FOOTBALL

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

Is there anyone else from the USC baseball team that is going to enter the transfer portal?

  • The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office denied Caleb Williams‘ efforts to trademark the term “Iceman.” Thankfully. It wasn’t part of the case but does Williams have any idea who George Gervin was? He was the Iceman long before Williams. Such a silly case.
  • And now for some history:

A DIFFERENT WORLD

Look at this listing from the USC football media guide in 1959. Back in those days, they listed the coaches’ home phone numbers.

So if a reporter wanted to call Al Davis at home, here is his number. And Davis probably wouldn’t mind.

Note that “Johnny McKay” is an assistant coach. He commonly went by Johnny before he became head coach the following year.

A DIFFERENT WORLD, PART II

Here’s something else that happened in 1959 that wouldn’t happen today.

USC played at Cal so where did the Trojans stay? At Castlewood Country Club in Pleasonton. Where did they practice Friday? On the golf course.

That must have been quite a sight seeing a college football team holding practice on the fairway.

  • I’ve written frequently about the legendary USC ticket manager John Morley, who held the job for four decades and even used to hold a weekly press conference.

Sometimes, it’s easier to appreciate someone if you can read their bio. Read this and tell me someone who works at USC today who loves the university even 10 percent as much as Morley.

  • USC’s Homecoming in 1982 had an unfortunate incident when 120 people became ill from food poisoning after eating at the athletic dept. pre-game buffet. The caterer blamed the university because it did not provide a canopy to shield chicken salad from the sun.

But I’m recalling this incident because of the response from USC athletic director Dick Perry.

“I really didn’t see why this incident should have been made public earlier,” Perry said. “Everyone involved was notified. It was a hot day, and the food item involved lends itself to that type of thing.”

Was he serious? I wonder how the affected alumni reacted when they heard this comment?

  • Here’s USC tailback Bob Levingston gaining big yards with a block from Al Bansavage (62) against Ohio State at the Coliseum in 1959.

This was the first night game in Buckeyes history. The game was played on a Friday night because two days later, the Dodgers and Chicago White Sox played Game 3 of the World Series at the Coliseum. The 11th-ranked Trojans shut out the 14th-ranked Buckeyes 17-0.

That game is perhaps best remembered for an altercation involving legendary Ohio State coach Woody Hayes. Al Bine, a sportswriter for the Los Angeles Examiner, accused Hayes of attacking him and Dick Shafer, the brother of Bob Shafer, executive sports editor of the Pasadena Independent Star News.

Hayes said he just moved the reporters from the locker room, but Dick Shafer said he was punched in the back.

“I’ve been writing boxing for 21 years and I know a punch when I see one,” Bine said.

Hayes told UPI: “I didn’t hit anyone. I just told them to stay out. When one of them wouldn’t leave, I shoved him along, that’s all.”

Shafer recalled the incident differently.

“Hayes yelled at us (reporters) to get the hell out of the way, then swung and slammed me into the wall (outside the Buckeyes’ dressing room),” he said.

PICTURES OF THE WEEK

Michèle Mercier

Wende Wagner (with Bruce Lee and Van Williams).

VIDEO OF THE WEEK

In honor of David Clayton-Thomas, here’s Blood, Sweat & Tears on The Midnight Special.

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

  2. A “push” from Woody Hayes is like a punch from anybody else, and besides, he just got beat 17-0 and must have been in one of those ‘Woody moods’

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    1. Did you know Dick Perry [age 103] was in charge of team meals before the game at Indiana?

      #”IHearTheSmokedChickenIsDelicious!”….

      #”IRecommendItToAllOurLinebackers!”

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  4. –So Johnny McKay became John McKay when he became the SC football coach. It’s usually the other way around when a guy becomes famous

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  7. Rules to live by:

    (1) Don’t call him Johnny McKay

    (2) Don’t serve chicken salad (or tuna salad) outside on a hot day

    (3) Stay the hell away from Woody after he loses. Today, that incident would have been on someone’s cell phone and Woody would have been tossed.

    And is that Wende Wagner photo from “The Green Hornet”? Loved that show as a kid.

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    1. Looks like it’s time to see the Bruce Lee/Brad Pitt fight in “Once Upon A Time In Hollywood” again…..

      —“That’s a great idea, Kato”

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      1. Trivia for you. Burt Ward aka Robin was a Black Belt in Karate when he and Lee aka Kato had their ” fight ” on Batman, they also lived in the same condo complex.

        Liked by 3 people

      2. Can we fit Kato Kaelin in somehow? My oldest son was about three at that time, and with the OJ story going on, Kato’s name came up so much, that my son would say “Daddy, where’s Kato?”

        Liked by 1 person

  8. I just read Scott’s column about the 1970 USC/Alabama game not being on television….and I need to report something strange that happened to me that day that I’ve never told anyone about before. I was watching the Stanford game on TV when lightning hit my set…. all of a sudden I was watching the USC/Alabama game….after the game was over, I was able to see the 1974 USC/Notre Dame game……

    #…IDidn’tGetThisIdeaFromA1959″Superman”ComicBook…

    #…Entitled”TheTelevisionSetOfTomorrow!”….

    #…ItReallyHappened….

    #….ISwearIt!

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  9. As so many people do in show business, Michele Mercier married at an early age (twice) and was divorced at an early age (twice) after becoming famous, and then lives the next half century without a husband (but with plenty of ranchhands)

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    1. Yeah, none of that stuff ever happens to the hoi polloi. And she was ” famous in France, doubt most people in the US have ever heard of her.

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  10. Gotta love a rock band with a full horn section!

    Chicago was told by music executives that they’d never sell rock with horns. They said, “Watch us!”

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    1. Aside from 25 or 6 to 4, and Feelin stronger every day name a Chicago ” rock ” song.

      Horns don’t always make the music better. Listen to The Doors Soft Parade songs with and without horns, without is better.

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  11. Scott, you are at your best on Fridays. Thanks for the trip down memory lane. The 1959 team has always been one of my favorites. After the Jon Arnett, CR Roberts teams, USC had two really down years in 1957 and 58 due to sanctions by the old PCC because of the dastardly deed of letting players sell their complimentary tickets. The conference penalties coupled with the loss of Jess Hill as head coach made recruiting difficult. Don Clark was a very good coach but just like Kiffin when he took over from Uncle Pete, he had one hand tied behind his back. He had a terrific staff as you showed. It was great that he had a very successful year in 1959 except for the end of year losses to the Bruins and ND in the extremely cold South Bend weather. But, we did get John McKay in 1960, the year that I started attending the university. Anyway, thanks for the memory. Fight on, Dan, Class of 1962

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  12. SC Coach Don Clark: The team had a pretty good 1959 year except for the season ending losses to ucla and Notre Dame

    SC: It is never a good year with losses to both ucla and Notre Dame. We’re going to see how this Johnny Mckay works out

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