[Dienhart] Where have we seen these new recruits before? - Sporting News
Southern California DE Everson Griffen (Avondale, Ariz.) is like Louisville DE Peanut Whitehead. Griffin will goose the Trojans' pass rush--and it needs goosing. A quick first step is what makes Whitehead dangerous. Griffen has it, too. He's the ultimate speedy rusher off the edge.

Southern California LB Chris Galippo (Anaheim) is like LSU LB Jacob Cutrera. Galippo and Cutrera are classic, never-leave-the-field linebackers. Galippo will inject speed, athletic ability and nastiness into an already frightening linebacking unit.

Southern California RB Joe McKnight (River Ridge, La.) is like Florida RB Percy Harvin. McKnight will be dispatched as a pass catcher and runner on the perimeter, where he can work unfettered and go one-on-one with defenders.

[Maisel] Pac-10 beginning to respond to USC's dominance - CNNSI
...If there's a conference that is the answer to what's next, it is the Pac-10...The supposition here is not that the Pac-10 will replace the SEC as the best conference...

...There has been USC and, nationally speaking, not much else. The Trojans' credentials on the field since the 2002 season have been beyond reproach...

...The Trojans will begin next fall at No. 1, as they did in 2004 and 2005. They will begin next fall at No. 1 because they return 18 starters, including 10 on defense, from a team that finished last season 11-2 and No. 4 in the nation.

The two losses? Conference losses...

Bush torn over Carroll - North County Times
..."I'm kind of between a rock and a hard place," Bush said Wednesday during an appearance at the San Diego Hall of Champions. "I love USC; I went there. But this is my hometown, and we've been wanting a championship out here for a while."

Bush believes that Carroll, who is 65-12 with two Associated Press national titles in six seasons at USC, would be just the man for the job. But Carroll isn't among the six coaches initially targeted by the Chargers to succeed the fired Marty Schottenheimer, and he has given no indication that he would be interested anyway...

[Dubois] Before, after versions like McKnight and day - Baton Rouge Advocate
...Let me share with you every word McKnight said about Bush — once he first spoke about him — without paraphrasing or polishing his language. You decide if the spin since then doesn’t pass the smell test.

Curtis coach J.T. Curtis, speaking on behalf of McKnight, told the Los Angeles Times his star football player misspoke Wednesday.

“At the press conference,” Curtis told the Times, “it seemed like he got 1,000 questions in five minutes. If you saw what was going on, it would be easier to understand.”

Here’s what happened...

Also, USC probes alleged recruiting violation - Daily Trojan

USC lobs calls to Miner, hoping that one connects - LA Times
USC would love to honor Harold Miner, its all-time scoring leader in men's basketball. The Trojans would love to post Miner's considerable accomplishments on the Galen Center scoreboard — All-American, 23.5-point scoring average, Sports Illustrated national player of the year, 4-2 record against UCLA — and trot him out to center court so a capacity crowd could shower him with applause.

If only they could find him.

TNT would have loved to interview Miner last season for a television special documenting the most spectacular dunks in the history of the NBA's annual slam dunk competition, won twice by the gravity-defying Miner.

If only he'd returned calls...

THE CHAT - Washington Post
Actor David James Elliott is a Toronto native, but he doesn't follow the Blue Jays or Maple Leafs. The ups and downs of following team sports turn him off, except when it comes to Southern Cal football. The Los Angeles resident loves the Trojans. Elliott plays Assistant District Attorney James Conlon on the CBS series "Close to Home," which airs Fridays at 9 p.m.

Is there a good atmosphere at USC football games?

Oh yeah. USC fans are diehard fans. It's just a great atmosphere, man. I love hanging out there. I swim at the pool there. I work out at the gym occasionally. I'm a member of the health club there. Just hanging out is great because it's such a positive atmosphere...

Ronald Muldrow, 57; jazz guitarist recorded with saxophonist Eddie Harris - LA Times
Ronald Muldrow, a guitarist who had been a fixture on the Los Angeles jazz scene for more than three decades, has died. He was 57...

...As an emerging jazz guitarist in the early 1970s, Muldrow connected with soul-jazz saxophonist Eddie Harris and was best known for his work with him, according to the website All About Jazz.

"Eddie was my musical father," Muldrow told The Times in 1998. "He taught me to make it in music."...

...A Chicago native, Muldrow was born Feb. 2, 1949, and began forming bands in high school. He earned a bachelor's in jazz studies from Roosevelt University in Illinois and a master's in studio and jazz guitar from USC.

His first big-time gig was with the Staple Singers, a gospel group...

Carroll: Recruit's words got 'twisted' - LA Daily News
USC coach Pete Carroll said Friday he is "not fazed" by a university investigation into whether NCAA rules were broken in the recruitment of star tailback Joe McKnight because "nothing happened so we won't get penalized."

McKnight caused a controversy during his news conference to announce he signed with USC on Wednesday, when he suggested he picked the Trojans after he listened to a conversation between Carroll and former tailback Reggie Bush.

Before he signed, McKnight was concerned about possible NCAA penalties against USC involving allegations Bush received improper benefits from agents.

Carroll said Friday he was looking for a tape of McKnight's...conference...

Also, Lawyer: Bush had no contact with recruits - LA Times
Trojans enter SEC recruiting wars - Memphis Commercial-Appeal via Knoxville News
[Farrell] Don't believe the rumors: Pete Carroll isn't cheating - Sporting News

[Waldner] Danelo story is tragic, but must be done - Daily Breeze
...Unfortunately, it's human nature that the Danelo story will not go away.

Not when it is about a young man who grew up locally in San Pedro and went on to USC to become a celebrity as a record-breaking kicker for extremely high-profile Trojan football teams that won the 2005 national championship and the Rose Bowl following the 2006 season.

Unfortunately, in this sad case, with celebrity comes news coverage.

Also unfortunately, news coverage is not always pretty.

There are too many loose ends for this to be a one-day story...