USC Basketball

The city of Los Angeles has two NBA teams, two MLB teams, two NHL teams, two major Division-I colleges, and the Galaxy and Chivas USA of MLS. The only thing missing is the NFL, but that is a different story for a different day. These teams battle every year for the battle of Los Angeles crown.

Some have called L.A. sports fans several things during the playoffs the strangest thing was hearing Utah Jazz fans calling Laker fans classless. This was after they booed Derek Fisher for leaving the team and saying some unnecessary and hurtful things about his daughter, which even John Rocker thought was ridiculous.

Here are five reasons Angelinos have to love sports:

1. As far as the NBA is concerned, L.A. will always be a Lakers town. Both the Lakers and the Clippers play in the same building. One has a long history of legendary players and teams playing for and winning championships, and the other has a history of coming up short.

Shaq felt the need to continue to hate on Kobe Bryant. I’m shocked that four years after leaving, Shaq still has Kobe on the brain, and surprised that he wasn’t in Boston with a extra-large “Beat L.A.” shirt on or in the Celtics locker celebrating with the team.

The four games between the Lakers and the Suns will be a lot more interesting now that Shaq has helped the NBA marketing department hype the game, despite Kobe leading the Lakers and Shaq being a role player for about 15-25 minutes a game. 

The Los Angeles Lakers had a phenomenal 2007-08 season, which came up two wins short of their season-long quest of a championship. The young team led by Kobe Bryant came together and matured. With a renewed vigor, Bryant became a team leader that several naysayers said he would never be, and finally won his first league MVP trophy.

The Clippers came to L.A. from San Diego, but the franchise started as the Buffalo Braves.  Some Clipper fans have even stated that they’ve been treated as second-class citizens as fans of the other NBA team. It is understandable, considering the team has had several dismal seasons.

It appeared that the Clippers were on the verge of turning the corner in 2006. The Clippers made the playoffs and took the Phoenix Suns to seven games before losing. The Clippers' 2007-08 season was derailed by multiple player injuries.

The only bright spot after the Clippers horrible season was receiving the seventh-overall pick in the NBA draft. The team drafted shooting guard Eric Gordon from Indiana University.

The 6’3” combo guard and former Mr. Indiana led the Big Ten in scoring, averaging 20.9 points per game en route to being named the Big Ten freshman of the year. The team also landed seven-foot center DeAndre Jordan from Texas A & M University.

However, that wasn’t the biggest news for the Clippers. For the first time in the Donald Sterling era they’ve signed a big-name free agent in PG Baron Davis. He signed a five-year, $65-million contract. This is a significant move for the Clippers. It makes them relevant again but does not guarantee them a playoff spot.

The biggest challenge for the Clippers right now is re-signing both PF Elton Brand and SF Corey Maggette, who both opted out of the final years of their contracts.

Brand opted out of a contract that would have paid him $16.4 million for the season. He recently received an offer, ironically, from the Golden State Warriors, which was a maximum offer of $90 million.

Brand has a tough decision to make here.  This is about $20 million more than what the Clippers can offer him.  However, his skill set fits better with the Clippers.

My gut feeling is that he will re-sign with the Clippers and team with Baron Davis.  This gives the Clippers a nice starting five of PG Baron Davis, SG Eric Gordon, SF Al Thornton, PF Elton Brand, C Chris Kaman.

The top three teams in the Western Conference are the Lakers, Hornets and Spurs. For a spot in the playoffs, the Clippers will be competing with the Utah Jazz, Phoenix Suns, Dallas Mavericks and the up-and-coming Portland Trail Blazers.  This adds spice to the battle for the city of LA.

Bringing home the former UCLA standout Baron Davis to the team adds veteran leadership and an All-Star point guard. Davis one of three point guards who averaged 18 points per game and eight assists per game.

The Lakers won the season series last year and went to the NBA Finals. They will contend for a title again next season, but the intracity games will be much more interesting for the next five years.

2. In major league baseball, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim won the World Series in 2002 and remain one of the American League's best teams. The Angels have an excellent starting pitching rotation and a good bullpen.  Halos pitcher John Saunders recently won an AL-leading twlelfth win.

Right-handed pitcher John Lackey was the pitcher of the month for June, with a 5-0 record. The Angels are an American League team that plays with National League-like aggressiveness on offense.

The Angels' style travels well, as they’ve had great success on the road in American League and Interleague play.  The American League West leaders are on course for their fourth winning road record in five seasons.

The Angels lead the American League Western Division with a 51-34 record. The team appears to be on pace to win the AL West pennant, and looks ready for another strong postseason run.

The Dodgers’ season has been up and down, filled with several injuries to key players. Starting pitchers Brad Penny and Jason Schmidt have been out of the lineup for quite some time.

Hiroki Kuroda just came off the 15-day DL to pitch a great game in Houston. IF Nomar Garciaparra and OF Andruw Jones are scheduled to come off the DL and play the July 4 weekend.

The Dodgers are really missing Rafael Furcal, who just had back surgery and will be out for eight weeks.  He was batting leadoff, and performing well at shortstop, having a career year before his injury.  He is out for at least eight weeks and possibly the remainder of the season.

The Major League Baseball battle for LA has gone and the Angels favor, although the Dodgers have put up a fight to make the contest interesting.

3. In the NHL, the Anaheim Mighty Ducks have one of Lord Stanley’s Cups, and have outplayed the Kings for quite some time. The Kings have proven that they can score, but not that they can defend. 

The Kings were very active in the NHL draft, acquiring several defensemen. The Ducks have the edge in the NHL battle for Los Angeles, but the Kings are improving.

4. In college football, the USC Trojans under Pete Carrol have won two national championships, tied for another, have several BCS bowl berths, and several Rose Bowl appearances. 

The USC Trojans have had the edge in this college football battle for L.A. The UCLA Bruins have a new head coach, and are trying to turn the corner and compete. The battle is always exciting and always worth watching, because you never know what will happen. 

5. In college basketball, the USC Trojans did well this year, earning a tournament bid with talented freshmen O. J. Mayo, who would become the third-overall pick in the NBA draft.  It is yet to be seen how well USC will fare without him.  The UCLA Bruins have owned college basketball in Los Angeles for several years.

UCLA has recently signed head coach Ben Howland to a seven-year extension.  The Bruins have been to the NCAA tournament every year since he’s been hired, including back-to-back Final Fours. Howland's extension was well-deserved, given the team’s success on the court, and in developing several first- and second-round NBA draft picks. 

Some may knock Howland for reaching the championship round, and not winning.  However, it is not a matter of if he’s going to win a championship.  It is a matter of when he will win.   

USC and UCLA will battle in countless sports in the battle of Los Angeles, and even though they might not make the headlines every time they play against each other, it will always be a hard-fought battle.

We all know about O.J.'s off-the-court issues—it's now time we take a good long look at him as an actual basketball player.

The Run Down:

• 2007-08 Season Averages: 20.7 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 3.3 apg
• Height: 6'5", Weight: 195 lbs, Position: PG/SG, Class: Freshman
  
• 20 years old
• Best Case Comparisons: Chauncey Billups, Ben Gordon
• Worst Case Comparison: Joe Forte

Strengths:

• Size
• Strength
• Versatility
• Scoring Instincts
• Body Control

Weaknesses:

• Shot Selection
• Turnovers
• Finishing ability
• Wingspan
• Decision-Making

My Take: O.J. Mayo can fall anywhere from picks No. 3 to No. 7.  This means that Mayo will likely be considered when the Sonics pick at No. 4.

If Jerryd Bayless is picked at No. 3 by the Timberwolves and Mayo is still on the board, the Sonics should draft O.J. Mayo.  The only available point guard prospects after Derrick Rose and Bayless are D.J. Augustin and Mayo.

The Sonics need a point guard—if they don't come out of this draft with one, this year's draft can be marked as a failure.

Although O.J. isn't a true point guard like Jerryd Bayless, he is still an extremly rare talent at the guard position.  He has an unbelievable killer scoring instinct.  In Pac-10 games, he dropped point totals of 34, 29, 32, and 37.

What is even more impressive to me is his ability to create shots for others when teams start focusing in on him.  His passing ability confirms that he possesses the skills of a point guard.  But the thing that makes him unique is that he is a shoot-first, pass-second player.

With this killer scoring instinct, O.J. would help Kevin Durant out a LOT.  Imagine defenses having to deal with two elite offensive players like Mayo and Durant.  O.J. would not only open up the game for Durant, but also for players like Nick Collison and Jeff Green.

Lastly, O.J. Mayo is willing to do whatever it takes to win.  His willingness to adapt his game in order for his team to win is rare.  Although many players are willing to adapt their games to certain systems, few players can actually adjust and thrive like O.J. Mayo could.

An interesting thing to keep in mind is that the Miami Heat with the No. 2 pick are taking a good look at Mayo.  Dwyane Wade has already had several workouts with Mayo, and they have developed a quick friendship.

It has been reported that the Heat believe Mayo is the most NBA-ready prospect.  The Heat are absolutely in love with Mayo's athleticism.

What does this mean?  If Mayo was taken at No. 2 , then the Timberwolves would likely take Bayless, and then the Sonics would have the option of drafting Michael Beasley.

Conclusion: If the Timberwolves pass on Jerryd Bayless, then the Sonics should draft O.J. Mayo or move down and draft D.J. Augustin.  O.J. Mayo along with Kevin Durant would generate a lot of fan interest in Seattle—if the Sonics played their next season here.  A Durant-Mayo duo would be the next big thing in the NBA.

Overall, it would be a great decision to draft Mayo, but I couldn't blame the Sonics if they moved down for a purer point guard in D.J. Augustin.




Sources: nbadraft.net, draftexpress.com

Previous Candidates: Brook Lopez, Jerryd Bayless, Anthony Randolph

I can’t say it loud enough, the NBA is all about quality, not quantity.

Take a look at the four conference finals teams this year:

Boston: Garnett/Allen/Pierce

Detroit: Wallace/Billups/Hamilton/Prince

Los Angeles: Bryant/Gasol/Odom

San Antonio: Duncan/Ginobili/Parker

The line-ups you see here all have three legitimate stars, unlike any other team in the NBA. Three seems to be the magic number, although the more the better, right? The point I’m making is that stars run this league, and to have a real shot, you need at least three on a team.

Teams that have the best benches don’t make the finals. Teams with the best starting line-ups do. The only exception is when the two are one in the same, and usually, having the best bench is a result of the stars who start.

Now, don’t get me wrong, role players are undoubtedly important. However, once you look past the all-stars, the association plateaus. All players in the league are athletic and have potential, but good role players are a result of the stars around them.

Turning the focus to Portland, it is easy to see that the big three are set. Oden/Aldridge/Roy. Before long, all three will be All-Stars. Mark it down.

While the big three is set in stone, everything else is up in the air. With so many trade assets, Kevin Pritchard is sure to try and make some moves. I say this is done through the draft, since it is the best opportunity to land a future star, who will be young and cheap—and there is nothing NBA GM’s love more than young, cheap stars.

Now, when KP looks at the draft, my guess is he will probably see two guys he really covets (outside of Beasley and Rose). There is little doubt in my mind that if he believes these kids can come into the league and be stars, he will go get them, because he has the assets to do so.

So, let’s assume KP decides he really likes OJ Mayo. The Blazers need a PG, and with Mayo and Roy in the backcourt, they could split duties and voila, problem solved. For the simplicity of this argument, let’s say Pritchard doesn’t like anyone else in the draft and must have Mayo.

To be sure of landing OJ, the Blazers would need the No. 3 pick, which is currently held by Minnesota. So what is worth giving up for this guy (who KP has determined is THE guy)?

Well, as far as I’m concerned, I’d give up anything besides what I think of as our “Core 5”. This includes Roy/Aldridge/Oden/Fernandez/Webster.

For those asking “who is Fernandez,” his name is Rudy and he is the best player in the world outside the U.S. Just to give you an idea of his value, many think he’d be a top 5 pick this year.

I threw Webster into the mix because he is only 21, athletic as they come, and at times, can shoot the lights out. As he develops, he will be a great SF.

That leaves a lot of players that we could trade to Minnesota to get that pick. However, just like we have a “Core 5” we also have a “Value 5” which are the five best trade assets not included in the core group. These five consist of Travis Outlaw, Jarrett Jack, Channing Frye, Raef LaFrentz (because of his monstrosity of an expiring contract) and Joel Pryzbilla.

To all you Blazer fans out there in an uproar over suggesting we trade the likes of Outlaw or Pryzbilla, remember the point of this article. Quality not quantity. While these two guys are great role players, they are just that, role players. If KP can find a way (which he can) to morph any combination of the “Value 5” into a star, then he has to do it.

Now let me throw out a trade idea. The Blazers give up Outlaw/Pryzbilla/13 to the Timberwolves for Madsen/Jaric/3. This trade works under the CBA, and it also works for both teams. Minnesota drops two bench players and picks up the center they so badly need plus a young super-freak athlete who can contribute right away but also has a ton of potential. Plus they get the 13^th pick.

Portland gets the No. 3 pick, which it uses on Mayo. The Blazers also take on the useless contracts of Madsen/Jaric, whom they could end up waiving depending on the number of roster spots they need in 08/09.

Yes, for the Blazers, this is a steep price to pay. But for a PG that could turn into a superstar, this is really a no-brainer. Outlaw does have a ton of potential, but it would just be wasted in Portland anyway with all of the young talent. In Minnesota, he could flourish and really become a good player.

Minnesota: Foye/McCants/Outlaw/Jefferson/Pryzbilla

Portland: Mayo/Roy/Webster/Aldridge/Oden

This trade undeniably works in both teams’ favor.

Feel free to comment on any trade ideas you may have, all while keeping the CBA in mind.

Here comes the dynasty.

Got this in my mailbox today:

2008 UCLA Men’s Basketball Select-A-Seat Open House this Sunday

       
The UCLA Athletic Department is giving fans of the Bruins’ men’s basketball team a unique opportunity to choose new season seats for the best upper-level seat location for the upcoming 2008-09 season in the Select-A-Seat Open House this Sunday, June 1 from 2-4 p.m. in Pauley Pavilion.

This is the second straight season that the Bruins fans have been invited to visit Pauley for the Open House and receive an actual view of available seats for purchase on a first-come, first-serve basis. Admission is free and open to everyone.

The men’s basketball schedule for 2008-09 is sure to be an exciting one as the Bruins set out to win their fourth-straight Pac-10 championship.

There are just a couple hundred seats available for purchase (in the 300-level baselines), which will be tagged in the arena. Fans can process their order instantly right inside Pauley Pavilion by either check or any major credit card (VISA, American Express, Discover and Mastercard).

Fans will receive a “UCLA The Dynasty” Basketball DVD covering the John Wooden years with new purchase of 2008-09 Men’s Basketball season tickets at the Open House (one DVD per account while supplies last).
Parking is available on the upper level of Lot 8 for $2.00 per hour. Fans must RSVP on-line by noon on Friday, May 30.
For more information on any of the offers mentioned, please go the Bruins’ web site at:
http://uclabruins.cstv.com/tickets/08-mbb-open-house.html
For more information on the event, you may send your questions via email to seasontickets@athletics.ucla.edu or call 310-206-5991.

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FACE-OFF: Jerryd Bayless versus OJ Mayo

 

In our inaugural issue of FACE-OFF,  Randy and Frank take a look at Minnesota and what they should do with the third pick overall in the NBA Draft. Please feel free to make your pick by leaving a comment below. We'll have a running tally for Randy and Frank's records for all future FACE-OFF articles.

Derrick Rose versus Michael Beasley. Michael Beasley versus Derrick Rose. We haven't even been a week removed from the NBA Draft Lottery and all the talk has been on Rose and Beasley…rightfully so, but what about the rest of the league, what about the third pick in the draft? Our writers will discuss this issue in Face-Off.

Jerryd Bayless

 

Coming out of high school, all the hype was on O.J. Mayo. He was going to be the next big thing. While he didn't exactly live up to lofty expectations during his one-year tenure at USC, he didn't disappoint either. While, I have no doubts that O.J. Mayo will be an All-Star in the NBA, I'm not sure I'd pick him over fellow Pac-10 alum Jerryd Bayless.

With Bayless, I see a much more aggressive offensive player, which I think will make him more suited for the NBA game. Bayless has great handles and is explosive with a strong first step to help him get past his defender, something I fail to see in Mayo.

This gives Bayless the ability to create off the dribble, break his defender down and create his own shot when he needs it. Mayo, on the other hand, tends to settle for his outside jumper far too often, due to his inability to attack his defender and get to the basket.

Because of his aggressiveness, Bayless gets to the charity stripe far more often that Mayo, something he'll have to continue to do if he wants to remain productive in the NBA. Bayless is also an unselfish player. This can be seen a negative, as at times he make look to appear too passive when playing the halfcourt game. 

Defensively, I'll have to give Mayo the edge over Bayless. Bayless has had trouble getting around screens and at only 6-foot-3, his size at the position has been questioned by many.  Mayo isn't much taller, although he's officially listed at 6-foot-5.

Despite this, Bayless does have the quickness and athleticism to stay in front with the best of them. He’s got great lateral movement and uses his speed and explosiveness to keep up with speedy guards. His size and strength are his biggest weaknesses right now, but that’s something he can surely improve on by hitting the weights a little more.

Minnesota already has a good pair of young guards in Randy Foye and Rashad McCants, but I don’t see the problem of having Foye and Bayless in the backcourt, with McCants coming off the bench like he did last year. Foye missed a significant portion of time last year with a knee injury last year.

Right now, most mocks have Minnesota taking Brook Lopez. I’m not a huge fan of Brook, and he is actually my pick to be the biggest bust in the lottery.

I’d much rather draft the best player available over need, if the talent disparity is that great. A classic case is the Raptors taking Rafael Araujo over Andre Iguodala in the 2005 draft.

There are plenty of other “big men” in the draft that will be available to them later on with the 31^stpick overall, including Marressee Speights, DeVon Hardin, Roy Hibbert and other Lopez brother, Robin. Maybe B. Lo will prove me wrong and turn out to have a great NBA career but if I had to bet right now who would end up having a more successful career between Lopez and Bayless, my money is on Bayless.

With a young core in Minnesota, they won't be wrong for picking either Bayless or Mayo. Bayless gives them a much more aggressive guard who can penetrate to the basket, breaking down defenses and making the game a lot easier for his teammates, something Mayo might have a much more difficult time doing coming straight out of college ball. Mayo may have the star power and name recognition, but Bayless is more versatile on the offensive end which makes him my player to pick.

O.J. Mayo

The 2008 NBA draft is being billed as a two-player draft at the top, which means Minnesota has the unenviable task of selecting third. If the Timberwolves actually do the unthinkable and draft Brook Lopez, this will only cement their franchise legacy of drafting terrible players at the top (KG notwithstanding).

There are only two players the Wolves should be thinking about drafting, and they are Jarred Bayless and O.J. Mayo. Both players played in the Pac-10 conference for only one year and they have nearly identical stats. Given all of that, the choice looks like a coin flip. Looking a little closer, it's obvious that Minnesota should not pass on the Mayo.

O.J. has a better chance of succeeding in the NBA because he has two inches on Bayless and should be able to defend both ones and twos, while Bayless can only guard point guards and can't play the point. This means a team needs a taller point guard to cover for his defensive deficiencies.

Some point to Gilbert Arenas as to what Bayless could become, but Gilbert is not a team player and really doesn't guard anybody, which is why his team was better this year without him. At best, Bayless can be a scorer off the bench but that's hardly what you want with a third overall pick. Mayo has length and instincts and has shown a willingness to defend, which is one of the great misconceptions about his game.

Just as important is the progress a player makes with time, and O.J. has improved much more than Bayless has this past year. Bayless actually came into college on fire until he was injured and didn't play four games in December and January. All of his skills are the same, he hasn't noticeably improved any aspect of his game.

Mayo has developed into a clearly smarter and more fundamentally sound player than he was when he first stepped onto campus. He has nearly stopped taking terrible shots, he trusts his teammates much more, and he has become a better team defender. Anybody who watched him in the McDonald's All-American game when he shot his team out of it and misfired on a long three at the end of the game can tell that he has improved dramatically.

In his last game against Kansas State, he actually played well, even though he shot poorly. His team lost because Kansas State's role players played out of their minds and Beasley was dominant, there's nothing to be ashamed of there.

Everybody will argue that O.J. is a huge risk of a pick because of the off-court issues that have plagued him since high school. ESPN's OTL report on his shady activities at USC certainly exacerbate that problem. He's also been labeled selfish because he wants to market himself and went to USC to do that. It's clear though that he has matured since he slammed the ball off the backboard in high school in a famous YouTube moment.

He has definitely become smarter on the court, and all of this negative press may actually force him to grow up off it as well. There's no way to trivialize his mistakes, but he is under a much bigger magnifying glass than anybody else in this draft class. O.J. could run over a squirrel and it would make headlines. This means he is used to the media exposure he will be subjected to in the NBA.

He can handle the interviews, the photo shoots, and the non-basketball things that happen in the league. OJ has been waiting and preparing his whole life to play in the NBA, and Minnesota would be wise to add him to their rebuilding efforts.

Randy and Frank are the voices for Cocky and Arrogant: A Pistons Fan Blog. Growing up as high school friends, they eventually attended the same university, where they would spend the school year making fun of Kobe Bryant, Tony Parker, Dwyane Wade and finally LeBron James. They have found that watching the Pistons lose in the Conference Finals the past two years has been a humbling experience, thus the creation of their blog: Cocky and Arrogant.

Any prosecuting attorney worth his salt will tell you that the best witness in ANY case is usually a convicted felon, because they usually get deals to tell the truth.

I find it amusing that the younger USC fans are quick to point out, "Lloyd Lake is a convicted felon" when talking about the Reggie Bush case.

The elder USC alumni seem to realize what the truth probably will bear, and it's not fruit.  They are not happy, and rumblings are that Mike Garrett is soon to go.  His willingness to look the other way:

- When OJ appears at practice
- While Snoop (a convicted felon) roams the sidelines
- While Dwayne Jarrett gets free rent
- When a player is caught with over 100 Ecstasy Pills
- When the coaching staff fakes a suicide
- When Dirty Sanchez earns his nickname
- When countless other sexual assaults by players get swept under the carpet
- When players get free food from a Greek booster's restaurant
- When a major recruit claims "Coach Carroll had me talk to Reggie and he said everything will be OK."
- When a poor football player shows up on campus with a brand-new, tricked-out Impala
- When a poor player's family starts showing up at every single road game with nice clothing
- When USC players end up being bust after bust in the NFL
- When something major also happens in basketball

Could the end be near? Not if you listen to those who cast stones at Lake.

To disparage Lake because he WAS convicted and WAS a felon is ludicrous.
1) He is no longer under conviction.
2) He has not committed a felony in quite some time.

To intimate that felons are not truthful is being intellectually dishonest.

Then again, those who do such in South Central need look no further than their own campus to find fine examples of impropriety.

They shouldn't worry, however.  Miles Brand and his ilk are too busy to worrying about getting "The Fighting Sioux" to change their mascot.   USC will continue its ways of the '60s and '70s.

21^st century sports do not resemble what your father watched back in the '60s and '70s. It has been a wild ride full of steroids, scandals, crime, and the overall degeneration of athletes. True viewers are able to witness faster, stronger athletes participate in sports, thus making for higher quality entertainment—but at a price.

Today’s athletes are spoiled, selfish prima donnas solely focused on the next endorsement or payday. They hold out for bigger contracts, they cause internal disaster within organizations and prove to be a disgrace to the sport to which they owe their livelihood.

Present day athletes are all about themselves and their "me first, team second" attitude leads to issues in every area. Athletes will do anything, even if it leads to eventual trouble, in order to separate themselves from the competition. They take illegal substances so that they can maximize their performance on the playing field.

This doesn’t send a good message to anyone looking up to these athletes, especially young kids coming in and out of high school. They see these rich superstars dominating a sport and say, “Why can’t I do this?” They want that success so they do what their “idols” do. They take steroids. This can even result in others taking steroids even if they wouldn’t normally take them, because they have to keep up with the athletes who initially took them.

So steroids are an obvious issue among younger amateur athletes. However, there is also a growing problem with colleges giving illegal benefits and gifts to their prospective students, most recently seen with the allegations against OJ Mayo and USC.

Colleges are willing to disregard NCAA rules because there is so much money at stake when it comes to winning. Boosters and alumni are more willing to give to a successful program. The better the bowl game a college goes to, the bigger the paycheck they receive. So colleges are willing to stretch the rules if it means they achieve more success.

The athletes, dazzled with the prospect of getting an early start to the high life, naturally accept the benefits. In this material world, athletic programs and athletes are only concerned with one thing: money. If the college will deliver money to the athlete, then the athlete will play for them so that the team can deliver money to the school.

When money leads to disrespect for the rules, problems like we are seeing now occur. Amateur sports contain so many athletes aspiring to be highly endorsed superstars that they will do anything to have it as quickly as possible. This just further sets a bad example to our middle schooler's and so now we have prima donnas infiltrating our sports programs at every level.

Another factor in this could be the overexposure sports undergoes. We live in a world where we are updated by the minute about each and every move athletes make. ESPN virtually tracks LeBron’s every sneeze and Tom Brady’s every snore.

Young kids watch these athletes prance around and tell the world about their every heartache so they think, “I deserve this and I’m gonna do whatever it takes to get it.” When every athlete is involved in a scandal, kids begin to become desensitized. They don’t think the scandals are that bad and even think, “This is what I need to do if I want to become a superstar.” They think this way because of the overexposure sports receives.

When kids set their sights on superstardom and are willing to pay any price to attain it, this allows agents to exploit them as well. Agents have been flirting with athletes at younger and younger ages. They have begun establishing relationships with athletes as they enter college, trying to score them as clients before they are even allowed to have agents.

Again, despite all their warm sentiments of caring about the athletes, all these agents really want is money. They want to sign the big clients before they are open to the whole market. This forces other agents to join in because they can’t get left behind. So there’s no trust between these colleges, athletes, and agents, only one common desire for wealth.

Looking at examples of corruption in college sports one can see that things are simply getting worse. Maurice Clarett believed he could fight the entire NFL and force his way in despite his ineligibility. So did Mike Williams. Reggie Bush and OJ Mayo accepted gifts to play at USC while LeBron was driving a Hummer before he was out of high school.

The NCAA has rules in place and they often use them, but it doesn’t seem to affect the choices made. The colleges, players, and agents have the right to do what they want, but they must accept the consequences. They break rules and so they get punished. It’s as simple as that. The issue is that so many of the players have nothing to lose because they are often caught after they have entered professional sports, so they can’t be punished as severely.

Clarett and Williams paid the price for their stupidity, but Bush won’t lose his money. He might lose his Heisman, but who cares? He was still the best player in college football that season and he is still raking in dough. Losing a trophy doesn’t really matter anymore to Reggie. Same with OJ Mayo who is going pro and can’t lose anything. The only time the NCAA’s rules affect athletes is when the athletes are still in college.

The colleges are the only party hurt by the violations. The colleges can lose bowl game privileges and the like for their infractions and this appears to be the best the NCAA can do. But it really isn’t a enough. The NCAA needs to find a way to have the colleges instill their athletes with some integrity through sports and education.

College is a maturation period that so many athletes ignore as they try to jump straight to the big time. They are truly missing an important step in their lives when they disregard college. Colleges don’t help the problem when they initiate the athletes into the corruption. There needs to be a call from some figure in the sporting world to end the corruption. If this would happen it would raise some awareness that the colleges need to find a way to have student athletes embrace this important stage of their life and it use it to properly grow into mature professionals that can set a good example to the aspiring.

Well, lookie what we have here:

I did some investigation into the matter and found the following to, indeed, be true:

1) The University of Southern California has endorsed this video
2) All Trojan alumni prey on young children. All of them.

Man, Chris Hansen is SUCH a freakin’ rockstar.

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When I first heard USC’s response that it didn’t know anything about allegations that former basketball star O.J. Mayo had received gifts from a local sports agency and that there was no wrongdoing in its recruiting of Mayo, my initial response was, “who do they think they’re kidding?” 

First off, here is a university that has produced some of the world's best and brightest in academics and sports, and is located in the media capital of the world. To say it didn’t know anything about one of its most prized recruits in years receiving tons of money and gifts from a shady individual working for a sports agency is just ludicrous!

ESPN’s “Outside the Lines” on May 11 had Louis Johnson, a former sportswriter for the Long Beach Press-Telegram, produced a paper trail of receipts and other documents linking Mayo to Rodney Guillory, a “runner” for BDA Sports Management.

Johnson told ESPN that Mayo has received as much as $30,000 in cash and gifts even before he unrolled at USC while playing high school basketball in Ohio and West Virginia.

During his brief stay with the Trojans, where he was named first team All-Pac-10, the gifts kept on coming for Mayo. Some included clothes, airline tickets and meals for family and friends, and a flat screen television in his dorm room (who misses that?).

Reports say that USC allegedly knew of Guillory’s fine work when he provided airfare for another Trojan recruit, Jeff Trepagnier, back in 2000 for another sports agency.

In the May 13, 2008 edition of the Los Angeles Times, former Compton High and Fresno State star player Tito Maddox told the Times that he and his family received $30,000, a car, an SUV and airline tickets arranged by Guillory from a Las Vegas-based agency.

The Fresno State basketball program was put on a self-imposed two-year probation and lost two scholarships in 2002 after Maddox confessed to the Fresno Bee that he received the illegal gifts, according to the Times.

But USC knew nothing about this in its pursuit of Mayo and that Guillory was on the up and up?  

USC went out of its way to land the highly recruited Mayo and let Guillory do all the work of bringing him in, believing Mayo’s claim that he would lead them to the promised land of an NCAA title. Guillory practically handed USC Mayo on a silver platter.

He was well known around the USC basketball department and was a regular at pickup games, practices, regular season games and even in Coach Tim Floyd’s office!

But all Mayo did was lead the Trojans to an early exit in this year’s NCAA tournament. As expected, Mayo announced that he was making himself eligible for the NBA Draft right after the tournament.

Now the Trojans have to be asking themselves was it all worth it. The NCAA and the Pac-10 have opened investigations. If found guilty, USC could be in a world of trouble. All it got was a first-round loss, a star player that’s one and done, and possible violations of NCAA rules that could decimate the basketball program and leave a black eye on one of the nation’s most hallowed college athletic programs.

USC is claiming ignorance with its handling of Mayo in the same way it is dealing with similar allegations that former Heisman Trophy winner and current New Orleans Saints running back Reggie Bush received cash and gifts while at USC.

At least Bush led the Trojans to a couple of National Championships, which could be stripped if he is found guilty.    

Floyd and USC turned a blind eye in exchange for a few more wins and a chance at catching up to crosstown rival UCLA. But let’s be honest here. UCLA with its 11 national titles, legendary coach and legendary players own USC the way the Trojans own the Bruins in football. These are programs that are second to none.

There’s no way USC will ever be able to catch up to the Bruins in basketball and neither should it try. USC is a football school, plain and simple.

If USC is found guilty, changes in the athletic department need to be made immediately to restore dignity to this proud institution. Some of those changes may involve firing Floyd and football coach Pete Carroll and their staffs, and maybe even Athletic Director Mike Garrett. All are great guys as well as coaches and have brought so much to USC and the community. It would a sad day in Los Angeles and in all of college sports to see this worst-case scenario come to fruition.

But everyone will bounce back. Floyd will land another college job and already has experience as a head coach in the NBA. The NFL and Carroll have been flirting with each other for years, and it’s only a matter of time and the right offer to make him jump ship.

Mayo will also leave USC suffering no repercussions whatsoever. He is expected to be drafted as high as third and no lower than eighth next month, according to some local college basketball experts. Mayo will earn millions in NBA salary and endorsements and will not suffer any of the consequences that the Trojans, its players and future recruits may suffer.

Kevin Hunter is a freelance writer who lives in Long Beach, Calif.

With the recent news of OJ Mayo receiving gifts and breaking NCAA regulations, one must ask themselves if this problem is one that has the possibility of being solved.

In one word, the answer is, "no." 

As long as college athletics continue to be a big business (and yes it is a business), regulations will continue to be broken.  With so much money at stake, there will always be boosters and administrators that view the reward of landing a prized athlete to outweigh the risk of getting caught.

So, a reasonable person may then ask, "If college sports as a business is the problem, why don't we pull money out of it?"

This is entirely unrealistic.  If the NCAA pulled down the scholarship number, that would only accentuate the problem, as the top athletes become more and more precious.  There would be an increase in the gifts given to athletes.

Another possible idea would be to increase surveillance and effectiveness of investigating possible digressions.  Again, this is not a workable solution.

If you look closely at the OJ Mayo story, NCAA officials were tipped off by a former confidant of Mayo's.  In essence, the NCAA did no work finding it out on its own.  In the Reggie Bush case, it took a months-long investigation by Yahoo! Sports to uncover the Bush family's dirty laundry.

The NCAA does not have the manpower or the resources to patrol itself effectively to the point where it could ensure that no transgressions were taking place.

If by some miracle the NCAA figured out a way to police itself, the boosters and athletes would simply become more careful or develop new techniques of offering gifts.

A good parallel of this dichotomy, albeit a very dark and gloomy parallel, is the war on drugs in America.  Drug dealers (the boosters) have something that they are trying to distribute to people (gifts, money) under the noses of those in charge (NCAA officials, athletic directors).  Not to get too political here, but the war on drugs is not one that the government is winning.  It has been going on for over twenty years, and has no end in sight.

In conclusion, this is a problem that will not be solved.  Boosters will always have too much disposable money, and have too much passion for their alma maters.  Student athletes are too poor and too young to really understand the consequences of accepting said gifts (and if anybody thinks that they would do any differently they need to get off of their high horse). 

College sports will forever be a business, and while the NCAA cannot turn a blind eye on these transgressions, they cannot expect to prevent them from ever happening.