Wednesday, November 28, 2007

USC to Rose Bowl...........

But this has nothing to do with the Rose Bowl game this year. I read this article on Yahoo! this morning.



USC in talks to move Trojans from Coliseum to Rose Bowl
November 28, 2007

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- USC is negotiating with Rose Bowl officials to begin playing Trojans home games in Pasadena next year, school administrators said Tuesday.

A potential lease agreement would be considered at the Dec. 6 meeting of the Rose Bowl Operating Committee, USC officials said in a written statement.


USC, which has played at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum since 1923, would have to share the Rose Bowl with its football rival, UCLA, which already plays home games in Pasadena.

"Although we have been a faithful tenant of the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum for 80 years, we must now seek other alternatives for the good of our football program and our fans," USC administration chief Todd R. Dickey said.

USC has been seeking control of the venue and has offered more than $100 million over 10 years to fund its repair and restoration.

The Coliseum, which has been trying to sell itself as home turf for a potential Los Angeles-based NFL team, has rejected that offer.

The Los Angeles area hasn't had an NFL team since after the 1994 season when the Raiders returned to Oakland and the Anaheim-based Rams moved to St. Louis.

Los Angeles city leaders have said they want to build a new stadium within the historic venue's walls at a cost of $800 million.

The Los Angeles Coliseum Commission has offered the Trojans a two-year lease and was willing to offer a longer stay if the team asks for one, the stadium's general manager Pat Lynch told the Los Angeles Times.

But USC officials said they wanted an agreement that would include improvements to the facility and an operating lease.

Rose Bowl manager Darryl Dunn said the venue's staff would seek an arrangement with USC officials, as long as UCLA agreed to it.

"If it doesn't work for UCLA, it's not going to work for us," he said.

UCLA said in a statement it is willing to review such a proposal, but that protecting the integrity of the school's football program would be its top priority.





I read this and could not believe it. The Coliseum is as much a part of USC as it is LA. That is like The Red Sox leaving Fenway or Dodgers Leaving Dodger Stadium. I don't know that watching USC play in the Rose Bowl would be that appealing. What is next are the Angels gonna have to go and play at the ravine. Or the Ducks at the staples center. How bout the Yanks and Redsox share Fenway. And there is nothing that screams USC football like the Rose Bowl. You know the one on January 1st every year. It is after the Rose Parade. But not for every home game. The city of LA should think about what its citizens want. What we don't want is a NFL team here. Instead they are just thinking about themselves and money. And how are USC students and fans gonna like having to drive to the Rose Bowl several times a year. I think it is STUPID.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Totally stupid!

Anonymous said...

The Coliseum should just give USC the operations control that they want. That place needs a lot of improvement, but I think the Coliseum is still holding on to the pipedream of an NFL team in LA.

william of e said...

Yeah. I just can't imagine USC football anywhere but the Coliseum. But it is old and needs fixing.