No Shortage of Excuses From USC’s Bench

Let’s see. A few weeks ago it was the referees. Last week USC basketball Coach Henry Bibby complained about opposing fans at their home arenas.

USC basketball supporters (that arena is just a few years away, really) are becoming used to the occasional loss to lesser-talented teams and close losses in games that could have been won. The coach’s quotes may divert some away from the deficiencies of the program and its coach, but they embarrass those of us who have been a part of the program’s history.

Does anyone else appreciate the irony of his latest complaints? He played for the state university across town whose fans’ behavior (while he was playing) included merciless insults at the USC coach, spit at him and members of his family and threw pennies at the USC players during warm-ups.

When playing for USC in the early 1970s, we appreciated the intensity of the Oregon fans and their proximity to the court. I was even kicked -- not hard -- after diving out of bounds for a loose ball. Nothing’s changed except now when our program falters the coach directs attention to those fans.

It would be more productive for the USC basketball program if the coach would focus more on the team’s weaknesses and correcting his own coaching deficiencies rather than directing media attention to the fans of opposing teams or the referees.

Bill Boyd

La Canada-Flintridge