Gridiron Goddess

by Karen Stevens, USC Alumna & goofy friend of the Gridiron Goddess

A new Polynesian poster-boy is jumping into USC’s offense, and he’s doing it with a gorgeous wavy mane that will cascade down his back.

The NFL is littered with long and lovely Trojan locks, think Troy Palomalu, Clay Matthews, Rey Maualuga. Even Brian Cushing sported a cool Mohawk as a rookie.

As a fan of Trojan football, I recently noticed that all the good hair graduated over the last few years… and we were drowning in a sea of crew cuts, baldies and shamefully, one or two Biebers plus a Dennis the Menace cowlick (I’m talking about you Matt Barkely!) So, where did all the Samsons go?

Sure, we have the cool dreads atop Nickell Robey and Tony Burnett, whom I have dubbed “USC Dreaded Corners”, and yes, we have an incredibly huge Age of Aquarious-esque afro sported by Khaled Holmes which although magnificent, unfortunately remains all but hidden during the game… damn those helmets!

Karen and the Trojan Manes

I freely admit I crave a more formidable hair sighting. I need to see long flowing manes wafting on the Southern California breezes as gridiron gods play their Trojan hearts out. For too long now, we have been missing the hair element we have grown accustomed to on our side lines.

And finally my dreams are about to come true thanks to incoming tight end, Junior Pome’e! His stats say he’s 6-3 and 240 but they forgot to mention the 20 plus inches of slick black tresses that tumble down to the middle of his back. Hurrah! Hurrah!

On his first day of practice, Pome’e was on the field running drills with the rest of the team but all I could see was his glorious Conan-The-Barbarian-hair, I’m sure he’s a great player but it was his locks that called out to me. And I thought to myself, now that’s a good head of Trojan hair.

I have not yet picked my mouth up off the floor after the explosive Yahoo story broke regarding  the University of Miami and former booster Nevin Shapiro.

Let’s be clear, people, near or at the center of this brouhaha lies Paul Dee, who was AD at Miami during most of the years that Shapiro was doling out money, gifts, prostitutes, booze, abortions, and crash pads at his beachfront mansion and million dollar yacht.

For Trojan fans and alumni this situation is nothing short of Dee-lightful, Dee-licious,  and Dee-lectable.  Why?

Paul Dee was the head of the NCAA Committee on Infractions during the USC hearings.

Let’s clarify for a moment, friends.

USC’s football case was about one person: Reggie Bush

USC’s basketball case was about one person: OJ Mayo

Miami’s case involves 72 players over nearly a decade of willful disregard for NCAA rules.

So, to quote the inimitable Alanis Morrisette: “Isn’t it ironic, don’t you think?”

Isn’t it ironic that Paul Dee was the Athletic Director of Miami during what NCAA investigators have called the worst violation of the rules they  have ever seen?

A sidebar for a moment: Both the Reggie Bush and OJ Mayo issues at USC involved agents trying to lure their patronage once these vaunted players went pro. This, I, and many other pundits, remain is NOT A COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE.

Miami, on the watch of Paul Dee, on the other hand, is involved in an eight year, 72 (by Shapiro’s count, 73 by the NCAA’s) booster pay-for-play scandal that involved all the blithely aforementioned activities as well as BONUSES FOR BOUNTIES on competition such as Florida quarterback Tim Tebow and a three year standing bounty on Florida State quarterback Chris Rix.

Digest that for a moment.

Oh wait, one more Paul Dee tidbit.  Dee is the biggest hypocrite in sports in recent memory, if not ever.   The eight year reign of Nevin Shapiro’s pay-for-play scandal, which involved so many violations it is staggering and hits the NCAA’s BIG LIST, apparently flew under big Paul Dee’s radar as he was he quoted by the newspaper in Palm Beach as saying:

“We didn’t have any suspicion that he was doing anything like this,” said Dee, UM’s athletic director from 1993 to 2008. “He didn’t do anything to cause concern.”

Trojan nation, I feel you, the hypocrisy is STAGGERING.  As SI.com’s Stewart Mandel said:

“Still, it seems only fair he should spend a day at USC’s Heritage Hall wearing a sandwich board with the word “Hypocrite.”"

Oh sorry, yet one more Paul Dee tidbit – he took  willful flaunting of the rules to new levels, after all. This eight year scandal qualifies for repeat offender status as Dee was AD at Miami during the Pell Grant scandal of the 1990s.

Now, consider the fact that Paul Dee, as Chairman of the NCAA Committee on Infractions, sat in judgement of USC when they presented their case for leniency before the NCAA in the matter of Reggie Bush.  USC’s now much mocked defense was that we (loosely) “did not know, could not be expected to know.”

I KNOW! Go punch a wall, I will wait, I’ve stocked up on wine and trust me, every expletive that can be uttered has been in my house in the last 24 hours.

Shall we revisit the things Paul Dee said about USC? I mean, why not pour salt in our wounds at this point, right? In light of this info, this shit almost feels good.

Dee, who famously sat on the NCAA’s Committee on Infractions WHILE THIS WAS HAPPENING AT MIAMI famously told USC that even though the extra benefits a wannabe sports agent paid to Reggie Bush’s family happened in San Diego, some 130 miles from campus, USC “should have known” it was happening.

Go read the YAHOO investigative report if you haven’t. Read about how blatant Shapiro’s support of Miami football and basketball players was right under Dee and University President Donna Shalala’s noses. Read about how Shapiro got into a physical fight with the U’s director of compliance in the press box at a Miami football game and still Dee & Co. claim they did not know.  Read about how he paid for Devin Hester’s girlfriend’s engagement ring, how he got the stripper another player got pregnant an abortion, how he made his home and his yacht available for parties and provided cars and clothes and cash and VIP club access and…

Paul Dee stated that the USC case was “three feet high” – referring to how high the evidence would stack if you laid all the paperwork up into a pile.

Well now. If ever there was a more pitch perfect case of  “eating crow” I have never, in my entire life, been witness to it before now. Because the evidence against Dee, “U” president Donna Shalala, numerous coaches both with and no longer with Miami and, well, 72-73 players might actually be able to be laid end to end and stretch from the Coral Gables campus of  the University of Miami to the downtown Los Angeles campus of the University of Southern California.

And that, my friends, is way more than “Three feet high.”

by Karen Stevens, USC Alumna & friend of the Gridiron Goddess

Yesterday was historic… it was epic… and it was fun! No, I’m not talking about Paul Dee’s karmic explosion thanks to Yahoo sports and his own hubris, I’m referring to the fact that I got to see the boys in cardinal and gold on the practice field once again. That’s right people, for a few hours I was transported back to the Golden Era of Trojan Football, when the boosters and fans were beloved by the school and the players hammed it up on the field to the cheers and boos from the sidelines.

I was lucky enough to get an invitation to the patron’s party at Dedeaux Field that included surprisingly great food, abundant cocktails and a ring side seat to all the happenings on Howard Jones Field. For three hours I was perched on the observation deck watching Matt Barkley throw zingers to Marquis Lee, I heard the grunts of young men as they “finished” their tackles and I got to see how Dillon Baxter learned to find the hole to run up the middle for a perfectly executed play. This wasn’t Narnia… it was better!

While the Trojan Marching Band rehearsed in the background to Dr. Bartner’s husky voiced directions, Howard Jones was rocking some very cool tunes, although some of the music choices left me a little uninspired, (Kesha!!). What I did notice was none of the players were slacking off, they were focused and wanted to earn our respect. And, after the 11 on 11s the guys were still out there wholeheartedly doing drills. I never wanted it to end but it was time for speeches and I had to hear if Pat Haden was going to say we were going to “win the right way”, one more time, (I’ll let you wonder about the answer) and kid around with Coach Kiffin about his reputation at Tennessee which got a good laugh.

What I learned about my testosterone infused afternoon of USC football is that our defense looks great, our offense needs some work, we finally have a kicker and that it’s good to be a Trojan.

Last week, I wrote a guest post for The Sports Bank about USC’s 2011 team. Here it is:

USC, facing another year of sanctions, thanks to their unsuccessful NCAA appeal, won’t be looking to reinvent the wheel this season. That said, expect improvement from last year’s 8-5 squad (5-4 in the Pac-10) thanks to maturation from key players Matt Barkley and Robert Woods.  Offensively, the Trojans have every reason to improve on last year?s decent effort as the players have a full year of Lane Kiffin’s system under their belts.  The biggest question comes on the O-Line and true freshman Cyrus Hobbi and Aundrey Walker will likely be tapped to make a big impression early on in their careers at Troy. Last year?s dismal kicking game can only improve under wunderkind Andre Heidari. Legends of his leg have infiltrated the entire Trojan network.

Defensively, the Trojans enter the season with a number of serious questions to answer. Last year’s defense was amongst the worst in the school’s venerable history.  Trojan Alumni and Fans want to know:

• Will we be able to stop the run, any run this year?
• Is there any (or enough) depth at linebacker?
• Is there enough depth in the secondary?

Last season, the defense had several painfully memorable 4^th quarter collapses. Depth is going to continue to be a problem for this sanctioned team for a number of years, so how long the D remains healthy is going to go a long way towards determining what kind of defense USC puts on the field this year. During the Spring, several veteran players were still out rehabbing injuries, most notably linebackers Chris Galippo, Shane Horton and Devon Kennard. DT Christian Tupou’s knee was still bothering him and these injuries were part of the depth problem in 2010.  If this defense can stay healthy, fans should be happy to see a return to Pac-12 dominance.  The Trojan faithful are just not used to other teams hanging 30+ on us nor do we have any intention of getting used to it.

Questions surely remain. We have no idea if the kicking game is going to be there. Surely this highly touted Heidari kid was so recruited for a reason, but we just won’t know until he gets out there and wows us. USC will play in the Pac-12 South, facing off against division opponents UCLA, ASU, Arizona, Colorado and Utah as well as annually playing Cal and Stanford (an effort to preserve the natural inter-state rivalries between the Bay Area and Los Angeles schools. Out of conference, SC faces Minnesota, Syracuse and Notre Dame.

Honestly, I think this will be a 9-3 season. Optimistically, maybe even 10-2.  Troy may be down, but the swagger is still there, it just needs to be reignited.

Reggie Bush’s season for which the entire USC football program is fucked was SIX YEARS ago.  The reason I haven’t posted about the stripping of the 2004 BCS trophy is two-fold and simple:

1. Everyone at USC expected this would happen if the appeals were denied.

2. It was SIX YEARS ago, we’d all just like to move on now please.

The NCAA has done everything they can to us and we’re still goddamned front page news day in and day out.  Tennessee, Ohio State, UNC and WVU are doing their best to put themselves on the NCAA’s radar with various forms of flaunting the rules the institution is so inconsistent in enforcing and yet it is still USC I see on the front page of ESPN, SI, Facebook, Twitter, etc.

We get it. The NCAA spanked us. We’re taking our punishment and moving on.

Won’t you all do the same? The isht going on at Ohio State threatens to be even more program destroying than Reggie Bush’s ride at USC. “Systemic violations for over eight years.”  “Terrelle Pryor deposited checks for his signature on OSU memorabilia”   “Over 50 players/friends/family members and used car dealerships” – these are but a few of the things I’ve read that have me shaking my head.  I have no love for the Ohio State University but right now, I feel for their fans.

That said, I fully expect the NCAA to find someway to not enforce the rules at Ohio State. USC was ONE PLAYER FOR TWO SEASONS. Yet in the end, I suspect we will still be held up as the bad guys.

Please move on, I beg of you.

And I am sure you all know how I, and the entire Trojan Nation, feels about this.

Crooked ass, biased motherfuckers.

Did USC deserve sanctions? Sure.

But so do Ohio State and Auburn and about 100 more programs.

The uneven application of the rules is what is going to kill the NCAA one day.

The NCAA can uphold sanctions, take away trophies & championships & scholarships. They can vacate wins & tell seniors they are free to transfer. But what the NCAA cannot do and will never be able to do is understand what it means to be a part of the Trojan family. The NCAA cannot take away our Trojan Pride. FIGHT ON!

UPDATE 10:30pm:  That picture is a HOAX. Scott Wolf, who covers the USC beat for the Daily News, took them from what appears to be a very dubious source and ran with them. Local NBC & CBS affiliates reported that these were the unis. Fans, alumni and others blogged and tweeted and by and large, were in an outrage about these uniforms.  But it is a HOAX. And Scott Wolf should be ashamed of himself for once again reporting inaccurate and unverified information. There are many devoted USC writers, bloggers, fans and alumni who could do a better job at covering USC for the Daily News.

I’ve been told by someone close to the USC Football program that YES, these pictures are not real. But there is an alternate uniform. It has not been revealed yet. He promised I would love it. Which made me rethink things: I am a big fan of Nike and very impressed with their R&D and technology. They put real thought into the uniforms and shoes they create. They would not (I hope!) mess with a school with the devotion to tradition that USC has.  Oregon allows them to create a vast wardrobe of bizzarre uni combos because, let’s face it, they allow Nike to. Nike also makes Florida’s uniforms. They did a Pro Combat version of Florida’s uni that was very very close to their regular unis. The most subtle of changes I believe nearly all USC alumni, fans and boosters can support. Especially if it utilizes the insane technology Nike has developed for football uniforms.

Original Post:

According to KNBC Los Angeles, Nike approached USC about doing a special Rivalry uniform for this year’s game versus UCLA at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.  Look, I get it from Nike’s standpoint, it’s $$$.  But, as my good friend Randall said: “You Don’t Mess With a Classic!”

USC has always been monstrously protective of its brand, and these uniforms dilute that brand.  Reportedly, Oregon lures key recruits away because of the wide variety of uniform choices at the University of Nike.  Why USC feels the need to change it up is beyond me. After all, OUR PLAYERS GET DRAFTED IN THE NFL. Nine this year. We hold the all time record. How many Oregon players got drafted this year?

ONE.

Casey Matthews.

Don’t do it USC. I suspect this is Lane Kiffin’s doing, as he pulled a similar stunt at Tennessee vs South Carolina.

USC wears gold pants. Not cardinal. Our helmets are cardinal. Not black.

Of course ASU recently debuted their black uniforms. USC does not need to compete with ASU or Oregon in a fashion walk off. We are SC. We have tradition on our side. And you just don’t mess with that.

Yesterday, in Part 1: The Offense of Gridiron Goddess’ look at USC’s 2011 Trojan Huddle Spring Game, we took a look at the various bits and pieces and issues with the Trojan offense.

To sum it up:

• We’re young
• The O-Line – we won’t know until fall as Hobbi and Walker are busy graduating from High School and won’t be integrated until Fall
• Matt Barkley will be key. This is his third year starting
• Robert Woods, Barkley’s favorite receiver, was not in the Spring Game due to an ankle injury
• The kicking game looked dismal. But we hear this Heidari kid has a  hell of a leg on him.

Tonight, I’ll take a look at the defense, discuss some issues and wrap this thing up.

Heading into the Spring Game the big questions amongst the Trojan faithful in regards to our defense were basically

• Will we be able to stop the run, any run this year?
• Is there any (or enough) depth at linebacker?
• Is there enough depth in the secondary?

The defense, wearing white, thoroughly dominated the offense in the first half, who wore cardinal.  The offense managed only one touchdown in the entire first half. (They had six in the second half after reportedly being threatened by Kiffin in the locker room.)  As for the answers to those three questions above – it looks good, yes and yes.

Dallas Kelly, at LB, looked good, solid and dependable.  Free safety TJ McDonald is looking like a superstar.  At the other safety Jawanza Starling played well but is still competing for the position with Drew McAllister, Demetrius Wright and Marshall Jones. Cornerback Nickell Robey has had an amazing  Spring. The first string defense looked very good, especially defensive end Nick Perry.   Perry is fast, almost blindingly so. He led the day in sacks, was in on six tackles and looked very polished for this time of year. Perry, who has been nagged with injuries during his USC career, is surely benefitting from having a full year to really learn Monte Kiffin’s defense.

Linebackers Chris Galippo, Shane Horton and Devon Kennard have spent all of this Spring rehabbing injuries and aren’t expected back until fall practices resume.  Defensive tackle Christian Tupou returned to practice briefly from a knee injury that killed hs 2010 season before he reinjured it and was out once again. The big question though is defensive lineman Armond Armstead (more on him in a moment).

The absence of these veterans on defense during the Spring is a positive thing overall.  USC has been forced to build depth on defense that it lacked last season.  If you remember, we were famous for fourth-quarter collapses. With the lack of depth, there was no one to rotate in and out to keep the defense fresh. That proved costly.

Back to Armond Armstead. His health has been an issue. An undisclosed health issue prevented him from practicing this Spring and his future is not certain.  Kiffin has said that we will know more regarding Armstead’s health this summer.  If he is cleared medically to play, the Trojans defensive line will be unstoppable.  Without him, it will still be good. Definitely better than last year. (Thank God.)

Redshirt freshman defensive tackle George Uko has made the biggest gains this Spring. Defensive tackle DaJohn Harris and defensive end Wes Horton have experience. Combine them with Tupou and you’re looking at experience, strength, speed and depth on the USC Defense this fall.  Incoming freshman Lamar Dawson and Tre Madden could come in and make an immediate difference, strengthen the depth of the D even more.

In short, the defense looked deep and strong. For fans who often had to avert their eyes as teams scored on us nearly at will last year, this is good news. Now they just need to stay healthy.

The 121 play Trojan Huddle Spring game showcased barely more than a quarter of the Fall’s projected starters. USC has only 26 upperclassman and, again in Kiffin’s words,  USC is going to be “extremely young.”  The game gave several players beyond the starters a chance to show off a little of what they’ve got for the fans that support them and cheer them on.

Questions remain. The kicking game especially worries me. The O-Line – I just don’t know.  But I have to think with practices this summer the team will just continue to gel and find its sea legs for the 2011 season.  I am cautiously optimistic about the outlook for the Trojan football team. Of course, we’re still waiting on the NCAA sanctions appeal to be ruled on and I hope a negative outcome doesn’t derail the team’s morale.

USC faces off against the Minnesota Golden Gophers at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on September 3, 2011.

-Your Gridiron Goddess

In my preview of the NFL Draft for USC’s players last Wednesday, I said:

…I expect it to be better for the USC players than in years when we were flying high and ending up in the top 4 at season’s end.  These players have been through the fire, have stuck it out with SC during the first year of sanctions and I feel that speaks to a strength of character and perseverance…

Little did I know then how right I would be.  It started off slowly, and it feels like a number of our best guys fell farther than they should have. A few went surprisingly undrafted. (Especially Center Kris O’Dowd) But when the draft started and when the draft ended it was one school that reigned supreme, our very own and beloved University of Southern California.

In the first round USC offensive tackle Tyron Smith was the ninth overall pick in the 2011 draft. Picked up by the Dallas Cowboys, where he will join former Trojan David Buehler,  Smith became the 75th USC player to be taken in the first round of the NFL draft. This put USC at #1 for all time first round draft picks. The Dallas Cowboys targeted the 2010 Morris Trophy winner (as voted by the starting offensive lineman around the Pac-10) with their first pick, making it the first time in 22 years that the Cowboys took an O-lineman in the first round.

By the time the draft ended on Saturday evening, USC would surpass Notre Dame as the school with the most players ever drafted by the NFL. The 2011 NFL draft saw nine Trojans come off the board, setting the record for both the most players drafted by a school in the 2011 draft and for all time players drafted (472).

USC’s 2010 MVP – defensive tackle Jurrell Casey went to the Tennessee Titans with the 13th pick of the third round of the draft.  Cornerback Shareece Wright was also a third round pick of the San Diego Chargers – setting up nice synergy for the native of Southern California.  Tight end Jordan Cameron, who saw his stock rise as the draft approached, was chosen in the fourth round by the Cleveland Browns.  Cameron, a former basketball player at BYU, converted to football and transferred to USC (by way of Ventura College) where he had proven to be a gifted athlete.

Wideout Ronald Johnson, or RoJo as we call him,went to the San Francisco 49ers in the sixth round where he will play for former Stanford coach Jim Harbaugh and alongside standout former Nevada QB Colin Kaepernick (more on that in another post – I think that was the best Team-Coach-QB match of the entire draft).  Allen Bradford was selected in the sixth round by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers despite struggling through a 2010 season that was plagued with injuries. Bradford’s dedication, work ethic and perseverance weighed heavily in the Buc’s decision to draft him.

In the seventh round, as time was running out, a rare feat was pulled off. Three USC players in a row were drafted.  Wide receiver David Ausberry went to the Oakland Raiders, linebacker Malcolm Smith – younger brother of standout reciever Steve Smith of USC and the New York Giants – was reunited with Pete Carroll in Seattle and fullback Stanley Havili – he of the monstrous hands and captivating runs — was picked up by the Philadelphia Eagles.

Nine USC Players were drafted. That sets this year’s record for most players by school and, again, cements USC at the top of the list for school with the most players drafted both in the first round, and overall.

Center Kristofer O’Dowd, who struggled with injuries for his entire USC career, was not drafted. O’Dowd, when healthy, played at a consistently excellent level and brought much needed stability to the USC offense. O’Dowd was likely affected by the glut of offensive linemen entering the draft this year, but I do expect him to get picked up as a free agent somewhere. He’s too talented not to.

Other notable Trojans not selected in the 2011 NFL Draft were OL Butch Lewis, QB Mitch Mustain, LB Michael Morgan and RB C.J. Gable.

-Your Gridiron Goddess

***The North Carolina Tar Heels also had nine players drafted.

With the NFL’s 1^st round of the draft mere hours away, here’s a look at the remaining USC Trojans entering the draft. For player stats go HERE.

QB Mitch Mustain

Mitch Mustain’s story is such an odd one. He started as a true freshman at Arkansas then transferred to USC and played backup to Mark Sanchez, Aaron Corp (God what a disaster he was at USC!) and Matt Barkley.  Mustain never got a lot of playing time, and when he did, he didn’t exactly garner confidence from the Trojan faithful.  I don’t know folks, I hope Mustain gets drafted but am not sure. I’ve often said his situation can be compared to Matt Cassel’s – Cassel famously backed up a pair of Heisman Winners  at USC and was a late draft pick and seemed destined for a practice squad until the famous Tom Brady injury. Now Cassel is a franchise player. Mustain isn’t as big nor as athletic as Cassel was when he went into the draft.  Combine that with his recent drug arrest (apparently all a misunderstanding but it does count towards character), and I don’t think Mustain is on many team’s radars.

RB ALLEN BRADFORD

Allen Bradford is a big back who had an odd career at USC. When he was on, he reminded fans of Lendale White. When he was off, you wondered if he was even suited up.  Maybe it was the era of Trojan football in which he played but he didn’t seem to get a lot of attention. That said he is big, strong and speedy and I do think he will get drafted. He’s young and hungry and is going to be a good addition to someone’s roster.

CB SHAREECE WRIGHT
I follow Shareece on Facebook and that dude has been all over the country for look see’s with teams for the past few weeks.  He did get injured at pro day, which probably explains all the frequent flier miles he’s racked up recently.  Shareece is quick on his feet and a better than decent tackler. If he can get and stay healthy he will have an NFL career.

LB Malcolm Smith & Michael Morgan

Smith and Morgan are similar players. Smith is a bit smaller at 6’1 to Morgan’s 6’4 but both had very impressive pro day workouts and both are very athletic. They are the types of players that for teams that have gone back and looked at the tape, will be attractive to teams in later rounds or as free agents.

RB CJ Gable

It feels like Gable has been around SC forever, and in a way he has. He made his debut with the Trojans in the first game of his freshman year against Arkansas in 2006.  He had an amazing freshman year and the Trojan Nation collectively held their breath – would he become another Reggie Bush? Sadly, (in playing terms!) he didn’t. He had a season ending injury early in the 2007 season and when he came back, he just never recaptured the lightning in a bottle quality of his freshman campaign.  That said, Gable is athletic and fast and has great feet.  He’s flying under the radar a bit on this draft, which should make him a steal for whatever team picks him up sometime on Saturday in the later rounds.

The only two I haven’t covered are WR David Ausberry and OC Wendell Lewis. I wish all the Trojans Good Luck over the next few days!

Your Gridiron Goddess