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

Former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe, who died Friday after being shot while giving a speech in the western city of Nara, attended the USC School of Public Policy for two years in the late 1970’s.

In 2015, Abe, who was Japan’s longest-serving prime minister, returned to USC. He spent three semestersat USC in 1978 studying English and taking courses in political science, international relations and history.

Abe was not the only Japanese prime minister to have attended USC. Takeo Miki, who led the country from 1974-76, was a student at USC in the 1930’s.

  • Former USC safety Chris Hawkins and offensive tackle Sam Baker are assistant coaches at Tustin High School. Hawkins was fired with cause by Arizona State on Jan. 21.
  • And now for some history:
  • I finally found a picture of McKeever’s Trojan Barrel circa 1968. This was originally “Stubby’s Trojan Barrel” from 1955-65. Then the McKeever brothers (Marlin and Mike) bought it and in 1975 it became “Julie’s Trojan Barrel.”
  • It was a different world in 1969. And if you told someone back then that USC would join the Big Ten in 2024, they might say you were crazy.
  • In 1969, the USC baseball team played the University of San Francisco at Candlestick Park. Baseball was bigger.
  • If you want to know how different it was in the late 1960’s, two-sport athletes were commonplace. Here’s the USC Rugby team and that’s tight end Bob Klein jumping for the ball. Think about it. Klein was eventually going to a first-round draft pick but he and many teammates still played rugby in the spring.
  • Here’s Don Crenshaw, fresh off being named most improved player on the basketball team, competing in the high jump.
  • The Trojan Knights used to decorate the goal posts in the late 1960’s.
  • Glen Campbell performed at the Sports Arena for the Bob Hope Show, which benefitted the USC Scholarship Fund. Other celebrity guests were James Garner, Eddie Fisher, Juliet Prowse and Barbara McNair. USC graduates Fess Parker and John Wayne also appeared.
James Garner performs skit at Sports Arena with USC players Bob Klein, Steve Sogge, Mike Battle and O.J. Simpson.
  • Jimmy Gunn sacks Washington QB Tom Manke in the No. 1-ranked Trojans’ 14-7 victory in 1968.

Bob Seagren won four NCAA indoor and outdoor titles in the pole vault and won the gold medal at the 1968 Olympics.

  • USC had a men’s gymastics team in 1969 led by Jim Betters, who was one of the top all-around gymnasts in the Pac-8.

RESTAURANT OF THE WEEK

CURRIE’S ICE CREAM PARLOR

  • If you were a USC student in the late 1960’s, you should remember Currie’s Ice Cream, where students often stopped after classes. It looks like the kind of place USC could use today.

Currie’s was a chain throughout Southern California, famous for its “Mile-High Cones” and many flavors of ice cream.

  • Here’s a photo from the 1969 production of the film, “The Rain People,” starring James Caan, who died Thursday at age 82. Among those in the picture are Robert Duvall and the film’s director, Francis Ford Coppola.

And standing atop the van is an aspiring filmaker from USC, George Lucas, who shadowed Caan and Coppola for weeks. Lucas produced a short film about the making of “The Rain People.” You can watch it here.

SHOW OF THE WEEK

In 1969, the Troubadour featured comedian Richard Pryor. Coming soon: Hoyt Axton.

MARKET OF THE WEEK

If you were a new student in 1969, you needed to know where the 32nd Street Market was.

VIDEO OF THE WEEK

If you attend a concert in another country, try Argentin. It gives new meaning to audience participation. Here is singer Noel Gallagher (formerly of Oasis) performing a hit song in English and the crowd knows every word. You might get chills listening to the chorus.

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

    1. Before we go any further today — let’s celebrate this column. As the world enters dark times Scott Wolf keeps churning out serious thoughts mixed with humor and nostalgia. This is a GREAT piece today …and it couldn’t come at a better time.

      Liked by 3 people

      Reply

      1. “It was a different time in 1969”

        My wife and I touched on that the other day. Of course I preceded 1969 by some years, but as a 5-year old I walked alone a half mile on the railroad tracks from my home on Westwood Boulevard to Overland Elementary…In 1962 SC won its first National Championship in decades…Maybe other guys were luckier than I, but the 1960s SC girls were more into having fun than having serious sex…..Republicans and Democrats of course ribbed each other, but there was a touch of humor in it as opposed to today’s “as serious as a heart attack” savagery.

        Manson, cocaine, and the escalation of the Cold War began the slide of American’s optimism, innocence, and good-naturedness.

        But not all is lost. I just got back from 2-nights at the Cliffhouse on a Ventura Beach, and the constant roar of the ocean, riding 4-foot faced waves, and strangers smilingly saying hello reminded one that the 1960s style can still be found.

        Liked by 2 people

    2. Agreed, Michael.

      His posting of Bob Segren in 1968 made me think of the gold medalist in the high jump that year, Dick Fosbury. Fosbury inspired the video “Broken Arrows” by Avicii (who left us FAR too soon).

      I was going to post it, but I’ll leave it to anyone who wants to look it up on YouTube. Hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

      Any of you old timers who have spent the better part of 50 years with your better half might also enjoy Avicii’s video “Waiting for Love”. The ending is open for interpretation, but I like to believe he met his wife on the other side.

      Liked by 1 person

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      1. Re So Cal’s last line:
        Ha! Me too. [I dare say that’s the correct interpretation].

        Like

      2. You and Guarino are a real pair of conservative losers. The crap
        you post is a joke. Learn to spell an athlete’s name correctly
        (Seagren). This board is filled w/a vast majority of bigots. There
        should be no politics discussed on a sports log! Why do you root
        for USC with all their black/ minority athletes?

        Like

      3. “S” is a great example of the loopy, hate-filled, foaming-at-the-mouth leftist on display. A favorite tactic of the leftwing loons is to accuse others of what they themselves really are. “S” you need to get off your ass and see the world as it really is not your fantasy land.

        Liked by 3 people

      4. I’l tri to du betr wit my speleen frum now on. Sory it ruind ur daye.

        Wit da wurld on vurge of wwiii it’s kind of tuf to ignor. so i’l post abowt it whenevr i liyke.

        as for da negros dat cumpeet for usc, i wil cheer for dem becuz day r trojuns!!

        Like

      5. If only there were more “S’s in the world —everything would be just so wonderful….

        Like

      1. HI PASADENA. I KNOW IT WAS A LAME JOKE
        I WAS JUST TRYING TO LIGHTEN THE MOOD A LITTLE
        BUT I DONT THINK I SUCCEEDED
        LOL LOL

        Liked by 1 person

      2. Hunter was busy servicing a pair of 6th blondes. Life is tough, but someone has to do it!

        Like

  3. Somebody let Sam Baker know that the demographics have grossly changed at Tustin High School, so the only thing they can win now is a soccer match. 🙄🙄

    Liked by 1 person

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    1. No Anthony Munozes or Tony Gonzales or Jim Plunkets eh? The best QB (outside of emotional status) is gonna be Matt Coral and the best WR is likely to be Olave, so it’s not like the region and its Latino denizens aren’t producing, people just gotta get those kids off the Gd soccer field and onto the football field. Reminds me of Florida, the West Indian kids wanted nothing to do with football, UM had to get those South Florida kids from outside of Dade County.

      But a few high school coaches and some U Miami coaches, and guys in Optimist leagues established a football culture among the West Indian kids,-Haitians even eventually started to be pulled in. The thin lithe kids began to shift to American diets and got heavier, and they tower over their immigrant parents. They first learned more aggression than more skills though some of them went to UM and UF raw but disciplined and willing to learn and obviously became a great pool of talent, going back to their neighborhoods to become coaches.

      Some of the locals didn’t want the Latin kids so a local coach, who turned into a politician later, made it his business to win the top high city and state championship but he said big school recruiters only wanted the kids whose last names didn’t sound so Latin, his All County kids went to small colleges or wound up playing baseball where they were welcome. I guess it’s a process.

      Liked by 1 person

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    1. CURRIES HAD A LOCATION AT FOUNTAIN AND EDGEMONT. REALLY REALLY GOOD.
      MIKE MCKEEVER DIED IN A CAR CRASH AT AGE TWENTY FIVE. I WAS FRIENDS WITH MIKR AND MARLIN. REALLY COOL GUYS. LOVED TO JOKE AROUND.

      Liked by 2 people

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      2. LOL! Darn, I missed it. She is a doll.

        But I do know Kavanaugh was harassed out of Morton’s in DC last night. Disgusting.

        A restaurant representative: “Honorable Supreme Court Justice Kavanaugh and all of our other patrons at the restaurant were unduly harassed by unruly protestors while eating dinner at our Morton’s restaurant. Politics, regardless of your side or views, should not trample the freedom at play of the right to congregate and eat dinner.”

        “Disturbing the dinner of all of our customers was an act of selfishness and void of decency.”

        Liked by 3 people

  5. “Bob Seagren won four NCAA indoor and outdoor titles in the pole vault and won the gold medal at the 1968 Olympics”

    Seagren was robbed at the 1972 Olympics by the East Germans.

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    1. AND MAYBE EVEN AN NFL ALL STAR TEAM
      DAMN
      I STILL REMEMBER THOSE DRUGGED UP PERSONS
      DAMN
      WONDER HOW THEIR LIVES EVER TURNED OUT ???????

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  7. Former USC basketball player Don Crenshaw came to USC from Chabot Jr. College. He was a tremendous athlete who happened to play basketball, but he was a good defensive player with limited offensive skills. He was a high jumper on the USC track team, but more importantly tried out for the NFL as a defensive back free agent and made it into the league for a short time. Great competitor also use to hand around SC alot, but you rarely seem him around anymore.

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    2. A lot of what he’s putting up comes from a few old publications about USC. Some of the pics I recognize from a book on bygone years about SC and LA from the period I bought on Ebay. I recognize the pictures. I’ll dig around and post a title or two, there may some editions still out there. You’re absolutely right, I think re introduction to folks like us would make a best seller, or maybe I’m overestimating how many share our own nostalgia.

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  9. 1962 USC gymnastics team WON THE NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS led by Robert Lynns wins in all around and 4-5 other s such as rings,parrallel bars,etc…I remember it well.

    Liked by 2 people

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  10. off-topic!…. I click on an e-mail from Ikea. To my surprise is a picture of two grown men snuggling together on a couch viewing a laptop screen.

    OK!…. I’m pretty much natural on the whole gay and lesbian thing, as long as it doesn’t directly impact me.

    What’s really interesting, when did Ikea become so progressive….?

    Any thoughts or opinions?

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. I VOTED AGAINST GAY MARRIAGE IN 2008 BUT NOW FEEL LIKE I WAS WRONG BACK THEN
      IM OK WITH THE GAY THING
      STILL
      WHEN A GIRL REFERS TO ANOTHER GIRL AS HER WIFE OR HUSBAND
      OR WHEN A GUY DOES THE SAME THING
      WELL IT DOES TAKE SOME GETTING USED TO
      I GUESS IM TOO OLD
      BUT THIS I KNOW
      TRANSGENDER MALES AT BIRTH SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO COMPETE AGAINST WOMEN IN SPORTS
      ITS JUST INHERENTLY NOT FAIR
      TOO MUCH MUSCLE MASS
      BIGGER BONE STRUCTURE ETC.

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply

      2. I still can’t get my head around the whole transgender thing. The plumbing you were born with is your legal gender….PERIOD!…. Kids get confused, and too many parents buy into the kid’s confusion.

        Liked by 1 person

    2. Gabby,

      They have been for a long time. They are from Norway or Sweden. Also, the furniture is 3/4 size of American furniture and is lower to the ground. In two words that should make you aware and not shop there, They SUCK. Expensive as well. And yes, the homosexuality stuff affect. Your life. They are forcing us to like it, if we like or not. To purgatory with them

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply

      1. Ikea is a fucin rat maze. I hate going to that store, get lost every freaking time. IKEA sucks!

        Like

    3. When did Ikea become so progressive?
      It happened very suddenly, Gabby —CNN is reporting it occurred 3 seconds after their ad people showed them such an evolution would be accompanied by a 1% growth in annual profits.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

      2. Maybe that is the key to erasing prejudices, MG.– Just pay the people to stop hating, and start liking.

        However, my biggest prejudice, involving sucla, would take a lot of money to change, but of course I do have my price.

        Liked by 2 people

    2. It just goes to show that especially for a quarterback, the NFL is a different animal than the college game. Leinart and Darnold were great at SC (which is all that matters to me), but for a variety of reasons Matt and Sam had more time to throw in college.

      Liked by 1 person

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    3. Sam is quickly running out of options in the NFL…. I’m sure he invested his money wisely. I love Sam, but he has underachieved

      #TooManyINT’s

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    4. Lol SC grad the piglet is going to get traded to the Seahawks next. So he will get plenty of playing time in Seattle with Pete Carroll.

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  12. I think President Hot Lips copied and pasted this tweet from Scott Wolf

    @PresidentFolt: The Trojan Family is deeply saddened and shocked by the horrific shooting of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, a proud Trojan who last visited USC in 2015. Prime Minister Abe spent three semesters at the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy from 1978-79, studying English and taking courses in political science, international relations and history. Our heartfelt condolences go out to the family of Prime Minister Abe and all the people of Japan.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. “My Condolences To All the People of Japan.”
      #That’sAlotOfCondolences,Carol…
      #..ButI’mSureEach&EveryOneOfThemIsHeartfelt

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply

      2. Actually, Michael, Abe was not universally loved, as is the plight for all politicians (except in the U.S., thank God, can you imagine?)

        And I hate cliches– isn’t “condolences” overused, and a lot of people have to turn to the dictionary when they hear the word. How about
        “My deepest sympathy to the People of Japan”

        Liked by 1 person

    1. Another reason for SC leaving the Pac-12. Whereas Ohio St and Alabama were drawing 5 million viewers SC had about 2 mil (of course they had some poor teams during that era too). But what dragged down Troy was the other Pac-12 teams it went up against were just not big draws nationwide.

      Liked by 1 person

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      1. USC has average television ratings? Let’s blame it on UCLA and Cal —
        #WorksForMe…
        #…AndCal75IsOnTheRoad&Can’tDefendHimself….!
        #[..AndMyFriendOwnsWentWithHim]…

        Liked by 1 person

    3. Interesting that Stanford brings in about the same number of viewers as Oregon and Washington. Big Ten may take Stanford on the basis of their academics if they bring in Notre Dame. Cal only half as many viewers as Stanford.

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      2. The Biden “plan”: By the time they get here Biden will have so screwed over the school system, the supply lines, our food and energy supply, the military, small businesses and the very idea of government of the people that citizens will say “wow –what an improvement.”
        #ItShouldn’tWork…ButHe’sGivingItHisBestShot

        Liked by 1 person

      3. Chinese are buying up American farmland, American food processing companies, American commercial real estate, and prime American residential real estate. USC sold the former President’s home in San Marino to a Chinese National. Didn’t think twice.

        Liked by 1 person

      4. …did you mention that they’re doing all this with the dollars we’re pumping into their system…?
        #ZeroDefectPlan…
        #[YaGottaAdmitTheyKnewWhoToBuyOffFirst…
        #….Legislators,IntelligenceAgencies,BigMedia]….

        Like

      5. China and CCP trying to change the petro-dollars standard to Chinese currency. It will happen under weak-as-fuck Biden. Buy guns!

        Liked by 1 person

      6. btw…I recently figured out JUST how foolproof the plan is —they’ve got BLM as their military arm ….and [ready?] the RNC as their fundraising arm…
        #Diabolical

        Liked by 1 person

      10. Let me add some context regarding tucker’s credibility… Back in Feb. 2021, when Texas had its big freeze, he told his viewers the cause of the power grid breakdown was the fault of solar energy…

        OK!…. he might be on to something …. What he conveniently failed to mention, Texas only get 6% of its total power from a renewable source… Wow! that 6% broke the camel’s back.

        “In Tucker I TRUST” ……. TOOOOO FUNNNNNY!

        Like

      11. Funny you should mention that –it’s what he’s doing right at this moment….
        #Joe:Hon,CanYouKeepTheSecretServiceOutForAnother10Minutes?”
        #Jill[ThoughtBalloon]”It’llOnlyTake2minutes”…..

        Like

      12. Speaking of china and a cock

        Melania; I need you to use an extension, and go where all men have gone before!

        Donny: I hear you. This mushroom cap isn’t reaching the bottom of things. Same complaint from Stormy. I’m sure china makes the appropriate size.

        Like

      16. I keep wondering why 67 and Cal75 don’t want any part of us anymore.
        Anybody got any ideas?
        #ItCouldn’tBeUsCouldIt?

        Liked by 1 person

    1. So Cal –It’s gonna be a little hard for Heard’s attorneys to convincingly argue “we accepted the jury as it was constituted after 4 days of questioning — but we feel cheated. In fact, our jury selection was SO bad it denied Amber due process”
      Neat thing: Heard’s lawyers are gonna appeal the decision to deny their motion and Amber is gonna run up fees larger than the 10 million award she owes to Depp.
      #ItJustKeepsGettingBetter

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      1. Amber is going to have to post a $10 million plus bond to stay the judgment pending an appeal. I don’t think she has the funds. Johnny’s team is going to execute on the judgment. Goodbye Yucca Valley home and any funds in her bank accounts. And bankruptcy is not an option given that Amber’s actions were deemed malicious and therefore exempt from bankruptcy protection. Any monies she earns as an actress or model in the years to come are subject to execution on the judgment. Amber should be panicked over all of this. She is going to need to date Elon again and I doubt that he is interested. That turd in the bed thing is a real turn-off.

        Liked by 1 person

      2. I guess Amber’s now wondering if spewing all that stored up hatred was really worth it…
        #HopeHillaryGetsToExperienceThatSensationSoon

        Like

    2. AB-1887. Another example of how democrats in California stifle the freedom of individuals. If the people of Ohio pass a law that the our democratic assembly does not agree with, then public funds such as those used by UC or Cal State students to travel cannot be used to attend an event in the offending state. Consequently, the state will not pay for the UCLA football team to go to Ohio State. Amazing. Is this what our legislature thinks the people elected them to do, or is a good idea, or even fair?

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  19. JUST DREAMED I WAS PLAYING CHINESE CHECKERS WITH AMBER HEARD
    SOMETIMES I HAVE TROUBLE DISTINGUISHING DREAMS FROM REALITY IN MY OLD AGE
    CANT POST FOR A WHILE. I HAVE TO CALL A CAB FOR AMBER !!!

    Liked by 1 person

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  21. JOE ROGAN SAYS HE CANT SUPPORT TRUMP
    BUT STORMY DANIELS DID !!!!!!!SHE WENT UNDERCOVER
    AND
    LAID HIM LOW!!!!!!!’

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    1. Well, at least Stormy Daniels is a porn star/hooker. Biden did his kids’ former babysitter while she was still married. That is creepy. Wonder if devout catholic Joe went to communion after that one.

      Liked by 1 person

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      1. Joe Biden: “Well at least I didn’t store it on my laptop.”
        #Joe:AlwaysThinking…
        #….UntilAbout3YearsAgo

        Like

    2. That’s bad. I saw him first. He really does have small hands and a one inch dick when he’s aroused fully. I don’t care. Do you ? In reality he’s really hard to be around. We’ve had separate bedrooms since our honeymoon which was a hoot. He thinks he’s hot shit but he’s a big nothing. Just a bombastic buffoon and so full of himself up to his dirty unwashed ears and his Orange toupee.

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      1. Much of that may be true …..but the real Melania “doesn’t care.”
        #JoeShouldBorrowThatCoatInsteadOfDoingPressers…
        #…ItWouldBeMoreDignified

        Like

  22. Art Linkletter used to say, “Kids say the darndest things”

    If he had lived to read the Internet’s ugly rantings-and-ravings he probably would have exclaimed,
    “Grown-ups say the damndest things. I think I’ll stick with the kids”

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    1. …except for the kid who told Linkletter, “my mom told me she doesn’t love our Dad…she loves the mailman…”
      #ArtJustPulledTheMicrophoneAway&WentToTheNextKidInLine

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

      1. Or the time Art asked a kid what she wanted to be when she grew up.
        She said she would like to start a fundraiser.
        Art: That’s nice. A fundraiser for who?
        Girl: For me

        Note: Isn’t that what Pat Haden became when he grew up?

        Like

  23. AB-1887. Another example of how democrats in California stifle the freedom of individuals. If the people of Ohio pass a law that the our democratic assembly does not agree with, then public funds such as those used by UC or Cal State students to travel cannot be used to attend an event in the offending state. Consequently, the state will not pay for the UCLA football team to go to Ohio State. Amazing. Is this what our legislature thinks the people elected them to do, or is a good idea, or even fair?

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    1. Yes…this is exactly what our forefathers wanted! They stuck the Commerce Clause [providing for unrestricted commerce among the states] into our Constitution by mistake.
      #SoGladCaliforniaIs”Fixing”Things

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  24. 32ed St Market ’68-’70, anybody have pictures of Poochies, the burger place next door. I was the night cook there. Many late night burgers for OJ, Al Cowlings, Mike Battle, Sid Smith.
    Also any pics of Alice’s Restaurant across the street..they had the infamous metal structure of “Ronald’s Raygun” Thanks

    Like

    Reply

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