Mr. & Mrs. Link

Good news in the Trojan Family.  Reggie Bush has settled his court case and will not testify at a public deposition that was supposed to happen today.

Bush settled with would-be sports marketer Lloyd Lake, who was suing Bush for nearly $300,000, a source with knowledge of the situation confirmed. The source requested anonymity because the individual was not authorized to speak publicly. Yahoo! Sports, citing a source, reported the settlement Tuesday night.

Now before the haters break out their pitchforks and accuse me of being glad we dodged a bullet that rightfully had our name on it, let me clarify.  This deposition had very little bearing on the NCAA ruling about possible sanctions.  Reggie Bush could have murdered, say his ex-wife and boyfriend and then led LAPD on a slow-speed chase in a white Ford Bronco.  If USC reasonably didn’t know about it, it’s not a question of ethics.  See that get’s lost in the media frenzy to tear down USC – this isn’t about what Bush’s family did, it’s about whether the institution of USC was complicit in it.

Do I think something fishy happened with Reggie Bush with regard to NCAA rules?  Yes.  It’s pretty obvious that his family took benefits they shouldn’t have.  But can the NCAA punish USC for the actions of an athlete’s family?

See, that’s the real issue here – not whether mom and dad Bush took money, but whether USC’s Athletics Program had some responsibility to know about it.  What level of internal enforcement is an academic institution required to take?  Should they hire private investigators to stake out anyone who interacts with an athlete?  The NCAA has traditionally not required that level of enforcement, the the real issue isn’t what Reggie Bush did but what USC knew.

Had this deposition occured, it likely would have been about what Reggie Bush did, not what USC knew.  Yet, in the media, that would have been enough for a conviction.

The shine has worn off the USC football program (Reggie Bush, Pete Carroll, Michael Garrett and now Lane Kiffin have all been targets to some extend of media criticism).  From a media perspective, USC’s greatness became boring – it no longer generated valuable clicks.  So queue controversy and suddenly readers are clicking again.  The more controversy you can generate, the more clicks you get.

It’s the American cycle of fame: make news building them up, and when that get’s boring, make more news tearing them down.

So this deposition would have been a kangaroo trial for the institution of USC, despite the fact that it actually had very little bearing on USC in the first place.  So, yes.  I’m glad it’s not going to happen.

Now the NCAA can make it’s ruling and we can put this whole mess behind us.  My guess is, USC will get a slap o the wrist because, honestly, the institution didn’t do that much wrong.

Rivals.com, the news outlet that tracks this sort of thing, has ranked USC’s 2010 recruiting haul as the best in the country.

There was no bigger national story during the final few weeks of recruiting than USC. Lane Kiffin and Co. did a tremendous job keeping together the pieces of the puzzle that already were assembled by former coach Pete Carroll. Keeping Prater, Baxter and Robert Woods on board was huge; they are five-star players at positions of need. The Trojans also closed stronger than anybody, with the addition of five-star prospects Seantrel Henderson and Markeith Ambles and four-star recruits Nickell Robey and Hayes Pullard.

Consistent with Pete Carroll’s classes, the focus is on quality over quantity.  Only 20 commitments, but 5 of them are 5-star rated (more than any other school).

And while I’m loath to speak ill of Uncle Pete, it has been clear that the talent he had consistently been bringing to USC wasn’t living up to it’s potential.  When you beat Ohio State and lose to Washington the next week, the nagging cloud of complacency lingers in the air.

Now we have a new coach who came to the program with a black eye.  His redemption is tied to his record – win and he’ll be forgiven.  He has the talent, and the motive.

I think USC may get hungry again.  Om-nom-nom-nom.

The 2009 Yearbook is done.  50-60 hours of work went into the layouts over the course of the year (this year, I did them as we went instead of all at once over the holidays).  This is a monumental undertaking, but the final product has always been worth it.

At 80-pages, we reached the maximum allowed by PhotoWorks – and I dare say the maximum possible in a year.  I’d have to check, but out of 52 weeks, we might have taken two or three off.

So please enjoy.  You can play with the final book in a cool little java-applet from PhotoWorks by clicking here.

Or you can just browse the pages below.

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The Yearbook Account of the year in words is below:

Read more… …

… continued from Parts 4-8 and 9-12.

4. Williams TD Pass to Leinart – 2004 Rose Bowl

Despite being ranked #1 in both the AP Poll and the Coach’s Poll, the computers left USC out of the BCS Championship game in 2003.  So on New  Years Day, they played in the Rose Bowl against Michigan.  The 28-14 win would earn them an Associated Press National Championship – a split title with the LSU Tigers who won the BCS Championship.  For me, the game was capped by a single play that has stood out in my memory as a testament to the swagger of USC’s glory years and the play calling of Norm Chow.

The game stats at 3:44 left in the 3rd Quarter list: MATT LEINART 15 YD PASS FROM MIKE WILLIAMS (RYAN KILLEEN KICK)

That’s not a typo.  For one play, the great receiver traded places with the great quarterback.

3. Carson Palmer’s Heisman

3 USC players earned Heisman Trophies under Pete Carroll.  My favorite is also my favorite player – Carson Palmer, on who’s shoulders the rest of the dynasty grew.  In 1998, I was a freshman at USC with Palmer.  I took a General Ed course with him, although I only saw him in class once.  I was in the stands the first time he took the field replacing an ailing Mike Van Raaphorst.  His entry generated a a rousing cheer that I can still remember vividly.  There were high expectations for him from the start.

And in 2002, he lived up to those expectations winning the Heisman Trophy.  While the team stumbled twice out of the gates – two losses that would prevent a chance at a National Title – I think that the team that eventually emerged in December could have beaten any other team in College Football.  I also think it may have been the most formidable squad under Pete Carroll.

Palmer is my favorite player because he was the first.  He raised the bar and set the standard.

2. 2005 National Championship vs. Oklahoma

13-0, undefeated.  55-19, undisputed.  I still have the Sports Illustrated cover with Matt Leinart on the cover at my desk and I remember the game as a culmination to a season that I realize now I took for granted.

Although this game wasn’t nearly as exciting the loss to Texas the next year, for Trojan fans it was 60 minutes of pure euphoria.  USC found a groove early and never looked back.  Leinart threw five touchdowns – an Orange Bowl record.  Steve Smith caught three touchdowns – another Orange Bowl Record.  LenDale White ran for 118 yards and two scores.  USC shut down Oklahoma’s Adrian Peterson.  The entire game became a highlight reel:

1. 2005 Notre Dame (The Drive, 4th and 9, The Bush Push)

Pete Carroll was 8-1 against Notre Dame.  He helped end the tenures of two ‘Domer coaches – most notably Charlie Weis who’s hype was second only to his girth.  In 2005, Notre Dame was rolling with a reputation-based shot at the National Championship game in their sites.  All that stood in the way was a two-time National Champion USC team lead by a Heisman Trophy Winner that hadn’t lost in 27 games.

The game was hyped as a chess match between Pete Carroll’s defensive genius against Charlie Weis’ offensive genius.  The home-team Domers took the field wearing green and gold and believing that Goliath was mortal.  Back and forth the whole game, Notre Dame took the lead for the final time with two minutes left.  USC got the ball back deep in ‘Domer territory, down by a field goal.  So began The Drive:

4th and 9: After 3 plays, including a sack, it’s 4th and 9.  Leinart drops back to pass and threads the needle to Dwayne Jarrett who runs 61 yards to the Notre Dame 13.

Out of Time?: Four plays later, Leinart scrambles to the sideline but comes up short off the goal line.  Time on the clock expires, and Notre Dame, fans and the band rush onto the field.  But Leinart had the ball knocked out of his hands, and the fumble went out of bounds, stopping the clock.

Bush Push:  With 3 seconds left on the clock, down by 3, Carroll signaled to spike the ball to give the field goal unit a chance to tie.  Leinart called a different play in the huddle.  Quarterback sneak (winners want the ball) to put the game away once and for all.  He didn’t get in on his first try, but with a little help from his running back, Bush pushed him over the goal line.

I can still remember the anxiety this drive caused.  The excitement.  I was in Colorado, watching the game by myself in the back room of an empty bar.  I own a copy of this game on DVD, and even knowing what happens, I can recreate those feelings every time I watch it unfold.

Continued from Memories 12-9:

8. Oregon State in the Fog

The atmosphere in Corvallis, Oregon late on November 6, 2004 was electric as a heavy fog obscured the football field for the entire game.  Cameras struggled to find the action, and even more to follow it, but the images they transmitted were timeless.  It was one of those games that was cool to watch, that you knew as you watched it you’d always remember.  It was as if even the Oregon weather conspired against the lethal Matt Lienart air game.  It was the kind of game that felt out of balance, like an upset was cooking.

And the Beavers stayed in the game until a 65-yard Reggie Bush punt return put it away in the fourth quarter.  USC won the game 28-20.

7. Matt Leinart Comes Back

Matt Leinart’s first pass at USC was a touchdown against Auburn.  It was prophetic.  By the end of his Junior year, he had won a Heisman Trophy, Two AP National Titles, a BCS National Title, the Archie griffin Award (twice), the Manning Award, the Johnny Unitas Award and was the NCAA Quarterback of the Year.  Most analysts predicted he would be the number one draft pick if he declared early for the NFL draft.

He didn’t.  Matt Leinart decided to forgo guaranteed millions in order to play the game he loved one more year.  Critics continue to question the economics of his decision, but the deviation from the “get mine” mentality of so many athletes today was refreshing.  It was good to see someone play for the love of the game and not the bling.

The relationship between Carroll and his quarterback was almost certainly a big reason for his return.  In fact, that relationship deserves an honorable mention in my list of memories.  I think their bond was unique, and Carroll was never able to duplicate it with Booty or Sanchez – despite trying.  Had he stayed with USC, I think the Barkley-Carroll relationship could have been special too.

6. The Wild Bunch Two

While Norm Chow made a name for creative offensive play-calling, Pete Carroll carved out a reputation for stingy, hard-hitting defenses.  Norm Chow won games, while Pete Carroll won championships.  The Wild Bunch II, Omar Nazel, Kenechi Udeze, Shaun Cody, Mike Patterson was emblematic of powerful defenses that included names like Troy Palamalu, Fred Matua, Rey Maualuga, Lawrence Jackson, Brian Cushing, Kevin Ellison, Taylor Mays and more.

And while low-scoring games are the trademark of a strong defensive battle, Pete Carroll’s defense were known for the more exciting turnover game.  In it’s Championship 2004 season, USC lead the nation with an insane +19 in turnover margin.  That figure has since fallen back to earth…

5. Thunder and Lightening

While Reggie Bush made headlines with his electrifying athleticism, fullback LenDale White was quietly racking up a USC-record 57 career touchdowns.  Quietly, that is, in the press.  Defensive units heard from him like clockwork.  Like Steve Smith who’s solid consistency was overshadowed by the flashy style of Dwayne Jarrett, White’s ability to smash through defensive lines keeping linebackers honest made him one of my favorite USC players of all time.

Together, “Thunder and Lightening” made up the “best backfield in college football.”

Oh, and give the O-Line some serious credit for these clips too.

Pete Carroll is leaving USC.  I think fans, myself included, overestimated the staying power of the fun he was having while underestimating the new-pastures power of his competitive drive.  While I’m sorry and sad he’s leaving, it’s been a great run.

I’ll be posting my Top 12 memories from the Pete Carroll era.  Starting with number 12-9:

12. Pranks & Celebrities

One of the best aspects of Pete Carroll’s tenure at USC was that is was fun.  Whether it was hanging with Snoop Dogg on the sidelines or pulling pranks during practice, Carroll understood that sports are supposed to be fun, and he practiced what he preached.  And, of course, winning is fun too, and the Trojans did that a lot.

Carroll and the coaching staff were constantly pulling pranks and messing with the team.  And when you’re playing in a city like Los Angeles, well, there are a lot of opportunities for fun.

Video

11. Reggie Bush Beats Fresno State

November 19, 2005, the Trojans put a 32-game winning streak and an undefeated season on the line against an emergent Fresno State squad that believed it could beat anyone.  And short of a performance that locked up Reggie Bush’s eventual Heisman Trophy, they might have done just that.  Fresno State took an early lead and held on, not letting USC get ahead until the 3rd Quarter.  And then, once again in the fourth, the Bulldogs took the lead.

If not for the ankle-breaking play of Reggie Bush, USC would have lost this game, almost certainly costing them a shot at the National Title and the Heisman Trophy.  But Bush accounted for a career high 513 all-purpose yards, also breaking Anthony Davis’ 1972 record of 368 yards.  His signature game included plays like this one.

USC squeaked by 50-52.  Incidentally, Fresno State’s Pat Hill should be considered to replace Coach Carroll.

10. Mike Williams’ 2003 one-handed catch against Oregon State

Under Pete Carroll, USC had some amazing quarterbacks and some incredible receivers.  Highlight reel catches weren’t abnormal, but Mike Williams’ one-handed grab against Oregon State in 2003 stands out.

It wasn’t a particularly close game, USC would win 52-28 with gunslinger Matt Leinart tossing 5 touchdowns.  The play of the game was a 9-yard throw to Williams in the west end zone that resulted in a leaping one-handed grab for a 28-7 lead with 1:08 left in the second quarter.  The play stands out in my mind for one simple reason.  We were at the game, near the west end zone.  It was the last home game I have been able to attend.

9. Tough Out-of-Conference Schedules

Strength of schedule was a lot more important in the old BCS where computers accounted for 2/3 of the rankings.  Humans, you see, are more easily swayed by things like reputation (i.e. we know the SEC is the best conference because they play in the SEC, which is the best conference).  Since the subjective role of humans has grown, teams with good reputations like USC, Texas, Florida, Ohio State and Notre Dame can get by with a winning record, regardless of who they play.  So marquee teams – especially Notre Dame and most of the SEC – have taken to scheduling cupcakes.

Not USC.  Since 2001, Pete Carroll has put his squad on the line against a list of powerhouses.  USC’s strength of schedule was consistently in the top ten, making the success over the past decade all the more remarkable.  For a fan, each of these games meant drama and, for most, bragging rights.

Since 2001:

Auburn (twice), Kansas State,  Virginia Tech, Arkansas (twice),  Fresno State, Nebraska (twice), Virginia and Ohio State (twice) plus Notre Dame every year and the following Bowl Opponents: Iowa, Michigan (twice), Oklahoma, Texas, Illinois and Penn State.

I’m a Trojan Fan. And a Griz Fan. Those worlds rarely collide.  But today, USC’s 2009 starting quarterback until he broke his leg and then he lost the job to Matt Barkley until he got to start at Washington where he lost, Aaron Corp, is transferring to Richmond where he’ll play for the Spiders (I hate spiders).

You know, the same Spiders that beat the Grizzlies in the 2008 National Championship.  The same Spiders that will probably be playing for more National Championships with Corp at the helm – and probably against the Griz.

USC didn’t have the best season, but they did manage to win the esteemed Emerald Bowl on the day after Christmas.  A group of us got together at ESPN Zone in Downtown Disney for the game.  That was an experience.  It took almost an hour to get seated in what turned out to be an empty dining room.  Then they refused to put the USC game on easily viewable TVs in lieu of two hockey games that no one was watching.

But we still had a great time.  The entire Oregon football team was in town to play [lose to] Ohio State in the Rose Bowl a week later, and they had spent the day at Disneyland.  They wound up at ESPN Zone with us.

And then Genevieve popped up at the last minute!

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Oh, and Tiffany got a new USC jersey!

I’m the luckiest College Football fan in the world.

Lately, my teams have been really, really good.  Take, for example, 2004, when they were playing in 3 separate National Championships.  The Trojans beat Okalahoma 55-19 to win a National Championship (undisputed).  The Montana Grizzlies played the James Madison Dukes in the I-AA Championship Game (they lost 31-21 on a famously torn up turf).  The Carroll College Saints won their third National Championship of what eventually become a streak of five in the NAIA Division.

This year was a down year for my Trojans.  After peaking early in Columbus, they never gelled as a team, and lost some ugly games.  But I still get to cheer for my Montana Grizzlies who will play in the I-AA (FCS) National Championship Game against the Villanova Wildcats tonight.

The Griz come into the game 14-0, and a perfect example of what college football playoffs can look like.  Being the top seed after the undefeated regular season, the Griz earned the right to play at home, and Montana’s Washington-Grizzly Stadium (“the toughest venue in I-AA”).

Round 1 vs. South Dakota State featured an offensive performance of epic proportions.  Down 48-21 with about five minutes left in the 3rd Quarter, the Griz Office came alive and scored 40 unanswered points to win 61-48.  It was one of the greatest comebacks I’ve ever seen (thanks to streaming video at KPAX-TV).

Round 2 vs. Stephen F. Austin was all about the defense who recovered no fewer than 10 turnovers in the 51-0 shutout.  Texas boys, in their big coats and sleeves, do not fair well in sub-freezing Montana weather.  The Griz had now scored 91 unanswered points in the Playoffs.

Round 3 vs. Appalachian State was a clinic in coaching and clock management, as the game rolled down to the final seconds following a number of lead changes and some monster hits from the fired-up Griz.  The Montana fans were a big part of the game.  Which reminds me – Montana fans are the best fans in the world.

So now, the Griz play the Wildcats from Villanova.  If all the pieces from the Playoffs can show up at game time tonight (offense, defense, coaching) I can’t see how we lose.  Plus, the Grizzlies have a pretty strong track-record against cats.

As days go, July 21 was pretty action-packed.  We woke up bright and early to drive up to Ohiopyle to conquer the Lower Yough River.  Then, after hurrying home, we got dressed up and drove down to The Kennedy Center – DC’s premier theater of the arts – to catch The Phantom of the Opera.

The evening was put together by the USC Club of the Nation’s Capitol largely because a Trojan Alum named Kyle Barisich was in the show and able to hook us up with House Seats and a backstage tour.  Kyle was in the ensemble, and was the understudy for the leading role of Raoul who sings “All I Ask of You.”

Our seats were amazing.  We were front and center about 7-10 rows back (not too close which strained the neck, but close enough to see details in costumes).  Those were the best theater seats either of us have ever had.  The show, of course, was fantastic.  The amazing thing about Phantom is that it’s staging and effects have not changed since 1986, and yet the story is still powerful and the music is beautiful.

After the curtain fell, the USC group met up with Kyle and he escorted us backstage where we got to see the show behind the scenes.  Of particular interest to us were the costumes – the dresses that Christine Daaé wore were more detailed than it was even possible to see from the audience – the wigs and the props.  We got to get up close and personal with the chandelier, as well as some of the props from the underground river scene.

It was really a night to remember.  Fight on!