Letters: Trojans, Lakers have a rough week

Too bad for Matt Barkley that Lane Kiffin is CEO of that business he came back to take care of.

George Pisano

Rancho Palos Verdes

::

Matt Barkley’s unfinished business will undoubtedly finish in a second-tier bowl game due to the brilliant coaching of the Kiffins. Now that the season is effectively over, the Kiffins may upset an overconfident Oregon or Notre Dame. As the 2011 probation season proved, winning when the pressure is off is a Kiffin specialty.

Mark S. Roth

Los Angeles

::

I’ve been going to USC games since the 1950s, having had parents who attended USC during the Howard Jones era, and attending SC during the great John McKay era.

We cheered just as loudly during the Tollner, Smith, and Hackett years as we did during the great Pete Carroll years. What the fans are seeing now is not the SC football we’re used to. This season began with a talented team and great promise that has gone all but down the drain with the punches, the personal fouls and the continued penalties.

This lack of discipline should be owned by the entire coaching staff. Good coaches don’t condone this out-of-control behavior. I’d rather lose with dignity than lose due to this behavior. I’m beginning to see Kiffin as a coach who cannot control his football team. This was an embarrassment to the university and the fans.

Judi Welch

Pacific Palisades

::

After the Trojans lost to underdog Arizona, Lane Kiffin was quoted as saying “I’m open to all suggestions, I’ve tried it all.” May I recommend you resign. And please take the old man with you. His “trample-2” defensive just isn’t cutting it at the college level.

Ernie Acosta

Hesperia

::

There is a reason Alabama is the least penalized team in college football for the last five years. It is because their coaching staff creates an atmosphere of professionalism, not an atmosphere of disrespect and mob mentality that “Lame” Kiffin has created.

Bruce Olson

La Verne

::

There a proverb that talks about losses revealing a man’s character. USC has reached that point. Over the next four weeks we will see what kind of character USC has and what kind of coach Lane Kiffin really is.

Ed Gredvig

Altadena

::

If USC is to have any hope whatsoever against Oregon and Notre Dame, I suggest Lane Kiffin go back to combing the NCAA rule book in search of additional quasi-ethical but actually surprisingly legal play strategies.

Andrew Sacks

Fontana

::

If the NCAA would adopt the fifth-grader’s concept of pink penalty flags, this SC team may well provide more recognition to fighting cancer than any other organization.

Chuck Reilly

Corona del Mar

::

If Ducks had lips, I’m sure they’d be licking them in anticipation of facing this maddeningly undisciplined USC squad that continues to perplex and underachieve.

Steve Ross

New York

::

If Lane Kiffin were to be fired at the end of the season for leading the USC Trojans into mediocrity then perhaps he could get a coaching gig with the Raiders. Oh, wait a minute...

Cal Teraoka

Costa Mesa

Slow starters

I want to congratulate Mike Brown on being able to keep his rope-a-dope strategy a secret. I certainly didn’t see it coming.

P.J. Gendell

Beverly Hills

::

The only things the Lakers are “loaded” with are age, injury, and an incompetent coach. Aside from that, they’re doing great. This current Lakers group has the well-known two chances to win a title, slim and none, and slim just left town (thank you, Jim Healy).

Gerry Schwartz

Los Angeles

::

After the Lakers’ Wednesday night performance I would advise the satellite companies to slow down contract talks with Time Warner Cable.

Loren Coleman

West Hollywood

::

Mike Brown has the worst free-throw shooter in NBA history on his team. He also has the best in history on his team. So, in the first two games he runs an offense that gets his worst free throw shooter 33 foul shots — and his best shooter zero foul shots.

0-2.

Rick Wallace

Malibu

::

Mike Brown, you have succeeded in making Steve Nash look mediocre. What an awesome accomplishment! The most incredible pick-and-roll point guard ever, and you have him giving up his dribble as soon as he gets to the frontcourt? He was supposed to make it easier on everyone, but you have him hamstrung.

I heard you chose this new offense before Nash and Howard got here, so why didn’t you build one around their abilities? These guys can run a little. Get with the program, or get out of town.

Bruce Alan

Granada Hills

::

Yes, I am one of the “dumb” fans calling for Mike Brown to be replaced as Lakers coach. I have seen pickup games that looked more organized on offense than this team. The bigger issue however is the lack of hustle and intensity by this group. It certainly seems as though the star players have tuned Brown out, or at least that he has little influence over them. It’s time for the Buss family to move swiftly before this short opportunity for a title is gone.

Rick Van Kirk

Irvine

::

How do you turn $100 million into 50 cents? Hire Mike Brown.

Ray McKown

Los Angeles

::

If you want to win a war, get Eisenhower, want a winning company, get Steve Jobs, want to win Super Bowls, get Chuck Noll, want to win a World Series get Joe McCarthy and Casey Stengel, want to win an NBA title, get Phil Jackson.

Ken Johnson

Pinon Hills

::

Exceeding all expectations and water-cooler wagers, it took Bill Plaschke only one game to write off this year’s Lakers. Ignoring recent history with the New York Giants, St. Louis Cardinals, San Francisco Giants and L.A. Kings, he still hasn’t grasped it’s how you finish, not how you start. Even last year’s Heat was a .500 team through the first 20% of the schedule. With time and patience (and, OK, maybe a new coach), our little “Nash Rambler”’ will drive us back to the Finals.

Allan Kandel

Los Angeles

The choice

Sports look grim in Los Angeles this winter. We have no NFL team, the NHL lockout looks like it might go for the whole season (again), UCLA and USC are grinding out their mediocre football campaigns, and the once-mighty-but-now-just-old Lakers might have to switch leagues and join the basketball equivalent of the PGA Champions Tour in order to get a win. What does one do?

Well, there is only one viable bandwagon to jump on this year. Donald Sterling, I thought I would never say this, but, by virtue of no other option, you have yourself a new Clippers fan. Ugh.

Ronald Peters

Thousand Oaks

The Giants win the Series

Congratulations to the San Francisco Giants. However, the Detroit Tigers, who hit .159 with 1.5 runs per game, may have been the worst team to represent the American League in memory. The Giants’ pitchers are good but not that good.

The Dodgers’ decision to pass on Prince Fielder is looking good now. Fielder hit .071 with nine runners left on base. James Loney could have done that.

Jerry Moore

Cerritos

::

Bill Shaikin is correct. The Giants have the blueprint (no pun intended) the Dodgers need to follow next season.

First, the Dodgers need to have either Matt Kemp or Andre Ethier get suspended for 50 games right after the All-Star break. He is then cut from the playoff roster.

Second, Clayton Kershaw is moved to the bullpen as a middle relief pitcher so he can pitch every day.

Third, Josh Beckett becomes the next Barry Zito.

Fourth, Don Mattingly has his head enlarged by six inches so he can borrow Bruce Bochy’s lucky cap.

Brent Montgomery

Long Beach

::

Forget $100-million contracts or “Moneyball” stats. Having carefully studied the Giants, I’ve learned the key to championship baseball involves your closers growing goofy beards and dying them black.

Konrad Moore

Bakersfield

::

There was much speculation at the time of the blockbuster midseason baseball deal about how it would affect the team’s postseason results. I speak, of course of the Giants’ acquisition of Marco Scutaro.

John Dillon

San Bruno, Calif.

::

Thankfully, the Giants swept the hapless Tigers, thus sparing the TV audience of the possible water torture of three more games of inane, rambling commentary by Joe Buck and the bow-tied clown Ken Rosenthal, as well as the orgy of commercials that were the trademark of Fox’s coverage.

Joe Bonino

Glendale

::

I have been a loyal L.A. Times subscriber for many years. The recent series by A.J. Ellis is the most refreshing take on baseball The Times has provided since Jim Murray left us. My suggestion — drop T.J. Simers and give the ball to Ellis!

Mike Hughes

Moorpark

::

Saw the headline in Saturday’s sports section that read: “Colletti to re-sign League.” Thought for a minute it meant the rest of it.

Dan Johnson

Burbank

::

The only thing more amazing than Mike Trout’s ability to run down anything in sight is the media’s ability to not award him the Gold Glove.

Bob Opperman

Pasadena

Locked out

No matter whether any NHL games are played this year, Gary Bettman has taken away from we long-suffering Kings fans the thrill of unveiling our Stanley Cup banner. It is hard to believe this modern day Uriah Heep trained under David Stern. His legacy is ingrained in all hockey fans’ minds: the worst commissioner in sports history.

Bruce N. Miller

Playa del Rey

::

Is it my imagination, or was your NHL season preview smaller than usual this year?

Drew Etley

Redondo Beach

Winning ugly

Did the Steelers return to their cells after last Sunday’s game?

Jerry Selby

Pasadena

::

The Los Angeles Times welcomes expressions of all views. Letters should be brief and become the property of The Times. They may be edited and republished in any format. Each must include a valid mailing address and telephone number. Pseudonyms will not be used.

Mail: Sports Viewpoint

Los Angeles Times

202 W. 1st St.

Los Angeles, CA 90012

Fax: (213) 237-4322

Email:

sports@latimes.com