Ar·ro·gance (n.):A strong feeling of proud
self-importance that is expressed by treating other people with
contempt or disregard.
Sound familiar?
It’s rivalry week, so there’s no doubt that it
should.
Everything about the USC football program exudes arrogance,
starting at the top with His Majesty Pete Carroll and running
through the players, the fans and Trojan hangers-on such as Brent
Musburger and Snoop Dogg.
At this point, in the sixth season of King Carroll’s
reign, it’s become insufferable.
Take Carroll first.
Three weeks ago, in USC’s victory over Oregon, the Ducks
scored a touchdown late in the fourth quarter. King Carroll
challenged the ruling on the field, and the touchdown was taken
away. Carroll, though victory was already secure, raised his hands
to the heavens and celebrated like a schoolboy.
Then Oregon coach Mike Bellotti challenged one particular aspect
of the review, and after some delay, the call was reversed back to
a touchdown.
As the correct call was being explained to the King Trojan, he
appeared absolutely disgusted, and rather than making eye contact
with the referee, he seemed to be looking straight across the field
to the Oregon sideline.
Now I’m not a lip reader, but it was pretty hard to miss
what Carroll said.
“F you! F you! F you!”
But he didn’t say “F”.
Now that’s classy. With his team up 28-10, the face of the
USC program is letting go an expletive-laced tirade on national
television, which appears to be directed at an opposing coach for
bringing up a very valid point.
To all the Trojan youth watching at home who might have seen
Uncle Pete saying some things they shouldn’t have been
seeing, well, F ’em.
“I apologize to anybody who thought that might have come
their way,” Carroll said later. “I was just really
upset by the whole situation that we had just gone through and just
did what I shouldn’t have.”
Carroll probably shouldn’t have let Reggie Bush’s
family live in that house without (allegedly) having paid for it,
either. And he probably should have paid more attention when Papa
Leinart was paying for Dwayne Jarrett’s sick downtown digs.
But maybe that’s too much to expect from the man in charge of
the program.
Pete Carroll wins football games ““ seemingly without much
regard for others ““ and for the Trojan faithful, that’s
plenty. For others, it’s slimy.
The Trojan faithful, for their part, are far more insufferable
than the king and his players. At least Carroll and his team do
something more than consume alcohol and verbally assert their
superiority upon everyone willing to listen (or not) every
Saturday. And Sunday. And Monday. Well, pretty much all the
time.
Last year, USC fans were talking about how Texas matched up with
their Trojans (answer: pretty well) before the UCLA game had been
played. This year, USC fans are already looking ahead to Troy Smith
and Ohio State. Presumptuous, no?
Good ol’ Brent Musburger is equally complicit.
After Dwayne Jarrett’s third touchdown in USC’s
victory over Notre Dame, Musburger declared, “And now it
looks like the road to Glendale, Ariz. is paved with
Trojans.” Shortly thereafter, I threw up in my mouth.
And check this one out. On Tuesday, after performing on
“The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” ““ decked, of
course, from head to toe in Trojan paraphernalia ““ Snoop Dogg
was arrested leaving the NBC parking lot.
In his ride were some other types of paraphernalia ““ weed,
coke and a gun. Fight on, baby.
If I sound bitter, it’s because I am.
In reality, I’m sure Pete Carroll isn’t such a bad
guy, Trojan players are generally talented and hardworking, and the
fans aren’t all that bad. And I like Snoop. (Brent is another
story.)
But this is rivalry week, and consequently, I hate them. I hate
everything about them.
I particularly hate the arrogance, the sense of entitlement
““ the hubris, if you will.
Last year, I wrote a letter to Santa asking for a UCLA
victory.
Not only did Santa not grant my Christmas wish, but 66-19 seems
to be rather emphatic proof that Santa might not exist.
So now I’m at a loss.
All I can really say is that seven years is a long time.
And the Trojans probably aren’t as good as people think
they are.
And the Bruins are probably better than people think they
are.
Frankly, hubris has gone unpunished long enough.