Letters: Lane Kiffin is finally out after a lax effort

Perhaps USC football fans are learning what UCLA basketball fans know all too well: Building dynasties isn’t as easy as it used to be.

Mike Kichaven

Sherman Oaks

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USC fans, you got what you wanted. Now it’s time to rally around the players, the team, the coaches, Pat Haden, the athletic department, [President] Max Nikias and the University of Southern California.

Fight on.

Jeffry Johnson

Laguna Hills

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Reasonable minds must be boggled as to why Pat Haden couldn’t even wait until the team bus returned to campus before sacking Lane Kiffin. I am no fan of Kiffin or USC, but I thought Haden had more class than to take a man’s job from him in the middle of the night in an airport lounge. The ousted coach is a human being and deserved better. Simple as that.

Bud Chapman

Northridge

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With the firing of Lane Kiffin, Pat Haden has shown that the culture at USC hasn’t changed.

Winning football games still takes precedence over getting an education.

Glenn M. Langdon

Garden Grove

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Someone needs to tell ESPN’s Mark May to get a life when he says Lane Kiffin will find another job in coaching or maybe at ESPN — as if Lane could analyze college games, with his terrible play calling and game management. Mark, who would hire Lane Kiffin after his dismissal by the Oakland Raiders, his departure from the Tennessee program debacle and now his firing at USC?

Lou Soto

Trabuco Canyon

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Mr. Plaschke, You just do not, and never will, understand.

One of Pat Haden’s comments was “kind of circle the wagons a little bit, have some fun for these next eight games and let the chips fall where they may.” That is what collegiate sports are about: have fun.

Bringing in another Carroll will be more lost scholarships and suspensions. Schools like Cal and Stanford get it and do not have the SC problems and reputation.

Kevin Minihan

Los Angeles

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I remember another USC coach running the ball third and 15. It was John Robinson. Wait, he was coaching the Rams at the time and his running back was Eric Dickerson. Never mind.

Sterling Buckingham

Canyon Country

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As one who has decried the trend of major college football teams putting more, and then more, games on their season schedules, I am pleased to find that USC has now struck a blow for a more classical approach: The Trojans’ season is over after five games.

Andrew Sacks

Fontana

The 12th men

I haven’t seen that many flags since a visit to the UN! There were way too many dubious calls that went against UCLA in the unfriendly confines of the Utes’ stadium.

It’s enough that the Bruins had to face the elements and a feisty Utah team, but the obviously blown “official reviews” and questionable penalties made this a triumphant 34-27 Bruins win.

Gino Cirignano

Playa del Rey

Off base

For too long we’ve heard about Matt Kemp’s unlimited potential. And for an equally long period of time we’ve heard how seriously he took his off-season training this time. Yet here we are, in the playoffs, and he is nowhere to be found. Thrilled as I am that the Dodgers are in the postseason, I am somewhat saddened by the realization that our next great Dodger, Matt Kemp, is not the next Steve Garvey or Kirk Gibson, but in fact the next Mike Marshall.

Jim Patton

Manhattan Beach

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To Adrian Beltre, who blew off the Dodgers in 2004, and to A.J. Pierzynski who cheated the Angels in 2005, enjoy your off-seasons.

Ken Blake

Brea

It’s thrilling to watch Mike Napoli and Fernando Rodney play with joy and freedom. I wonder why these two players shriveled up under Mike Scioscia’s icy style?

David Waldowski

Alta Loma

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Tiny item in the Transactions list on Page 5 of Wednesday’s Sports section: “Angels: Activated first baseman Albert Pujols from the 15-day disabled list....”

Wow, this should really help them in their postseason drive!

Andrew M. Weiss

Playa del Rey

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