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USC Homecoming Report Card


Coffeeman
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As promised, here are my blog-like thoughts on Saturday at the Coliseum. Whoever does this after the big one at the Shoe will get more looks, since the game is more important, but until then...

 

ATMOSPHERE/WEATHER = A+. Not hot but nice and warm until sunset, you couldn't ask for a better day. With 92,000 heading for the game, I'd guess at least another 50-60K were there just for the party. My 6 alum buddies and our kids totalled 15 for a nice sized group, and we were primed to have fun - without the wives/moms there to stop our roving eyes and the kids from consuming too much sugar. Had to put on the sweatshirt at halftime, but up til then it was warm enough to enjoy the tight shirts/sweaters on the more shapely coeds and female fans. Yes, we were being non-PC pigs all day.

 

TAILGATING = A. The only reason I can't go A+ here is that I've only been to the Coliseum and Rose Bowl, so I'm sure that a SEC or Big 12 school could claim to have the best food and drink. Someday I'll make a pilgrimage outside the state. After walking through campus to see all the festivities there, we made it over to the free 'FanFest' area outside the Coliseum. Bouncers, giant slides, obstacle courses, fieldgoal kick contests and throwing contests for the younger kids. For food/drink, we ended up with a juicy cheeseburger and a couple beers, and Coca-cola was giving out free Full throttles all day - much to the delight of the kids. But I admit I lusted after the steak and ribs over in the gated off Cardinal and Gold party, as the smells wafted over to our area. But you have to 'give back' a couple grand each year, on top of season tix, to party there.

 

Speaking of the C&G party, we were close enough to catch the players' glory walk 2 hours before kickoff. Led by the ever-smiling Coach Carroll in a nice tan suit, the team and staff walked the gauntlet of adoring fans all the way into the Coliseum, starting at the C&G party tables just outside the Sports Arena (where the Clippers and Trojans used to play b-ball). Most of them had the headphones and iPods going, so they appeared to endure it more than enjoy it, compared to Carroll. But that figures nowadays. They don't realize how special it is until its gone - Leinart got it, which is why he came back for one more year. Overall, the 'Trojan Family' feeling was in full effect, and the good natured jawing with the occasional Ducks fans was fairly harmless.

 

GAME = A (for Trojan fans.) Although we kicked butt 35-10, I can't go A+ here, but more on why in a minute. The crowd was rocking in a sea of cardinal red and gold, with just a sliver of Ducks fans way in the southeast corner of the endzone. That was surprising, vs. what it used to be like a few years ago with the opposing team being well represented, but this bandwagon is in full effect now. This is why we have no NFL team here - the public is not willing to pay millions (or billions?) to bring a team and new stadium here, when we have the dominant Trojans here, in the historic but rundown Coliseum, for 'free'. (Or whatever the current public $ burden is, its not felt and would not be 'net new'.) Kickoff wasn't until about 7:25pm, so we were already wondering how long some the younger kids (4-5 y.o.,) would hold up. We're all avid fans, so leaving early was not a good option. So we kept the sodas, kettle corn, churros and cotton candy coming. The absent moms would've stopped that around 6pm, no doubt. Our plan was coming along nicely...

 

We started off slow with 14-0 at the half, but the crowd went crazy for the big INT + return for Mays, and for the missed Duck FG at the end of the half. For the benefit of the handful of Ducks fans around us, our biggest drinking dad (i.e the one who'd had about 5-6 in him vs. the 3-4 for the rest of us,) starting shouting at the top of his lungs, "Akili Smith washed my car yesterday!" Funny, but you had to be there to see the looks on their faces. We hoped it wouldn't get worse with him, but it did. Just a bit....

 

After the requisite 20 minute trip to the restrooms and food stands due to the lines, the 3rd quarter was more interesting, and into the 4th Q we went, at around 10pm. At this point, only one of our youngin's started to fade - the 5 y.o. daughter of our San Diego contingent - but talk of their exit strategy began in earnest. Not me - my 2 boys were still rockin, with kettle corn in one hand and cotton candy in the other (no joke, I have pictures.) So I envisioned a 10:45-11pm exit, to be completed only after the triumphant coaches and interested players took turns leading the band in Conquest, Fight On, etc. Hey, its tradition, and the kids would walk under their own power to the car. My dream outing with my buddies would be complete.

 

Then it happened - the most bizarre officiating any of us had ever seen. The Ducks were 4th and goal, looking for their first (and only) TD of the night, and it was desperation time for them at 28-3. Especially true since their QB Dixon was out early in the first half. The backup QB Leaf, who I think is brother to epic loser Ryan(?) barely escaped a sack and threw to the back of the endzone. The ball was tipped and then caught by the RB Stewart, who appeared (to the admittedly drunk and biased crowd!) to at least be on the back line and/or perhaps coming back in after being out of bounds, at least on the only replay we got to see on the big screen. The most bizarre replay challenge sequence ever was just beginning...

 

I don't know if this is typical elsewhere, but the home crowd at USC is not usually shown multiple looks at a controversial play; I guess to avoid riots. I suppose its a good move cuz believe me, after what I'm sure was about 20 minutes of utter crap, there would've been one there, if the game were closer. My increasingly beligerent buddy starting doing variations on his Akili car-wash theme, (waxes, buffing, Armor-All on the tires, lovingly hand-dried, etc.) getting louder and louder and with more coarse language. Our laughter became more nervous, and even some of the USC fans around us were getting irritated with him.

 

Meanwhile, my 4 y.o. told me he was tired & wanted to go home, and promptly fell asleep on my lap - dropping his kettle corn all over. My level of fun dropped substantially. After about 8-9 minutes, the ref announced the TD was overturned and the crowd obviously went crazy. We couldn't hear the reasoning, as it was drowned out after he said, "The ruling on the field of a TD is reversed..."

 

Then we see Bellotti on the big screen pitching a fit, and calling for a 'reversal of the reversal', apparently (I found out later on the radio in the car,) based on the ball being tipped by a defender, not his WR. This resulted in another 8-9 minute delay. W-T-Fudge?? Can anyone explain how that kind of appeal is possible? Isn't there some kind of 'double jeopardy' rule to prevent this double replay delay? The radio guys seemed to think they got the call right, but the crowd has no idea what is going on in real time with no video. And irate fans can get, uh, unruly. I loudly wondered if these were the same 'tards that did the Ducks-Sooners game. Apparently these bozos follow the Ducks around. But I was careful (and sober enough) to avoid major bad language, if only for the sake of the youngins. My buddy, on the other hand....

 

I guess I'll just have to be glad my friend only caused a few people around us to leave, and no real violence ensued. But the kids got an earful, and that wasn't cool...

 

WALK BACK TO CAR = D-. Right after USC scored again to make it 35-10, our whole gang left. (To the chorus of "Take that, you Ducks and ref A-holes!") I'd never left with over 12 minutes to go from a Homecoming game before, but there's a first time for everything. Nothing else of interest occured, but still not optimal when you only get to 1-2 games/year. Carrying one sleeping kid and draggin another whining 7 y.o. along for about a mile in a thick crowd was tough - my buddies were all in the same boat. The crowd was thick because they all felt the same way, I guess. But what could I expect from my boys at 10:30pm? The post-sugar crash was inevitable - ah, the best laid plans. The only thing that made this part above a 'F' was the shuttle that mercifully carried us the last 1/2 mile to the parking structure.

 

OVERALL = A. Almost an A+, but the refs and Bellottis' pansy-ass whining 'almost' ruined it. I say almost, since early in the 3rd we found out on the big screen that all those teams ahead of us lost, and FLA didn't look too impressive. After a great day and big win, we knew we could dream about awaking late Sunday morning to the chance that our Trojans could climb as high as #3 in the BCS. And guess what happened?

 

For now, life is good! And then the Bears come to town next week. I'll be watching that one from home, but I expect to party hardy again...

Edited by Coffeeman
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I had the priviledge of going to Kinnick Stadium for the homecoming game vs Michigan in 03. It was a mob scene. Honestly though, the best atmosphere I've been in was 2002 at the Metro Dome when Iowa finished off an undefeated Big Ten season against the Goofers. 30,000 Hawk fans made the trek up to the Twin Cities, and in the streets after the game, there was nothing but Iowa license plates as far as the eye could see in Downtown Minneapolis. Some guy screamed, honk your horn if you're a Hawkeye fan, and the whole city erupted into cheeers and horns going. It was a pretty weird feeling, being that this was in Minneapolis, and not Iowa City.

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Enjoyed the blog especially the part about your kids. < At this point, only one of our youngin's started to fade - the 5 y.o. daughter of our San Diego contingent - but talk of their exit strategy began in earnest. Not me - my 2 boys were still rockin, with kettle corn in one hand and cotton candy in the other>

 

Been there done that. Few years back took my two boys to a Rangers baseball game in July where the average temperature even at night In Dallas can often surpass the 100 degree mark. To make a long story short, I did like you and provided them with unlimited sugar in liquid and solid form that allowed me to stay from batting practice thru the 7th inning stretch.

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Right on, brother - sugar helps. One of the little differences between moms and dads...

 

 

What you did miss by not watching the TV simulcast is Carrol screaming at Bellotti after Belotti "won" the final challenge ..... F YOU, F YOU, F YOU!

 

I've always respected Carrol but, I have to admit, that was classless! :D

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What you did miss by not watching the TV simulcast is Carrol screaming at Bellotti after Belotti "won" the final challenge ..... F YOU, F YOU, F YOU!

 

I've always respected Carrol but, I have to admit, that was classless! :D

 

 

That's what the crowd was saying too - it just sounded like 'Boooo'....

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