Recap from So. Cal

[Rraalph 3000]

After traveling to witness the "Buffalo Massacre in South Central", I wanted to share a few tidbits for those folks who do indeed like to travel to an away game or 2 each year and may consider USC in the future.

1. The Coliseum is an incredibly neat Venue and worth the visit. The history of it is something to behold and the peristyle and lighting the Olympic Torch above it in the 4th Quarter was pretty cool to see.
2. Because the place is so huge the level of suckitude for which the visitor seats is at an all time high. The football field is only a fraction of the size of the venue so those lucky CU folks get to partake in the game about 50 yards behind the back corner of the endzone...that being stated, the video boards are massive and my seats were high enough that it wasn't that bad.
3. 90K people makes the tailgating scene that much more crazy. Most all open fields on campus were lined back to back with USC tents and parties and it was a trip to behold (take Franklin Field scene and stack the rows closer together and then multiply that to cover all of Farrand Field, the grassy area East of the B-School, and much of the Quad). It was parents weekend which may account for all the large sponsored events everywhere as well, but ultimately the tailgating scene was enviable and you could tell there was a LOT of money around that school, especially the closer you walked towards the Coliseum.
4. I've never heard such a quiet stadium that holds so many people....granted these are Californian's so nobody reached their seats until the end of the 1st quarter, everyone is too "Laker Cool" to cheer, the stadium probably isn't conducive for loudness, and then a very large portion left by half time, but the place was not rocking by any means at all
5. Their band is enormous and do some very good coordination with the students in playing certain songs....very entertaining halftime show as well (not to knock our band, but I wanted to tell our little pep band to shut up so I could enjoy the Real Deal a bit more)

As for the game....my only comment will be that if you take out the 5 redzone turnovers, that was the best performance from our offense the entire season. A solid QB and that game is not nearly as bad as the score shows. Defense is a whole other story that we know and won't go down the road, but again if we can find a higher caliber QB somewhere this team goes from being the worst of all BCS schools to the middle of the road (which I think we'd all take at this point).

 

[tante]

thanks for the recap, sounds like a great trip except for the final score. Luckily I have DTV so I didn't watch the massacre.

 

[Walter White]

I've been to the USC/UCLA game many times at both places. The tailgaiting and the atmosphere is so much fun!!!! Football, California-style.

 

[tante]

The CU-UCLA game was so much fun in the early 2000s. I really wish we were a good team right now because our road attendance would be through the roof right now. We keep losing momentum every week.

 

[Buffellow85]

The last time I saw a game at Coliseum, was in 2000 when Marcus Houston ran for 150 yards..
I had a great time, even though we lost.

Got tired of hearing the USC band play the same cadence the entire game

 

[Rraalph 3000]

The last time I saw a game at Coliseum, was in 2000 when Marcus Houston ran for 150 yards..
I had a great time, even though we lost.

Got tired of hearing the USC band play the same cadence the entire game

The good thing about this game was the band usually plays that for each first down...and since we just gave them TD's really quickly and not many first down's I wasn't as annoyed as I thought I was going to be

 

[InTheBuff]

I was at the game in 2000. The stadium was cool but the surrounding neighborhood is dangerous.
Stuff out of the movies dangerous (Boyz In The Hood, Colors)

 

[Walter White]

I was at the game in 2000. The stadium was cool but the surrounding neighborhood is dangerous.
Stuff out of the movies dangerous (Boyz In The Hood, Colors)

Don't get off the boat.

 

[Ralphandler1]

I was at the game as well.... and I have to agree with the recap. The venue itself is pretty cool but the atmosphere was probably the worst I have ever been a part of in any college football game. I actually asked the people around us (didn't sit in the CU section) and they said even against oregon or UCLA it is pretty much the same. Except for student section, most people just go because it is the thing to do in LA on Saturday. Not much passion about the program. Folsom may not be as big and clearly we could not attract 96k to the game..... but Ill take folsom and its atmosphere any day over that. Still fun to see but they got nothing on Boulder

 

[BuffNut99]

Putting hot sauce on a turd, but:

I was actually encouraged by how well we moved the ball between the 20s. Play calling was more inventive on offense. I liked how involved the TEs and FBs were. Webb is a liability in every facet, although I think he's a pretty tough kid, he tries hard, and he is getting the most out of his talent. Crawley had a rough one, but I do think this weekly humbling is going to turn him into a shutdown corner in a year or two.

I think we would have beaten Utah on Saturday, fwiw. Back to your regularly scheduled doom.

 

[tante]

do they watch USC because there is no NFL team in LA?

 

[cmgoods]

I was at the game in 2000. The stadium was cool but the surrounding neighborhood is dangerous.
Stuff out of the movies dangerous (Boyz In The Hood, Colors)

That's true but so are many other stadiums in my experience

 

[sackman]

That's true but so are many other stadiums in my experience

Really? Which ones? The only other place I can recall being in a not-so-great neighborhood was the Orange Bowl. Even that wasn't too bad. It was a working class neighborhood, but I didn't feel unsafe in any way (outside the stadium - inside was a different story).

 

[Daaah]

Really? Which ones? The only other place I can recall being in a not-so-great neighborhood was the Orange Bowl. Even that wasn't too bad. It was a working class neighborhood, but I didn't feel unsafe in any way (outside the stadium - inside was a different story).

Candlestick. But that's a pro team.

 

[sackman]

Candlestick. But that's a pro team.

Sure. Pro team stadiums are often in dodgy areas. Cities pass stadium bonds on the promise that a new stadium will revitalize a downtrodden part of town. Then nothing happens to improve the area (baseball stadiums exempted). Even Candlestick isn't in a slum, though. The roughest neighborhood I ever went to a game in was at old Comiskey Park in South Chicago. That's a tough area.

 

[tante]

Sure. Pro team stadiums are often in dodgy areas. Cities pass stadium bonds on the promise that a new stadium will revitalize a downtrodden part of town. Then nothing happens to improve the area (baseball stadiums exempted). Even Candlestick isn't in a slum, though. The roughest neighborhood I ever went to a game in was at old Comiskey Park in South Chicago. That's a tough area.

Yankees stadium is in an absolutely awful neighborhood. That is the only time I felt unsafe in New York City.

 

[JWP303]

I am interested to hear how indifferent USC fans were towards CU fans? Was there any trash talk whatsoever, or just pity?

Also, having not watched a second of the game or highlights, was there opportunity for USC to score more? Did Kiffin let up at all?

 

[cmgoods]

Shea Stadium which I guess is Citi Field now is in a sketchy area, Nassau Coliseum on Long Island, Georgia Dome for Atlanta Falcons and Georgia Tech are in a bad area. You can't even walk around campus at Georgia Tech or Georgia State without getting robbed. Those are just places that I've been around. I'm sure there are plenty more.

 

[Rraalph 3000]

I am interested to hear how indifferent USC fans were towards CU fans? Was there any trash talk whatsoever, or just pity?

Also, having not watched a second of the game or highlights, was there opportunity for USC to score more? Did Kiffin let up at all?

All the SC fans I encountered embodied a pretty stereotypical LA type (pompous/aloof and stuck in their own world)....I didn't hardly have a single person talk **** directly to me and most didn't even acknowledge my existence in BnG unless I approached them....I will say that I proudly heard way more "Go Buffs" from all of us folks walking past each other before AND After the game than I heard any "Fight On" remarks at all

Bottom line...I would take our Fans over their Fans EVERY DAY OF THE WEEK....albeit I'd take a few of their donors though :smile2:

As for the 2nd half, Kiffin let up way earlier than expected....Backup QB was in midway through the 3rd quarter and 3rd string QB was in most all of the 4th.

 

[White_Rabbit]

USC are the standard SoCal Lakers/Charger/Dodgers/Angels fans. Big game and they'll get into it. Game vs CU? They'll show up and only get loud if USC is failing to meet lofty expectations.

 

[Walter White]

Been to a number of SC and UCLA games, and not just agaisnt each other. It's different. It's laid back. I wouldn't attribute it to anything else, espeically not "pompus/aloof". Some people here are projecting on them. Football is not life and death in LA like it is in many places, like the SEC or Ohio State; and there is nothing wrong with laid back, IMO. I actually prefer it. Personal preference.

If you look for the worst in people, you'll see it. That's for sure.

 

[sackman]

Shea Stadium which I guess is Citi Field now is in a sketchy area, Nassau Coliseum on Long Island, Georgia Dome for Atlanta Falcons and Georgia Tech are in a bad area. You can't even walk around campus at Georgia Tech or Georgia State without getting robbed. Those are just places that I've been around. I'm sure there are plenty more.

When was the last time you were at Citi Field? I went there a couple years ago. There's a junkyard behind the stadium which is supposedly getting renovated. Otherwise, the stadium sits just North of the Worlds Fair complex and the USTA, South of the East River, and East of the Laguardia Airport. It's in a great area. I'm not sure what you're referring to.

Yankee Stadium, OTOH - yeah, that's a rough area. Very rough. I had forgotten about that. It's been years since I was there, and I was so young that the neighborhood didn't really leave any lasting memories. Just knowing where it is, though, and that's enough to know it's in a tough part of town.

 

[Rraalph 3000]

Been to a number of SC and UCLA games, and not just agaisnt each other. It's different. It's laid back. I wouldn't attribute it to anything else, espeically not "pompus/aloof". Some people here are projecting on them. Football is not life and death in LA like it is in many places, like the SEC or Ohio State; and there is nothing wrong with laid back, IMO. I actually prefer it. Personal preference.

If you look for the worst in people, you'll see it. That's for sure.

I'm not much for stereotypes so my adjectives may not have been accurate....laid back could be 1 way to describe it, I think Aloof still fits as well, but most all these LA folks operate in a bubble it seems and you'll only get a reaction if you do something to irritate that bubble...Will definitely stand by the Buff Fans though, had Buff fans giving high fives to every USC fan walking down the street at the end of the game yelling "Go Buffs" to each and everyone, whereas I could not recall a single SC chant aside from the silly wobble with the 2 fingers up deal :lol:

 

[cmgoods]

When was the last time you were at Citi Field? I went there a couple years ago. There's a junkyard behind the stadium which is supposedly getting renovated. Otherwise, the stadium sits just North of the Worlds Fair complex and the USTA, South of the East River, and East of the Laguardia Airport. It's in a great area. I'm not sure what you're referring to.

Yankee Stadium, OTOH - yeah, that's a rough area. Very rough. I had forgotten about that. It's been years since I was there, and I was so young that the neighborhood didn't really leave any lasting memories. Just knowing where it is, though, and that's enough to know it's in a tough part of town.

I have only been to Shea but its right next to Corona and Corona is a ****hole.

 

[sackman]

I have only been to Shea but its right next to Corona and Corona is a ****hole.

Corona must be that area just behind the stadium. Yes, that's a ****hole. My buddy from NYC tells me that entire area (about 6-7 blocks) is getting re-zoned. Wouldn't surprise me to see some bars & restaurants in there soon. The location itself is pretty solid, being right next to the water and all. Nice area for a live/work neighborhood. I would expect to see something along the lines of a LoDo go in there soon. It's convenient to the highways, the subway and the commuter rail. The location is perfect.

 

[cmgoods]

Corona must be that area just behind the stadium. Yes, that's a ****hole. My buddy from NYC tells me that entire area (about 6-7 blocks) is getting re-zoned. Wouldn't surprise me to see some bars & restaurants in there soon. The location itself is pretty solid, being right next to the water and all. Nice area for a live/work neighborhood. I would expect to see something along the lines of a LoDo go in there soon. It's convenient to the highways, the subway and the commuter rail. The location is perfect.

It's been a while since I've been there but I wouldn't be surprised if it does get better especially since it's on the north shore where most of the neighborhoods seem great.

 

[Uncle Ken]

I am interested to hear how indifferent USC fans were towards CU fans? Was there any trash talk whatsoever, or just pity?

Also, having not watched a second of the game or highlights, was there opportunity for USC to score more? Did Kiffin let up at all?

I've talked to three folks who attended the game, one is in the band (which travelled this week, as you probably know).

All three said they were incessantly harrassed before the game, during the game and after the game. I found that odd.

While I kind of get the before the game harrassment, it still seems unusual. It's been a while since we've been a threat, and we've been welcomed by friendly fans pretty much everywhere we've been in the last several years. So it's odd that my small sampling reported such a hostile reception. Talk to people who attended the OSU game in Columbus. Friendly.

During the game? We were down 19 points in five minutes of game time. Who shows anything but pity at that point?

In my experiences (as a bad fan in my youth, included), after the game the angry emotion is gone. It's been settled, and it's time to drink beer. Odd that all three reported continued harrassment. Especially after a beatdown.

My friend's kid is the one in the band. He said that it was by far the worse fan base he's encountered (though he's only sophomore so he missed the Big XII years, and the band doesn't travel all that often, but the USC fan base still left an impression).

I attended the 2000 game in LA. It wasn't too bad--but USC hadn't re-emerged as a national power at that point. I've attended a few USC/UCLA games as well, and was struck by the mellow atmosphere during a rivalry game.

 

[InTheBuff]

I've talked to three folks who attended the game, one is in the band (which travelled this week, as you probably know).

All three said they were incessantly harrassed before the game, during the game and after the game. I found that odd.

While I kind of get the before the game harrassment, it still seems unusual. It's been a while since we've been a threat, and we've been welcomed by friendly fans pretty much everywhere we've been in the last several years. So it's odd that my small sampling reported such a hostile reception. Talk to people who attended the OSU game in Columbus. Friendly.

During the game? We were down 19 points in five minutes of game time. Who shows anything but pity at that point?

In my experiences (as a bad fan in my youth, included), after the game the angry emotion is gone. It's been settled, and it's time to drink beer. Odd that all three reported continued harrassment. Especially after a beatdown.

My friend's kid is the one in the band. He said that it was by far the worse fan base he's encountered (though he's only sophomore so he missed the Big XII years, and the band doesn't travel all that often, but the USC fan base still left an impression).

I attended the 2000 game in LA. It wasn't too bad--but USC hadn't re-emerged as a national power at that point. I've attended a few USC/UCLA games as well, and was struck by the mellow atmosphere during a rivalry game.

as stated earlier..I was there in 2000 and thought the fans were stuck-up asses- they weren't nasty to us but they had this sense of arrogance which I thought was funny because as you said they weren't back as a national power then-

 

[DBT]

When was the last time you were at Citi Field? I went there a couple years ago. There's a junkyard behind the stadium which is supposedly getting renovated. Otherwise, the stadium sits just North of the Worlds Fair complex and the USTA, South of the East River, and East of the Laguardia Airport. It's in a great area. I'm not sure what you're referring to.

Yankee Stadium, OTOH - yeah, that's a rough area. Very rough. I had forgotten about that. It's been years since I was there, and I was so young that the neighborhood didn't really leave any lasting memories. Just knowing where it is, though, and that's enough to know it's in a tough part of town.

Yeah, Citi Field is not in a bad area at all. I never felt like I was in any kind of sketchy area at Yankee Stadium although I know it is. But if you ride the subway to the stadium, go to the game, then get right back on the subway, it isn't bad.

 

[cmgoods]

Yeah, Citi Field is not in a bad area at all. I never felt like I was in any kind of sketchy area at Yankee Stadium although I know it is. But if you ride the subway to the stadium, go to the game, then get right back on the subway, it isn't bad.

I'm telling you guys go walk through Corona or the projects in Flushing and tell me it's in a good area