But he left word through a university spokesperson, "I said what I had to say yesterday. Talk to the head coach."
For a program that prides itself on toughness, it was odd to come across a coach wimping out like that, so I checked in with Pete Carroll.
It was Carroll, the instigator -- who likes everyone to believe he's above all this kind of stuff -- who suggested to Norton that he speak with the media.
He said he did so because Norton was upset and didn't know what to do. So do you think Neuheisel is behind all this? I asked.
"If we have a problem in our program," he said, "who's responsible? I am."
So you're saying it's Neuheisel who has been spreading the misinformation about Norton?
"I don't need to answer your questions," he said, the damage already done in the newspaper and Slick Rick already getting slapped, so he was correct.
"You started it," I said as Carroll began to walk away. "The worst thing someone can say about Neuheisel is that he's doing it again, and yet no one here will say it was him. Was it?"
"It was absolutely important for Kenny to have a chance to say something," Carroll said. "What was going on was not fair or honest. A half a dozen times it came back to us. Kenny was being misrepresented. It's so obvious a ploy being played here and it's not truthful. And we're not going to stand for it."
Now everyone knows USC is 100% pure when it comes to recruiting, but who is telling the truth here?
USC was publicly embarrassed recently when a recruit changed his mind and opted to become a Bruin. The player, a tight end, had been heavily recruited by Norton. Is he now taking it out on UCLA -- hitting Neuheisel where it hurts the most -- his shaky reputation?
Has Neuheisel already told Norton behind the scenes he won't be getting a job offer, giving Norton an ax to grind?
Carroll said the battle for the tight end is old news, and he's not aware of any grudge Norton might have when it comes to Neuheisel. He said it's so obvious to everyone out there what's happening in recruiting, it was just time to put a stop to it.
"What does UCLA say about it?" Carroll asked.
I said Neuheisel denied everything in a statement.
" . . . I was sorry to read the comments Kenny made in the Los Angeles Times," Neuheisel said in his statement, and I'm guessing when things got tough at Colorado and Washington he did most of his talking with statements. Maybe this was just for practice.
"I have not told any recruits that if DeWayne [Walker] left, Kenny would be the defensive coordinator at UCLA," the statement continued, "and neither have my assistant coaches."
It was like I had just made Carroll's day.
"There you go, that's your story," he said. "Talk to recruits."
Talk to me, recruits. If Neuheisel or one of his assistant coaches offered misinformation in regard to Norton, e-mail t.j.simers@latimes.com.
Even though it's probably not an NCAA violation, we won't use your name, but we will know who is telling the truth around here.
