There had to have been a point a few Saturdays ago when University of Southern California head football coach Pete Carroll said, “I have no idea what to do.”
Old Pete was having a nightmare on the sidelines of Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore., as he could do little more than watch the demise of his team’s season in front of his eyes. The USC football powerhouse was being trounced by the highflying Oregon Ducks. And the cheesy pun I just used was not without reason as the Ducks outran, out jumped and out-muscled USC on both sides of the ball.
With a final score of 47-20, it was the most points allowed by USC under Carroll, and the utter domination by the Ducks was exemplified by their 613 yards of total offense. If the U.S. is looking for a threat to Usain Bolt, it should look to LaMichael James who ran for 183 of those yards for the Ducks.
You know the funniest thing about this thumping? Oregon lost the next weekend to a 5-3 Stanford squad. Just a week after giving a smack-down John Cena would have been proud of, the Ducks go out and lay an egg. On the other side the Trojans beat Arizona State to follow up their blowout loss.
Blowouts can make for monumental events. They can make for events one side never will forget, and ones the other side will always try to forget. They’re like a train wreck; the worse they are, the more you want to look away, but you just can’t.
A good beating can make a season for one team and send the other team home crying to their mommies. It can cost a coach a job while securing another’s. What do you think is going through coaches’ minds in the midst of such a game?
“At least I don’t have to worry about getting the Gatorade dumped on me.”
“I am totally giving the other coach a ‘dead fish’ handshake when this thing finally gets over.”
“I picked a bad day for Little Johnny’s first game.”
If none of these, you’d have to think the coach’s mind is not exactly focused on the game. When you look up at the scoreboard and realize you need a miracle comparable to Jesus parting the Red Sea in order to win, your mind might just drift a little. Especially if you’re getting beat by the New England Patriots, shaking hands with Bill Belichick in his cut-off sleeves after the game is just adding insult to injury.
Now, I have picked on USC a couple times this year, including when the University of Washington miraculously beat them. So, I must admit to never being much of a Trojan fan, but I respect Pete Carroll, and he always puts forward such great teams, it is hard not to call attention to a rare Trojans loss.
On a side note: I wonder who would win between the Trojans and the NFL team the Oakland Raiders… my money’s on USC.
So, in honor of the Ducks’ dismantling of So-Cal’s dream team, here is a brief run-down of some of the worst blowouts of all time:
The 1940 NFL championship game (not yet the Super Bowl) was not exactly one for the ages. The Chicago Bears gave the Washington Redskins a shellacking they’re still trying to forget with a 73-0 win on the Skins’ home turf. Thank God it was not a metaphor for WWII, in the nation’s capital.
In 1989 the World Series was a Bay-area battle between the San Francisco Giants and the Oakland Athletics. Oakland pulverized the Giants with a sweeping 4-0 series. Barry Bonds was still playing for Pittsburgh, but he wasn’t on steroids yet and his neck was still the size of a regular human being’s, so he wouldn’t have been much help.
The 1990 NCAA men’s basketball final was not exactly a memorable day for Duke. The Blue Devils fell hard to University of Nevada Las Vegas, who became the first team to score over 100 points in a final as they went on to win 103-73.
Looking back, we can all recollect times when we have been on the winning side of those blowouts. They feel good for awhile. We’ve also been on the losing side, where the embarrassment resonates until we vindicate ourselves on another opponent in the next game. When it comes to blowouts, no matter where you stand, they make for some unforgettable memories.
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Sports Talk: At least I won't get Gatorade dumped on me
Published: Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Updated: Tuesday, November 17, 2009
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