FOOTBALL

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

Will USC play Notre Dame if the College Football Playoff gets expanded to 24 teams? I’m not 100 percent certain because Lincoln Riley didn’t even want to play Brian Kelly-LSU in 2024 even though that game really wasn’t going to make-or-break USC’s playoff hopes.

  • At least one USC staffer has spoken to freshmen players about posting pictures from their luxury downtown apartments. The days of all freshmen living in dorms or university apartments no longere exist in the NIL era.
  • USC got off to a 4-0 lead over Michigan State in the Big Ten Tournament before a rain delay in the fourth inning.
  • And now for some history:
  • Sam Cunningham rips a run during the 1970 USC-Cal game. When will USC ever play Cal again?
  • Richard Saukko brought Traveler to Dedeaux Field to participate in a walk-jogathan in 1978. Would that happen today?
  • Now this is the USC band. From 1978. I wonder how many current USC band members even know about these classic uniforms?
  • The USC brain trust in 1970: Marv Goux, Dave Levy and John McKay. Levy told me Goux used to call McKay “Jack” to get under his skin.
  • No one will ever confuse USC students with Duke students but 3,000 Trojan students did camp out in Alumni Park in 1978 waiting for tickets to the 1979 Rose Bowl.

  • The Sports Arena looks sparkling in this game between the Lakers and Celtics. This looks like it was taken during the 1965 NBA Finals, when the Sports Arena was only six years old.

Downtown Los Angeles in the 1950’s.

PICTURES OF THE WEEK

Giovanna Ralli

Angela Molina

Junko Igarashi

VIDEO OF THE WEEK

Is there any song that doesn’t sound better with strings? Here is Neil Finn performing a unique version of “Don’t Dream It’s Over” in Auckland, New Zealand.

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

  1. When is USC going to get their act together and construct a statute for probably one of the greatest USC football players. He belongs in front of Heritage Hall, or even the new football facility.His name is Sam “Bam” Cunningham. Great man, great leader, and Great Football player, This guy could play any position on the field with speed, strength, and was really physical.

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  3. Another great column Scott. Really enjoyed “Don’t Say Its Over” with strings. If you look at the musicians it is clear they enjoyed it too.

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  5. I am thinking that is Elgin Baylor driving the lane against Bill Russell. Both of them could elevate. I bet Baylor scored on the play. He could always hang and come up with a shot to avoid the block. Driving the lane was his forte. Sad how his career ended. When Wilt became a Laker, he took away the lane and that hurt Elgin’s game. He retired and the Lakers finally won a Championship after taking the Celtics to seven games multiple times in the sixties.

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    1. I recall, in the post game celebration having defeated the Knicks, for their 1st NBA Champ, someone began stating Cooke ought to give Baylor playoff money…then another and the volume rose on how unfair and cheap Cooke was.

      Cooke suddenly came in and hit them with “I’ve got an idea guys, how bout’ you give him some of your money!” .crickets

      ‘Crowded House’ “Leakey Boat” their other classic. As beautiful those strings are ai miss the keyboard…Finn’s vocal stunning

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  7. –So Marv Goux would get under John McKay’s skin by calling him “Jack.” That shows how confident Goux was in not getting fired

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    2. Oh, sorry. You meant the one above.

      Then the second statement is wrong. 2019 is not “today”.

      It’s gotten even worse than it was in 2019.

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      1. I didn’t see it was 2019 – so more “back in the day” to “recently”.

        I agree it has become worse since 2019

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    3. Wife used to love shopping in the fashion district a couple of times a year before COVID. But because of what it has become down there, we haven’t been there since 2019.

      A shame Caruso didn’t win a few years ago. I think he would have done a much better job with the homeless problem than Basura has.

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      1. Read an article a few years ago about how they handle homeless encampments in Houston. The homeless person is cited or arrested for any crimes such as drug possession, loitering, trespassing, public intoxication, lewd conduct, petty theft, ect. Their drugs and paraphernalia are seized and they are taken into custody. A psych evaluation is performed and they are referred to treatment. They are also referred for drug treatment. If they refuse, they will remain in custody until their court date and will face prosecution and potential jail for their crimes. In short, there are consequences for their criminal behavior and this results in less criminal behavior. This does not occur in LA where the policy is to decriminalize the conduct and offer them free housing without the need to seek treatment for their drug addiction.

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      2. Too many Libs here. They’d never do that. It makes too much sense and is much more caring & compassionate than letting them kill themselves slowly on the street.

        Yet they’ll claim to be the caring & compassionate ones. We’re the heartless ones! LOL

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      3. KAM: Deranged Thug Beats Elderly “T r u m p House” Owner and Army Veteran Within an Inch of His Life in Escondido.

        DON: Another Cowardly Gabby D e m o c r a t.

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    4. 67 — Everyone has a right to their own idea of Utopia — why should tents covered in filth be considered less beautiful than a modern skyscraper?… why are men passed out in the gutter a source of such distress? I find great beauty in the …I can’t …. hahaha haha …it’s just too easy….. how does Karen Bass do it??

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      1. MIchael, I was doing some expert witness work at LA Superior Court, downtown. I can’t tell you how many bodies I stepped over walking to the courthouse…

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      2. 67 –First, thank you for your service!

        Secondly, can you imagine the amount of crap city workers have to suffer every day just getting to & from work?

        #NoCityEmployeeWillVoteForBass

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      3. It is surreal in LA. I honestly can’t see how anyone could vote for her outside of the unions and those the unions influence, which is far too many

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      4. Union members…and… the thousands of imaginary ‘voters’…. who “cast” their imaginary votes late [like the last Mayoral election]…..

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  10. Scott, didn’t ND have a home and home series with both Ohio State and Michigan? Who cancelled those series….hmmm it must mean that one of those teams or maybe two are afraid of competition or just maybe there is another motive. I wonder if NBC would have liked ND to play USC in September rather than BYU?

    How is USC baseball doing in the Big Ten tournament?

    Fight on, Dan, Class of 1962

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    1. Notre Dame did not make comments starting more than 2 years ago to end the series. Lincoln Riley did. Notre Dame did not ask change the dates of the game. USC did. Someone your age should appreciate the rivalry. But instead you just want to score cheap points

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      1. KAM: …..https://x.com/nypost/status/2057941174438998289Giants Quarterback Jaxson Dart Comes Out as T r u m p Supporter Opening Rockland Community College T r u m p Rally – Crowd Chants “USA” as T r u m p Enters!

        DON:    A n t i s e m i t e vile disgusting freak Cowardly Gabby aka Charlie Bucket the UCLA Fan aka TebowObama aka The Guy who posts as So Cal’s Wife & Michael Guarino & Buddhakarma &LawyerJohn & Pudly & Plow Horse & steveg49 & DOJ & Scott Wolf & Kathy & Foreskin Thoughts & Frank Young and The Moderator and Marjorie Taylor and Chuck Newton  and MIKE GERMONPREZ hardest hit!

        Liked by 2 people

      3. ….Replying above to Scott Wolf vs. Ambitious…..

        Btw —How old IS Ambitious? Somewhere between Scott and George Tirebiter, right?

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  11. All you proved is ‘the princess’ was/is desperate to maintain the series – who are thry playing end of November?..Syracuse!

    BYU isn’t playing ‘the princess’ in November but in October.

    Oh yeah…try using another “omme de plumme” boyo.

    ..how about ‘suckup for the princess’ or ‘naw yawkah fer de alkies’

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  12. Scott, thanks for the Friday notes column and weekly walk down memory lane. Sometimes tradition and reality are in conflict. I seem to recall that The ND and University of Miami AD’s were on the committee that penalized USC over their fabricated Reggie Bush scandal because the were upset that USC under Pete Carroll was dominating college football. And where were Cal, Stanford and the rest of the Pac 12 led by pathetic Larry Scott when the penalties occurred. So, yes tradition is conforting, but so is true friendship. USC received an NCAA penalty that was almost a football death penalty because of traditional ND. So, no, I don’t always relish tradition. Fight on, Dan, Class of 1962

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    1. Don’t forget to place a large bit of the blame on ‘lawyer’ Pat Haden for not challenging the NCAA’s lack of Due Process [no cross examination of the witnesses against us, vague standards on what constituted ‘lack of institutional control’] in Federal Court —-the threat of the discovery process alone woulda gotten us a way better deal than we got….

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    2. You’re thinking of ‘Paul Dee’ former Miami AD and you’re right there was a female attorney from ‘the princess’ whose sole task was to ensure the entire kitchen sink and garbafe disposal were hurled at USC. Dee was head if Hurricanes scandal per falsyfing athlete’s grades,mp

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  13. Thanks MG. You are so right about Pat Haden who was gutless at best. The school president and Board of Trustees were complicit with Haden in trying to appease the NCAA. The NCAA bought Haden off by putting him on the playoff selection committee. The powers that be at the time at USC wanted to play nice with the NCAA by hiring Haden after Mike Garrett was canned for speaking out against the corrupt NCAA. Leadership matters. MG, hope that all is well with you after the earthquake. Fight on, Dan, Class of 1962. P.S. In regards to my age, I was 23 when I graduated from USC; so, anyone interested in my age can do the math. Fight on, Dan, Class of 1962

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