FOOTBALL

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

Lincoln Riley said Thursday that Elijah Paige, Tobias Raymond and Justin Tauanuu are USC’s best offensive tackles. “Our top three tackles have really separated themselves,” Riley said.

That’s not really earth shattering, is it? They were considered the top tackles before spring practice.

  • USC’s leading scorer last season, Desmond Claude, who entered the transfer portal this week, is talking to Florida.
  • No. 1 overall NFL Draft pick Cam Ward was a zero-star prospect coming out of high school. How about that? Meanwhile five-star D.J. Uiagelele is not expected to be drafted.
  • Where has this guy been hiding out? Has anyone seen him in Manhattan Beach? He’s in the same witness protection program as Pat Haden and Lynn Swann.

Jen Cohen would like a word with Bohn about that 10-year contract he stuck her with for Lincoln Riley.

  • And now for some history:

Let’s talk some NFL Draft history and someone send this to Riley because he doesn’t know it.

USC had three of the top five picks in the 1977 NFL Draft. Ricky Bell (No. 1 ); Marvin Powell (No. 4) and Gary Jeter (No. 5). That’s a draft!

  • USC had 5 players selected in the first round of the 1968 NFL Draft: Ron Yary (No. 1); Mike Taylor (No. 10); Tim Rossovich (No. 14); Mike Hull (No. 16) and Earl McCullough (No. 24).
  • USC had a school-record 15 players selected in the 1953 NFL Draft. The draft was 30 rounds back then.

The first USC player selected was tailback Al Carmichael, who was taken with the seventh pick by the Green Bay Packers. Others selected included running back Jim Sears, QB Rudy Bukich, offensive guard Elmer Willhoite, tackle Charley Ane and defensive back/fullback Jim Psaltis.

  • This is the official “speed card” or roster printed by USC for its home game vs. Oregon State in 2003. Did you know I was a walk-on that season for Pete Carroll?

Here’s a blow-up of the roster to prove it. I’m near the bottom.

Next week, I’ll tell the rest of the story.

A LOS ANGELES GEM

  • How come we don’t talk more about this amazing building in downtown Los Angeles? It’s the Eastern Columbia building, an Art Deco structure built in 1930 at 9th and Broadway.

It’s distinct look comes from the turquoise terra cota tiles that give the building its unique color. There is also the four-sided clock tower with the word “Eastern” above each clock.

The building was created to house the then-separate Eastern (furniture and homeware) and Columbia (apparel) department stores. It was 13-floor dept. store and the top floor featured a luncheonette for 700 employees. Unfortunately, the dept. stores closed in 1957 and the building has been converted to lofts.

PHOTO OF THE DAY

Hazel Brooks

France Nuyen

VIDEO OF THE DAY

How about a little inspiration. It’s the “La Marseillaise” scene from the classic Casablanca.

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

      1. LOL! Shows how much I was really interested in that event, BuddhaKarma. Figured he was pulling a Biden, trying to get paid for speaking engagements when no one wants to hear him after the complete cluster **** he made of things.

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  6. The Eastern/Columbia building. Johnny Depp bought the top two floors. You can see the window where Amber Heard threw out his cell phone that was later retrieved from a homeless guy living in a tent. That happen a few hours before she pooped in his bed. Gotta love actresses.

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    1. Very special sequence —but I’ll always remember the “Ask your wife”….”What did you say?”……..”I said ask your wife” scene —-[I guess it’s good the Nazis started singing downstairs or Humphrey Bogart and Paul Henreid would have been throwing punches in about one half second] ….

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      2. Any movie wherein the Hero tells the “Nice Guy” to ask his wife why he won’t help them out is automatically a classic in my eyes….

        Liked by 1 person

  8. Colorado, Boise State, Missouri, Arizona, Kentucky and North Dakota State all had players taken in the fist round, USC had ZERO

    USC players taken in the 1st round

    2025 ZERO

    2024 1

    2023 1

    2022 1

    2021 1

    2020 1

    Gomer and Riley tearing it up, not.

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    1. …next up for the judge —a hearing before the Judicial Misconduct section of the Wisconsin State Bar….shortly after that: Disbarment …..shortly after that criminal prosecution….. shortly after that: prison sentence of 3-5 years…..

      #DearJudge: …….

      #…NextTimeDon’tPutCovidMaskOnBustOfAbeLincolnInOpenCourt

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    1. Big deal —do you think China is gonna influence politics on campus for a measly few hundred million dollars?!

      #BerkeleyAdministrators: “WeHaveNothingToHide….

      #…”LookingBack,WeProbablyShouldHaveReported….

      #…TheSeveralHundredMillionInGiftDonationsFromTheCCP”…..

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    1. This is so unfair. The poor guy probably didn’t know he was violating the law and an explicit Executive Order.

      #NoWorries: ACLUWillComeToHisRescue

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    1. Scott was born on the day I graduated from High School: 6/6/66…..

      #NotMyFavoriteNumericalSequence….ButIt’sNotOurFault

      [btw, I hear from Carol that Scott is still 180 pounds —“Believe me I’ve been in position to estimate Scott’s weight multiple times”]

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      1. MG: “Believe me I’ve been in position to estimate Scott’s weight multiple times”

        Just look in the mirror

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      2. Ha! [btw, I have a feeling a certain someone spends a big portion of his/her/it’s day singing the Kinks’ “You really got me now!” to the mirror]….

        #”YouGotMeSoIReallyDon’tKnowWhatI’mDoingNow”

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      3. KAM: The criminal illegal alien that the Milwaukee Circuit judge attempted to shield from justice has a laundry list of violent criminal charges including strangulation and suffocation, battery, and domestic abuse. Ruiz illegally entered the US twice.    

        DON: No wonder the entire Democrat Party from Schmucky Schumer on down to Cowardly Gabby supports the lawless Democrat judge who aided the illegal alien.

        Liked by 1 person

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