FOOTBALL

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

The challenge this week will be to not feel hungry after you read this week’s USC notes column.

Also, if it takes five minutes to read this coumn, that works out to 2 hours, 20 minutes a year. I’ll ask Lincoln Riley if that is too much of his time. But he can read it in the back seat of the car when the personal driver takes him from Palos Verdes to USC.

And now for some history:

  • The Rose Bowl looks good for the 1968 game between USC and Indiana. Note the old-school goalposts were in team colors as the USC goal post is yellow and Indiana is white.
  • This is another one of those photos that could be used to illustrate when the USC uniform was uniform, not a grab-bag collection of different colors.
  • John McKay is flanked by assistant coaches Mike Giddings (left) and Ray George along with quarterback Bill Nelsen (16) circa 1961-62.
  • USC won 20 NCAA titles the first 28 years that NCAA championships were held in track and field. Two of those years USC didn’t win, the Trojans might have won if the athletic dept. wasn’t on probation (1957, 1959).
  • A couple weeks ago, I wrote about actress Rita Moreno being queen of a USC charity dance in 1954 and being escorted by whoever sold the most bids to the dance.

In 1955, the dance queen was starlet Anita Ekberg, who was Miss Sweden in 1950. Five years later, in 1960, Ekberg had her iconic role in Fellini’s La Dolce Vita. Imagine how often the guy who got to escort her brought it up after La Dolce Vita? Oh wait, we already know.

Who won the date? A USC professor! And this would never happen today, but he got ridiculed in the school paper after the event.

“Coeds are wondering when ECON instructor Norman Adams will stop talking about his date for the (dance) last weekend, Hollywood Starlet-About-Town Anita Ekberg. Every class has heard about the date in lurid detail.”

Anita Ekberg in Abbott and Costello Go to Mars in 1953
  • USC debuted a horse mascot on Sept. 24, 1954, when the Trojans hosted Pitt at the Coliseum.

This was not Traveler but an Arabian horse named Rockazor. He was ridden by Bob Caswell, who was commonly known as Tommy Trojan.

By 1958, Rockazor had become such a popular figure that his footprints were taken in cement and placed on campus next to those of USC All-Americans.

Bob Caswell rides Rockazor in the late 1950’s.

Although Rockazor replaced George Tirebiter, George remained until the early 1960’s. Here’s George with John McKay in 1961 at the Victory Bell ceremony.

RESTAURANT OF THE WEEK

  • Here’s a new one: When the Daily Trojan played the Daily Bruin in the Blood Bowl in 1956, do you know who the assistant coach was for the Daily Trojan? Chick Hearn. Remember, Hearn announced USC games from 1956-61. He ran a multiple offense for the DT (not kidding).
  • How about a visual guide of some of the eating establishements around USC in 1949.

So let’s start in the upper left with Julie’s on Flower St. Right across from Julie’s was Carl’s Restaurant. This is not Carl’s Jr. It was an actual restaurant/cafe that also had car hops so many people ate in their cars.

Carl’s Restaurant

Below Carl’s in the Ning Hoy Lounge Chinese Restaurant. Now head over to Vermont, across from the Coliseum, where Chris’ 39er Restaurant was located. It was famous for its steaks. Can you get a steak around USC today? Next door was Los Monitos Mexican Cafe.

The place that really fascinates me is Ted Owen Restaurant on 36th place next to Aeneas Hall. This is part of the actual campus today although in those days it was probably on the border.

Anyway, Ted Owen billed itself as having “thick steaks and thin pancakes.” It also had pies and cakes prepared by Alice Owen. There was another location on Crenshaw Blvd. (see below).

Down on Jefferson Blvd., you can see the famous Curries’s Ice Cream and next to it, Hamburger Host, which was open 24 hours. Are we hungry yet?

This was the Ted Owen Restaurant on Crenshaw Blvd. in Los Angeles in 1949. It was 2.8 miles from USC. It doesn’t look like 1949 on the inside with the modern architecture.

Since we’re in full restaurant mode, if you ever went to Ontra Cafeteria, you definitely still remember it. You went through a line, got a main course like roast beef, which was carved in front of you, side dishes and endless desserts.

Ontra Cafeteria dining room

SPORTS ARENA IN FILM

The Sports Arena never looked better than in the 1966 film, “Fantastic Voyage,” starring Stephen Boyd (left). In the movie, the arena served as headquarters for the Combined Miniature Deterrent Force (CMDF).

  • We need to bring back the face mask worn by Michigan QB Rick Leach.

PICTURE OF THE DAY

It’s the entrance to Knott’s Berry Farm in the 1950’s. The car is a 1955 Oldsmobile.

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

    1. I encourage everybody to view Abbott # Costello Go To Mars —- All these years later Academy Members still feel guilt over snubbing Anita Ekberg in the Best Actress category. See for yourselves. Nuance, charisma, heartfelt dialog [“you are strange, earthman”]….
      [btw, today’s column may not come up to Gabby’s “human interest” standards….but…it’s still one fucking great piece….and, yes, it makes me hungry for a Hamburger Host burger].
      [Double btw, I spoke to electrician & steelworker unions at the old Sports arena —when you look out and see 1200 people in front of you it’s easier than speaking to 12 people on a jury —that many people makes it seem unreal].

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

      1. Hard pass on Anita Ekberg…unless she has a dick like them Oregon “girls.” Then I’m all over that like tebowobama on a gloryhole.

        LOL!

        Like

      1. Let me give it a try-out, Michael–

        “And as the lovely evening came to a close Anita asked me up to her room, to which I replied ‘I can’t I have a headache,’ and she responded, “I love you Sparrow but this cannot go on’.
        And so it didn’t”

        Liked by 1 person

      2. “I can tell where your eyes are directed, ma’am … in spite of my headache it appears I’m not completely in control of a certain organ …please accept my apologies…”
        “Oh, John…. think nothing of it…..”

        Liked by 1 person

  3. Speaking of “roast beef that’s carved in front of you” does anybody remember The Hasty House in Westwood? Incredible roast beef sandwiches for $1.25! A beef plate with mashed potatoes and vegetables was a little outta my price range back then….but it sure looked good.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

      1. I’m embarrassed to admit this …but….back in the day I knew all the easiest places to sneak out of after a nice meal —- chief among them Chris & Pits in W.L.A. & Wil Wrights in Westwood….[but your date had to be up for the race to the car through the parking lot]…..
        #I’mPrettySureTheStatuteHasRunOnThesePettyThefts…
        #[PleaseYoungstersDon’tFollowMyBadExample]

        Liked by 2 people

      2. C’mon MG, you asked your date to participate in the restaurant grab and go. How did that work out.

        MG: “Would you like to go to dinner with me this Saturday?”
        Girl: “Sure, I’d like that.”
        MG: “The only problem is I don’t have enough money to pay for dinner so we will need to sneak out of the restaurant without paying the bill. Don’t worry, I have done this lots of times and never been caught.”
        Girl: Well, let me ask my Dad what he thinks.”

        “

        Liked by 1 person

      3. The “date” was my bruin ex-wife. She had no problem with it —in fact, she is the one who started it —-to make matters worse she once picked the table closest to the back door & had her sister driving around Chris & Pits at 1 mile an hour in the getaway car [waiting for us to finish our barbeque chicken], easily seen through the all glass building by our waitress –who told us “don’t try it!”
        #ButWeDid

        Like

      4. This post if for MG. Chris n pits only has 2 locations left Downey and Bellflower, both near the 5 freeway. The one in Whittier closed. My favorite barbeque joint. Many good times there for birthdays🎂 and mothers day. 💐

        Like

      7. MG, did you ever dine and dash and leave another person in your party with the bill?

        Like

      10. Hated! Cowardly Gabby aka TebowObama aka The Guy who posts as So Cal’s Wife & LawyerJohn & Pudly & Plow Horse & steveg49 & DOJ & Scott Wolf and Frank Young the preachy lying piece of dung just like her Dictator Senile Joe…

        Like

      12. Cowardly Gabby aka TebowObama aka The Guy who posts as So Cal’s Wife & LawyerJohn & Pudly & Plow Horse & steveg49 & DOJ & Scott Wolf and Frank Young turned tail and ran away when Plow Horse called her bluff.

        What a coward!

        Plow Horse
        JUNE 22, 2023 AT 10:23 PM
        Gabby is the biggest pussy on this blog.

        Still waiting for dates, Mr. keyboard tough guy.

        Like

      13. Mrs. So Cal: According to my old man, plow pussied out! You’re the next pussy up. Fight Gabby or go down as the biggest pussy ever. The blog laughs at you for avoiding Gabby when you have a big mouth and can’t back it up….FIGHT OR FLIGHT….you choose flight

        MAN UP ……prove you’re not the all-time greatest coward

        Like

  4. Wolfie, get real, ‘Wiley’ doesn’t read social media and certainly your column is unread. Best to send him a personal letter to his home address, but odds are he won’t implement a dress code as the inmates (footballers) have taken over

    Oh, and that 14-3 1968 Rose Bowl victory clinched the National Championship for Troy, but what a let-down of a game after the 21-20 OJ fest

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  5. Wolfman
    Why would LR want to read your column? I’m not saying that you are not a good writer. I’m just saying that there are a thousand out there like you. Why shouldn’t he read all of them too. But then he wouldn’t be spending 2 hours and twenty minutes, he’d be up day and night reading columns while the football team goes 0-12. Instead he sits in the back of his driver driven car working on football and the football team is 14-3 and 2 points away from being 16-1 since he came here.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Technically, I believe Lincoln is 2 points from being 14 -2- 1 since he got here [but the NCAA doesn’t allow ties]……

      Like

      Reply

      2. This weeks football schedule flat out sucks. There should be a 9 game rule in the SEC, and I would love to see everyone do like USC and not schedule FCS opponents. The SEC with their scheduling ploys cheapens their entire conference performance results. Georgia has a schedule that they should be ashamed of. Bring it on, USC can run the table, and what a sight to see.

        Liked by 5 people

      4. Riley knows the value of time, that is why he has a driver to take him to work and home. He seems the type of guy that works all the way home and puts it away with he gets there. I am sure he hired a driver just to piss off Scott Wolf.

        Liked by 3 people

      5. As far as “USC can run the table”…..I agree that they can….but will they? My heart says yes and my mind says no. They have another game that they should win big(ASU). Then starting with Colorado, they play 8 straight games(without a bye)……6 of which are against teams that are currently ranked in the top 25. That’s a brutal schedule. Can they win them all? You say Yes. I hope you are right.

        Liked by 2 people

      8. Not only does this week’s NCAAF schedule suck, but it’s hilarious that Fox’s Big Noon Kickoff show is going to be in Boulder two weeks in a row! Not only that, but GameDay will also be there!!

        Both shows from a site that has a 7 pm kickoff!! I hope their fans are up for 12+ hours of tailgating!!

        Liked by 1 person

      10. Remember: It’s an honor to be banned for noble reasons….
        #…LikeViolatingLane’sQuestionBanOnInjuries

        Like

    2. Why would he read them, when wolfman has a permanent? . He’s been irrelevant for years with anyone worth mentioning at USC. His inside sources are all made up. That’s why he comes out with whiney snark. Like a troll click baiting on you tube!

      Like

      Reply

  6. Like the face mask and car at the end and some of the old football game photos. Don’t really know where you we’re going with rest of the nonsense you posted. The only thing really surprizing thing is, that you didn’t mention Marilyn Monroe on a Friday wolfman. Fight on lighten up Francis!

    Like

    Reply

    1. In all fairness, I like reading Scotts stuff and like having this forum that he runs. But, seriously, is Scott Wolf the Walter Cronkite of sports? Why should LR read his stuff?

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

      1. Totalitarians like you love banning reporters,
        Cowardly Gabby aka TebowObama aka The Guy who posts as So Cal’s Wife & LawyerJohn & Pudly & Plow Horse & steveg49 & DOJ & Scott Wolf and Frank Young

        Like

      3. All you do is challenge peole to fight and then chicken out, Cowardly Gabby aka TebowObama aka The Guy who posts as So Cal’s Wife & LawyerJohn & Pudly & Plow Horse & steveg49 & DOJ & Scott Wolf and Frank Young.

        You are afraid to accept PlowHorse’s challenge to box

        He told you, Cowardly Gabby, where to go for a fair and square battle and you wimped out and lied that you know Dana White!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

        BWWWWWWWWWWWAAAAAAAAAAAHAHAQHAHAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!

        Like

  9. By the way, after MG’s confessions of restaurant petty larcenies
    it is understandable why he became a criminal prosecutor–
    “If you are dumb enough to get caught sneaking out of a restaurant
    then you deserve to be prosecuted”

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

      2. Sergio Leone: “Every one of my movies has a trickster in it. The trickster is an Italian constant. He keeps the movie going. He keeps tricking everyone until there is no one left to trick.”
        #Ladies&Gentlemen,IGiveYouScottWolf

        Like

  10. Oh well Clownster’s, Kevin Porter, former bozo BB player has been arrested for strangulation and assault of his girlfriend.

    It seems Porter, the Andyain’twinning AH, crushed his GF’s vertebra while beating the shit out of her.

    #Cue: “I KO’d My Bitch for…

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    2. How’s that life sentence going on for Darrell Henley? Superstar from UCLA and the LA Rams only to become a coke dealer; That tried to put a hit out on the judge or was it the prosecutor. You should know for rent or lease. He’s from your own back yard. You love coming on here being the village idiot that on this site. Coming for a daily dose of punishment. Talk about calling the kettle black just like a hypocritical Democrat from the left. Way to show your true colors as usual owns. By the way UCLA still sucks! Fight on! Troll!

      Like

      Reply

    3. J.O. has a point for a change–
      Like every other red-blooded SC male alum
      I too have crushed several girlfriends’ vertebra

      Like

      Reply

  11. So much history, just to get a dig in on Riley. I can only imagine what the digs would have been when I first understood USC football (around 1960)
    1. “McKay cuts his hair at the military discount store.”
    2. “McKay beats Ucla and the school thinks it’s enough to save his job.”
    3. ” McKay seen chomping a cigar on campus, probably El Ropo Stinko from El Monte”
    4. “McKay grows his hair out, looks like the 5th Beatle”
    5. “McKay touts a short grumpy tailback for Heisman consideration”
    6. “McKay forces his team to wear identical uniforms down to the stripes on their cleats.”
    7. “McKay lives in a mansion in West Covina, it’s a half hour drive from campus.”
    8. “McKay thinks the Rose Bowl would do well to host other games, suggesting Occidental move their team’sgames there”
    9. “McKay thinks a kid named after Orange Juice might be able to carry the team”
    Add your own…

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  13. I wonder if USC pays for Reilly’s driver. An argument can be made that it is connected to his work because he can do work related functions such as speaking with recruits and others during the commute. I suspect USC pays for a lot of Reilly’s expenses. He has security around his house and escorts to take his children to school. He entertains players and recruits at his home. I’m sure USC picks up the catering bill. Do they pay for outside tables, chairs, extra lighting, ect.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. I would have to say USC football has an expense account for all of Riley’s necessary football expenses and I am sure he has a USC credit card or two, or three. Of course he owns the home so he can write off all the needed entertainment, upkeep, wear and tear, and use of his home. If he pays the driver himself I am sure the CPA has that expense covered also.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

Leave a comment