DEVELOPING: USC Doesn't Like The Appeal Ruling

((HT: MyFoxLA))

The debilitation of USC stands as called by the NCAA...

Appeal rejected...

USC must serve the second year of its two-year postseason ban. USC also will lose 30 scholarships over the next three years, giving them just 15 scholarships per season until 2015. Most schools get 25 unless you're Houston Nutt or something...

A lot of the NCAA world is saying that life under Lane Kiffin couldn't be any more karmically correct...

Here's Pat Haden pleading his case...

NCAA Rejects USC's Appeal of Sanctions: MyFoxLA.com

SC's seniors are still allowed to transfer to another school without sitting out a season. Lane Kiffin is referring to that part of the ruling as "free agency."

And, for some strange reason, laughter continues across the country from a boatload of other campuses that have had to see Kiffykin's shenanigans firsthand...

Mustain Arrested On Drug Charges

((HT: MyFoxLA))

What is it about quarterbacks at USC...???

Marinovich and now Mustain... must be the letter "M" or something...

Los Angeles police say Mitch Mustain has been arrested on suspicion of selling prescription drugs.

If that doesn't say "trying to get ready for the NFL Draft" the HQ doesn't know what will...

LAPD spokesman Bruce Borihanh says he was arrested Tuesday night by narcotics officers. Mustain was booked on $30,000 bail.

Phil Shuman has the latest...

Ex-USC QB Arrested on Drug Charge: MyFoxLA.com

DEVELOPING: Stafon Johnson Suing USC

((HT: KABC-TV))

A weightlifting accident more than a year ago nearly ended the life and college career of former USC running back Stafon Johnson. Now, he's suing the school.

The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages.

In September 2009, an accident in the weight room crushed his larynx when a bar loaded with 275 pounds fell on Johnson's neck during a bench press exercise.

The running back eventually recovered, but he was out the rest of the 2009 season.

He was picked up by the Tennessee Titans last April as a free agent, but his action in 2010 was limited because of an ankle injury he sustained in the preseason.

ESPN's Shelley Smith discusses...


"What we say occurred is that the bar was basically knocked out of his hand, causing it to fall on Stafon's neck, almost causing him to die," Johnson's attorney, Carl Douglas, said at a news conference Monday afternoon. "We think for that, those that are responsible should be held responsible for their actions."

Here's your refresher from our friends at MyFoxLA...

USC's Stafon Johnson Prognosis Good: MyFoxLA.com

This is why the NCAA has agent problems...

Teague Egan and friend/Courtesy: Mel Melcon-latimes.com

((ht: latimes.com))

Wow! If you ever wondered how the agent and compliance issue in the NCAA became such a problem, we now have a shining example as to why.

We stumbled across this fascinating and incredibly scary story that explains how a 22-year old USC student got certified to be an agent by the NFL Players Association. The kids name is Teague Egan and he gladly proclaims his goal is to "Represent every USC Player about to turn pro".

Egan has already gotten USC running back Dillon Baxter suspended for a game and according to the article has the USC compliance office completely freaked out.

Read the excellent TJ Simers story from the LA Times RIGHT HERE

The first question this story raises is this: Why would the NFLPA certify this kid as an agent? Things like this would explain some of the issues currently dogging the NCAA and their eligibility requirements. You can't have a kid like this existing and expect a school to stay in compliance. It will never happen.

The whole college player/agent issue is already out of hand and nobody seems to be in a hurry to fix it. Certainly some form of cooperation between the NCAA and the NFLPA about issues such as the ones raised in this article would be a good start. But there is no indication either side is even willing to talk about it.

So in the meantime the corruption of the system continues. College football, while being our favorite sport of all, has gotten more and more corrupt as the years go by. It's all about the money. All about the money for the people who run bowl games. All about the money for the NCAA. All about the money for the schools and their marketing departments and all about the money for the coaches. The ones who get screwed are the players who don't make any money from anything. Unless they meet or have a Teague Egan on their campus, something that we are beginning to think, many of them do.

Here's the most appropriate video we could think of, courtesy of SoulTrain and YouTube:

TWTW: Kiffykins Loses Another One On Last Second FG

((HT: ESPN on ABC/Youtube))

Okay, so you score with 72 seconds left, and you think you have it made...

As someone on Saturdays says: Not so fast my friend...

Stanford's Andrew Luck set up Nate Whitaker's game-winning 30-yard field goal, giving the Cardinal a 37-35 victory and giving USC its second straight last-second defeat.

The HQ can't help but chuckle...

The loss dropped USC's record to 4-2 overall and 1-2 in the Pacific 10 Conference.

"We're at the lowest of the lows," USC quarterback Matt Barkley said, "and it's very tough because we were at the highest of the highs just two weeks ago."

It marked the first time since 2000 that Stanford defeated the Trojans at Stanford Stadium. And it marks the first time since 2001 that USC has lost two games in a row.

"We are so close to being good," Coach Lane Kiffin said, "but we are not there yet."

Mike Patrick had the pleasure of calling this one...


The HQ especially likes the Death Glare From Lane at, about the :30 mark...

Lane Kiffin disciplinarian...Suspends Dillon Baxter

Our Hero//Courtesy: petesonthehotseat.com

Alrighty then. Our pal Kiffikins continues his rousing start in Trojan land. Practice is nary 3 weeks old and already we have trouble in paradise.

Yesterday, we find out that the Trojan's have suspended star freshman running back Dillon Baxter for USC's first game, against Hawaii.

Baxter, according to reports not coming from Kiffin, was the center of an incident at the Athletic Dorms the night before.

Read more about the incident from the LA Times RIGHT HERE

We think the funniest part of this story, and it has humorous elements, is the fine, upstanding Lane Kiffin, weakly trying to deflect the questions of the LA Media.

This of course comes on top of last week, where he finally admitted that Cornerback TJ Bryant had to get surgery to repair a cheekbone that was broken in a fight the week before camp started.

Previous to that, it was the hiring of Kennedy Pola to be the Offensive Coordinator right under the nose of the Tennessee Titans, who had just hired Pola. Oh...and they didn't ask for permission to talk to him either. 

And lest we forget that Kiffikins was questioned by the NCAA about multiple potential issues with his year or so in Knoxville, at the University of Tennessee.

We can't wait to see what's next.

Enjoiy an interview with young Mr. Baxter, shot back in April. Thanks PedroMouraESPN and YouTube:

And to explain why this is a big deal, here are some highlights from the spring game. Thanks CollegeLevelAthletes.com and YouTube:

BREAKING NEWS: USC To Return Bush's Heisman Trophy

((HT: KCBS-TV))

Future-Incoming, and Currently Interim, USC President Max Nikias said the school will return Reggie Bush's trophy to the Heisman Trophy Trust next month.

The HQ thinks, along with most conventional wisdom, that the trophy may be vacated and that this is a move to extend what goodwill USC has left in the college football community.

The school also said that it will take down anything, and the HQ means anything, with Bush or O.J. Mayo on it, the other major figure in the four-year NCAA investigation that ended about a month ago.

"The Trojan Family honors and respects the USC sporting careers of those persons whose actions did not compromise their athletic program or the opportunities of future USC student-athletes," Nikias said.

This is all setting up the idea of a house-cleaning in the USC Athletic Department. OSG Sports reported earlier today that Pat Haden is taking over for a "retiring" Mike Garrett in early August as AD, and that JK McKay will be given the newly-created role of a university "liaison" between the Athletic Department and the individual teams themselves.

More when we know more...

Here's some highlights of Bush, that might have to be vacated or turned into "un-highlights..." by the time the NCAA is done...
((HT: NCAA/kneekeel8))

DEVELOPING STORY: Haden To Replace Garrett As USC AD

((HT: LA Times- Dwyre))

In a move a lot of people thought was a long time coming, former USC quarterback Pat Haden is set to replace current Athletic Director Mike Garrett as soon as August 3rd. USC President Steven Sample is retiring on that date, and it has been targeted and otherwise circled for the same transition in the Athletic Department.

Haden will, obviously, have to give up his role as NBC analyst for Notre Dame football, but the magna-cum-laude/Rhodes Scholar/Phi Beta Kappa-current private investment firm guy wants to restore the program to its past glory and reputation.

From Dwyre:

"This is not something I thought about doing, nor something even on my radar," Haden said. "But I began to see it as a challenge, as something new. And when my wife agreed — and she really doesn't follow sports closely — I took a closer look."

An announcement of an official nature is anticipated sometime Tuesday in Los Angeles. In addition, former Trojan JK McKay is also figured to be hired as some sort of compliance "liaison" between Haden and Lane Kiffin- presumably to keep Kiffin's head screwed on straight in recruiting and eligibility issues.

As Ol' JR used to say... Business just picked up...

More when we know more...
But, here's what USC will be trying to avoid with Haden...
Ed Laskos explains from Los Angeles from, about, six weeks ago...
((HT: KTTV/Fox 11- MyFoxLA))

Looks like 2-Years for USC

We knew this was coming, just nobody knew when. The USC (Southern Cal) Football looks like they will be at home for the next two bowl seasons.

According to a plethora of reports, Lane Kiffin and his boys will be feeling the effects of following Pete Carroll for at least two years. They apparently will be banned from post-season bowl games, lose some games they won, lose 30 scholarships and various other restrictions including probation.

Here's Pete Carroll's understandable response from Seattle...
((HT: PeteCarrollTV))


That all stems from issues primarily surrounding two players; Reggie Bush and OJ Mayo. By the way, we don't mention the basketball team, because they self-imposed a post-season ban on themselves this past season.

There is much, much more in this story from NBC Los Angeles RIGHT HERE
Some additional details from CBS2 in LA RIGHT HERE

According to the reports, the school was going to announce something along these lines in a press conference Thursday afternoon, that has now been scaled back to a Press Release. Hmmmm....does anyone think that Mr. Bush, Mr. Mayo or former coaches Pete Carroll or Tim Floyd will be commenting? Nah....us either.

ABC7 in LA has some campus reaction, check it out:



And here's coverage from "Good Day LA" and our friends at Fox11-KTTV
((HT: MyFoxLA.com))

Reggie Bush is still haunting USC....

((ht: yahoo sports))

Our friends at Yahoo Sports have been on top of this story from the get go. Reggie Bush, Heisman Trophy winner, star at USC and now with the New Orleans Saints of the NFL, is a centerpiece in the NCAA's investigation of recruiting issues at USC.

Yahoo had reported, as far back as 2006 on Bush accepting money, a large amount of money from a marketing agency so that they could represent him. That story, broke open a large can of worms and the NCAA has been investigating USC since then.

Late in 2009, the school went before an NCAA panel to find out what trouble they might be in. The panel hesitated because they wanted information in regards to Bush's issues. It appears that they won't be getting them.

More from Yahoo Sports RIGHT HERE

The settlement will keeps the details of Bush's relationship with New Era sports, the marketing company private and not available for other court cases. While this may or may not have an impact on USC's numerous issues, it probably will absolve Bush as being the centerpiece of them.

Here is the aforementioned Mr. Bush in a mashup video from You Tube:

Don't go Coach!

This really isn't Hilariously funny, but it is amusing. Plus there is a good message at the end. Pete Carroll does have a decent sense of humor it seems and also has made quite a few friends in his time in L.A.

Check out this video as one of USC's..."Fans" wants to know why he's leaving.

Enjoy. Thanks Funnyordie.com

Pete Carroll's Trip to Seattle Delayed from Rob Riggle

TWTW: USC Hangs On In South Bend, Clausen Grades Incomplete 34-27

((HT: KCBS-TV/Los Angeles))

Jimmy Clausen threw three incomplete passes into the end zone in the closing seconds as No. 6 Southern California held on for a 34-27 victory and its eighth straight win against No. 25 Notre Dame.

The Irish rallied back from a 34-14 deficit, but couldn't score into the same end zone where the Trojans famously scored four years ago on the Bush Push.

On Clausen's first pass into the end zone, Kyle Rudolph made juggling catch but was out of bounds. The second was knocked down by Josh Pinkard and the Trojans started celebrating thinking the game was over.

But the officials ruled there was 1 second left.

Clausen fired to Duval Kamara, who slipped and couldn't get a hand on it.

Here's Jim Hill's highlights from KCBS-TV's "Sports Central" program...

Stafon Johnson Seriously Injured

USC Running Back Stafon Johnson was seriously hurt this afternoon in a weightlifting accident. Johnson was apparently working out, doing bench presses, when the bar somehow fell and landed on his throat.

The injury was severe enough that Johnson was spitting up blood and was rushed to the hospital where he was undergoing surgery.

The story from the LA Times HERE.
More from NBCLA.com HERE.

Johnson, one of the Trojans leaders on offense was having a good season for an offense that had been struggling this season. According to reports, the injury wasn't "Life Threatening", but could potentially be "Career Ending".

This story will obviously be updated as more information becomes available.
Here's Derrin Horton's live shot from outside USC's practice facility.
Thanks to our friends at KTLA

USC is at it Again....

This isn't quite as serious as the accusations involving Reggie Bush, but Pete Carroll and the USC Trojans are in hot water with the NCAA, again. Apparently, Carroll invited longtime NFL Assistant Pete Rodriguez to observe the teams Kicking and Special teams and make recommendations.

According to the byzantine rules of the NCAA, that friends...is a significant violation.

Check out the story from the LA Times and Paul Pringle here.

If we were way out west in L.A, we'd be concerned. The NCAA is looking hard at a "Lack of Institutional Control" thing with the Trojans, not only because of football but basketball too. While, the "Unofficial" coach thing certainly won't get them barred or banned from anything, the combination of this along with the numerous other "Investigations" could make for some "Hot" seats out there.

((Pete Carroll looks concerned/Courtesy: Alex Gallardo, LA Times))