KENNY’S DREAMING, STANLEY’S STEAMING

Ken Norton jr. makes unfounded accusations about UCLA lying to recruits, and then vows to stay at usc, where Fullback Stanley Havili is flattened upon being ruled academically ineligible for the Rose Bowl

What — Was “Ballroom Dancing 101” all filled up? 

If it’s been asked once, it’s been asked a thousand times:  How is it possible to flunk out of usc?  When you can take classes like Basketweaving, and Ballroom Dancing, and Cinema Appreciation (which consists of watching trailers and giving feedback to the Studios), how can you possibly get straight “F’s?”

Usually, it’s a matter of non-attendance.  Despite the video currently showing on TMZ, where practically every trojan football player asked didn’t know who Joe Biden is or what Euthanasia is, most classes at sc that are registered for by the “student-athletes” are very easily passable.  But the players have been known to make surprised comments about actually having to go to class, and maybe this is the case of one who didn’t go.

What a rotten way to spend the aftermath of Christmas — You’re still loading songs into your new iPhone, when you get rocked by the sudden newflash that you won’t be playing on New Year’s Day, in the Grandaddy Of Them All.  Brutal!  Do you think he knew it was coming, or do you think that he found out from the TICKER on ESPN??  And, if the latter, who read it to him?

If the curriculum was just too tough for Stanley to handle — Advanced Calculus, Nuclear Physics, etc., then it’s not nice to put the poor young fellow down.  However, if the guy just screwed off, missed his Mickey Mousc classes, and blew off assignments, then he has let his teammates down, and he deserves all the ridicule that he gets.

And speaking of deserving ridicule, let’s talk about the traitor Ken Norton, jr.  Just when it looked like the Norton/UCLA rift REALLY WAS blame-able on Karl Dorrell, Norton has reared his ugly, Bruin-hating face again.  Norton went to the local Press and blasted UCLA for what he claims is a deceptive recruiting practice.

Norton claims — without any proof, of course — that Rick Neuheisel and/or Rick’s Assistants are telling recruits that Norton is coming to UCLA if DeWayne Walker leaves.  By accusing UCLA of wrongdoing, Norton has removed himself for consideration as the new Defensive Coordinator, which is too bad for Ken, because Walker really did leave today, and Norton really does want to be more than a Linebackers Coach riding on Pom Pom Pete’s coattails.

But there is no proof that Norton would have been offered the job, and CERTAINLY no proof that anyone said that he would be offered the job (let alone that he would take it).  It sounds more like some sort of twisted publicity stunt, where Norton could get some airtime, and announce his desire to stay at sc (stuck as a thankless Carroll lackey).

The people accused of lying are probably well-aware that Norton has NO coordinating experience whatsoever, and is simply not qualified to fill Walker’s shoes.  Not when Neuheisel is capable of bringing in plenty of already-proven candidates.  So WHY would they tell recruits that they were going to go with an inexperienced hothead, with no track record, and no indication that he has the mental faculties to handle an entire Defensive unit?

More likely — The recruits read rumors on Internet message boards, and, after meeting with UCLA people, asked Norton about the rumors (which the UCLA people never confirmed or denied).  Then, Norton, proving his TRUE COLORS, attacked Neuheisel and staff in the local Media, whining like a baby over a PERCEIVED slight.  And this is the guy who has been caught badmouthing UCLA to recruits, despite the fact that it was UCLA that was good enough to launch him to three Super Bowls.

Of course, Norton the trojan thinks that the whole World revolves around him, and that the UCLA staff spends hours pre-fabricating lies about Norton’s future, because that’s the deciding factor for all Bruin recruits.

This whole “scandal” is such a load of crap, that it would NOT be surprising to see Norton, despite all the sincere denials, go ahead and interview for the position that Walker vacated today.  Norton obviously does not know the meaning of the word “loyalty” (or “Rivalry”), so a certain amount of $$$ could probably change his tune in a hurry.  Maybe Rick will lure Norton in, just enough to create a rift between Ken and Petey.  When Pete is thoroughly pissed off beyond the point of no return, then Rick says adios to Norton long before the season even starts, hiring someone actually QUALIFIED instead.  Nice!