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

Purdue upset No. 15-ranked USC, 3-0, in women’s soccer on Thursday before 3,217 fans. Welcome to the Big Ten.

  • When offensive lineman Maximus Gibbs entered the transfer portal, he became the seventh player out of 22 from Clay Helton’s final recruiting class (2021) to enter the portal.
  • USC is getting a lot of hype in the preseason and ranked in the top 15 in the polls. But ESPN analyst Samuel Acho said the Trojans are overrated.

“Yes, Lincoln Riley is now their head coach, but at the same time, they have over 40 new players on their team as freshmen and transfers. I’ve talked to Lincoln Riley and Caleb Williams, at their Pac-12 media day and they said there’s going to be a lot of new faces and so I don’t think there’ll be able to overcome the defensive deficiencies that they had last year overnight. Yes, you have star power at offense, but defensively there are many, many, many question marks.”

  • Eight fraternities disassociated themselves from USC in the past week. Who are some famous alumni of the houses that cut ties? John Wayne, Tom Selleck and actor/swimmer Buster Crabbe were in Sigma Chi.

Golfer Dave Stockton, golfer Al Geiberger, film director Taylor Hackford, pitcher Tom House and golf innovator Roger Cleveland (founder of Cleveland Golf) were Kappa Alphas. Entrepeneur Marc Benioff and Olympic gold medalist discus thrower Sim Iness were in TKE; Businessman Ed Roski was a Beta Theta Pi.

  • Joe Starkey, the radio voice of Cal football since 1975, will retire following this season. His most famous moment was calling “The Play” in the 1982 Stanford-Cal game.

RESTAURANT OF THE WEEK

Campus House, 3218 Hoover St., Los Angeles

In the 1950’s, the Campus House was a well-known restaurant located where the USC Village is today. It’s hard to argue there were better eating options back in the old days.

  • And now for some history:
  • Here is a trivia question: In the 1985 USC-UCLA game, Rodney Peete completed 8 of 15 passes for 101 yards, 1 TD and 1 INT. All eight completions were to the same player. Can you name him? Answer below.

The Beach Boys performed after the USC-Cal game in 1988.

  • Linebacker Michael “Tex” Williams goes for the interception as No. 4-ranked USC defeated No. 3 Oklahoma, 23-7, in 1988. Cornerback Chris Hale is making the tackle on the ground.
  • Cal and UCLA might be quarreling now but things were different in 1957 when the Bruins supported the Golden Bears’ decision to bolt the Pacific Coast Conference for the American Association of Western Universities. UCLA, USC and Washington joined Cal, followed by Stanford, which caused the PCC to disband. The AAWU later became the Pac-8.
  • Speaking of bolting conferences, when I was a USC student, the dominant women’s sports league was the WCAA (Western Collegiate Athletic Assn.) and consisted of USC, UCLA, Stanford, San Diego State, Long Beach State, Cal State Fullerton, Arizona State and Arizona.

In 1985, the WCAA broke up as the five Pac-12 schools formed their own conference, the Pac-West.

It was a big deal and the Daily Trojan story included this illustration of then USC associate athletic director Barbara Hedges.

Hedges asked a USC official, “What does it look like I’m doing?”

The official responded, “It looks like you are screwing the WCAA.”

The illustration was drawn by Dan Povenmire, who later created the animated series, “Phineas and Ferb.”

  • TRIVIA ANSWER: Peete’s eight completions were all to tight end Joe Cormier. USC won the game, 17-13.

Now some trivia on Cormier. He married his college girlfriend, song girl Lynda Mohr, who is second from the right in Row 1 in this picture of the 1986 USC Song Girls. They had a daughter who played soccer at Loyola Marymount.

  • USC needs to bring back that helmet cart. A USC quarterback memorably drove it down Figueroa St. one night during his senior year with a bunch of his teammates hanging on to the helmet.
  • Look at this glorious color film of Frank Gifford at USC.
This interesting building is the Tumbleweed Theatre, which was located on Garvey Ave. in El Monte in 1939. The windmill sign is a quite a touch.
  • You want to talk about an athlete generally ignored by USC?

How about Lillian Copeland? Untl 2012, she was the only American woman to win an Olympic gold medal in the discus. Copeland won gold at the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics and silver at the 1928 Amsterdam Olympics.

Copeland, who was Jewish, boycotted the 1936 Olympics in Berlin. She set world records in the discus and javelin. Copeland is in the USA track and field Hall of Fame.

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

    1. Ha! 100%. Scott is the Colonel Kurtz of sportswriters — operating entirely on dark instincts and inner emotions …. and getting it right…
      #ScottIsInfallible

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

      3. Well, Michael, our boy must have more than that to rely on,
        as in compiling a diary-like library,
        filled-to-the-brim with nearly 100-years of SC-memories

        Like

    2. Carol Folt to her inner staff: “Scott is no longer guided by his better angels —you must locate Scott….and terminate his command…”

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  2. The 1988 Oklahoma game was the first USC Home Game (and 3rd overall) I ever attended. Remember the Defense shutting down the so- called vaunted Wishbone. OU only crossed midfield once or twice the entire game.

    Liked by 1 person

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      2. I saw a Peterson on a zoom seminar, he was talking about what is going on at college campuses. Very moving, he was fighting back tears at the end.

        Liked by 1 person

      3. Anybody watching the results of the Marxist Indoctrination of American students play out would wanna cry — no right, no wrong, no absolutes, no Divine Presence —only a fight for power between the have’s and the have not’s —the venal rich vs. the venal poor.

        Liked by 1 person

    3. Ed, you have broken him on the wheel. The imposter is a mere shadow of himself. He now wanders the streets “….but, but, ….who am I…. ” This is what happens when people don’t heed your warnings.

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply

      2. Ed, you have broken him on the wheel. The imposter is a mere shadow of himself. He now wanders the streets “….but, but, ….who am I…. ” This is what happens when people don’t heed your warnings. Btw, I love Filipino Dog sandwiches, so I accept your invitation to suck your delicious Peenus 😃

        Like

      4. Never get in the ring if you know you will be knocked out. Particularly if you lead with your peenus, because if you do, Ed. G will surly pop it in his mouth.

        Like

    4. Scotty is very short sighted by allowing vulgar
      nasty trolls on this site.
      1. The site will not be normal SEO .
      2. The site will never be taken seriously.
      3. Sooner or later a line will be crossed and the lawsuit will be the end.
      OC Register and SC athletic Dept have said goodbye.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

      1. Yeah but it sure beats the W and W site when LJ got kicked out.

        What is funny is that neither attends games and have no insight either. All they is illegal post LAT or Daily News articles.

        Liked by 1 person

      2. Scotty is very short sighted😭 by allowing vulgar😭
        nasty trolls on this site.😭
        1. The site will not be normal SEO .😭
        2. The site will never be taken seriously.
        3. Sooner or later a line will be crossed and the lawsuit will be the end.😭
        OC Register and SC athletic Dept have said goodbye.😭 Basically… I’m gonna tell my mommy 😭😭

        Like

      3. Problem with policing is invariably someone gets upset about something that isn’t vulgar or racist just some ‘smack’ against the ‘females’ favorite team or individual. Yahoo suspends anyone for any infraction – they lean solidly left. They blocked me incrementally after this ‘karen’ began whining about how I sharply mocked ‘the princess’ and Wooden – now it’s their algorithm – automatic.

        You’re right about the retard (oh there I go again) Ed.G

        Liked by 1 person

      4. Agree.

        I gently voiced my disapproval this week when one wrote about men sucking penises.
        If it is a woman doing the sucking, no problem; but if a man, I have a problem
        I do not judge what men do to each other behind closed doors;
        But I do not wish to be reminded of behavior that, quite frankly, I find disgusting

        It all started when I was 12 at Birmingham High School (it was a 6-year school at that time)
        And one day 100 boys were required to strip naked and swim in its large pool.
        100 exposed penises surrounding the pool-area was the most disgusting sight I ever saw.

        Like

    5. hi john,enny thing knew on r frend ol’peenus breth who i reely up set,smdh You all are my friends, and thanks for sticking up for me. For that, my wife and I invite you all over to our house in Cerritos for fried Dog sandwiches, and a suck of my peenus.

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      Reply

  4. Academy Awards stage in 1973: “I’m Sacheen Littlefeather. I’m Marlon Brando’s official representative here this evening. Unfortunately, he cannot receive this Academy Award because of the image of Native American Indian people in film and television today.”

    “That’s when people started booing, and the other half started cheering,” Littlefeather remembered. “And that’s when all the people started getting into commotion in the audience. And I focused in on the mouths and the jaws that were dropping open in the audience, and there were quite a few.”

    Littlefeather said that when she left the stage she spotted John Wayne, who was furious about her speech and approached her in such a way that she thought he would assault her.

    “John Wayne did not like what I was saying up at the podium,” Littlefeather said. “So, he came forth in a rage to physically assault and take me off the stage. And he had to be restrained by six security men in order for that not to happen.”

    That crazy Duke! But I’m glad OC airport hasn’t changed the name. This PC crap of erasing history and judging people by today’s standards has to end.

    Liked by 3 people

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    2. I’m sure Littlefeather’s version is 100% accurate —I’m sure 6 guys really had to restrain John Wayne from assaulting her — I only wish one single news outlet had reported the assault at the time…. or one single photographer had taken one single shot of the melee —-[I guess maybe there weren’t any reporters or photographers at the Awards ceremony that year]…..
      #Yeah…
      #…That’sGottaBeIt….

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply

      1. Yeah, her account sounds like something AOC might say today. LOL

        “That guy was verbally assaulting me on the Capitol steps.”

        “I almost died on Jan 6.”

        Liked by 3 people

      3. Ya never know how a grumpy old man with a few drinks in him might react. You see the video of the 50-something guy fighting a teenager in Valencia just 3 days ago? All because the smartass teenager said something disrespectful as he was going into the Quicky Mart and the old man was exiting.

        The kid probably deserved an ass whooping, but it should have been administered by his parents and several years ago so by the time he became a teenager, he’d be more courteous. But it just doesn’t happen these days.

        Liked by 1 person

      4. She was in Playboy? Oh, noooooooo…
        USC’s Doctor Howard Miller to his 1970 American Intellectual History Class: “There hasn’t been a pretty woman in Playboy for 15 years”…
        #IThinkThatGoesBackTo1stIssue…
        #..[.MaybeFurther]
        P. S.
        The Duke … Sinatra… Flynn….Burton—– they’d all be persona no grata at USC today…..

        Liked by 1 person

    3. The Duke liked to drink, party with the women, was boisterous and occasionally rowdy. He worked hard and played hard. In my mind, a credit to USC and Sigma Che fraternity.

      Unfortunately, today the Duke would be considered a “toxic” male and USC would distance themselves from him. We have truly lost something that made life an adventure. Glad I grew up at a time Duke was considered an American hero.

      BTW Brando was a jackass for doing that at the oscars.

      Liked by 3 people

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      1. Brando was a huge talent ….with huge daddy problems.
        #OscarRepresentedDaddy….
        #”OscarSpankedMe&SentMeToMilitarySchool!”

        Liked by 3 people

    1. Sacheen LittleHorse’sAss….
      #ThankYou….
      #LoveOut-Of-Thin-Air-StoriesAboutDeadAmericanHeroes…
      #OrMaybeYouHaveWitnesses,Huh?
      #[OrSomeContemporaneousCoverageOfThe”Incident”]?

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  6. Moore escorted Littlefeather off-stage, past several people critical of her, and towards the press.[54] Littlefeather stated in 2022 that some people mockingly used the tomahawk chop towards her as she was led by.[55] Oscars producer Koch and director Marty Pasetta both later recalled that John Wayne was waiting in the wings and had to be restrained by six security guards to prevent him from forcing her off stage.[56][57][58][59][60][61] At the press conference, Littlefeather read to journalists the speech that Brando had prepared; The New York Times published the full text the next day.[5]

    Later that night, before she announced the Best Actress winner, Raquel Welch said, “I hope the winner doesn’t have a cause.”[62] When Clint Eastwood presented the Best Picture award, he remarked that he was presenting it “on behalf of all the cowboys shot in John Ford westerns over the years.”[62]

    Michael Caine, the night’s co-host, criticized Brando for “letting some poor little Indian girl take the boos” instead of “[standing] up and [doing] it himself.”[62]

    This is taken from Wikipedia regarding Littlefeather. I like what Clint Eastwood said.

    Liked by 1 person

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  7. Scooter,

    I bet you did not know this, speaking of El Monte, it is the end of the Santa Fe Trail. Also, it is the home of Country Joe McDonald and the Fish, Willie Shoemaker, and Pastor Robert Shuler.

    Like

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  8. Scooter,

    We all know this, that the defense will be a disaster this year. They have to rebuild. However, if they can cut down the yardage and scoring by 10-15% from the opposing team, then it will be a job well done. In the 2023, they need dl, lbers, and a few dbs. They got to learn how to play as a team.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Early in his tenure at USC Pete Carroll said, ” if our defense can get a COUPLE stops, our offense can do the rest.”
      He built from there.
      Lincoln will have to do the same in 2022: slow the other team down, get one or two stops….and the offense will take care of the rest…
      #UntilWeGetUpgradesInCoachingStaff&PlayersOnDefenseIn2023

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

      1. 2002 team on offense wasn’t as talented as this team, is my opinion, despite having Carson as a sr QB. O-line was nothing special on that team as I recall. Defense was probably better with Cody, Udeze, Matt G, Sartz. Still can’t believe they lost to K-State. That ’02 team was performing at the top in the last 5 or so games and the bowl game vs #4 Iowa.

        Liked by 1 person

      2. Pete played it too close to the vest against Kansas State —he thought he’d have time to pull the game outta the fire on the last drive. It didn’t work out that way. But —you’re right. By the Iowa game nobody could’ve beaten us….and the Bowl Championship teams were happy they faced each other & not us.

        Like

      1. Already forgotten. Two-tier justice system in America. DOJ and FBI weaponized against conservatives.

        Like

  10. I WATCHED LITTLEFEATHER LIVE AS IT WAS HAPPENING
    SHE WAS A BEAUTIFUL GIRL WHO WAS GIVEN A TOUGH JOB BY MARLON
    SHE HANDLED IT VERYNICELY WITH GRACE AND CHARM
    MY HEART WENT OUT TOHER AND I STILL REMEMBER HER FONDLY !!

    Like

    Reply

  11. That was a really good K State team that ran all over SC that day. WSU led by that tough mofo Gesser also beat USC that year if I recall. Nothing tops the night ND game that year though which won the Heisman for Carson. We celebrated at Pacific Dining Car after.

    The 88 Cal game is my all time favorite game memory – thank you for mentioning it Scottie. It was my birthday and a couple buddies that went to SBCC came down for the weekend with a fat sack that we burned at halftime in the Rose Garden then took some of Owsley’s fine product and enjoyed an amazing concert and a crazy night. This was when the track was still in place and each BB drove out in a different year Vette with a hot girl. We moved down seats and ended up next to Zumberge’s party where my roommate spilled a Super Beer on one of them.

    The 80s…

    Like

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