T1B

Laxplayer wrote:New just reported that there has been an influx of lower leg injuries reported at ALL Southern California hospitals. Broken legs, busted ankles, twisted ankles, torn knees. The weird thing doctors are reporting is that EVERY patient was wearing $C gear. Cause of injury is: Many people are jumping off the bandwagon.

:D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D

A culture crash for Trojans
Seven years of near-invincibility have gone down the drain this season, capped by the 55-21 loss to Stanford.
Bill Plaschke

November 15, 2009

A Stanford senior communications major stood in the middle of a nearly empty stadium, the homecoming crowd having long since gone home, and administered the latest plunge into the heart of a USC football season.

Richard Sherman had earlier leaped in front of a Matt Barkley pass and returned it for a touchdown.

He had then posed for the cameras while jeering, "I'm 2 and 0 in the Coliseum. Fight on, SC!"

But this was worse. This was about more than a 34-point deficit on the scoreboard. This was about an unimaginable deficit in a culture.

Said Sherman of the Trojans: "You could just see that everything is not there. They don't run as hard. They don't play as hard."

And thus a team that has spent its entire season searching for an identity finally found one, captured beautifully by a thoughtful student dressed in eye black and grass stains and a 55-21 Stanford victory.

The 2009 Trojans: They don't run as hard. They don't play as hard.

It was homecoming in name only Saturday, USC returning to a place of unfamiliarity and unrest, a team of strangers in a Coliseum of brooding and boos.

After seven years as a national championship contender, they are now a team capable of yielding the most points in school football history -- that's 121 years, people! -- to a perennial loser whose starting lineup would barely fit on their depth chart.

"It's like everything turned bad," USC linebacker Malcolm Smith said.

After seven years of leading the nation in toughness, they are now a team capable of giving up 325 smash-mouth rushing yards to a team that simply handed the ball to a block-shaped running back.

"They brought it and they kept bringing it," safety Taylor Mays said. "Something was wrong. Something didn't feel right."

After seven years of offensive smarts, they committed four dumb turnovers against the nation's 82nd-ranked defense while gaining 26 yards on their final four drives.

"I'm not sure I have the right words to describe being humbled like this," Coach Pete Carroll said.

Why not just pull out the script from the Washington and Oregon games? In one form or another, this has been happening all season.

The Trojans have played USC-dominating football, what, maybe three times? As the stakes get higher, the quality of effort and intensity drops, with this latest debacle costing them even the remotest of chances at a Rose Bowl or other Bowl Championship Series game.

At this rate, Hollywood's team will be lucky to be spending New Year's Eve in El Paso.

In fact, before Saturday's game, Sun Bowl brochures were mysteriously placed at writers' seats in the press box.

I covered it in chips and peanut shells at the time. I'm digging it up now.

"This isn't us," Mays protested.

Oh yes, it is. After 10 games of it, it's all you, a team of highly recruited stars who suddenly behave as if they are being neither taught nor motivated

After seven years as the bully, they are now being bullied.

Exhibit One: Early in the second quarter, after a 15-yard pass moved Stanford to the USC three-yard line, the Cardinal hustled out of a no-huddle offense and handed the ball to Toby Gerhart.

USC was so flustered, seemingly half of their defense was running on and off the field during the play.

USC was so feeble, the defenders who found their positions were bulldozed by the Stanford line for a Gerhart three-yard touchdown.

Two Trojans penalties on the play, and the guy still scores.

"We came into a very intimidating place and made a strong statement," said Gerhart, who gained 178 yards, scored three times, and should at least be invited to New York for the Heisman Trophy ceremony.

Exhibit Two: Leading by 27 points with 8:47 remaining in the game, Harbaugh ordered his team to attempt a two-point conversion.

The Trojans held, but the angry Trojans and their booing fans will never forget, nor should they. The coaches exchanged words while leaving the field, but danced around it afterward.

Said Carroll: "I don't know what they were thinking with that."

Said Harbaugh: "I felt like our line was in a groove. . . . We went for it because we thought we could get it."

I then asked Harbaugh if he was concerned that such a move would tarnish the victory and send the wrong message, but he gave the identical nonsensical answer about his line being in a groove, totally avoiding the issue.

So, fine, I'll ask Harbaugh again.

This is what you teach? This is how Stanford wants you to coach? Aren't you both supposed to be better than that?

By the time USC gets another crack at Stanford next season, Harbaugh probably will be gone to someplace like Michigan, leaving the kids to feel the brunt of their coach's lack of class, and isn't college football grand?

For now, with next weekend off before they face UCLA, the Trojans have bigger worries. Their defense is in chaos, their game plan is in tatters, Matt Barkley isn't even the best freshman quarterback in his own town, and early on this sad Saturday evening, Pete Carroll violated his own trademark.

Always compete?

"I'm glad that we have a bye," said Carroll, which says it all.

Lax, your hatred of SC is blinding you. It was a bush league move by Harbaugh and you know it. SC's players didn't deserve it nor do the players of any team. If someone had done that to ND I'm betting your reaction would be slightly different. Stuff like that really comes back to haunt you at some point and Harbaugh will most likely learn that.

Laxplayer wrote:
I agree running up the score is not cool but look at Chetey Petey's numbers over the years. He had it coming. His players act like fucking thugs when they're up a lot, they make sure they stay on the field to shake hands and celebrate when they win but when they lose they're off the field like greased shit through a goose.

At this rate, Hollywood's team will be lucky to be spending New Year's Eve in El Paso.

In fact, before Saturday's game, Sun Bowl brochures were mysteriously placed at writers' seats in the press box.

War Wagon wrote:Btw, anybody checked hospital emergency rooms for Van? He seems strangely silent the past few days.

Regardless, going for two at the end of a blowout has nothing to do with Lax's erroneous point. Yes, USC has won in a lot of blowouts, but I can assure you, Pete never went for two in a situation like that, and I can also assure that Pete has called off the dogs more times than I care to count.

Van wrote:Pete never rubs it in, the way Harbaugh did.

Van wrote:What about it? It's 24, in the 3rd. The game hasn't been decided yet.

Van wrote:What about it? It's 24, in the 3rd. The game hasn't been decided yet.

Going for two during a blow out, late in the fourth, when the game has already been decided? That's rubbing it in.

Does anybody know why Harbaugh has such an axe to grind against Pete? Why was he willing to do such a blatantly disrespectful thing? Is there some history there of which I'm unaware?

Screw_Michigan wrote:Pete owned the Pac 10 for seven years, Harbaugh just kicked him in the nuts as a favor for the rest of the league.

What's the big deal? Jesus fucking Christ. This is the day of hysterics and handwringing in BTPCFB. First M Cunt, now you.

Regardless, WGARA? When you get destroyed the way USC was destroyed, fretting over classless two point plays is akin to worrying about lost deck chairs from the Titanic. The only relevant thing about Harbaugh's decision to rub it in is that at some point Pete will pay him back, which the Stanford kids won't deserve. They'll be made to the pay the price for their coach's lack of class, and hopefully none of them will get hurt.

Van wrote:What about it? It's 24, in the 3rd. The game hasn't been decided yet.

Screw_Michigan wrote:For me, it's only acceptable when playing Notre Dame.

11/28

Screw_Michigan wrote:For me, it's only acceptable when playing Notre Dame.

Killian wrote:The only time I ever get pissed about it is when clearly supperior teams beat the piss out of clearly inferior teams and try to break the scoreboard. Other than that, fuck 'em. It's their job to stop you, not the other way around.

Van wrote:Pete's never done that; not to anyone, much less to Harbaugh and Stanford.

Van wrote:The comparison you keep trying to make holds no water. They're not at all the same things.

Van wrote:Pete never rubs it in, the way Harbaugh did.

Van wrote:Going for two, late in a blow out? Keeping his star QB and TB in the whole game of a blow out? You need to watch more USC football. Pete doesn't do things like that. He gives his reserves ample playing time during blowouts, and there is no way in hell he'd ever go for two in that situation.