FOOTBALL

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

Purdue is hiring Graham Harrell as offensive coordinator after a year at West Virginia, which ranked ninth out of 10 teams in total offense in the Big 12. Failing upward!

Maybe JT Daniels can go to Purdue.

  • USC linebacker Ralen Goforth is taking an official visit to Washington.
  • Western Michigan defensive lineman Braden Fiske is visiting USC this weekend.
  • The NCAA is an employer of college athletes (jointly with Pac-12 and USC), and violated federal law by misclassifying them as mere “student-athletes” rather than employees, according to a U.S. Labor Board.

The National Labor Relations Board’s Los Angeles region has found “merit” in an unfair labor practice charge seeking employee recognition for USC football and basketball players.

NLRB General Counsel Jennifer Abruzzo said the region’s findings were based on a determination that USC, the Pac-12 and the NCAA have collectively “maintained unlawful rules and unlawfully misclassified scholarship basketball and football players as mere ‘student-athletes’ rather than employees entitled to protections under our law.”

If USC, the Pac-12 and the NCAA do not settle the case, which is unlikely, the case would next go before an administrative law judge.

  • The USC women’s basketball team lost to UCLA, 59-56, on Thursday night before 3,109 at the Galen Center. It was respectable showing for USC, which had played only cupcakes prior to this game. The crowd was also respectable because a lot of free tickets were given to youth teams.
  • And now for some history:
  • I had just about given up on finding a color photograph from the 1981 USC-North Carolina game so this is a pleasant surprise. It’s an amazing find as Sam Perkins attempts to dunk the ball while Michael Jordan looks on — against USC!

But for me, it’s just as big a highlight to see Ken Johnson (44) appear to possibly block the shot while James McDonald (33) watches. The Trojans gave the Tar Heels a game, losing 73-62 at Greensboro Coliseum, in the second game of the season.

North Carolina was ranked No. 1 at the time, went 32-2 and won the NCAA title with a memorable victory over Georgetown.

This was one of my favorite USC teams. Guard Dwight Anderson averaged 20.3 points, forward Maurice Williams 14.5 points and there were a pair of promising freshmen forwards: Johnson averaged 9.5 points and 7.9 rebounds while Wayne Carlander averaged 8.6 points and 6.3 rebounds.

Johnson averaged 29.8 points, 19.3 rebounds and 6.2 blocked shots his senior year at La Jolla High School and was named a Parade All-American.

The highlight of the season was an 86-71 victory over UCLA before 12,480 at the Sports Arena. Things looked rosy a year later as athletic freshman forward Gerry Wright joined the team. But in typical USC basketball fashion, it all quickly fell apart as Johnson transferred to Michigan State and Wright transferred to Iowa.

McDonald did not play football at USC but ended up playing tight end with the Rams from 1983-85 and in 1987. He was also with the Detroit Lions in 1985.

  • Dwight Anderson goes to the basket for USC during the 1981-82 season.
  • Marcus Allen poses with his Heisman Trophy at Heritage Hall in 1981.
  • Here’s Mike Garrett meeting the media on campus with his mother after winning the 1965 Heisman Trophy.

And if you need Garrett in color to fully appreciate him, here you go.

What time is it? Time for another Art Brewster illustration celebrating USC’s Football Class of ’82.

  • The funny part of a lot of photos capturing Erik Affholter’s TD catch vs. UCLA is they often feature Todd Marinovich (upper right) in the background.
  • They don’t do things like this anymore. This 1971 game program is a nice tribute to Jess Hill. He really was Mr. USC. The cover captures his football career (fullback on 1928 national champions, and 1930 Rose Bowl champs, Pacific Coast Conference rushing leader); his track career (national champion in broad jump in 1929); his baseball career (played for New York Yankees in 1935 and Hollywood Stars 1930-31).

Hill became USC football coach (1951-56) and was the first person to play for and coach Rose Bowl champions. He was USC athletic director from 1957-72. He was also USC’s track coach in 1949-50 and won national titles both years. Like I said, Mr. USC.

  • The same game program offered a Brewster illustration featuring wide receiver Edesel Garrison.
  • This is the 1975 USC-Stanford game.

If you are a fan of the TV show “Emergency!” you know this game served as a setting of the 1976 season premier titled, “The Game.” In the episode, Squad 51 is assigned to work the USC-Stanford game at the Coliseum.

Among the problems Gage and DeSoto deal with are a choking victim, a man with breathing difficulties, an injured photographer and a TV announcer (played by local broadcaster Larry Carroll) with heart trouble.

The actual game was full of drama too. Stanford upset No. 9-ranked USC, 13-10, as Mike Langford kicked a 37-yard FG as time expired. Langford had missed three field goals before this but also hit a 55-yarder. This was one of four straight losses USC suffered after John McKay announced he would resign. Ricky Bell gained 195 yards in 35 carries.

PICTURES OF THE WEEK

Singer Mel Torme and model June Bright watch Dizzy Gillespie perform at Billy Berg’s (1356 N. Vine Street) in Hollywood in 1948.

  • I’m still in awe of photos from the day after Thanksgiving of shoppers on Seventh and Broadway in Downtown L.A. in 1953.

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

    1. JESS HILL WAS MY COACH IN 1951
      ALL OF US RESPECTED HIM

      EDESEL GARRISON HAD A FANTASTIC GAME AGAINST NOTRE DAME AND WE UPSET THEM IN SOUTH BEND
      1971 IF MEMORY SERVES

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply

    3. Only excuse for that video would be Trump’s wife slipped LSD in his iced tea.
      Trump saved the country from the Clinton and Bush families in 2016 –for that I’ll always be thankful….but it’s now way past time for him to disappear.
      His judgement is as off as can be.

      Like

      Reply

      1. Yup, I remarked more than once that the Bushes and Clintons seemed to view the presidency as something to be passed back and forth between them, like a bong at a frat party.

        That’s why I think a constitutional amendment barring close relatives of current or former presidents would be a good idea, i.e. spouses, siblings, children, in-laws, etc.

        Like

      2. Was casting doubt on all elections without a shred of evidence and fomenting his gullible supporters into a disgusting Jan 6 display also part of that ‘off judgement’?

        Liked by 1 person

  3. I remember being at the Sports Arena when Dwight Anderson came hit a shot as he was falling out of bounds past the end line and the ball went up and over the backboard and into the net. An absolutely amazing shot. Fred Rogan played the highlight too.

    Liked by 1 person

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  5. Great stuff Scott.

    Emergency’s producer was Jack Webb, of Dragnet fame. He was known to be a stickler for detail, even down to using the names of real LAPD brass in Dragnet episodes. The only deviation from this realism AFAIK is that stories would depict parallel streets as intersecting, e.g. “the corner of 6th and Beverly.” So it isn’t surprising that Webb would use an actual football game in his screenplay.

    Liked by 2 people

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    1. I finally get the Scott Formula. Put out controversial viewpoints all week, keep us angry with him and his viewpoint ….and, then, reward us on Friday with a column which is so fun we feel guilty for doubting him….
      #CrazyLikeAFox

      Liked by 3 people

      Reply

  6. I just watched Caleb on YouTube talk about being back for the Cotton Bowl. He’s an extraordinary young man. And he knows his body better than anybody else —including team doctors. But I’m old enough to remember other amazing athletes who pushed it one game or one fight too far. You can will your body back into competition ….but it takes a toll at some point.
    If the o-line isn’t close to 100% I hope he reconsiders and saves himself for next season. I’ve seen enough Robert Lee Griffin cases to last a lifetime.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

      1. Griffin proves the 21st century’s most sacred rule —you can’t make an honest mistake on television. We who are perfect will demand your blood. And feel better for it.

        Like

      2. Honest mistake my ass. He uses the word all the time, as many of them do and it’s OK. He got caught using it on the air and won’t get cancelled the way Paula Deen, Laura Schlesinger and John Schnatter did.

        The double standards drive me nuts.

        Like

      3. “He uses the word all the time, as many of them do and it’s OK. ” So Cal, you hangin’ with RGIII in your spare time? Or just making generalizations as always?

        Like

  7. Edesel Garrison was indeed great in the 1971 USC-Domer game. I think he was also a quarter miler on the track team, or maybe a 100 yard dash guy? He caught two TD passes, one from Jimmy Jones and I think that Mike Rae threw the other one, all in the first quarter. Domers were undefeated at that point. I believe USC went undefeated for the rest of that season, beginning with that game.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

      1. I believe that USC was something like 45-3, with a couple of ties, beginning with that game, and continuing up through the middle of the 1975 season, when McKay told the team he was leaving. I think they lost their last 4 games that year.

        Liked by 1 person

      2. Yep. I remember that season well. McKay beat Notre Dame….. and didn’t win again until a bowl game where he beat Texas A & M 20-0.
        #HisTeamLostHeartWhenHeToldThemHeWasLeaving

        Liked by 1 person

      1. People who’ve seen it say it floats without any visible means of support…..and travels great distances at great speeds without any discernable engine…..

        Liked by 1 person

      3. I don’t want Gabby endangering himself, 67…. another poster tried to look into this…. and he’s disappeared…
        #…ProbablyForever

        Liked by 1 person

      6. Well, we can’t say that we didn’t warn the knucklehead to stop broadcasting that the space landing was a fake, utilizing aluminum foil and some styrofoam.

        Liked by 1 person

  9. My son tells me that USC is the frontrunner for WR Dorian Singer, through the portal. He caught something like 3 TD passes against USC this year, including this one-hander:

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

      1. He’s as good as Addison — but not better……
        #You’reRight,Though…
        #…USCReceiverRoomWouldBeUnreal

        Like

  10. Graham Harrell is the Texas version of Sark.

    They both fail miserably in every position and yet still get jobs. Either they interview well or they have a great agent!

    Like

    Reply

    1. Sounds trite…but… that is the way Coach would want to go: Beating his archrival, preparing for a bowl game, excited for next season……..
      #But,Yeah,You’reRight…
      #StillTooEarlyAnExiit

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply

  14. UCLA women’s BB Clowns SUCC 59 – 56 in front of 3,109 bozo fans, many whom were there ’cause they received free tickets, according to Mr. Wolf…….LstinkingOL.

    Sh*t SUCCster’s, do you believe it, the women’s BB team outdraws Andyain’twinning’s squat at the Chicken Coop. Well, it’s still a fact, the best former bozo BB player is Reggie Miller’s sister Cheryl.

    “Facts Matter” ~Dear Pisley

    BB game of the day, Sat., 12/17/2022: Kentucky vs UCLA @ 2:00pm PST on CBS.

    Where’s the SUCC men’s BB squat playing this weekend….really Clownsters, who gives a sh*t?!

    #Thanks Enfield

    Like

    Reply

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