Athletes not paid to be role models


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In 1993 while he was a power forward for the Phoenix Suns, Basketball Hall of Fame inductee Charles Barkley did a television commercial for Nike. The minimalist black-and-white spot had Barkley performing various athletic moves on a basketball court by himself. And amid a symphony of screeching sneaker soles and thunderous bounces of a basketball […]

Sarkisian needs to improve strategy


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Saturday night’s loss to Boston College was miserable. After three and a half quarters, it was just shocking. The last eight minutes, however, elevated it to another level of agony because the second half of the fourth quarter demonstrated why USC should have won the game. USC could have given up 600 yards on the […]

Eagles’ uniforms deserve respect


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On Saturday, USC’s football team will play at Boston College. And, to be blunt, on Saturday, USC’s football team will probably beat Boston College. But regardless of the outcome, something very important will happen Saturday night. The Boston College football team will honor former BC lacrosse player Welles Crowther, who was one of the approximately […]

Trojans can afford to look ahead


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One game at a time. That’s the popular expression that college football coaches like to use in the face of a trap game. Whether it’s a few weeks before a key matchup or a letdown right after a big win, most teams will face one or two potential upset losses each year. This week’s trip […]

Trojans surprised us on Saturday


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I’m an idiot. OK, not exactly. But I certainly look like one if you go back and read this past Friday’s Daily Trojan. I was the only of five sportswriters to predict in the Best Bets table that USC would lose to Stanford. I was absolutely rooting for the Trojans to pull off the upset […]

NCAA’s credibility takes a hit yet again


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When the NCAA announced that it would be reinstating Penn State University’s postseason eligibility on Monday, the first thing to pop in to my mind as a Trojan was, “Oh, great.” Because, you know, USC didn’t just come out of four years of scholarship sanctions and a two-year postseason ban for not keeping close enough […]

Bay Area trip is a must for USC fans


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It’s that time of the season again: time for hordes of rowdy USC students and proud alumni to take over the Bay Area for the annual Weekender. Though the trip to San Francisco is always entertaining, this year might shape up to be the best Weekender game in the last four years. Since I was […]

Receiver talent abounds at USC


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No one can deny that USC has earned its reputation as a running back factory. “Tailback U,” as our school is historically known, has produced five Heisman trophy winners at the position — four, if NCAA president Mark Emmert is reading this over your shoulder — along with many other NFL backs. Marcus Allen and […]

Early optimism abounds at USC


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Plenty of things could have gone wrong for USC on Saturday against Fresno State. I wasn’t nervous, but I certainly had memories of last year’s Washington State game fresh in my mind as I walked into the Coliseum for another home opener. Very little did go wrong. Evident by their performance and the 52-13 final […]

Trojan football must look inward


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The Trojan football team is no stranger to controversy. Last year it was the firing of head coach Lane Kiffin and the departure of beloved interim head coach Ed Orgeron. Before that it was He Who Must Not Be Named and the improper benefits that led to USC’s sanctions. This year it’s Josh Shaw and […]