The Daily Trojan Slams Pete Carroll After Choking In Seattle
by Achilles on Sep 22, 2009 10:25 AM PDT
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Screenshot via Telemachus
HT to Gary Klein of the Los Angeles Times for this story.
From the Daily Trojan and its writer Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz:
Carroll Is Responsible For Latest Letdown
F. Scott Fitzgerald ended The Great Gatsby with the metaphor of boats beating against the current, an image that has become so cliché it seems to have lost all meaning.But it was hard not to think of the passage while watching USC flail against Washington on Saturday. And it wasn’t only the boats sailing on Lake Washington just outside of Husky Stadium that conjured up the image.
The Trojans’ struggles against a scrappy, mid-level Pac-10 team have become so institutionalized at USC that the annual event is almost a cliché in itself. Instead of being surprised by Saturday’s outcome, most Trojan fans felt like they were headed in a direction they had been before.
In fact, it’s a surprise there wasn’t a USC fan in the crowd who could have spoiled the ending for everyone based on past follies. A true fan might have stood up after USC’s tying drive and blurted out, "I’ve seen this one before — the other team kicks a field goal in the final seconds and the fans rush the field. I’m gonna head out and beat traffic."
First of all, nice work by Mr. Middlehurst-Schwartz on the Gatsby reference. I'm guessing most USC students think Gatsby is the latest Scorsese movie starring Vincent Chase.
Literary references -- and lame SC jokes aside -- Klein is right, the DT commentary is good read. More after the flip.
Michael writes:
Carroll’s blunders are best exemplified by his handling of the quarterbacks throughout the week. Both he and quarterbacks coach Jeremy Bates kept reporters guessing while they waited to see how Matt Barkley’s shoulder injury progressed. But with the bone bruise to the true freshman improving only incrementally over the week, sophomore Aaron Corp took all the first-team snaps and looked like he had seized temporary command of the position.
He concludes with another book recommendation:
If Carroll isn’t a fan of Fitzgerald, perhaps he can learn through literature by picking up a book by Malcolm Gladwell. The coach references Outliers when referring to Barkley, but he might want to take a look at The Tipping Point, which details how the tiniest factors can catalyze unforeseen and sometimes disastrous endings.
The book could re-emphasize the point that if the Trojans can’t get back to their normal standard of play, they will find themselves falling short of another Pac-10 championship. Then the only thing at stake will be an at-large BCS bid. Or the Holiday Bowl. Or the Sun Bowl.
The key point, though, is that cracks are starting to show in what was once Carroll's invincible armor. He's lost a lot of key assistant coaches over the last few years and some of his best talent is in the pros. Once wonders if Middlehurst-Schwartz is right on with the Gladwell reference.
Has the Trojan program under Carroll reached a tipping point?
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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All empires are doomed to fall eventually...
I’m already enjoying the beginning of the end for the rubs. Just wait until the NCAA and Pac-10 get done with the ongoing investigations into cheating, too…
True--you can't stay on top forever
I think Sarkisian and all of the coaches that left SUC to go to UW knew that the end was near. Just wait to see what shape they’re in when Carroll jumps ship. Bet he wishes he took any NFL job now.
by Westwood Wizard on Sep 22, 2009 2:39 PM PDT up reply actions
"note informing PC that the trOJan band could not play"...
pregame."
Now why hasn’t UCLA thought of that before just to tick PC off?
Amen
we should not allow their band to play pregame. We should not allow that stupid horse, and we should definately not allow their man in a skirt to stick his sword in our ground.
"when you've seen how big the world is, how can you make due with this?"
by silverlakebruin on Sep 22, 2009 12:18 PM PDT up reply actions 2 recs
LMAO
That picture of him crumpling up the paper is hilarious. I wish we could just disallow them from playing any of their nauseating songs period!
Interestign Dynamic at work here..
The loss practically guarantees a Condom victory over Da Bearz or, if not, more evidence of vulnerability. I see the wolves circling.
God, it's great to be a Bruin!
I was confused from the start of that article
How did anyone at $c* know how The Great Gatsby ends? Cliff’s Notes, I guess.
greg in denver - UCLA guy for life
"academic advisor"
after opening up the Daily Trojjie, many students summoned their “academic advisors” in real life called “paid test takers and paper writers” to find out what in the world a great gatsby is and when F. Scott the highly paid high school recruit will show up to play football.
SUC alumni Reggie Bush was quoted as saying “Gatsby? isn’t that the cartoon right below Peanuts in the funny papers.”
Go Bruins
TRM
Oh that's good!
Cliff notes may, however, even be a stretch. Typically you have to go to a library or the book-store to get your hands on one of those – the trojies probably limit themselves to whatever abridged version of the notes they can get on their iPhone off of wikipedia.
B.F.
And since they're throwing out titles...
That’s for you, literary-minded trOJans. All three of you.
greg in denver - UCLA guy for life
by gbruin on Sep 22, 2009 11:50 AM PDT reply actions 1 recs
Let's not take anything away from U-dub
Give credit where credit is due—UW hasn’t looked bad at all this season, and they have arguably the best QB in the Pac10. MSM like to crow about USC’s record vs "unranked’ opponents—while this is true (SC is cocky and set themselves up to fall), I feel that the MSM have really overlooked decent West Coast teams (typical east coast bias).
My premise— bias hurts all of the Pac10 teams, and it p**ses me off.
nobody is saying the suc defense isn't good
what has been surprising is that they can’t throw the ball effectively, even with Barkley, who, if you remember completed less than 50% of his throws against OSU with zero TDs and 1 pick.
They have to run the ball, and that makes them one dimensional. They also look unmotivated and sloppy.
I think PC is learning you can have all the talent in the world, but without good assistants you aren’t going to maximize that talent.
We will see what changes first: PCs arrogance or his job. He can’t save both.
"when you've seen how big the world is, how can you make due with this?"
by silverlakebruin on Sep 22, 2009 12:21 PM PDT up reply actions
A Different Perspective
I find it interesting that Carroll’s Teflon is wearing thin because his team suffered another unexpected loss rather than because his program is out of control.
I do not care how well written the article is, or that it uses literary references — the approach shows that neither the writer nor the daily trojan fully understands or cares about the problems in the football program.
This article simply perpetuates the “winning is everything” attitude at sc. Had Cheety won this game he would not have been criticized and, therein, lies the problem.
sc’s priorities suc. Fuck them.
sjh
I thought the point was ...
that the loss was not unexpected — that such losses were becoming all too commonplace for the Trojans.
We are back into our seasonal discussion ...
as to what an “expectation” is.
I doubt many people expected sc to lose to UW. Some of us thought UW was a lot better than given credit for and that sc was overrated, but I don’t think many at sc thought they would lose this game.
Then, they do, and all of a sudden people say “Yah, we ‘expected’ it because Cheetey is losing traction.”
Many of us will expect them to lose 2 more games — Cal and us. I really believe they will lose both.
I do not “expect” them to be sanctioned by the NCAA. And, if it ever happens, I’ll be the first to say “I never expected that.”
sjh
are you kidding me?....
sorry i didnt write this yesterday…. was driving down the 22 ,taking my dog to vet, its 12:40, hartman and myers are talking about the suc loss(which they blamed on corp) and hartman mentions last years suc upset and calls that team" argueably one of the greatest teams in college history." i almost hit the middle divider yelling at the radio.jeesh hartman.
by bruinbornandraised on Sep 22, 2009 2:45 PM PDT reply actions
OT: Kornheiser clowns Miami
Didn’t think this was worthy of a FanShot, but it’s still funny… On ESPN’s Pardon the Interruption, Tony Kornheiser was discussing whether he’d rather see Penn State or Miami return to the top of the heap in college football. He went with Miami, citing his love for the school’s colors and the city, but he clowned them, saying something like, “I would have loved to go to Miami, but my grades were too good.”
Also, apparently the WNBA’s LA Sparks will be playing their playoff games at Pauley Pavilion instead of the Staples Center, due to a Britney Spears concert at Staples, haha.
you think that's bad
The Atlanta WNBA team had to relocate their playoff game b/c of a scheduling conflict w/ a live Sesame Street production.
by insomniacslounge on Sep 22, 2009 9:30 PM PDT up reply actions
66
You’re right, victory by any means is no victory at all – as usual they’re delusional self love makes them blind to reality. A lot like those Trojans who thought that wooden horse was a symbol of victory.
BRUINS, why give a rats ass about SC? We are in a Neu Era! I don’t care about them I care about us.
BTW: You can't spell Trojan without OJ. UCLA GO FIGHT WIN BABY!
by Bruin4ver on Sep 22, 2009 4:33 PM PDT reply actions 1 recs
Before "W" fell he began receiving similar criticism from within his own party.
I think the importance of this particular criticism is that it comes from within the Trojan family. I think there are two central issues with South Central Football.
1. There is the rampant criminality as cited by ’66, and the willful ignorance of the administration in exchange for higher ticket sales.
2. Then there is the reality that Cheat Carroll is not the Football Genius either he or ESPN claim him to be.
I don’t think the SC faithful will ever care about the willful breaking of laws and NCAA bylaws as long as there team is on top. BUT! I think they are beginning to realize Cheat Carroll does not walk on water and that is also important. Because once he has outlived his usefulness to them, they will begin to care about the lawless program he runs and the risks will outweigh the rewards.
A coach is someone who can give correction without causing resentment. John Wooden
I will give PC his due
the guy is a heck of a defensive coach and recruiter.
If he could only hire an OC as good as he is on D, and let him run the show, the National Championships would flow, but his insecurity has really cost him.
"when you've seen how big the world is, how can you make due with this?"
by silverlakebruin on Sep 22, 2009 8:19 PM PDT up reply actions
I agree.
When they announced they had hired Pete Carroll. I laughed derisively. When i heard they hired Norm Chow, I knew we were in for a long hard winter.
When I heard Norm Chow had left, I celebrated. His (PC) ego prevented the possibility of the greatest CFB dynasty from becoming a reality. Something ESPN and other Blowhards (Plaschke anyone?) have failed to grasp.
A coach is someone who can give correction without causing resentment. John Wooden
I'm with Mexi
He did hire a OC as good as he is on D if not better in Chow and let him run the show and the Championships flowed. When Chow got his deserved credit, Cheatey’s ego chased him out of town and the Championships stopped.
First off the bat
This isn’t like any other season where these clowns have dropped one game and won out the rest of the season. They just aren’t that good this year. Their defense is okay but their offense stinks. Every team that plays them from here on out is going to load the box and make them beat them with their QB. This isn’t going to happen the way I look at it. They aren’t going to lose every game, but they are not going to win out.
I stand by my 3 loss prediction for them. They got lucky the refs got their money in the Ohio St. game. That’s it. I expect them to struggle with Oregon and Cal. Watch Washington St. give them are run for their money. I would believe anything about them this year.
Peatie is pure smoke and mirrors at this point. His offensive game just doesn’t have that razzle dazzle it once had and I figure CNC had something to do with that. Once you lose the mental game, it’s more of a struggle to win. I think we stand a fair chance to beat them as well as does just about every Pac-10 team.
Troy will fall.
I think you guys are being too harsh...
… when it comes to these literary jokes and their ignorance.
After all, they have suffered greatly.
Just as school started a few weeks ago, the USC athletics department’s entire Study Hall book collection was lost in a fire….
Both books were burned….
And the team members hadn’t even finished coloring one of them.
Easy money and faithless women, red-eye whiskey for the pain...
no, you're being to harsh...
to me. You made me pee my pants laughing.
I'm still a little confused about the headling of this thread
Do you mean that Cheatie Petie is being slammed by the daily trOJan’s on-campus version, or the daily trOJan off-campus version aka the fishwrap? It always seemed to me that the off-campus version wouldn’t say s**t about the trOJans if it had a mouthful.
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