Kiffin’s acceptance of blame a step forward


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Better late than never, I guess.Such was my initial reaction to USC coach Lane Kiffin’s apology of sorts for the disastrous 2012 football season. In a two-hour interview with ESPN’s Gene Wojciechowski, Kiffin accepted blame for all that went wrong last season, admitting that he is a “coaching work in progress” and that he needs […]

Safety of football players looms large


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The question seems to make its way through the media airwaves every few weeks. It’s short and to the point, often posed to those in the public eye: Would you let your child play football? “I’m a big football fan, but I have to tell you — if I had a son, I’d have to […]

Can Haden turn USC’s basketball program around?


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AD Pat Haden has promised to turn the USC men’s basketball program into a winner — and we should believe in him.  When the Trojan basketball team was defeated by No. 6 Arizona on Saturday, it definitely hurt. USC is a school accustomed to high standards in all facets of performance, be they academic, artistic […]

Cantu has little time to fix his team’s ills


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The transition was never going to be seamless. That was quite evident last Saturday in Tucson, Ariz., as the USC men’s basketball team was run off the court by No. 8 Arizona in front of a sold-out McKale Center crowd. Less than 10 minutes in, the Trojans trailed 18-4, plagued by six quick turnovers. Things […]

NCAA’s handling of Miami no shock


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Okay, I’ll bite. Up until now, I resolved never to write about the NCAA, knowing that USC fans have heard it all — at some point, handwringing and finger-pointing just grow tiresome. But in light of the most recent news regarding the NCAA’s flubbing of the Miami investigation, I believe it’s time to air grievances […]

Te’o case a cautionary tale for college athletes


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It’s been quite the whirlwind in the world of social media this past week, especially in the collegiate ranks. Last Wednesday, Deadspin reported that Notre Dame’s star linebacker Manti Te’o had been involved in a massive hoax that took place over the phone and in the Twittersphere. Te’o became the face of college football in […]

Kiffin takes a chance in DC hire


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With national signing day fast approaching, USC coach Lane Kiffin crossed off the most glaring issue of the offseason this past week when he officially named Clancy Pendergast his new defensive coordinator. Prior to a report on Pendergast’s impending hiring, little had been reported regarding possible candidates or coaches that had interviewed with Kiffin for […]

USC men’s basketball team lacks consistency


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Interim USC coach Bob Cantu picked up his first victory of the season Saturday night in a thrilling 69-68 victory over the Oregon State Beavers. The Trojans scored the go-ahead bucket with less than five seconds remaining and sealed the contest by blocking junior forward Devon Collier’s shot as time expired. But the game should […]

Football team needs a new group of leaders


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It’s been more than two weeks since USC finished its disastrous 2012 season. But the news just keeps getting worse. On Wednesday, ESPN Los Angeles reported that sources told them a fight took place after the Trojans lost to Georgia Tech 21-7 in the Sun Bowl on Dec. 31. An anonymous player said the scene […]

Firing of O’Neill is bad news for Kiffin


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On Monday morning, I was woken up by the sound of my phone vibrating. Still groggy, I picked it up and was immediately snapped out of my daze: men’s basketball coach Kevin O’Neill had been fired. My initial thought was how strange the timing seemed: After all, the team had just won a game, something […]