CLAY IT AGAIN, SHAM!

Here’s looking at U($c), kid — I’m shocked, SHOCKED, that Lynn Swann, a sham of an Athletic Director, announced that u$c, a sham of a University, will bogart Clay Helton, a sham of a Football Coach, for another year, instead of rounding up the usual suspects

I hope this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship, between clueless u$c Athletic Director Lynn Swann and mediocre trojan Head Coach Clay Helton.  If they stay in place for a while, that program won’t amount to a hill of beans in this crazy world.  Yesterday, Swann announced that embattled Helton will return to coach sc next season — a decision he will regret — Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but soon, and for the rest of his life.  There is gambling going on in that establishment, and Swann is taking a big gamble.

Trojan fans are up in arms over this decision.  There was a plane flying a banner over the Coliseum last night, while sc was losing the Notre Dame, demanding that Helton be terminated.  Helton had some talent this year, certainly enough to contend for a Conference Title, but he mismanaged it, with faulty, sometimes inexplicable play calling, and with a lack of discipline that led to costly mental mistakes and penalties.

In the first quarter last night, when they dominated the #3 Fighting Irish, it was readily apparent that troy has the horses to be a hell of a lot better than 5-7.  But Swann has decided to stick with Helton for at least another campaign.  Perhaps because the school is without a President right now, so hiring a new Coach/Savior would be difficult — but whatever the reason, the rest of the Pac-12 is sighing with relief.  While Kansas gets National Championship winner Les Miles, sc sticks with Helton.  Now I will admit that Helton had a good run over the previous couple of seasons, but when Sam Darnold left, things fell apart, and sc did NOT look well-coached at all this year.

——————————-

A group that IS well-coached is the UCLA Spirit Squad.  Recruiting/selecting the top talent is one thing.  But keeping them all well-grounded, while training them with discipline and patience to perform precision routines, not to mention all the duties of being ambassadors of UCLA, is quite an undertaking.  So RESPECT to the staff, as well as to the students who have the ability and desire to follow that lead.  Here are 44 more photos from Saturday.