Nothing wrong with USC loyalty

As sports journalists, it is incumbent upon us to be impartial observers, to be conveyors of information without bias. But this is a column by an editor of the Daily Trojan, and it’s Conquest Week. So I’m going to be almost as unbiased as Lou Holtz talking about Everett Golson’s Heisman Trophy candidacy.

Hunting Hundley · Quarterback Brett Hundley has twice led UCLA to wins over USC, including a 35-14 victory at the Coliseum last season. – Photo courtesy of Scott Chandler

I wish I could tell you that the Trojans are going to suffer from depth problems, that the Trojans are going to “bend and break” against Bruin quarterback Brett Hundley, that the Trojans just aren’t talented enough to stop him. That UCLA’s vaunted defense led by linebacker Myles Jack is going to tear through that inexperienced Trojan offensive line and grind USC’s offense to a halt. But then I’d be lying to you, and my parents didn’t raise me to be a liar.

They did, however, raise me to see UCLA in a favorable light. They told me that UCLA was this glorious bastion of pure academia on a hill, where the scent of parchment and freshly-mown grass wafted through the air. UCLA kids just “get it,” my mother would tell me. They care about academics and stick to their studies, unlike kids at that “other school.” All that “other school” cares about is football.

So as a young kid, I grew up a UCLA fan. I rooted against the Trojans and wanted them to lose because my parents taught me to love UCLA and Cal. But as I started high school, I became fascinated with USC — the fact that USC was always the silent school with an insanely loyal fan base, despite being inferior to UCLA in most statistically measured academic categories. What I noticed, though, was that it was always UCLA being outspoken in their hatred of USC and USC always remaining silent and choosing to flash their “victory” signs.

There was something noble in the way Trojans carried themselves; the age-old  rivalry persisted, and my fascination with ’SC’s silent loyalty finally won me over. I became dead set on becoming a Trojan. It wasn’t because I hated UCLA — it was the fact that a fan base shouldn’t be completely galvanized around hating another school, which, to me, is the hinge from which the UCLA school spirit pendulum swings.

As for USC, the defining trait of a Trojan is faithfulness. Loyalty has been, and always will be, that one thing that brings USC students together. Our collective sense is not necessitated by our hatred of another school, but rather a sense of solidarity that is intrinsic to the Trojan experience. It is for this reason, among many others, that I am proud to be a Trojan.

In recent years, however, the Trojans have fallen to UCLA in unseemly fashion. The loyalty of the fan base has been shaken. When I found out that USC was returning thousands of tickets back to UCLA because it was unable to sell the seats at the Rose Bowl for this Saturday’s matchup, I was heartbroken.

Whether it’s the recruits moving across town to avoid sanctions or others, such as UCLA defensive lineman Eddie Vanderdoes stabbing the Trojans in the back to go to Westwood, UCLA has gotten the better of USC the past two years and rebounded from that 50-0 game in fine fashion.

My colleague and Daily Trojan sports editor Aubrey Kragen already spoke to this phenomenon of a weakening fan base last week, but the point needs emphasis: Now is not the time for the USC fan base to shrink away. This was and is a school that stands firm in the face of adversity. We fight on as Trojans — that means whether the heartbreak comes in entire seasons (2012) or in single games (ASU, Utah, Boston College, et al.), we pick ourselves back up and show up to the next game ready to strike fear into the hearts of our opponents.

The smart play is to say this Saturday’s game is going to be a close one: Both teams are talented, both teams have struggled and shown flashes of brilliance throughout the season. I’ve correctly predicted all of USC’s games against the spread this season, and I’m putting my flawless record on the line.

The analyst in me is screaming not to become a homer. But here goes nothing: UCLA’s short-lived rental of the Victory Bell ends this Saturday. The Trojans will win, 42-7.

It’s poor practice to make a pick on emotion, I know. From the outside looking in, it’s career suicide to admit that I made a choice based on allegiances — but to members of the Trojan family, I’m sure it makes perfect sense. I’m the editor of the Daily Trojan, a sports columnist of three semesters and might one day work in sports media — but I am nothing if not a Trojan first.

Euno Lee is a senior majoring in English literature. He is also the editor-in-chief of the Daily Trojan. His column, “Euno What Time It Is,” runs Tuesdays.