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[UPDATE] Simers Doing Trojan's Dirty Work: Spreading Chow Rumors During Recruiting Season

So apparently lot of idiots and traditional media writers who are desperate to look for any kind of story based on off the cuff comments from a coach (who generally hates media losers) are trying to concoct the story line of Chow leaving UCLA and perhaps going back to Southern Cal. You know the school where a narcisstic, self-aggrandizing, NCAA sleazebag effectively emasculated Chow by pushing him out to the NFL.

So where did Simers is getting this rumor (now picked up by Miller) from? Oh let me give you a clue because I have been sitting on this for a while. This went up on WildWest (a Trojan message board) on December 1st:

Norm Chow back at USC?

Posted By: 92657
Date: 12/1/2009 11:34:04 AM

Was that just a pleasantry or a calculated move by Carroll to run 40 yards to reach out to Normie before the game???

- After a tough season, is Jeremy Bates heading back to the NFL?
- Chow's Titans severance is over this year. Who can pay $1M for an OC?
- Does Chow see a bleak future with ucla's Stiff City 3, no RB and Randall Carroll?
- Is Barkley, McKnight, Bradford, Tyler, Baxter, Prater, Woods, RoJo, Butler, Flournoy etc. an enticing stable of offensive talent?

It's no secret Normie and Mike Garrett are still very close.

It was immediately picked up by the "rumor" section of ESPN within couple of days (as emailed to us by one of our astute and alert readers):

Norm Chow back at USC?

Norm Chow's name has already been in the coaching rumor mill, as the UCLA offensive coordinator was already mentioned as a potential replacement for retired San Jose State coach Dick Tomey. Chow, however, turned it down.

But another job may soon open up, and it may be much harder to turn down.

USC offensive coordinator Jeremy Bates is rumored to be following Mike Shanahan back to the NFL, if Shanahan returns. Bates called the plays when Shanahan was in Denver last season.

If he leaves, USC may look to fill the void by looking crosstown at Chow, who was the offensive coordinator at USC from 2001 to 2004. Sure, it would be considered the ultimate betrayal, but Chow may have a hard time turning down the offensive toys USC has to offer. A key might be the return of top freshman QB Matt Barkley. In an interview with ESPN The Magazine's Bruce Feldman in August, he said the key to his early success with USC was the return of second-year QB Carson Palmer. USC also has a pair of talented wide receiver coming in to boost an already talented group.

Unless Chow is dead set on staying at UCLA or earning a head coaching gig, a return to USC and a reunion with Pete Carroll is possible.

Of course all of this is garbage. If anyone wanted to write about facts they would note that Chow is under contract through next season. As reported by Brian Dohn on Daily News (link no longer available) around May of 2008 (emphasis added throughout):

According to documents obtained by the Daily News, Chow has a base salary of $250,000 per season. He will receive a talent fee of $50,000 in each of the first two years of the contact, and $140,000 in the final year.

If Chow remains with the Bruins for a third year, he will earn a $250,000 retention bonus, which becomes payable when he takes part in UCLA's first spring practice for the 2010 season.


"Fortunately, the administration knew the value of Norm, having interviewed him for the (head coaching) spot," Neuheisel said. "I didn't have to sell them much. I'm very thankful for (athletic director) Dan (Guerrero) and all the people to get it done, and I'm thankful for Norm for choosing to do it."

The three-year deal was first reported by the Daily News in February, but the contract was not completed until late last month, and the financial particulars just became public record.

The deal is backloaded because Chow's contract with the NFL's Tennessee Titans, who fired him in the offseason, calls for him to be paid $1 million in each of the next two years.

Dohn confirmed the three year deal in a subsequent blogpost in May, 2009. So Chow is not going anywhere unless UCLA signs off on it (which it obviously will not especially if it involves another conference opponent).

This is just another example of spoiled Trojan entitlement syndrome. The LA Times is letting Pete Carroll's biggest fan spread it during the peak recruiting season (in what looks like a fairly transparent attempt to sow doubts in recruits mind while considering UCLA).

Shame on anyone who falls for this.

GO BRUINS.

UPDATE (N): Miller just posted this (HT Harsha):

Norm Chow plans to return as UCLA's offensive coordinator in 2010.

And we have gotten email from UCLA folks confirming the exact information. Right now it looks like nothing but classic rumor mongering by TJ Simers from the Trojan Times. The editor of that newspaper - if he had any shred of integrity - would be ashamed of himself for the stunt Simers pulled today. But that's too much to expect from the mouthpiece of Heritage Hall. GO BRUINS.

This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of BruinsNation's (BN) editors. It does reflect the views of this particular fan though, which is as important as the views of BN's editors.

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