LEANING RIGHT-We have seen that losing does not pay the bills and now we know that winning does not provide any hard and fast guarantees. Ed Orgeron should have known this as well. His title was ‘interim’ head coach.
I would never pretend to question Pat Haden’s judgment and expertise. Wins over UCLA and Notre Dame would have helped Orgeron’s case but nobody bothered to ask me.
Initially I thought that Orgeron should not have stormed off in a huff but after thinking when you’re done you’re done. When do you see the ex hanging around after the divorce is finalized?
There was a time when USC always dominated in football just as John Wooden’s teams always dominated in basketball.
I remember once talking to Gail Goodrich and Walt Hazzard. They said when they got to UCLA they intended to set the world on fire. Instead they spent the first week learning to tie their shoes, learning the Pyramid of Success, and learning not to rush but to get there in a hurry. Next they spent hours practicing easy ‘gimme’ shots until they could make them in their sleep.
To compensate everybody else just kept improving. It is just like everything else in life – things just keep getting better and better. All the football teams improved to USC and Notre Dame level. The players also kept getting bigger, stronger, faster, and smarter – look at Haden, he was a Rhodes scholar.
Decades ago the New York Yankees used to dominate in baseball until everybody else improved to their level.
The one thing we know for sure is that USC must defeat UCLA and Notre Dame next year even if Steve Sarkisian has to suit up and get out there on the playing field. These are just facts of life.
Orgeron is gone so we shall see.
(Kay Martin is an author and a CityWatch contributor. His new book, Along for the Ride, is now available. He can be reached at [email protected])
-cw
CityWatch
Vol 11 Issue 98
Pub: Dec 6, 2013