Morning Buzz: USC Calls Clay Helton “A Visionary”

Someone at USC is either incompetent or has a devilish sense of irony. Just watch the video below, where the narrator says “a visionary” during a shot of Clay Helton and “a genius” with a shot of Clancy Pendergast. I don’t know whether to suggest a raise or firing the film maker. I do know this: Some people in the athletic dept. are laughing at … Continue reading Morning Buzz: USC Calls Clay Helton “A Visionary”

USC Afternoon Notes

Every year around June, the USC football and basketball coaches, their staff (and wives) would spend a weekend at Indian Wells Country Club. Clay Helton and Andy Enfield would address boosters and then it was a free weekend in the desert. Well, we hear that it’s not happening. Is this part of the constant belt tightening?  Could it be the Trojans’ 5-7 record in football … Continue reading USC Afternoon Notes

APR Scores Are Bad News For School . . . Not USC

USC says it posted an an all-time high APR score average for all sports for the sixth straight year. But it is football that most observers focus on. Here are the all-important multi-year APR scores for Pac-12 football: Washington: 991 Utah: 989 Stanford: 986 Arizona State: 980 Cal: 979 USC: 972 Oregon State: 971 Oregon: 968 Colorado: 965 Washington State: 960 Arizona: 952 UCLA: 948 … Continue reading APR Scores Are Bad News For School . . . Not USC

USC Morning Buzz: Another Deal Under Scrutiny

If you need another example of the Max Nikias effect at USC, here’s an article in Los Angeles magazine on how Arnold Schwarzenegger gave the university $20 million and got an institute and full professorship named after him to clean up “his raunchy reputation.” Kind of like how $15 million got a residental college named after Al Cowlings. There was never such a thing as … Continue reading USC Morning Buzz: Another Deal Under Scrutiny

Lynn Swann Is Being Seen

Even with the athletic dept. believe Lynn Swann is trying to make his profile more public in an effort to impress new president Carol Folt. Whether attending a men’s volleyball game, lecturing high school students at Heritage Hall or a ribbon-cutting ceremony at Cromwell Field, Swann seems busier since attending that autograph show in Virginia in late March. Do you think he will take charge … Continue reading Lynn Swann Is Being Seen