Paul Hangs Over Trojan Football

Since USC has attained an enviable reputation for academic excellence, it is clear that the university now has too much integrity to sustain the quality and level of athletic performance that its fans demand, a dilemma that requires a solution worthy of the 21st century.

What the university should do is franchise the athletic program to UNLV. John Robinson is already there, and Las Vegas has clearly established itself as a city that embodies the values that the NCAA and Division I college athletics have come to represent.

The transition will be easy and cost little; UNLV will merely have to change uniforms, and Trojan fans everywhere will quickly embrace the new USC-UNLV Trojans. One can even imagine a lavish new casino-stadium-hotel-entertainment complex created in the image of ancient Troy and staffed by former athletes who have either failed to graduate or succeed in professional athletics.

GEORGE M. LEWIS

San Luis Obispo

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As a USC grad, it wasn’t easy to recommend Stanford to my son, who was accepted at both schools. Academics over athletics, I reasoned. Since then, Stanford has proven that the two programs can coexist very successfully, whereas, while USC has risen dramatically in the academic world, it has fallen drastically on the athletic field.

The list of unsuccessful football coaches--Ted Tollner, Larry Smith, John Robinson II, Paul “Can’t” Hackett--coupled with the current athletic director have derailed a Southland football tradition and replaced pride and joy with embarrassment and misery.

JACK WEBER

Oxnard

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I am an alum of USC and currently live in a small East Texas town of about 35,000 people. Even here, I am subject to a great deal of ridicule regarding our football program. I cannot imagine what it must be like for those alums in Southern California.

I know that most USC people are calling for the firing of Paul Hackett, and I wholeheartedly agree. However, Mike Garrett is the individual responsible for bringing Paul Hackett and offensive coordinator Hue Jackson to the program. It is not fair to fire Hackett without also firing Garrett and Jackson. To do otherwise would only perpetuate the incompetence that has defined Garrett’s tenure as athletic director.

If Garrett had any self-respect, he would resign and allow a more capable person to take over as athletic director.

BILL AGNEW JR.

Lufkin, Texas

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Last week, a USC fan demanded an explanation for why his highly rated team has underachieved this season. The answer is quite simple: The men of Troy just aren’t what they used to be.

I have news for all of you Trojan fans: Carson Palmer is not the best quarterback in the country. Not only that, Zeke Moreno and Markus Steele are not the two best linebackers, Kareem Kelly is not the best receiver, Ennis Davis is not the best defensive tackle, and Sultan McCullough certainly is not the second coming of Bob Hayes.

Who built up these false expectations? I fault the USC hype machine for promoting virtually every player on the team as All-American material, and I fault the writers and columnists at the L.A. Times for blindly buying into it.

Wake up, Trojan fans. The John McKay Era ended a long, long time ago. When McKay had 120 scholarships to give and only one Pac-8 team went to a bowl, USC was indeed dominant. However, the cutdown to 85 scholarships has changed the landscape of college football forever, and USC will never be able to turn back the clock.

MICHAEL BARTLETT

Culver City

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In his first year, Paul Hackett blamed John Robinson’s players for the poor outcome. Last year, he blamed the injury to Carson Palmer as the reason USC did not make it to the Rose Bowl. Who is he going to blame this year?

It took Hackett three years to destroy a proud Pitt football program, and now he has done it to USC in the same time frame.

When Steve Sample does his housecleaning in the football office, hopefully he will finish the job by giving Mike Garrett his walking papers. He brought the “Hack” here and he must leave with him.

THOMAS MARCHETTI

Glendora

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The Trojans try to recruit players like Ron Dayne, Ken Simonton from Oregon State and Ortege Jenkins from Arizona and come up empty. Just what is missing from Hackett, Garrett and company in trying to land blue-chip players?

What the program needs is a coach who has the personality and experience in getting the top high school players. Someone to finish the deal and return USC to prominence. A salesman and good football mind. Someone who was born with it. There is only one man for the job. Terry Bowden.

JOE CASTILLO

Lomita

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Here are my top-10 new names for USC.

10. University of Second Consecutive, as in second consecutive terrible loss and second consecutive terrible season.

9. University of Sorry Carson, as in “Sorry Carson, I missed the block” and “Sorry Carson. I dropped that perfect pass.”

8. University of Somebody Catch, as in, “Hey, guys, it’s football. You can touch it with your hands.”

7. University of Stay Calm, as in, “Stay Calm everybody, we’re only 14 points behind.”

6. University of Stop Clinging, as in holding penalties.

5. University of Senior Collapse, as in so much leadership wasted.

4. University of Second Chances, as in “Sorry Paul, you’ve had yours.”

3. University of Still Counting, as in the number of ways the Trojans can lose a game.

2. University of Sorry Coaching. Self-explanatory.

1. University of Send Coaches. Ditto.

STEVE WELLER

Fontana

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Let’s see. L.A. college football team with national championship aspirations and 3-0 record travels to Oregon and suffers humbling first loss of season. Team comes home to face Arizona school and spots them 21-point lead early in first half.

Two possible endings are written. UCLA rebounds with impressive 31-point explosion in the second half and pulls out exciting win. UCLA keeps slim Rose Bowl hopes alive. USC limps to meager nine-point second half and has rash of turnovers and penalties. USC suffers second conference loss and is eliminated from race.

I know which ending I prefer.

RON NAKAMURA

Duarte