O/NSO: Birthdays and USC football edition
The Obvious: This past week, the O/NSO turned 37 years old reversed, and we reminded ourselves that not only is the O/NSO an indisputable senior citizen but a person that should be taking it one day at a time and not get stressed out over things that are simply trivial…with the exception, of course, USC football.
The Not So Obvious: Of note, this will be my 61st season of either watching, reporting on, or discussing USC football and my 22nd season covering the Trojans for WeAreSC. One of the perks of the job is having the pleasure of producing and moderating our well-received video/podcast show “Inside the Trojans’ Huddle.” At this point, some younger USC fans see me on the show as a Trojans’ football historian while others see me as that “old fart living in the past.”
However, the O/NSO kind of likes the thought of USC football historian because it means we’ve had the pleasure of seeing live and in person things like John McKay’s national championship teams, John Robinson’s 1978 national champs, and, of course, Pete Carroll’s vaunted Trojans’ dynasty – not to mention the likes of every All-American and legend since 1962. If that means I am also an old flatulent, who cares and so be it.
Being called a USC football historian means you experienced firsthand the John McKay era of the 60s and 70s..
(Photo above by Rich Clarkson/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)
The Obvious: To me, there is nothing more ridiculous than age and aging for that matter. To me, worrying about my mortality scoreboard is a waste of time, and I don’t have time for it, certainly not with the 2023 season approaching and the Trojans having a legitimate shot at a Pac-12 title and a potential CFP post-season berth.
The Not So Obvious: For me, the O/NSO would much rather think of all the beautiful and exciting memories we’ve gotten to experience with my love and passion for USC football rather than sitting on a park bench reflecting on missed opportunities in life and the aging process. That, to me, is as depressing as it is exhilarating sitting in the Coliseum or visiting a press box like Notre Dame.
The Obvious: For me, walking the USC campus or strolling through Exposition Park around the Coliseum makes it age-irrelevant.
The Not So Obvious: For sure, walking the Trojan campus and seeing buildings that are older than me makes me feel ageless. Whether it’s passing by Tommy Trojan or looking up at Mudd Tower, it’s still like my first trip to Disneyland in 1955. As a matter of public record, when I turned five years old, my parents took me to Disneyland’s first month of its existence for my birthday, and I have been going ever since – without a timeout except for Covid.
There is the beauty of the USC campus, which comes alive on football game day.
The Obvious: For those that really know me, the O/NSO has this running joke for my friends who complain about getting old and not being able to enjoy the fruits of life.
The Not So Obvious: I just tell my buddies, male and female, turn off the lights and we’re all 18 years old again. The O/NSO looks in the mirror today and doesn’t see the young man with dark, wavy hair. I see somebody with gray turning to white hair and ask myself who the hell is that? However, when I enter the Coliseum press box for the San Jose State opener on Aug. 26, the O/NSO will see the ever-growing L.A. skyline, the Hollywood sign, and the Griffith Park Observatory through the eyes of a young adolescent. I will look down on the Coliseum turf and see the same colorful and iconic uniforms – with various changes throughout the decades – still showcasing the same cardinal and gold combination.
The Obvious: As mentioned previously, each Tuesday the O/NSO has the pleasure of producing and moderating the popular WeAreSC video/podcast “Inside the Trojans’ Huddle” along with our all-star panel consisting of WeAreSC editor-in-chief and the encyclopedic sports mind of Erik McKinney, talented columnist, orator, and lawyer Chris Arledge, and passionate, opinionated, and knowledgeable Marc Kulkin. And throw in on helpful occasion WeAreSC CEO Bruce “The Godfather” Bagni. They all know their USC football, and they have their memories of a lifetime.
The Not So Obvious: Aside from being an elder on our “Huddle” panel, I have attempted to bring a historical perspective to USC football because of my age. In some cases, most of our panel only has read or seen videos or heard others talk about such USC memories as the famous 64-yard TD run by O.J. Simpson in 1967, the 1974 Comeback against the Irish in the Coliseum, and other little bits and tidbits of Trojans lore. Because of our separation of age, it’s a positive because the panel can reach all audience age demographics. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t live in the past, but I do respect and appreciate it.
To me, perhaps wrongly interpreted, I am able, like many fellow baby boomers, to give a historical picture of something about USC’s football past that can only be brought to life by somebody who lived it.
USC fans will never forget the 1974 “Comeback” win over Notre Dame in the Coliseum.
(Photo above by WeAreSC/USC Athletics)
The Obvious: The late Garry Paskwietz is the legendary founder of WeAreSC.com.
The Not So Obvious: One of the treasured comments that our beloved and late publisher Garry P. once said to me was the time we were discussing the great USC running backs of all time. GP said to me that his favorite and best running back, in his opinion, was the late Charles White. I, on the other hand, said the greatest running back in USC history, in my opinion, was O.J. Simpson. Garry had the appropriate response by saying, “I wasn’t alive to see Simpson run, but I wish I was.” Such is the art of timing in one’s life. Others could say Marcus Allen along with Reggie Bush and not get into a huge argument. Seeing these great players in person during their prime does make it a more vivid picture.
The Obvious: The O/NSO knows many in today’s population have no time or respect, or appreciation for the past. It’s like “Storytime at the library.”
The Not So Obvious: The O/NSO does smile reading comments on our WeAreSC Members Board when posters start with “Greg, you and I are about the same age,” and they know exactly the emotions and sentiments of the time. I suspect that the younger readers – not all – do like hearing reflections like what it was like to be in the Coliseum when the Trojans made that remarkable comeback in 1974 against the Irish. Believe it or not, there are readers here that were either not born or were too young to experience the “Bush Push” at Notre Dame in 2005.
The famous “Bush Push” to beat Notre Dame in 2005 in South Bend is a classic memory, especially for those that were there.
The Obvious: When I stop to think about my age, I think about all those that weren’t as lucky or fortunate to have lived this long, although from my perspective you’re too old when you die, whether you’re 100 or 50.
The Not So Obvious: Recently and not so recently, WeAreSC lost some past colleagues who succumbed to catastrophic illnesses. For USC literary icons like Garry Paskweitz, Steve Bisheff, former USC star linebacker Kevin Bruce, and former WeAreSC contributor Paul Morantz, all were inspired to delay the inevitable by wanting to experience “just one more USC football season.”
For me, each season to me now is more important than the previous one. The Trojans will move to the Big Ten in 2024, and it would be great to experience that. It would be great to be able to see Michigan come play USC in the Coliseum in 2024. I want to experience the newness and challenge of the Big Ten. I have been to some of the greatest college football venues in the country like Ohio State, Nebraska, and Notre Dame, but I have not been to Michigan’s “Big House” or Wisconsin’s Camp Randall Stadium.
So, the O/NSO has made a pact with myself, I won’t allow age to get in the way of seeing these icons of college football. And while the O/NSO is thinking about it, can’t wait for the 12-team – it should be 16 – playoff in 2024.
The USC Trojans and Michigan Wolverines will battle in the Coliseum in a 2024 Big Ten Conference game.
(Photo above by John Pyle/Icon SMI/Icon Sport Media via Getty Images)
The Obvious: And finally, there is no Ponce de Leon and fountain of youth, but there is something that can be just as magical.
The Not So Obvious: When the 2023 Trojans run through the famous Coliseum players’ tunnel entrance onto its historic turf for a battle with San Jose State, I will again see Traveler, the Trojans Marching Band, the cardinal and gold uniforms, the peristyle end of the Coliseum and the torch, the USC Song Girls, and fans dressed in cardinal and gold while loudly chanting in unison “We Are…SC.!”
Looking down from my Coli press box seat, the O/NSO will visualize the memories of Iron Mike, O.J., Sam Bam, Marcus and Ronnie, Leinart and Bush and LenDale, and best of all, I will see the present with the incomparable Caleb at quarterback and national championship hopes again alive. That, my friends, will keep me and all of you young forever and a day.
Trojans All-American returning quarterback Caleb Williams #13 will keep everybody young in 2023.
(Photo above by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images)
The post O/NSO: Birthdays and USC football edition appeared first on On3.
