Clarification

I'

ve been ranting quite a bit for the past week and I swear yesterday was supposed to be the last one, but I had to respond--sorry DaddyLike and Paiky and Nefarious and everyone else. I have a few subscribers who are SC students. Now, a rant I posted a few days ago was pretty rancid and nothing but trash talk, but it was a direct response to an SC fan who posted all kinds of garbage on a Bruin football forum I frequent. It is amazing what some of these SC fans are capable of writing. Name calling, questioning sexual orientation, etc.

But a couple of SC subscribers left me comments here. I don't mean to offend them and if they decide to unsubscribe, then it will be my loss. But just so we're straight: I did not say SC students do not have integrity. My sister who went to Berkeley got her graduate degree at SC. A girl I was really crazy about, and actually played a large role in the development of who I am today was an undergraduate and grad student at SC. So I do not hate SC students. I do not believe that SC students are fools or lack integrity. But they do seem to manifest a higher threshold for the behavior of its football team, whether it be running up the score or violent behavior.

UCLA's team was not especially populated with a bunch of do-gooders as well. In 2001, our QB Cory Paus finally fessed up to a DUI he was arrested for during the previous winter break. He hid it for fear of being suspended from the team. When it finally came out, we fans and students and alumni insisted that he should be benched. We had no viable back up to play SC the following week, but Coach Bob Toledo should have sat him anyway. He didn't. Many of us were incredulous, because we believe that one of the jobs of a coach is to teach these young men--some of whom will go on to make millions of dollars--accountability and responsibility. He failed. There was also the handicapped parking fiasco. Sure this was perpetrated by the student-athletes, and Toledo had no idea it was happening, but it was a reflection of the kind of ship he was running.I believe we have a lower threshold for bad behavior, and a fter a year of harping by us fans and students and alumni--I myself wrote a few e-mails to the Athletic Director (I'm sure I was just one of many)--Toledo was fired after an 8-win season. Karl Dorrell was brought in to clean up the program and many students--most painfully two large Defensive linemen--transferred to other schools when they figured out that behavior unbecoming would not be tolerated: A student-athlete who got in a fight off the field was dimissed from the team, those who could not make the grade in the classroom were suspended from the team--Tab Perry, a solid receiver even went to community college to get his grades up and was later readmitted to UCLA. Other "undisclosed" team violations were treated severely, the perpetrators of which have left.

Will SC fans and students and alumni voice a critical opinion? If they do, and something gets done, then I will be the first to applaud you. I am not saying you lack integrity,just so we're clear, but unless you are willing to speak up for your ideals and values, those that are in contradistinction to the behavior manifested by those representing you and your school, then you manifest a threshold for tolerance higher than mine. You may not agree with the behavior of the football team, but are you willing to criticize it and ask for change?

Of course, this may be a reflection of your warm and understanding nature. Maybe, mine is unforgiving and fascist, and I am a sore loser in that category of "some fans"... Six straight losses to the Trojies will do this. Aaaargh!

And thanks Sammy for reminding me our performance was better than Colorado's against Texas. There's always a silver lining, albeit just a sliver... a really really tiny sliver...

Anyway, case closed... until next year.... no wait... basketball season just started....