SoCal Sports Observed

The Trojan family lost a member today as former USC head coach Larry Smith died at the age of 68 after suffering from chronic lymphatic leukemia.

Smith was reviled by many USC fans at the end of his six-year tenure, but in retrospect he was a much better coach than some realized. The USC program that Smith took over in 1987 had slipped somewhat under Ted Tollner. After leaving Arizona, Smith helped bring USC football back to a level of prominence, going to three consecutive Rose Bowls. His 1988 Trojan team, quarterbacked by Rodney Peete, defeated Troy Aikman's UCLA Bruin squad in one of the most memorable games in the rivalry's history. In 1989, Smith coached a freshman QB named Todd Marinovich to a Rose Bowl title.

But things seemed to unravel after that game. The following year, Marinovich and the Trojans lost to Michigan State in the John Hancock Bowl. Marinovich squabbled with Smith after the quarterback skipped class and started using drugs. He was suspended from the team multiple times and left USC after his red-shirt sophomore season -- something that no one did back then. Without Marinovich, Smith's Trojans were forced to use Reggie Perry at quarterback (Smith actually considered having Perry share the position with Curtis Conway), and they struggled mightily in 1991. By 1992, a young quarterback named Rob Johnson was giving Trojan fans hope, but USC lost to UCLA and Notre Dame to close out the season. They entered a Freedom Bowl game against Fresno State that turned out to be Smith's undoing. The Bulldogs won 24-7, and while they had a talented team that included future NFL players like Trent Dilfer and Lorenzo Neal, the loss was unforgivable to most USC fans.

Smith would go onto coach at Missouri, where he had 7 up-and-down seasons. His 1997 Tiger team should have beaten then-undefeated Nebraska, if not for an infamous kicked ball, but Smith finished his tenure at Missouri with 2 losing seasons.

Overall though Smith brought great talent to the Trojan program, including Conway, Keyshawn Johnson, Johnnie Morton, Willie McGinest, and Tony Boselli. He helped create some lasting memories, and if not for Todd Marinovich's problems and an unfortunate loss to Fresno State, he might have coached USC a bit longer.

Posted by Phil Wallace at 7:43 PM | Permalink

--The Clippers are stealing all the local headlines today, as owner Donald Sterling and coach Mike Dunleavy are trading barbs through TJ Simers of the LA Times. Among the highlights:

Donald Sterling, in comments made to the Los Angeles Times, had expressed disappointment in his team's fortunes and made what sounded vaguely like an ultimatum, saying, "I want to make L.A. fans proud of this team, but if [Elgin Baylor and Mike Dunleavy] can't make it happen, then I have no choice but to make changes."

To which Dunleavy retorted: "It would be the biggest mistake you ever made. It's his team and he can do whatever he likes ... but look, you can find any coach you want, bring him in here and run the situation. But I don't think they are going to do as good a job as I do. And that's period."

"You give me the budget," Dunleavy said in the Times, "and I'm going to be OK with it. I'm not asking anyone to go to the luxury tax. But if we gather information and put deals in place that I think benefit the team and somebody who is not in basketball operations disagrees with it, sorry, you've just taken it out of my hands."

...

"That's why I'm paying [Dunleavy] the money I am," Sterling said. "I want to see him win. I don't want to tell him how to do it. I'm just interested in the conclusion. My whole philosophy is hire the best people and let them do their jobs.

"There is no alternative, you have to rely on them, and if it doesn't work out, either you're patient or make changes, right?"

As I've said before on here, Mike Dunleavy is an excellent NBA coach, and the Clippers are struggling because of injuries. It's not just Elton Brand and Shaun Livingston, but it seems as if every Clippers starter has missed some time this year. In a loaded Western Conference, a few setbacks can be magnified. That being said, it wouldn't hurt the Clippers to leverage some of their top assets (Corey Maggette, Cuttino Mobley, etc.) and explore some opportunities to reshape and improve their roster. It's possible that both Maggette and Brand will be gone after this season, so it would be wise to chart out the future of this team as best as they can.

In the meantime, Clipper fans should be excited by Sterling's comments. It's the most passion and urgency he's expressed since the Clippers played in San Diego 25 years ago. That's not to say he doesn't care, because Sterling has opened his checkbook in recent years (the Clippers are $10 million over the salary cap). But after these comments it's hard for a long suffering Clipper fan to claim that Donald Sterling doesn't care about winning at this point in his life.

--After injuries to both Andrew Bynum and Trevor Ariza, the big story with the Lakers right now is the fans' booing of Kwame Brown. Despite what Laker players might say, it's perfectly understandable that fans would boo a player who commits seven turnovers in limited action. Brown isn't quite as awful as some fans believe... after all Phil Jackson is in love with his defense. But Brown's past and reputation as a first pick bust are virtually inescapable, so there has to be some reasonable expectation of boos when he struggles.

In the meantime, the Lakers played exceptional team basketball in a 116-99 win over the Denver Nuggets, as Kobe Bryant had 11 assists and took only seven shots the entire game. The Lakers look to keep it up this week on a tough road swing through San Antonio and Dallas.

--USC freshman sensation OJ Mayo may have violated an NCAA rule when Carmelo Anthony gave him tickets to a Laker game. There are too many NCAA rules, and I have no idea if this is serious. That being said, Mayo should know better. UPDATE: USC Coach Tim Floyd now says he gave Mayo permission to take the tickets from Anthony. From the looks of this, it seems like the worst punishment that could result is Mayo donating $460 to charity and Tim Floyd possibly being suspended for a game.

Posted by Phil Wallace at 4:27 PM | Permalink

Rick Neuheisel is already doing a fantastic job. They say a coach is only as good as his players and his staff. UCLA already had a talented team, but now they have one of the best coaching staffs in the country, as ESPN's Chris Mortensen is reporting that Norm Chow has signed on to be the Bruins offensive coordinator.

Both Chow and DeWayne Walker were serious candidates to be the next head coach of UCLA. Now they're on the same staff. Every football fan in LA knows how good Chow is as an offensive coordinator. He was one of the early pioneers of the spread passing game and has developed quarterbacks like Steve Young, Jim McMahon, Ty Detmer, Philip Rivers, Carson Palmer, and Matt Leinert. Any college team he coaches is going to score a ton of points.

It's interesting to see how Neuheisel has evolved has a coach. At Washington and Colorado, he effectively ran the offense and called the plays, but it's unlikely that Chow would have come to UCLA unless he was the play-caller and granted near total control over the offense. DeWayne Walker presumably has complete control over the defense as well. With two great coordinators to delegate to, Neuheisel can spend more time recruiting and building up the infrastructure of his program. This is a great day for UCLA.

Posted by Phil Wallace at 9:38 PM | Permalink

The hype surrounding the USC-UCLA basketball rivalry proved legit today, as the Trojans upset the Bruins 72-63 at Pauley Pavilion. For weeks we've been hearing about the matchup between Kevin Love and OJ Mayo, but it didn't necessarily come down to them. Instead, USC's other top freshman Davon Jefferson powered his way to 25 points and had his best game of the season.

It was also USC's best game of the season, as the Trojans showed they can be as good as everyone thinks they're supposed to be. USC had gotten off to a disappointing start in Pac-10 play, with three straight losses to Cal, Stanford, and Washington State. Then coach Tim Floyd had his team practice outside on the asphalt courts on Figueroa next to PSX on campus. That move appears to have given the Trojans their "eye of the tiger" back, and USC has played inspired basketball in wins over Washington and UCLA. The Pac-10 is ridiculously deep this year, but USC has repositioned itself as an elite team in the conference.

Posted by Phil Wallace at 7:42 PM | Permalink

--St. Louis Rams owner Georgia Frontiere died yesterday at the age of 80 from breast cancer. As a Los Angeles Rams fan growing up, I have to admit that I have few positive memories of her. Apparently, Christine Daniels doesn't hold her in high regard either.

First Frontiere moved the Rams from Los Angeles to Anaheim because of a dispute over luxury suites. When the Raiders filled the Rams' vacancy at the Coliseum, Frontiere's team evolved from a Los Angeles team to an Orange County team. No matter what one might say about the Coliseum, it was a dramatically better place to watch a football game than the old Anaheim Stadium. Then, from 1990-1994, the team suffered five consecutive losing seasons and saw an understandable dip in attendance. Yet, Frontiere publicly chided fans for their lack of support and openly threatened to move the team.

Back then, the Rams boasted an uninspiring roster led by a clearly hobbled Chris Miller at quarterback and a well-past-his-prime coach in Chuck Knox. Jerome Bettis, who today is considered one of the nicest guys in pro football, was unhappy in the Rams environment and seemed to be constantly at odds with the organization. At the same time, the Raiders had an exciting team that regularly competed in the playoffs. In 1994, most football pundits thought the Jeff Hostetler-led Silver & Black would reach the Super Bowl. They underachieved after Napolean McCallum suffered brutal knee injury in a Monday Night opener, but they still had the attention of LA's NFL fans.

The Rams had become almost an afterthought by that point, ceding virtually all of its LA market share to the Raiders. The local fans had grown tired of Frontiere's mismanagement and her threats to move the team, first to Baltimore and then to St. Louis, so only 26,000 people attended the team's last game in Anaheim. (A few months later, the Raiders shockingly turned down a new Hollywood Park stadium to move to Oakland, but that's a story for another day). At the time of the move, the St. Louis Rams became one of the most valuable properties in the NFL due to a very friendly stadium deal. Today though, the franchise is just the 22nd most-valuable team in the NFL, still worth $908 million, but it could be a $1 billion+ property if they were the only NFL team in Los Angeles. While I'd love to see them move back, it appears to be only a matter of time before billionaire Stan Kroenke wrests control of the team away from Frontiere's children. Korenke owns numerous sports properties, including the Denver Nuggets, Colorado Avalanche, the Pepsi Center, a share of Arsenal in the English Premier League, and 40% of the Rams.

The Rams have a rich history in Los Angeles that Frontiere helped to end. They were the first professional sports team in Southern California, and over the years featured Hall-of-Famers like Bob Waterfield, Norm Van Brocklin, Crazy Legs Hirsch, Merlin Olsen, Deacon Jones, Jack Youngblood, Jackie Slater, and Eric Dickerson (who Frontiere famously traded). Regardless of any Kurt Warner-Dick Vermeil luck that Frontiere ran into later, I will always remember her as the woman who ruined the Los Angeles NFL legacy.

In the meantime, I'm not completely sure if this is true, but I believe she maintained possession of the Baltimore Colts' Lombardi Trophy from Super Bowl V in the sun room of her Bel Air mansion. Frontiere inherited the trophy from her late husband Carroll Rosenbloom who owned the Baltimore Colts before trading them for the Rams in a famous franchise swap. The city of Baltimore has been begging to get that trophy back for years. It will be interesting to see what happens to it next.

Posted by Phil Wallace at 8:54 AM | Permalink

--Don't look now, but the Lakers have the best record in the Western Conference. But with Andrew Bynum out for eight weeks, some think that designation could end soon, as they lead Phoenix by a half game and host the Suns tonight.

Some Laker fans are quietly whispering their fears about Bynum's long-term prospects. So much hope is invested in the young center, and he's now proven that he has the talent to make it. But he missed much of his high school career with injuries, his body wore down last season, and now he's out for eight weeks subluxation of the left knee cap. Lakers trainer Gary Vitti wasn't all that comforting in a news conference yesterday.

"Andrew has some predisposing factors skeletally if you see him -- a little bit knock-kneed, wide pelvis -- [that] makes him prone to this type of thing," he said.

If you're a Laker fan, then hope it doesn't happen again, even though he's "prone" to it. In the meantime, the Lakers are considering signing Chris Webber.

--Norm Chow's surprise firing by the Tennessee Titans has fueled speculation that he might become the offensive coordinator for UCLA. We know that Rick Neuheisel is interested in the offensive guru.

"At this point in time, I'm going to sit back and stay home and walk the dog and think about some stuff. My wife and I have been apart for three years and we're going to enjoy being together," Chow said.

Part of the reason why Chow and his wife have been apart is because the Chows still maintain a home in Manhattan Beach. If Chow goes anywhere next season (and he's getting paid $1 million annually by the Titans for two more years), then UCLA's location would figure to work in their favor. Still, Chow doesn't quite sound like someone who wants to step immediately back into coaching.

"I may take a step back for a year, try to learn and grow from being off," Chow said. "Pete [Carroll] did that one year. A lot of people do that."

If Chow gets hired by UCLA, then it would be an absolute coup for the Bruin football program. A staff of Rick Neuheisel, DeWayne Walker, and Norm Chow would be one of the best in the country. One person who won't be joining the UCLA staff though is USC assistant Ken Norton, who chose to remain with the Trojans instead of leaving for his alma mater.

Posted by Phil Wallace at 9:18 AM | Permalink

--Andrew Bynum's sprained knee reminds us just how fragile success can be in the NBA. We don't know the extent of his injury yet, but it's become obvious that the Lakers need him in order to be a serious contender in the West. Up until now, the Lakers success had seemed geniune. They were playing some of the best team basketball that I had seen them play in years. But much of it hinged on Kobe creating opportunities for others on the floor, Bynum playing strong down low, and the bench providing a spark. They still have two of those three parts. Hopefully for the Lakers, Bynum won't be gone long.

--Elgin Baylor expressed his disappointment with the Clippers season, saying he expected a better record than 10-23. Some message board posters have called for Mike Dunleavy's job. I think it would be a serious mistake to fire him. Dunleavy has proven to be an excellent NBA coach. The reality is that the Clippers have faced a plethora of injuries from Elton Brand to Shaun Livingston to seemingly every one of their starters missing games for something. In a loaded Western Conference, it's hard to see how the Clippers could compete with all the injuries they've suffered.

--Reggie Miller said he was impressed with UCLA in their 81-74 win over Washington State, and so am I. Kevin Love is the real deal, and the Bruins seem as deep as any team in the country with Russell Westbrook developing into a solid player. It's a long season, but if UCLA continues their level of play, they should be looking at a No. 1 seed in the West with a road to the Final Four through Anaheim and Phoenix.

--In the meantime, USC has to be concerned about missing the NCAA Tournament. The Trojans inexplicably lost to Cal last week, and were out-hustled in a loss to Washington State. They took care of business in a must-win victory over Washington, but the Pac-10 is deeper than ever this year. The Trojans will likely need a winning conference record to reach the Big Dance, and 1-3 isn't a great start. O.J. Mayo needs to improve his shot selection and find ways to set up his teammates. His defense is excellent, but his game still has a ways to go if he wants to be a superstar in the NBA. Taj Gibson might be the key to the Trojans success this season. He needs to stay out of foul trouble and play like he did against Texas and North Carolina last season.

--The Falcons hired Thomas Dmitroff as their general manager, all but ending speculation that Pete Carroll could go to Atlanta. Carroll has said he would only take an NFL job if he was given full control over football operations.

--A few weeks ago, someone came up to me and asked "Who is the best player on the LA Kings?" The answer? Anze Kopitar. The 20-year old Slovenian center was selected to the NHL All-Star Game last week, a well-deserved honor. If you haven't had a chance to see him play, I recommend checking out a Kings game some time. In the meantime, Ryan Getzlaf and Chris Pronger of the Anaheim Ducks were also selected for the All-Star Game.

Posted by Phil Wallace at 8:19 AM | Permalink

It's NFL coach hiring season, and that means Pete Carroll is once again in demand. ESPN.com's Len Pasquarelli reports that the Atlanta Falcons have contacted Carroll about their coaching vacancy.

On the surface, it doesn't seem like the Falcons and Carroll are a great fit for each other. The Falcons have already been burned by one college coach in Bobby Petrino, so I'm a bit surprised that they're pursuing another. We know that Carroll would demand complete and full control over any NFL team he takes over, but it appears that Falcons owner Arthur Blank wants to hire a general manager. Blank would need to change his stance on that if he really wants Carroll.

Also, the Falcons have an awful team. They went 4-12 in 2007, they were built around Michael Vick who is obviously in jail right now, Warrick Dunn is well past his prime, they have no impact receivers, and they had the 29th ranked defense in the NFL this season. I'm not certain if Carroll has the patience for the type of rebuilding project necessary in Atlanta, because it's going to take several years for the Falcons to be competitive again.

Still, numerous USC fans are quietly worried by what more might come out of the Reggie Bush story, and if that could potentially lead to NCAA sanctions. And if that's the case, would Carroll want to jump ship now before the program takes a serious hit? As long as the Falcons don't have a GM, Carroll could theoretically be offered full control. It's unlikely that Carroll will seriously be considered for other NFL openings this season though. He probably doesn't want to work for Bill Parcells in Miami or Dan Snyder in Washington. And the Baltimore Ravens have a fine general manager in Ozzie Newsome. So if Carroll doesn't go to Atlanta, Trojan fans may get nervous again next January when a new set of NFL jobs will become open.

Posted by Phil Wallace at 11:23 PM | Permalink

USC had little trouble disposing of Illinois in the Rose Bowl, winning 49-17. While it was a great win for the Trojans, in truth it was a win over a team that probably didn't belong there. The Rose Bowl opted to go for tradition with a Big Ten/Pac-10 matchup, rather than the best game which would have been USC-Georgia. One can argue the merits of either opponent, but the result was a supremely talented USC team clobbering a rising Illinois program that wasn't ready for prime time.

Now the focus for USC is on next season. The Trojans will lose numerous members of their top defense to graduation, and possibly several others like Ray Maualuga and Brian Cushing. They will also lose some experience on the offensive line and John David Booty graduates as well. But Pete Carroll has kept this team well-stocked, and there is talent at every position. Expect an epic quarterback battle between Mark Sanchez and Mitch Mustain. Also, expect USC to stay strong on the ground next year as CJ Gable comes back from injury to compete in a crowded backfield with Joe McKnight, Stafon Johnson, Marc Tyler, and others.

USC also has a spectacularly difficult schedule next season. Their first five opponents all made bowl games this year. The Trojans open at Virginia and then play Ohio State at home. I don't know if any other program in the country would have the guts to give themselves that schedule. Then USC goes to Corvallis to play a quality Oregon State team, before going home for matchups against Oregon and Arizona State. USC finishes up with Notre Dame at home and UCLA on the road, and both of those teams figure to be improved. It should be a fascinating 2008 for the Trojans.

Posted by Phil Wallace at 9:37 PM | Permalink