FOOTBALL

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

The University of Washington averaged $31.5 million in contributions since 2018 according to the Seattle Times. Pat Chun, who took over as AD at Washington State in 2018, averaged more than $31 million for the Cougars during the same span.

Does that speak well for Jen Cohen? It’s especially relevant given all the whining recently about USC’s NIL.

  • Fresno State coach Jeff Tedford compared defensive end Korey Foreman to Lawrence Taylor during Mountain West media day.

“There was one (spring) practice where he had like three sacks, two picks and one was one-handed,” Tedford said in an interview with the Mountain West Network. “I went into the defensive room and asked, ‘Who let Lawrence Taylor on the field?’ That’s what he looked like.”

Remember, a year ago, Lincoln Riley was quite compliemtary about Foreman’s spring performance too.

  • The entire USC band is going to Las Vegas for the LSU game. That’s not exactly surprising given the proximity to Los Angeles and the fact the Bay Area Weekender no longer exists.

It will be interesting to see what kind of band goes to the Big Ten road games now that the cost will increase significantly.

  • And now for some history:
Donnie Hickman
  • This first item is about an injustice and a sign of how far USC has slipped on the offensive line.

In 1976, Donnie Hickman was one of the best offensive guards in the nation and enjoyed a successful performance in the 1977 Rose Bowl, a 14-6 victory over Michigan. Like other great linemen in USC lore, he was a fullback/defensive lineman who was converted to offensive line.

He got rewarded by being named a UPI second-team All-American and Associated Press honorable mention All-American.

Does USC get linemen like Hickman any more? That is a rhetorical question.

Now the injustice. Hickman is not even listed by USC as being an All-American, apparently because he made UPI’s second team. In those days, UPI was one of the most-respected All-American teams you could make. It was one of four teams considered an “official selector.” Even the Walter Camp All-American team did not hold that recognition in 1976.

Consider some offensive linemen USC does officially recognize as All-Americans: Chad Wheeler made the Campus Insiders All-American team; Zach Banner made the CollegeSportsMadness All-American team and Brett Neilon made the Action Network All-American team. They all have plaques outside the McKay Center.

I’m not having a go at those players but are you telling me those All-American first teams are better than being a UPI second-team selection? No way. Hickman deserves better.

A DIFFERENT WORLD

The rally at USC the day before the UCLA game in 1945 featured Bruins coach Bert LaBrucherie. Maybe there was some post-World War II cooperation that existed in those days.

Construction takes shape on the $8.5 million Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena in Sept., 1958. The arena opened on July 4, 1959 and the first event was a bantamweight title fight between Jose Becerra and Alphonse Halimi and 15,000 attended.

CONCERT OF THE WEEK

Singer Kenny Rankin performed a concert at the Student Activities Center in 1977.

  • .

PICTURE OF THE WEEK

If you grew up watching the Avengers, you never stopped being a fan of Diana Rigg.

VIDEO OF THE WEEK

I’ve written before about how famed movie director Sam Peckinpah got his master’s degree in drama from USC in 1950.

He was known for Westerns like “The Wild Bunch” (1969); “Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid” (1973) and “Ride The High Country” (1962). Few realize USC’s famed defensive line got its nickname (The Wild Bunch) from a fellow Trojan (Peckinpah wrote and directed the film).

He was the director and one of the screenwriters for Ride The High Country and this wedding ceremony officiant speech by actor Edgar Buchanan is flawless.

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

  1. Good for Corey Foreman that he looked like Lawrence Taylor for one practice, but how did he look in the other practices?

    Like

    Reply

    1. Sometimes she’d go through an entire movie without remembering to button up…

      #There’sMoreResearchToBeDoneHere,Scott….

      #…MaybeByNextFriday?

      Like

      Reply

  5. Surprised that Washington State is able to raise as much money as Washington, about 31 million per year. So how much does USC raise? How about Oregon and Texas.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  6. Scott doesn’t usually state which game his pictures depict, and the above obviously had to be a Rose Bowl game but which one, 2003 Season (2004 Rose Bowl)?

    Like

    Reply

  7. Perhaps the time has come for Scott to shut down his third-rate blog. The constant hatred displayed by Scott is not good for his mental health. He needs to find some peace in his life.

    I know this will be devastating for MG if Scott abandons him. It would be an opportunity for MG to spend more time with his inlaws, minus the political rhetoric.

    Like

    Reply

    1. No more Scott? More time with the in-laws? Bite your tongue, Gabby.

      #TheBeautifulHatredWeHaveForEachOtherMustContinue

      #[ItMayBeMyLongestStandingRelationship]

      Liked by 5 people

      Reply

      4. Awwww, she’ll have to fantasize about someone else then, when she’s watching her kiddie, feces & dildo videos. We all know she does. No one else would enjoy mentioning them so often,

        Like

  8. May I suggest all my friends [and enemies] check out the last 5 minutes of Ride The High Country? Very few films do a better job of portraying courage, honor and redemption [America’s three favorite virtues].

    #ThankYou,Scott[PleaseNeverTakeGabby’sAdvice—NoOneElseDoes]…

    Like

    Reply

  10. If you ever thought about being a professional fighter, check out the picture above where the ‘assailant’ is about ready to launch a blow to his opponent’s stomach

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Good point. [The wide right hook to the body almost always lands —it goes around the left elbow].

      #ButItLeavesYouTotallyOpenToTheLeftHookToTheChin

      Like

      Reply

  11. On second review of the fight picture it could also be interpreted as the guy is not delivering a blow to the opponent but is bracing for his fall

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  12. Say Scott, what’s with the ‘Social Security ads?’ Who you think you’re talking to on your blog

    Like

    Reply

  13. At Wolf’s his graveyard is last segment’s replies which are quickly forgotten as he hurries along to get in his daily 3 or so.

    Like

    Reply

    1. Even if Trump lays off Biden, Obama and Clinton are gonna do their level best to kill him over this weekend…..

      Like

      Reply

      1. The Big Lie MSM told everyone in 2020 about Joe being fit for office has been exposed. Hilarious that they are blaming Joe for what they brought on themselves, for trying to deny his dementia before the last election. They couldn’t have really been THAT stupid, not to see it.

        Liked by 2 people

      2. here’s your problem …..I don’t know anyone who says they were doing better four years ago…..

        I JUST CAVED IN YOUR CROTCH….OUCH!

        I recommend some ice

        Like

      3. After “Russia Collusion”, “Safest Election Results Ever” & “Fake Hunter Laptop”, MSM thought they could get way with anything…

        #….AndTheyProbablyStillCan

        #…StayTunedForMore

        Liked by 1 person

  15. $8.5 million to build the L.A. Sports Arena in 1958. How much today? Los Angeles especially saw the price of real estate and homes far exceed the price of, say, a car, which may have increased 20 to 40 times whereas with property it’s been more like 80-times

    Like

    Reply

  16. One current poll just came out today showing Bitin ahead of Stump whereas Stump is leading all the rest of the many polls. How accurate are these polls– are they national where a minority of voters has been known to swamp the majority. Or is it regional or state? Apparently there are only a handful of states that much matter after all the “sure thing’ states are eliminated

    Like

    Reply

Leave a comment