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.

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

    1. Don’t have your kids go to the University of Crapchester: University of Rochester provides ‘don’t weigh me’ cards to combat ‘weight stigma’

      DON: University of Rochester lets students opt out of weigh-ins at medical appointments with cards that say ‘please don’t weigh me.’

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  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.

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      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?”

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  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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      1. Thanks for the comment, MG. It was the fulfillment of the childhood dream that started when I attended the 1948 USC vs. ND game when the mediocre Trojans that year, tied unbeaten and untied ND and deprived them of a second straight national championship. As a good Catholic school boy, I went to the game an ND rooter and left a USC fan. I told my Dad that if I went to college, I was nine at the time, I wanted to go to USC. So, I followed them on the radio and later on TV on our 10 inch black and white Emerson TV set. My Dad said that if I went to junior college for two years, he would pay my USC tuition for the two years at USC. After two years at East L.A.J.C., I was accepted into the USC School of Engineering. But, I was married after my first semester and I was a commuter student. Regardless, the two and a half years at USC from 1960-62 were very very memorable. I was able to see President Kennedy and Richard Nixon speak in person on campus during the 1960 campaign, and I met a lot of great people both students and professors. One of the counselors in the School of Education, my eventual degree major, was instrumental in getting me credit for all of my JC classes and created a program that allowed me to have credit to graduate as soon as possible being that by 1962, I was not only married but had a new baby girl. My wife worked while I finished my degree, and I worked weekends. I would not change any of my experiences. Life has many joys. Fight on, Dan, Class of 1962

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      2. I had fun reading every word of that, Ambitious!

        Hope the 2026 football season lives up to our expectations!

        #WISH GEORGE TIREBITER WERE HERE TO SEE IT!!!

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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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    1. Yes they did…starters played both sides of the ball back then and vs ucla many had the flu. and the ND game was played in the snow.

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  13. Moreno fired his 3rd GM since 2012 – Perry Minasian sacked – ‘… longtime executive John Mozeliak…’ standing in his place thru end of season. The LAA have had since 2018 5 managers to match (now) 4 general managers.

    The one constant is Arte Moreno – hopefully he’ll finally sell the team might happen if the owners and players can’t agree on a MLPA upon expiration end of 2026.

    Worst owner in all four professional sports leagues with the worst no appearance at any level in post-season playoffs (MLB, NHL, NBA and NFL) nothing to show since 2014 the worst.

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      1. Moreno made a fortune in billboards – he paid $185 million to Disney in 2004 and moved quickly with the one smart move that drives so many crazy – he renamed the team ‘Los Angeles’ because Gene Autry was charged some $250,000 in 1961 dollars for the right to call the team ‘Los Angeles’ by O’Malley. When the purists went ballistic – Selig, St. Vin-dawg Chevrolet aka ‘the skull-dawg’ and assorted 4th estate honks they were made known that name purchase was an asset owned by who ever owns the team ‘in perpetuity’ even funnier was NYT columnist Murray Chass echoing the others – then ‘omerta’ as there were the NYG/NYJ both moving to NJ in 1982 but still retaining ‘New York’. But aside from that there is nothing Moreno has done or shall to demonstrate any acumen of what it takes to be a winner.

        Note his pick for Chairman – his frat boy buddy from Univ of AZ Dennis Kuhl whose sole gift is what gin mill of Lido Isle has the best view of Upper Bay at sunset.

        Andrew Friedman (LAD – President) 4 NLCS (LAD) 1 ALCS (TB) 3 WS
        Jon Daniels – TX Ranger 2 ALCS and 1 WS
        Jerry Dipoto SEA 1 win shy of 1st ALCS title for SEA

        All three were approached by Moreno – 1st two ‘sensed’ a bad fit and the 3rd found out that as bad a Showalter was as a mgr in BAL Scioscia was even worst with LAA – hired 2011 and quit July 2015.

        The one thing that ties all of this together is Moreno – reminds one of Jimmy Buss who famously stated that there was nothing to getting an NBA championship – just sign the best top 5 players this was also a ‘dual’ statregy he cleared with his bartending friend.

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  15. I remember being at the ’59 SC/Ohio St game. I think the news papers had a picture of Woody Hayes and the altercation. They were the 3 yards and a cloud of dust typical Hayes team.Some great players on that SC ’59 team

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  17. DON: Purdue football was once good, heck, they beat the 1966 SC team in the Rose Bowl

    KAM: From the top to the bottom; it’s better the other way around

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    3. The sole reason they wo was what McKay told the 4th estate after the game ended. When queried why he didn’t got for a tie he replied “You’re tied when you walk out there….I wanted to win!”

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      2. Basically, it was a meaningless game with nothing on the line except a Rose Bowl trophy. And, isn’t a tie like kissing your mother. Fight on, Dan, Class of 1962

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  18. KAM: Is the continuing Israel-Hezbollah Lebanon War going to upend the Iran deal?

    DON: I don’t think so, Iran wants the money and you know how “money talks”

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    1. Money talks. And the negotiators want the $$$! Our problem? The Revolutionary Guard runs everything. The Negotiators run nothing. And we can’t invite the Guard to the table cuz we labeled them a Terrorist Organization [that’s International Law]. And we can’t un-label them [cuz that’s politically unrealistic].

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      1. The Donald has done some fine things…but, by attacking Iran again [after he already attacked their nuclear sites and they kept the Straights open anyway], he made the worst mistake of any President in my lifetime.

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      2. All terrible, you’re right….but—those terrible mistakes didn’t involve oil supplies ….

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  19. KAM: It figures Iran and Oman won’t give up their plan to charge money to oil carrying vessels starting in late August

    DON: –Which the oil companies will pass on to their customers. Fortunately, we are not much involved in the Strait’s trade

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  20. KAM: Any thoughts about the U.S. soccer team?

    DON: I’ve been busy lately but I did catch a bit of their action at the beginning of the 2nd half of their Turkey loss, and I liked how they attacked, but defensively they are too porous

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    1. I’VE CALLED TWICE — NO ANSWER. AND BION ALWAYS RETURNS CALLS.

      I’VE SAID MULTIPLE PRAYERS FOR HIM —I LOVE THE GUY!1

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      3. I’M LEAVING MESSAGES ON HIS HOME NUMBER — BUT ONE IS RETURNING THEM…. THIS SITUATION IS BRINGING BACK SAD MEMORIES OF CAL75 —ANOTHER BROTHER OF INSIDEUSC…

        #MAN…I MISS THESE GUYS!

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