- . Digg It
- . Sphere It
- . E-mail This
- . Save to del.icio.us
- . Permanent Link
Of Trojans and Trying
USC's defeat provided a singular learning opportunity
"Those college boys have been reading too many of their press clippings."
That's what folks in Los Angeles are saying about its formerly top-ranked USC football team, which lost in spectacular fashion to Stanford on Saturday night. Three days later, the city is still tangibly reeling. Call me self-absorbed, but I apologize if this headline, which came out a week before the Trojans' 35-game home-winning streak ended, is to blame. And not just because the headline's grammar is mad suspect.
That out of the way, let's now lavish affection on this teachable moment.
Know that so few folks thought this game would even be competitive that it ran on Versus, a channel envious of C-SPAN's ratings. Las Vegas made USC six touchdown favorites. Nobody short of Buffalo Bills fans could name a recent Stanford player since only fans on the West Coast are likely to have even seen Stanford play since the Ty Willingham era. And yet there was the Cardinal, with a roster full of student-athletes whose professional accomplishments won't likely come on Sundays, hanging around for the game's thrilling conclusion.
How does something like that happen? From the Trojans not fully trying, that's how.
Oddly enough, effort had been the dominant theme of the 30 or so previous hours at my crib. Wyatt, my younger son, busts his ass as only a middle child might. But the big boy Forrest is mad lazy. Not tying your shoes lazy. So I was on him. Great Santini on him. Through hoops with my girl. Through his vocabulary homework. Through the tortellini dinner. Just ridin' him. On his ass like a goddamn thong.
That's what folks in Los Angeles are saying about its formerly top-ranked USC football team, which lost in spectacular fashion to Stanford on Saturday night. Three days later, the city is still tangibly reeling. Call me self-absorbed, but I apologize if this headline, which came out a week before the Trojans' 35-game home-winning streak ended, is to blame. And not just because the headline's grammar is mad suspect.
That out of the way, let's now lavish affection on this teachable moment.
Know that so few folks thought this game would even be competitive that it ran on Versus, a channel envious of C-SPAN's ratings. Las Vegas made USC six touchdown favorites. Nobody short of Buffalo Bills fans could name a recent Stanford player since only fans on the West Coast are likely to have even seen Stanford play since the Ty Willingham era. And yet there was the Cardinal, with a roster full of student-athletes whose professional accomplishments won't likely come on Sundays, hanging around for the game's thrilling conclusion.
How does something like that happen? From the Trojans not fully trying, that's how.
Oddly enough, effort had been the dominant theme of the 30 or so previous hours at my crib. Wyatt, my younger son, busts his ass as only a middle child might. But the big boy Forrest is mad lazy. Not tying your shoes lazy. So I was on him. Great Santini on him. Through hoops with my girl. Through his vocabulary homework. Through the tortellini dinner. Just ridin' him. On his ass like a goddamn thong.
What People Are Saying…
Leave a Comment
18:56 EDT, 10.Oct.07