SPORTS
January 4, 2010 | By David Wharton and Baxter Holmes
In a long-awaited response to allegations that former basketball star O.J. Mayo received improper cash and gifts while in school, USC will penalize its team by forfeiting victories and money, forgoing postseason play and curtailing recruiting. "When we've done something wrong, we have an obligation to do something about it and that is exactly what we are doing here," Athletic Director Mike Garrett said in a statement on Sunday. The action comes as USCalso faces allegations that two prominent football players -- current tailback Joe McKnight and former tailback Reggie Bush -- accepted improper benefits.
SPORTS
July 28, 2007 | David Wharton, Times Staff Writer
THE guys in his boat took to calling him "Badger" because of the grimace he wore during races. Part of a junior rowing club that ranked among the fastest in the nation, Lucas Goodman was relentless on the water. It was a different story on land. The teenager with the powerful build and close-set eyes had to be careful. He hung back ever so slightly when teammates shot the breeze, talking about girls. "You get tired of constantly watching what you say, constantly watching how you act," he said.
SPORTS
November 23, 1988 | ALAN DROOZ, Times Staff Writer
Last season, the irresistible force of Loyola Marymount met the immovable object--St. Mary's College--twice in conference play. The game in Moraga was a highlight: 96-94, decided on a last-second Loyola shot. The game in Los Angeles reached the point of low comedy: Loyola, with a 20-point lead and a chance at 100 points, fouling intentionally in the final minute to get the ball back, and St. Mary's--losing by a bundle--trying desperately to freeze it and not score.
SPORTS
October 8, 2009 | Steve Harvey
How can Florida State fans complain that Bobby Bowden's team is never ranked anymore? Why, just this week the 'Nuls checked in at No. 7 in the Bottom Ten. Of course, they have a way to go to catch No. 1 New Mexico, which is winless. But BT pollsters tend to discount early-season victories, so Florida State (2-3) still has a chance to capture the Bottom Ten trophy, which depicts a Velveeta cheese statuette of Ryan Leaf being sacked in his own end zone. Another contender is Buffalo, which took over No. 2. But the Bulls must guard against a mowing down by Gardner-Webb.
BUSINESS
September 9, 2007 | Kathy M. Kristof, Times Staff Writer
Paying for college can feel like a high-wire act as a family tries to keep its budget balanced. Katelyn Scholte, 15, could have an edge in that acrobatic endeavor. In classes at a YMCA, the Redlands teen has learned a host of circus performing skills, including how to walk a high wire and do a triple flip off a teeterboard. She's hoping to parlay her aerial talents into a place on a college diving team with an accompanying athletic scholarship.
SPORTS
October 29, 2009 | CHRIS DUFRESNE
The Rose Bowl brain trust doesn't publicly cheer for schools but it can shake 100 pompoms for number sequences, and the dream countdown for this season's two-game extravaganza is, without question, 4-3-2-1. It's also the countdown to the end for Rose Bowl Chief Executive Mitch Dorger, retiring after this season's Bowl Championship Series title game on Jan. 7. What a way to bow out: No. 4 playing No. 3 in the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1 and, six days later, No. 2 putting rose petal to the metal against No. 1. It could happen.
SPORTS
February 9, 1989 | LONNIE WHITE, Times Staff Writer
Many Southland high school football stars signed letters of intent with colleges outside of Southern California Wednesday, with three Pacific 10 schools leading the way. Stanford scored big in the Southland, signing five local players including Bob Whitfield, Wilmington Banning's 6-foot-7, 285-pound offensive lineman. "I based my decision to go to Stanford on the total package of the school," Whitfield said Wednesday night.
SPORTS
November 12, 1992 | Associated Press
Gene Jelks, a former Alabama football player, says he was paid thousands of dollars by coaches and school boosters during his career with the Crimson Tide. In a copyright story in today's Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Jelks, a cornerback and captain on Alabama's 1989 Southeastern Conference championship team, charged that: "I was bought and sold to the university." He said money was funneled to him and his mother while he was still in high school to obligate him to play for the Crimson Tide.
SPORTS
January 30, 2010 | By Baxter Holmes
USC's nonconference schedule next season is shaping into something tough. There are agreements to play at Kansas, Tennessee and Nebraska; Texas would come to the Galen Center. There is also a tentative deal for USC to host Marquette in the first of a two-game series. "We're trying to play a heavyweight schedule," USC Coach Kevin O'Neill said. "We want to be able to recruit high-level recruits to play in a high-level league and play a high-level nonconference schedule."
SPORTS
December 18, 2007 | Chris Foster, Times Staff Writer
UCLA's Christian Yount can be seen as a visionary, though most of his daily work shift is spent looking backward. He fills the vital role of long snapper, a duty that was often filled by a walk-on player or the team's regular center. But Yount, a freshman, has benefited from the trend toward signing quality snappers. He agreed to attend UCLA after graduating from Mission Viejo Tesoro High with the promise that he would receive a scholarship after the Bruins' 2006 season.