March 2007 Archives

A year ago, USC's Pro Timing Day had more fans in attendance than a big high school game. It was on Sunday. You had all those Trojan prospects, all those Heisman winners, all those juniors coming out early. It was an event.

ESPN figured it out and did everything but televise it live -- and it was on a Sunday.

High school recruits and their families and friends and fans of all stripes were there since USC had also made it "junior day'' for high school prospects.

That's why the NCAA ruled that this year, no recruits could attend schools' pro days. So USC, realizing that any high school student was a potential recruit, closed Wednesday's workouts to all but NFL personnel, USC staff, players and coaches as well as parents of the players working out and media.

In an update Friday on the "White Nation'' Facebook story, USC assistant coach Todd McNair told the LA Times it was he, not a player as reported by the Daily Trojan, who coined the term "White Nation'' for the group of USC special teams players and meant it as a compliment for the way they played.

McNair, who is black, told the Times he understood the irony of the white USC players ending up in a racial controversy over a term coined by a black coach.

USC linebacker Clay Matthews, the only All-Academic Pac-10 player on this year's Trojan football team, may have learned a real lesson in what's funny and what's not, and how perceptions of racism can be projected when an "inside joke'' goes public.

In an extensive story in Thursday's Daily Trojan, it was revealed that as a response to a black teammate's joking reference to a group of white USC linebackers as the "white nation,'' Matthews created a group called just that: "White Nation.''

Several other Trojans joined him in what was supposed to be an "inside joke.''

It was, until the group was posted on Facebook with over-the-top racist stereotypes and then an offensive stick-figure cartoon of a black child in handcuffs that was added, with the caption: "Arrest black babies before they become criminals.''

Needless to say, someone noticed, the Daily Trojan reported, saying USC freshman psychology major Stefanie Gopaul was appalled and started a competing Facebook group that attracted as many as 90 members called "Clay Matthews expresses anti-black sentiments.''

All this happened in mid-February before Matthews attempted to close it down and pulled out of the group, according to the Daily Trojan.

"We talked to him when we became aware of this,'' USC Sports Information Director Tim Tessalone said. "He told us that he immediately went online to explain it and apologize, and to say this is not indicative of his or the team's attitude. We talked to him about how something done without serious intent could be perceived in a negative light and he agreed, he felt badly for his poor judgement and he quickly moved to correct it."

Tessalone said there would be no penalties involved for Matthews or any other USC players involved.

Unless you count the embarrassment involved as the story, and the hundreds of comments posted on the Internet Thursday with the story as the "joke'' was on Matthews' USC group.

Here's the UCLA release, regarding the spring dates this year:

UCLA will open its 2007 football Spring Practice on Thursday afternoon, April 5. All practice sessions are open to the public and weekday sessions are scheduled for 3:50 to 5:50 p.m.

UCLA will host a Fan Appreciation Day, with players and coaches signing autographs and posing for photographs on Saturday, April 7. Practice will conclude on Friday evening, April 27, with a final scrimmage.

Following is the schedule (tentative and subject to change):

Week One: April 5 (3:50-5:50 pm), April 6 (3:50-5:50 pm), April 7 (11:00 am-1:00 pm).

Week Two: April 9 (3:50-5:50 pm), April 10 (3:50-5:50 pm), April 12 (3:50-5:50 pm), April 14 (10:00 am-Noon).

Week Three: April 16 (3:50-5:50 pm), April 17 (3:50-5:50 pm), April 19 (3:50-5:50 pm), April 21 (1:00-3:00 pm).

Week Four: April 23 (3:50-5:50 pm), April 26 (3:50-5:50 pm), April 27 (7:00 pm scrimmage).

Riverside native Verle W. Sorgen, Coordinator of Football Officiating for the Pacific-10
Conference since 1986, announced Monday he was retiring. The former USC baseball, basketball and track and field athlete was honored two years ago by the National Football Foundation for his work as as a college football official capped off by his 21 years as head of the Pac-10 officials.

Before that, Sorgen had 21 seasons as an on-field Pac-10 official including six as a referee.

"Verle Sorgen has been a superb coordinator," Pac-10 Commissioner Tom Hansen said Monday, indicating that Sorgen, a resident of Fairfax, will continue to be associated with the Conference as he will oversee the Pac-10' instant replay program,working with the new coordinator.

A search for a replacement for Sorgen would begin immediately,Hansen said.

Another son of a former Bruin football player, Sherman Oaks Notre Dame junior defensive end Wes Horton, has informed the national recruiting services that he's accepted a scholarship offer from USC.

The 6-foot-5, 236-pound Horton is expected to be one of the nation's top prospects next year and will shore up a position where USC loses All-American Lawrence Jackson.

His father, Myke, played offensive line for UCLA under Dick Vermeil. This year USC signed Oaks Christian running back Marc Tyler, son of UCLA's No. 5 career rushing yardage leader and LA Rams all-pro Wendell Tyler.

Horton's verbal commitment, USC's fifth for next year, seems to indicate a change in USC Coach Pete Carroll's previous strategy of either getting "silent'' verbals or waiting until the end of the recruiting year in January or February near signing date for the formal announcement.