Southern Cal Football Quiz: To honor coaching great John McKay,
who passed away this week, I think it”s only appropriate we put
together a little quiz that is bound to test your memory of days of
yore.
1) Running backs Mike Garrett (”65) and O.J. Simpson (”68)
each won the Heisman trophy. Who were the runners-up those
seasons? Of course, you”ll need some hints. The runner-up to
Garrett was a receiver who went on to have a respectable NFL
career. He was also one of the all-time college great”s at his
position. The #2 finisher to Simpson played for a Big Ten
school.
2) USC running backs Anthony Davis (”74) and Ricky Bell
(”76) finished second in the Heisman race. Who was first those
two years? [Hint: This is far easier. Both winners were also
running backs.] Answers below.
John McKay
McKay died this week at age 77. Coaching at Southern Cal from
1960-75, the Trojans picked up 4 national titles during his reign:
1962: 11-0
1967: 10-1
1972: 12-0
1974: 10-1-1 (UPI/AP went to 11-0 Oklahoma)
McKay also was Coach of the Year in ”62 and ”72, and a list of
some of his players reads like a “who”s who” of college football.
Garrett, Simpson, Davis, Bell, Clarence Davis, Pat Haden, Bill
Nelsen, Sam Cunningham, Ron Yary, Marvin Powell, Lynn
Swann.
But McKay is best known for perfecting the I-formation, which
led to the moniker for USC of “Tailback U.” In all, McKay
coached 40 All-Americans and finished 127-40-8 at the school
with the awesome cheerleaders.
Then, after the ”75 season, the son of a western Pennsylvania
coal-mine supervisor was selected to be the head coach of a new
NFL franchise, Tampa Bay. As he put it in his very frank
manner, he left Southern Cal “because I wanted to make some
money – it”s that simple.”
Those first two seasons in Tampa Bay were awful, as the
Buccaneers proceeded to post a record 26-game losing streak
from the opening week of their history, going 0-14 the first year
and losing the first 12 the second season before winning their last
two.
In year one, they were outscored 412-125, and the second wasn”t
much better, 223-103. But while the defense improved
considerably, take a look at the offensive #”s for the Bucs the
first twelve games of the 2nd season.
Points scored: 3,3,7,0,23*…wohh…0,10,0,0,7,0,0. Then the
Bucs scored 33 and 17 in their two season-ending wins. Both
opposing coaches were fired as a result, by the way.
Yes, these were the years before free agency, and it wasn”t easy
building a winning squad. But McKay relied on his humor to get
by, coming up with one of the all time lines, when asked about
the Buccaneers” “execution.” “I think it”s a good idea.”
Actually, his one-liners go back to his days at USC, when after
O.J. carried the ball 38 times in a game, McKay commented, “He
is not in a union. He can carry the ball as many times as we want
him to.”
And McKay absolutely hated kickers. “Capece is Kaput,” he
said upon releasing kicker Bill Capece.
But while McKay was a human jokefest (and he loved to do
public speaking engagements so much, he once made 286
banquet appearances in a single year), he was knocked for never
getting close to his players. But you could not doubt his knack
for winning, and so it was that in just its fourth season, the
Tampa Bay Bucs made the playoffs, getting to the NFC title
game before losing 9-0 to the Los Angeles Rams. McKay
guided the team to more playoff appearances in ”81 and ”82 and
then hung it up following the ”84 campaign. So quaff an ale to a
real original…the late, great John McKay.
The Animals…now it really concerns us
Dateline Australia: Last weekend a 12-foot tiger shark was
found to have a human head in its belly. This could be
Australia”s 4th shark victim in the last 8 months.
Dateline Nepal: Johnny Mac brings to my attention the story of
the Royal Bengal tiger that was shot to death in a game park after
killing 5 people in one week (May 31-June 6). Said a park
official, “The tiger seemed to have recently turned into a man-
eater.” No —-, Sherlock! More importantly, I”m wondering if
this tiger was the one who fired the automatic weapon at Nepal”s
royal family. Well?! It”s as good an explanation as the “official”
accounts from Katmandu!
Dateline Ottawa: Harry K. breaks the truly scary news Tuesday
morning that a 3rd bear (in just the past few months) has been
shot within Ottawa”s city limits! Now Harry is always telling me
about the sad state of affairs in the Canadian military, but,
geezuz, we”re talking Ottawa, the freakin” capital! There is a
potential armed insurrection right on our border! And what
about the caribou that may be receiving false information on
potential drilling in their homelands? What if they stampede
towards Ottawa? [After clearing customs.]
But, alas, there is a real explanation for these incidents (you can”t
count the deal with Sharon Stone”s hubby…more later…because
that was an enclosed episode in controlled circumstances).
No, an article in the current issue of U.S. News may provide the
best clue as to the revolt that is taking place across the world
concerning the animal kingdom. Researchers now believe that
the “die-off” that occurred with earth”s largest mammals, like
Mastodons and giant kangaroos, may not have been caused by
climate change or disease, but rather by hunters. During the
period 40-55,000 years ago, when man emerged, hunter-
gatherers could have “pursued their prey to extinction or
disrupted crucial habitats,” according to U.S. News”s Ben
Harder. Yes, others still say it”s possible hunters introduced the
lethal diseases, and that”s the real cause of extinction, but it is
increasingly likely the other theory is the main culprit.
So, boys and girls, there you have it. It really is payback time.
Generations of squirrels and sea turtles have passed on the tales
to future legions of cougars, sharks, bears, tigers, and elephants.
When George W. Bush was elected, I took heart in the fact that
while he was clueless when it came to the world, at least he had
experienced hands like Cheney, Powell, and Rumsfeld close by.
Now, I”m beginning to wonder if Bush should have chosen Jim
Fowler to be Secretary of Defense and Joan Embry for Secretary
of State. I imagine you don”t disagree.
Phil Bronstein and the Komodo
Now since the komodo dragon is really a dinosaur, I don”t think
we can include him in the above discussion. Nonetheless,
Sharon Stone decided she would give her husband / newspaper
exec, Phil Bronstein, a Father”s Day present he wouldn”t forget, a
private tour of the Los Angeles Zoo. That was the first problem.
San Diego”s is far superior, everyone knows that. It”s like
comparing Disneyland to Knott”s Berry Farm; the Lakers to the
Clippers; Ronald Reagan to Gray Davis; Pepperdine”s campus
to…you get the point.
So Bronstein has a thing for komodos and he wanted to get
inside the cage of the direct descendant of T-Rex. The
zookeeper said, “Ah, Mr. Bronstein, please remove those white
tennis shoes, because they resemble the white rats we feed Killer
K.”
Of course, Bronstein”s feet hadn”t been in the sun, so they were
as white as the rat”s anyway, but zookeepers are zookeepers for a
reason, know what I”m sayin”? Alas, the komodo (who can
accelerate from zero to 30 mph in the blink of an eye) snatched
Bronstein”s foot while a horrified Ms. Stone looked on. The
dinosaur then whipped around, trying to apply the “komodo
death grip,” but Phil had the presence of mind to pry open the
dragon”s mouth and then escape through a little, teeny door in
the cage.
The payoff is that the dinosaur”s teeth contain septic bacteria…so
by the time you read this, Bronstein could be dead. As it is, he
had major toe surgery.
As for Sharon Stone, she handled it well and didn”t blame the
people at the zoo. But I really don”t see her staying with a
newspaper executive whose toe is mangled, do you?
Tiger Woods
In case you didn”t see it, Tiger”s on the cover of the current issue
of Newsweek, and what we learn is that he is officially part of a
foursome that calls themselves the “Brothers;” Tiger, Michael
Jordan, Charles Barkley, and Ahmad Rashad. [Has Rashad led a
charmed life or what?] On the outside looking in is A-Rod.
These four constantly talk to each other and hang out as much as
possible. Jordan, in particular, has undoubtedly been a great
influence on Woods. But Barkley says that once a tournament
starts, Woods never returns their calls. Don”t bother him once
he”s in the zone.
Tiger loves to watch the Discovery Channel and his favorite
rock group is Third Eye Blind. Jordan, Barkley and Rashad are
also the ones who have helped to convince him that he should
wait until he”s at least 30 before he gets married.
Bill Clinton
So did you notice the ex-Prez at Game #3 of the Philly – Lakers
series? And did you notice him at the French Open (even if
Agassi didn”t…that whole deal was blown out of proportion, by
the way) and the Belmont Stakes?
Ahh, but there”s a story behind Sunday”s Philly appearance.
According to the Star-Ledger”s Don Burke, Clinton asked to sit
in Sixers President Pat Croce”s private box. Croce said, “I didn”t
want him in my box. I”ve got my friends and family with me,
people who have been through the last five years. But I”ll have
him in the house.”
Clinton then asked to sit courtside, but Croce nixed that as well
saying, “I”m not moving anyone.” So Croce found Bubba a
place in the box of Comcast”s chairman, but the former First Liar
didn”t like the corner location, so Clinton evidently ended up in
some midcourt box. And there he was, guffawing and spewing
food all over the place.
Top 3 songs for the week of 6/15/74: #1 “Billy, Don”t Be A
Hero” (Bo Donaldson & The Heywoods) #2 “You Make Me
Feel Brand New” (The Stylistics) #3 “Sundown” (Gordon
Lightfoot)
USC Quiz Answers: 1) Tulsa receiver Howard Twilley finished
2nd to Mike Garrett for the Heisman in ”65. Twilley is still tops
in NCAA history for his 13.4 catches per game that season, and
for his career, he averaged 10 catches per contest. In 1968,
Purdue”s Mr. Everything, Leroy Keyes, was the runner-up to
Simpson. Keyes was an outstanding wingback / tailback who ran
it, caught it, returned kicks, and, most impressively, also played
defensive back. Alas, injuries plagued him throughout a brief
NFL career, and the fans never got to see his truly spectacular
work on the professional stage. 2) Heisman winners: USC”s
Anthony Davis finished 2nd in ”74 to Archie Griffin (the first of
his two), and then in ”76, Tony Dorsett beat out Ricky Bell.
Next Bar Chat, Friday. A dark day for the Mets.
