Updated throughout the day with quick takes from staff.
Somewhere in a dark little office the one true believer on the NCAA infractions committee is choosing between two courses of action: Falling Down and just lying there until his consciousness expires. He's rocking back and forth on the floor muttering terrible things to himself because USC athletic director Mike Garrett has sent the internet into a tizzy and Tennessee into festive riots by hiring Lane Kiffin. In doing so, Garrett has slowly moved his hand from his side to his face, placed his thumb upon his nose, wiggled his fingers, and declared one thing very clearly.
That thing: Nyah. Nyah. Nyah.
A brief review for anyone who's lived under a rock or on the East Coast for the past few years: USC gets in department-wide trouble for malfeasances ranging from ignoring the agents and runners Reggie Bush has in the USC locker room to having a coach directly pay an O.J. Mayo's associate who had gotten USC in trouble with the NCAA a decade ago. The NCAA's long and winding investigation finally wraps up; the NCAA rejects USC's request to self-flagellate. Carroll gets one look at the notice of allegations and packs up for Seattle. The hammer comes down in late February. There's considerable circumstantial evidence—including Kiffin's hiring itself—that it's going to be bad.
Meanwhile, Lane Kiffin gets the Tennessee job because his dad is famous and the administrators in Knoxville momentarily lose their minds. Over the course of one year—one year—the Kiffin administration racked up so many secondary violations that Outside the Lines did a piece investigating the shenanigans. Naturally, the piece resulted in another secondary violation. Tennessee is currently under investigation by the NCAA for using recruiting "hostesses" as travelling sex fairies from sea to shining sea.
Kiffin, of course, thinks this is all a good thing:
"I think when it comes to recruiting, we're at the highest level, and I think that people really want to know what we're doing," Kiffin said after practice Saturday. "They want to know how are we able to get interest from so many great players, and sign so many great players, so I think you have a lot of people coming at us."
Kiffin and company are either totally ignorant of NCAA rules or just don't care to follow them except when it's convenient. This fact is inescapable for anyone who's followed college football over the past year. Look at all the Kiffin posts at this blog alone I couldn't cram into the rest of this post.
The kicker goes in all caps: LANE KIFFIN WAS THE OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR AND RECRUTING COORDINATOR WHEN REGGIE BUSH WAS ON THE TAKE AND JOE MCKNIGHT COMMITTED TO USC. USC is hiring one of the guys—possibly the guy—who was most responsible for the NCAA coming down on the program.
This is like Memphis hiring Kelvin Sampson after Calipari left ... if Sampson was the guy who facilitated Derrick Rose's fraudulent SAT. And had zero accomplishments and had convinced everyone he'd ever met that he was a "liar" and "snake."
Here's one vote for Falling Down, NCAA fetal position guy: the only appropriate reaction is the inappropriate one. Use the napalm.
This post originally appeared on the Sporting Blog. For more, see The Sporting Blog Archives.
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Every dog has his day. And Kiffin and USC`s is coming fast! From Cheater Peter to Lane changer its a wreck waiting to happen!
by will1066 on Jan 13, 2010 2:23 PM EST reply actions
You national media are so behind on this story its sad. Just don’t say anything if you don’t know anything.
by SailorGabe on Jan 13, 2010 2:39 PM EST reply actions
Then I guess you should enlighten us SailorGabe….
by steelheadr on Jan 13, 2010 3:17 PM EST reply actions
Kiffin will take a page from Al Davis’ book and move USC back and forth between Oakland and LA a half dozen times.
by L'etat, c'est moi on Jan 13, 2010 3:32 PM EST reply actions
ditto steelheadr….sailor do tell. We only know what we hear and read; you apparently being a USC fan, are privy to information the media and the rest of us, are not. Don’t kill the messenger. Whether any of us like USC or not is irrelevant. It is what it is. I am sure a lot of sports fans bellied up to complain about Alabama, Florida State and the UofM. Some of their loyal followers reacted just like you are..,.or maybe they weren’t in denial. No one said the media gets it right all the time. But again if they are behind on this story fast forward for us.
by diane38017 on Jan 13, 2010 4:44 PM EST reply actions
sailorgabe should take his own advice. It has been proven over and over again that he does not know what he is talking about, but that does not stop him for continuing with his nonsense. UT now has egg on its face from the hiring of Kiffen. The NCAA has never looked weaker with all of this USC mess. If they want to be taken seriously, they need to get this matter resolved. If nothing is going to happen to USC, they should say so. But, if they are to do something, it is time to act. Well past time actually.
by LSUSMCR on Jan 14, 2010 9:56 AM EST reply actions
LSU, I love your posts and you are correct. Sailor Gabe continues to be in the know and he knows nothing… not a shock to anyone really… My thing is, did anyone ever really think if USC came calling Kiffin would not go???? the ironic thing, as mad as people are for Kiffin going, they went after Muschamp who is the coach in waiting at Texas…. so it would be ok for Muschamp to leave Texas behind but Kiffin is bad for this….
by jaygill411 on Jan 14, 2010 1:17 PM EST reply actions
USC deserves everything they get from this hiring decision!
My goodness, what a tool! This guy is about as bad as they get and may end up becoming the only coach in history to successfully destroy two HUGE programs in such a short amount of time.
USC faithful: When the walls come tumbling down, you’ll have no one but yourselves to blame. The rest of us will simply say, "We tried to warn you!" Lane Kiffin represents SO much of what is wrong with college sports.
by akitagator on Jan 14, 2010 2:17 PM EST reply actions
Gabe likes to come on here and prattle away about little inside things that he thinks he knows. He’s wrong about 1,000% of the time.
by ChiAdam on Jan 14, 2010 2:24 PM EST reply actions
Hey Skip Holtz just left E. Carolina for the South Florida job!! What a turn coat!!!
Crickets……..
Double Standard? Yup.
by SailorGabe on Jan 14, 2010 2:29 PM EST reply actions
Can you say SMU here we come, Trojan fans?
by lateinnings on Jan 14, 2010 2:39 PM EST reply actions
Holtz was there for five years. He won bowl games and conference titles. He did not rack up six secondary violations in one year. Kiffin was at UT for one year and has squat to show for it. Can you take off the Trojan panties for one second and admit that maybe USC and Kiffin might have done something a little underhanded? See, there are passionate fans and there are stupid fans. If everything Trojan is always perfect with you, then guess which category you fall into.
by ChiAdam on Jan 14, 2010 2:57 PM EST reply actions
Someone please remove the hyphen key from Brian Cook’s keyboard.
by markmaymustdie on Jan 14, 2010 3:11 PM EST reply actions
Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!
The jealousy of the wannabes may be justified, but can you keep it to yourselves?
by corona79 on Jan 14, 2010 4:09 PM EST reply actions
USC Rules!!!
by SailorGabe on Jan 14, 2010 6:51 PM EST reply actions
ESPN = SEC TV
USC Rules!!
by SailorGabe on Jan 14, 2010 6:52 PM EST reply actions
I totally agree with this article. And SailorGabe keeps trying to say "national media" should be quiet? You wish. This is just the calm before the storm. Here’s some background — from LA — on the Carroll/Bush situation:http://wp.me/pKBYM-5o
by joebodolai on Jan 14, 2010 7:11 PM EST reply actions
haters love to hate!!!!…USC is the shiznitt and will continue to dominate. SEC is a bunch of rednecks who hate evrything that isnt "southern"…they hate hollywwod and california and love FOOTBALL…but guess what USC is football and with KIFFIN and his NFL quality coaching staff and the best recruiters in the bizz bringing in recruits the trojans wont skip a beat!…
by enzo79r on Jan 14, 2010 10:28 PM EST reply actions
oh ya the NCAA "rules" violations what a joke just more whiners complaining because bush and a agant did some shady stuff know 6 yrs later they wanna stick it to USC please what a joke what a bunch of hypacritacal "saints" evry one is we love pointing fingers and hateing on other peoples success instead of worring about our own succus and failures people wanna bring up other peoples. this bogus case is another example of punk ass whiny HATERS ……. if this case was legit it would have been resolved years ago ….!!!1
by enzo79r on Jan 14, 2010 10:35 PM EST reply actions
Exactly!! We are going to get evey 5 star recruit in the nation!!
I can’t wait when LK and USC destroy the SEC team in the title game. Can’t wait!!!
by SailorGabe on Jan 15, 2010 9:57 AM EST reply actions
U
S
C
by SailorGabe on Jan 15, 2010 9:58 AM EST reply actions
Wow, this is what you’re reduced to? Every five star recruit, U S C, national media witch hunt, blah blah blah. I personally find lou holtz weis’s comments to be slightly more insightfull and that’s sad. See everyone, Kiffin not only wrecks universities, but one time rational posters too! So sad.
by Irish_One on Jan 15, 2010 10:54 AM EST reply actions
@markmaymustdie: those aren’t hyphens, those are em dashes.
by jaek on Jan 15, 2010 11:28 AM EST reply actions
U
S
C
!!!!
by SailorGabe on Jan 15, 2010 1:50 PM EST reply actions
U
S
C
O
N
P
R
O
B
A
T
I
O
N
!!!!
by Lou_Holtz_Kelly on Jan 16, 2010 5:12 PM EST reply actions
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