Tag Archive for: for the love of the game

Teenager’s courage a good lesson for Trojans


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The murmurs I’m hearing through the grapevine signal a sense of uneasiness in Southern California, as the calendar changes to 2011 in just more than a month. To put it mildly, the last 330 days around this neck of the woods haven’t exactly been hallmark material for the USC football program. Coaching departures, NCAA-imposed sanctions, […]

Vucevic used to adapting to change


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As a child, he watched his father run up and down the court, unaware of the sights and sounds that passed him by. When he grew old enough to appreciate the significance of sports, it was soccer — not basketball — that first caught his eye. But for USC’s junior power forward Nikola Vucevic, whether […]

Joneses’ cohesion is the glue for Trojans


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After a few clicks and a short Google Maps search later, it’s easy to see how far Saginaw, Mich., is from Taft, Calif. To measure it in miles (2,304), however, wouldn’t quite tell you how far USC men’s basketball’s newest and youngest starting backcourt — freshmen Bryce Jones and Maurice Jones — have come to […]

Commitment defines Fontan’s trek to USC


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On the night of April 9, 2007, thousands of fans crammed into the aging bleachers of the Fellowship House gymnasium for what was billed to be the greatest one-act play in the history of the Albert C. Donofrio Basketball Classic. The tournament, which aims to showcase the brightest hardwood talents in the Philadelphia-South New Jersey […]

No. 1 can be a curse instead of a blessing


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Maybe Three Dog Night was on to something with its 1969 hit song “One.” The song presents a contrast to the value that being No. 1, regardless of how it is achieved, is of the utmost importance. With lines like “One is the loneliest number” and “it’s the saddest experience you’ll ever know,” I can’t […]

Defensive woes with new scheme expected


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Let me start off by dispelling the notion that patience is a virtue when it comes to following sports. In fact, I am convinced that whoever came up with that thought-provoking proverb never had to experience the agony of watching his team lose on gut-wrenching, last-second drives two weeks in a row. We live in […]

Respect is due for upcoming foe


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What I am about to ask might come across as an act of heresy, or worse, the request of someone who fits perfectly in the mold of Benedict Arnold’s second coming. But before you choose to question my party ties or check to see what school colors I bleed, please hear me out. When Washington’s […]

Early schedule tough to swallow


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Hi. My name is Dave and I love cupcakes. (This is the interactive part of the column, where you collectively and cheerfully reply “Welcome, Dave.”) OK, so there might not be such a thing as Cupcakes Anonymous, but if there were, I would be without a doubt one of its cornerstone members. One look at […]

Robey finds strength in challenges


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Scandal, sanctions and uncertainty. These are the labels Thursday night’s ESPN broadcasters will use to try to convince you that No. 14 USC’s season will not go so smoothly. Although stories of controversy, instability and turmoil make for a catchy headline, an entertaining talking point during introductions or a time-filler in case the Warriors fail […]