEverAfter

        #TheyLiveOn”LoveStreet”-(SeeWhatIDidThere?)

        Liked by 2 people

      1. ya’but Arnie went into the Army…remember’Jennie Lee’ ? an old southern song they made into a top hit around ’57-’58.

        Liked by 1 person

      2. If they are all Bruins, then they are the only Bruins this Trojan admires.

        #StillOnTheFenceAboutOwns

        #IncredibleFactButForAFewYearsMorrison’sGraveInParisWasTheThirdMostPopularSiteForTouristsInParis

        #LeftSmokesAndHadOneWhenIVisitedHisGraveInParis

        Liked by 1 person

  8. Troy Tulowitzki- Scott you really think Mike Bohn did not know who he was. Come on now- Bohn, is originally from Colorado, played baseball at Kansas, and was AD at Colorado when Tulo was a huge star with the Rockies.

    I do agree Bohn went with a big splash hire with no head coaching experience when in fact there are many better proven college baseball candidates available for the same price. What happened to Andy Stankiewitz at Grand Canyon who has done a great job building that program. I know Mike Scioscia could have been persuaded to take the job, and so would George Horton who is known as the Guru for building college baseball programs like he did at Oregon.

    Liked by 1 person

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