HAPPY SPANKSGIVING

Bruin fans should already be thankful, for a better season than last year;  Spanking the stuffing out of those Gutterball Turkeys would just be gravy

You know what sucked?  When you would have to go see all your relatives for the big Thanksgiving Day celebration, right after your team had lost the big Rivalry game the weekend before.  Undoubtedly, some of your relatives were the typically obnoxious and arrogant fans of your rival, and as soon as they saw you, they went off on you.

Unfortunately, you don’t get to pick your relatives (just one you pick; you inherit the rest).  Many people dread these extended-family get-togethers already, and that’s without the classless taunting.  At least this year, the feast comes before the famine (20 carries for 30 yards, 10 penalties for 85 yards), so the tryptophans will go down a little easier.

With the fans of the favored team slightly lower on confidence than usual, it will be interesting to see if they are as conceited and cocky around the dinner table as what you are used to. 

Hopefully, you have picked up a few items from this website over the last year that you can share with them.  In fact, here are three more:  First of all, it appears that the #1 Hero of trojan football fans, O.J. Simpson, who will be spending his first Turkey Day in jail, is now — get this — COUNSELING other inmates in Race Relations and… ANGER MANAGEMENT.  David Letterman asked, just how bad does your temper have to be if you go to O.J. to settle you down?   Dave added that going to O.J. for Anger Management was like going to Bernie Madoff for Money Management… or to usc for an education?  How long before O.J. starts teaching classes on what he really knows best? 

“Stealing Satellite TV for Dummies 101”

“Hiding Finances in Bogus Foundations named after your Daughter 110”

“Bragging about Double-Murders in Print 135”

“Doing Time for the Wrong Crime  3-2-9”

“Being a trOJan for (20 to) Life 420”

And O.J. wasn’t the only trojan Heisman winner taking heat in the Media this week.  Thanks to “Salil” for sending in this link to a Spike.com article, about Heisman-winning, “Where-are-they-now” Losers, in an article titled:  “Top 10 Heisman Winners Who Failed at Life.”  The list is bookended by trojans.

 http://www.spike.com/blog/top-ten-heisman/89699

Of course, O.J. is #1, but surprisingly, #10 is Matt Leinart.  Leinart, they say, is still languishing on the Arizona bench behind former grocery store bagger Kurt Warner, has an illegitimate child, dates a star of a high school reality show, and spends more time in diseased hot tubs with beer bongs than on the girdiron (or something like that – check the link).  They also skewer southern cal, mentioning Leinart’s “sc signing bonus.”  Nice to know that Spike doesn’t fear sc the same way the NCAA does.  And while we’re on the subject of ex-troy QB’s, Mark Sanchez has gone from “San-chise” to San-cheese” in New York, as the Jets freefall behind the QB with the worst Quarterback Rating of any Starter in the NFL. 

Okay, so talking point #1 was O.J. becoming Dr. Phil, and #2 was Leinart, and to a lesser extent Sanchez, becoming “Fail” posterboys.  #3 is for all those trojan fans who think that Taylor “The Headhunter” Mays is the best DB in the Country.  Apparently, the experts don’t agree, as Mays, who stayed at sc this year for no apparent reason, was LEFT OFF the finalist list for the Jim Thorpe Award.  Maybe the voters were sick of late hits and concussions… and players who were proud of delivering both.

As a matter of fact, NOT ONE TROJAN was among the fianlists on ANY of the late-season Award lists.  To rub it in even further, make sure your trojan dinner guests know that even the UCLA Bruins got someone on the lists — Kai Forbath is on the fianl Lou Groza list, for best Kicker.  In fact, you could say he was a “shoe-in.”

On that (sole-less) note, here is the second batch of photos from the BeatSC Bonfire and Rally Monday night, complete with mouse-over, hidden pop-up captions.  Also, the photos ENLARGE if you click on them.  This is especially handy for the Dance/Cheer shots below, that DESREVE to completely fill your screens.  If you are reading on an iPhone or Blackberry, you’ll never quite know what you’re missing.