Some Readers Getting a Charge Out of This Vacancy

Just when I thought things couldn’t get any worse, now the Trojans want to look like the Chargers.

ROBERT H. WILLIAMS

Monterey Park

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Here’s a drastic solution to USC’s football woes: Hire Barry Switzer and install the wishbone offense. Don’t scoff. Switzer’s recruiting skills and an option offense would attract the fastest, most athletic high schoolers in the country. Pac-10 teams have historically been trampled by the powerful running attacks of the former Big Eight teams. The Trojans should turn that same attack against conference foes. In two years they would win the Pac-10 and compete for the national title.

Listen, if Switzer was able to attract great players to the plains of Oklahoma, he can certainly do it in sunny Southern California. Let’s “Barry the Hackett.”

LARRY GARRISON

Playa del Rey

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Your award-winning writers do an injustice to Trojan fans and alumni. Every story seems to contain a reference to their unreasonable demands. Is it so unreasonable to want not to be embarrassed by your football team? Is it so unreasonable to be disgusted by the lack of character of your football team?

Much of college football’s power comes from our capacity to dream--the great play, the great game, the great season.

Trojans have had a few. They’d like a few more.

CHUCK GOLDMAN

West Hollywood

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Willis Barton in his letter of Dec. 2 reminds us of the typical Cardinal and Gold bleeding fans who prance around the Coliseum in the first half while their team is still in the game. Mr. Barton is correct, however, when he says they are not West Virginia. “We are SC.” West Virginia has a functioning program. There also is no reason for SC fans to accept mediocrity. The Pac-10 will shove it down their throats until the USC prima donna alumni realize they can’t keep killing the messenger. A coach needs more time than the lease agreement on your SUV to develop a program.

GLENN DAVIS

Laguna Woods

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I still don’t know what all this fuss is about. Why was everyone so hard on Paul Hackett, anyway. True, the Trojans had their problems, but Hackett was well on his way toward building USC into a nice little Division I program.

JACK WOLF

Westwood

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I found it amusing to read and hear local Los Angeles reports suggesting that Randy Walker might consider leaving Northwestern for USC. Aside from the fact that he just signed a contract extension at Northwestern, Walker has publicly stated that one of the reasons he utilized the no-huddle, quick-decision offense this season was because of the intelligence of Northwestern’s players. Now really, how could anyone therefore ever suggest that he consider SC?

JIM BENDAT

Los Angeles

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J.A. Adande doesn’t know what he’s talking about when he says UCLA football fans are satisfied with “a two-year record of 10-12” and “a trip to the Rose Bowl now and then.” Not me! I expect the Bruins to challenge for the Pac-10 title every year, finish in the top 20 every year, go to a bowl game every year, and have a 7-4 record in a down year.

[Bob] Toledo is a great guy, but his performance the past two years is abysmal, and everybody knows why: absolutely no defense. If the Bruins had any defense at all this year, they would have been 8-3 at the worst. All the Bruin fans I know are sick and tired of not being able to stop anybody.

Wisconsin will gain over 300 yards rushing against us in the Sun Bowl, and we’ll be lucky to “hold” [Michael] Bennett under 200 yards rushing. I’m not going to be happy losing to the Badgers for the third time.

If the defense isn’t better--much better--next year, Toledo should go coach arena football. Anything less than 8-3 will be unacceptable. Perhaps if we got a coach who could teach defense and toughness to the football team, it might even rub off on the basketball team as well.

STEVE SNYDER

Seal Beach

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I got a real charge out of reading that Bruin fans are not expected to follow their team to El Paso in droves, despite getting 8,000 tickets. After all, you couldn’t get your fans to Pasadena “in droves.” Badger fans here in L.A. and elsewhere will, as always, be glad to take those you want to sell. I guess two consecutive losses to Wisconsin at the Rose Bowl in the ‘90s is not enough motivation.

I know, I know, it’s only the Sun Bowl and it’s basketball season (time for more angst). Thanks again for the edge.

SCOTT TOWLE

Palos Verdes Estates

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Another losing season for USC football: Thousands of dollars lost in ticket sales.

No bowl appearance: Several hundred thousand dollars denied to the university.

Firing Paul Hackett and buying out his contract: $800,000-$1 million.

Beating UCLA: Priceless.

DIANA STASAND

Irvine