FOOTBALL

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

It’s definitely not as fun when the USC-UCLA game is Thanksgiving week. The rally got moved to Monday. Students go home for the holiday. UCLA’s Daily Bruin even declined to play the Blood Bowl against the Daily Trojan this week because of the holiday.

Is this going to be the future if Jen Cohen and Lincoln Riley cancel or move the Notre Dame game?

  • The road team has won the past five USC-UCLA games. This game is called the Crosstown Rivalry. I’ve seen some refer to it as the Victory Bell series. Uh, no.
  • Jakwon Morris, the No. 1-ranked junior-college cornerback in the nation, flipped his commitment from USC to Illinois on Thanksgiving. He visited Illinois last weekend and USC does not allow commits to visit other schools.
  • The Egg Bowl kicks off at 9 a.m. PT for those who want to know what Lane Kiffin decides about his future.
  • And now for some history:
  • George Tirebiter would enter the Coliseum in style for USC games.
  • I’ve already mentioned how Lincoln Riley never goes to the big rally and two walk-ons spoke to the students — King and Kaylon Miller. Would it have been too much to get Makai Lemon to speak?

Gone are the days like in 1980 when USC players Hoby Brenner, James Hunter, Ronnie Lott, Keith Van Horne, Dennis Smith and Speedy Hart attended the rally.

Some elite talent there. Lott in the vintage Pirates cap and Smith in a Playboy shirt are additional touches.

  • Speaking of long-gone days, around 2,000 UCLA students and the cheerleaders showed up at Bruins coach Red Sanders’ apartment in 1949 to persuade him to reject a better offer to go to Florida. Sanders simply said “no comment” but remained at UCLA.
  • Sanders had a lavish birthday party circa 1956 at the Moulin Rouge in Hollywood, which at the time was the biggest nightclub, restaurant and showroom in America. Sanders received a Cadillac as a birthday present. More than 1,000 people attended the party. No wonder his counterpart at USC, Jess Hill, couldn’t compete with his straight-laced persona.
Red Sanders and Jess Hill in 1952
  • Sanders famously said: “Beating SC is not a matter of life or death, it’s more important than that.”
  • A former UCLA assistant coach told me that in the 1950’s, newspaper reporters would meet Sanders at Scandia, a landmark restaurant on Sunset Blvd. On some of those days, Sanders would skip practice presumably because he had a bit too much to drink or because he stayed at the restaurant all day. It was no big deal to the coaching staff, which knew he might not make it back for practice on Scandia days.

  • USC students pose in 1958 after stealing a UCLA banner that would hang atop the Coliseum during home games for the Bruins
  • USC sophomore Jenilee Harrison appeared on a Kellogg’s Corn Flakes box in 1977. She later landed a role on the popular comedy, “Three’s Company” which starred fellow USC alum, John Ritter.
  • The 1987 USC-UCLA game program featured an Art Brewster illustration of USC linebackers Marcus Cotton and Bill Stokes.

USC vs. UCLA, 1970.

  • Here’s some USC-UCLA trivia: Clarence Sawhill was band director at USC from 1947-52. He then went to UCLA, where he was band director from 1952-72.
  • At actor David Niven’s funeral, the largest wreath was from the porters at Heathrow Airport with a note reading, “To the finest gentleman who ever walked through these halls. He made a porter feel like a king.”

This reminds me that in the early 1960’s Niven called USC because his son wanted to go to a basketball game. Niven had a special request: He did not want to sit in one of the lower sections of the Sports Arena because he just wanted to enjoy the game as a normal fan. So he sat in a higher section.

PICTURE OF THE DAY

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

  1. The Wolfman comes through again. Trojan lore, Hollywood gossip, glamor photos [always good choices too].

    I’d like say a word about UCLA Interim Coach Skipper: He’s a real smarty-pants –who is doing his best to put his team in position to pull off a huge upset. Hope dumbo Lincoln sees the writing on the wall: This is gonna be an ALL Nico game ….Nico throwing bombs, Nico running the football every time he sees our safeties backing up…..

    #IAdmireSkipper…

    #ButLyingAboutNico’sHealthWhenHeKnowsHowDumbRileyIs…

    #…IsLowerThanPondScum

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    2. it’s a trap game alright, Nico’s NFL tryout as well. will SLR give in and assign a full time spy to hound Nico to the ends of the Eaarth? or will he be stubborn and spend the first half getting burned??

      #I’mBettingHeDoesn’t

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      1. Don’t say that! As soon as UCLA reaches 28 points Lincoln’s lightbulb will go off….

        #Hey…Wait a Darn Minute…..They’ve been resting Nico up…”

        Liked by 3 people

  2. “UCLA’s Daily Bruin even declined to play the Blood Bowl against the Daily Trojan . . .”

    Seems as though the Daily Bruin “gabbied out” again.

    #Barstow

    Liked by 5 people

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  3. another virtuoso performance by the greatest living beat writer, the wolfman!!

    hey wolfman remember when the Gutties dog-napped George the Tire-biter, and returned him to the Rampart Div police station in a “dazed but unharmed condition” several days later?? apparently, he was drugged, his arse was shaved and he somehow got blue and gold paint all over his mangy hide. legend has it, several members of what would later be called the Classy Cadre were involved in the caper. other rumors that the confused pooch was also violated by a Viagra-addled Chihuahua are unconfirmed.

    #HisLeashStillPinnedUpAtCadreHQ

    #SLRMayBeNext

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  5. I went to high school with Bill Stokes. Chill dude. One of the better JC transfers for USC in that era. His mom taught in the district as well.

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      1. KAM: David Niven eschewed Hollywood for defending England. He commanded “A” Squadron of the GHQ Liaison Regiment, engaging in crucial reconnaissance and intelligence operations, including the D-Day invasion. During the Normandy invasion, he landed shortly after the initial wave, providing critical support that bolstered the operation’s success. His involvement in Operation Copperhead, where he aided in deceiving the enemy by orchestrating an impersonation of General Bernard Montgomery, further exemplified his cunning and bravery.

        DON: And who can ever forget his poise, wit and charm when a Streaker crashed the 1974 Academy Awards?…https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWBc-ir6IFMlol

        Liked by 2 people

  7. I’ve told this story before but it is worth repeating– Before the 1987 SC-ucla game at a rally I went up to Rodney Peete and told him “I hate ucla,” to which he calmly replied, “Why?”

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      3. KAM: Rodney Peete went 3-1 against UCLA but was 0-4 against ND. His teams lost both Rose Bowls, 17-20 against Michigan State on New Years Day ’88 and 14-22 against Michigan on New Years Day ’89.

        DON: He played in Super Bowl XXXVIII with the Carolina Panthers, but they lost to the New England Patriots.

        So we will always remember him for dominating the Bruins. No wonder he didn’t hate them. He loved beating them.

        Liked by 2 people

  9. Good thing for ucla that coach Red Sanders did not bolt for Florida in 1949, because the first half of the 1950s was the high mark for bruin football

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      1. [I’m pretty sure I could garner a couple of Academy Awards for Scott doing a short film featuring the last Kiffin interview –starring me as Scott, Sybil as Kiff — Me: “What can you tell us about this week’s injury list?” Sybil …in close up —tearing up like Christopher Guest as Corky St. Clair in “Waiting for Guffman”… “Ah…I…” [then running off like a girl]….

        Liked by 1 person

    2. GEORGE WILL NOT STAND FOR A BRUIN VICTORY!!! HE’S CHANNELING ALL HIS MASCULINE POWER INTO LINCOLN RILEY FOR THREE AND A HALF HOURS ON SATURDAY……

      #…& THAT SHOULD BE MORE THAN ENOUGH FOR A BIG “W”….

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      1. …..OF COURSE, ALL WOMEN WHO COME WITHIN 100 SQUARE FEET OF GEORGE WHEN THAT THREE AND A HALF HOURS IS UP SHOULD BE ON GUARD…..

        Liked by 2 people

      2. BTW, WE SHOULD ALL BE SO LUCKY AS TO HAVE AS MUCH VINEGAR AND AS MUCH SPIRIT AS GEORGE WHEN WE GET INTO OUR NINETIES…

        #A MIRACLE OF NATURE

        Liked by 2 people

  13. Lincoln: “Well, boys…. no Nico to worry about!”

    Eric Gentry: “Why do say that, coach?”

    Lincoln: “Cuz the UCLA Coach said he has ‘neck spasms'”…

    Eric: “…but coach…there’s no such thing”….

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      2. …[of course, it would have been healthier if the words had not been typed while she shamed herself in soiled diapers]…

        #ButIt’sStillA…Start

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      3. ..look inward, lil’ one—- for starters…

        …then… look outward….. there REALLY are people who have friends….

        …Who communicate with EACH other…

        #GiveUpSheep&BlowUpDolls…EnterTheHumanWorld

        Liked by 1 person

      5. KAM:

        Plow Horse

        November 12, 2025 at 9:13 pm

        What can Sybil do. Well he/she can try these exercises:

        Exercises and techniques

        • Mindfulness and self-reflection: Practices like meditation and focused breathing can help individuals observe and detach from their unhelpful thoughts and feelings without judgment.
        • Emotional regulation: Learning to identify and manage strong emotions is crucial. This can involve skills taught in DBT such as paced breathing and other relaxation techniques.
        • Perspective-taking: Therapists may use role-playing exercises to help individuals consider different viewpoints in a non-threatening way.
        • Empathy and gratitude: Engaging in activities that foster empathy, such as gratitude exercises and focusing on the needs of others, can help shift focus away from self-centeredness.
        • Interpersonal skills: Exercises can improve communication, conflict resolution, and the ability to express needs assertively and respectfully in relationships. 

        DON: BWWWWWWWWWAAAAHAHAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

        Liked by 1 person

      7. Yes. But it’ll never happen. Because she is not smart enough to recognize and not honorable enough to accept responsibility for her shortcomings.

        Liked by 2 people

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