Today, I ran into my friend Alex Von Oech at Lyon Center and he told me that he's been checking out my blog and said "Who knows, that could get bigger than the Daily Trojan one day." Brought a smile to my face. Flattery aside, here's the finished product to my interview with Art Vasconcelos on WeAreSC.com that got sent out to the Scout.com community as well.

Exit Interview: Art Vasconcelos on WeAreSC.com
(http://usc.scout.com/2/613840.html)

I might not get a page in the DT anymore, but I'll take a front page on WeAreSC.com. Hope you guys enjoy the article!

Shower Spotlight: Art Vasconcelos

While serving as the team’s head student manager two years ago, I found myself frantically recruiting potential student manager candidates in the weeks before “Spring Ball.”

On the outside looking in, it sounds like students would jump at the opportunity to work with Trojan players and coaches on a daily basis. However, being a student manager at USC entails unpredictable hours (anywhere from 25 to 70 hours per week), missing portions of winter, spring, and summer breaks, unprecedented stressful situations, and being at the absolute bottom of a hierarchical structure (hence the affectionate use of the label “jamokes” between managers).

The hardest sell? No pay. Perks, but no pay. What makes it more difficult is that many players and coaches oftentimes think managers are being paid for one of the more difficult long-term volunteer jobs one could possibly find on any college campus.

It takes a certain breed of student who can handle the daily grind of certain football overload for uncertain rewards. Last year’s reward was a season that began in Hawaii and culminated at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, the stage for ESPN’s top game of 2006.

That spring, fellow student manager Natasha Godoy told me, “My friend Art [Vasconcelos) from class wants to become a manager, so I gave him your number. He played with Darnell (Bing), Herschel (Dennis), Manny (Wright), and Winston (Justice) at Long Beach Poly. I think you’ll like him!”

Little did I realize how valuable “my friend Art from class” would become to me and the program throughout the 2005-2006 season.

Starting in Spring, where new student managers traditionally have absolutely no clue what is going on during practice, causing them to simply run wherever people tell them to go or run away from wherever people tell them they shouldn’t be, Art immediately displayed a willingness to do anything and learn everything, no matter the circumstance.

If anyone attended the first spring practice of 2005, you’ll remember the rain. It was the kind of horizontal rain that shows up as red spots on Doppler radar maps. Because it was the first of fifteen spring practices, the coaches had no intentions of cutting this practice short.

Together, we student managers struggled through our first practice. Half our managers were new and completely confused, but frantically tried to keep footballs dry for drills. Making matters worse, the rain was drowning out not only our verbal communication, but washing out the plans set out when we had gone over our student manager “practice walk-thru” the previous weekend. For me, this was a worst case scenario.

Instead, as student managers, we had one of our best practices possible under the circumstances. The veteran managers were constantly taking charge of different drills and directing the new managers, allowing me to slip and slide my way to spot the ball through team drills, all while answering questions from new managers as I slid from sloppy field to even sloppier field.

That day, Vasconcelos, who skipped class to be at the first Spring practice, took charge of situations as if he was a veteran. Regardless of him not knowing exactly how practice worked, he constantly asked where we needed him to be and would gather other managers together to get anything accomplished. He took initiative and even though he was new, people listened.

After practice, looking as if I jumped in a mud-filled swimming pool with my clothes on, I waddled down to the locker rooms in Heritage Hall. Emotionally and physically defeated by this perfect storm on my first official practice as head student manager, I turned the corner by the coaches locker room when I heard a voice.

“Hey Dave-o, hold up a minute!”

It was Coach Sark[isian]. I stopped and turned around. I figured he was going to tell me that we had to make sure the quarterback footballs were cleaned up by next practice or that I read my rain-soaked script wrong during team drills. After surviving the perfect storm, I was prepared for the worst.

“Your guys really battled out there today. Tell everyone they did a great job. See you Thursday.”

One of the student managers I had to thank the most for that day, one of my greatest memories with the USC football team, was one of my new guys, Art Vasconcelos, who would succeed me as head student manager for the USC football team for the 2006-2007 season.

In conjunction with WeAreSC.com, I am proud to present a sneak peek at WeAreSC’s first Exit Interview (coincidentally, a series I actually created for WeAreSC) of 2007: Art Vasconcelos.

DC: We’re here with Art Vasconcelos, head student manager of the USC Football team for the 2006-2007 season. Art, thanks for taking the time to meet with us and congratulations on the Rose Bowl.

AV: Thank you very much.

DC: First off, tell us how you’re feeling looking back on the year. It must have been nice to come back to the Rose Bowl, a place you hadn’t experienced a victory as a manager and come out with a win, right?

AV: Yeah, you’re definitely right. Looking back on the season, it’s been an up and down type of deal, just the fact that it was a little shaky in the beginning and we didn’t know what the outcome of the season was going to be, let alone what bowl we would end up in. But Coach Carroll always talked about “getting to the Rose Bowl,” so that was our main goal. Going through the season, winning the first six games, then losing to Oregon State, was tough because then we were left wondering “Now what’s going to happen to us? How was our team going to respond?” I didn’t know if we were going to end up in the Sun Bowl or something *laughs*. But we were able to come back and win three tough games at home, which was good, it showed that it’s all about finishing.

Then going in and playing UCLA… Afterward, I hated the Rose Bowl. Hated it. After that game, I was just angry at the place. After the game, their fans were screaming “Just leave your stuff here! You’re coming back in a month!” And I just thought I didn’t want to come back to that place. I remember my uncle telling me [about playing in the Rose Bowl], “Just remember, you’re 0-2 in ’06, but you’ll be 1-0 in ’07.” It was the start of a new year, the start of something new. Being able to go into the Rose Bowl and beat up on Michigan the way we did was just awesome. Being able to celebrate with the team and be a part of it was unforgettable. Everything was just great.

Leading up to that game, I didn’t think we could lose after being inside the special teams meeting the night before the game. That was the best meeting all year by far, or even that I’ve ever been to. Guys were pumped for punt team. Guys were making noise and cheering. You couldn’t even hear Coach Seto explaining what everyone needed to do. Then at the end, Coach Seto came to the back and told me, “Dang Art, I hope they know what they have to do tomorrow.” *laughs* Just because all the players were just so loud, making noises and pretending a ball was in the air. It was such a crazy atmosphere and the players were so excited. That night, I felt the most confidence in our team and I knew we couldn’t lose.

DC: Can you let the readers know what responsibilities you had as a student manager? What coaches did you work directly with?

AV: Everyday tasks were pretty much the set up of practices, just making sure everything was run correctly and to a level where it’s competitive. We want to be one step ahead of players. It’s always about creating a great tempo for practice. Coach Carroll always talks about having a great tempo because that tempo leads straight into the game. By us being out there getting drills set up for the guys, making sure they have that tempo from one drill to the next, and checking that the players have everything they need, the players won’t have to worry about anything outside of practice – even if they’re just missing a glove or a knee pad. We just want it to be so all the players and coaches have to worry about is football. They don’t have to worry about little things.

I worked primarily with the offensive line and Coach Ruel during my first year (2005-2006), as an offensive lineman in high school that’s where I wanted to be because I knew what it took to work with the O-line. It’s just a different group and different atmosphere being an O-lineman. Being there and working with Coach Ruel during practices and games, charting plays, down and distance, and fronts, it gave me the opportunity to learn the game more and understand defenses and how they’re run against certain personnel. That was pretty great.

This year, I was always there for Coach Carroll whenever he needed anything during practice or outside. Going from Coach Ruel and then working with Coach Carroll, I was on my toes just that much more. It made me realized why the players love to play for this guy because I love to work for this guy. He’s a great guy and has an energy that feeds off to everyone else.

DC: After working for one year as a student manager, you came in and became the head student manager, something that took me two years to achieve. What kept you motivated and did you think you would become the head student manager after just one season?

AV: Coming in, when we first started the interview process and even when I was talking with you, I knew that I had a chance to be the head manager, but the position was probably going to go to the people who had been here longer than I and knew the system already. I was ok with that because I came in here because I love USC Football. Being part of this program meant a lot to me. I wanted to get involved in something. Everyone at USC gets involved in something at school. For me, I wanted to be involved with football because that is where my heart is. I have always played it and always been around it.

Tino [USC Football Equipment Manager] told me he was looking for someone who knows the whole operation to be the head manager – every setup, takedown, and anything else. He told me that if I knew that, that’s what they would be looking for. Not only that, they were looking for someone who can lead other people. They were looking for someone who can take a group of guys and lead them to what needs to get done. Tino left the door open for me because he told me that you can just never know what will happen and I could end up having a chance. To me, that was my opportunity to run with it. I picked up things quick and every little thing he told me, I was on it. If this was how to stack a trunk, this was how I was going to stack a trunk. If this is how he told me to set up a locker room, that’s how it was going to get done.

On a personal level, you being my boss, you taught me a lot. Seriously, even when you would just tell me “do this, do that,” I was learning. I did all those camps with you over the summer. I just tried to get involved as much as I could with the time that was given to me. It gave me the sense that I had a chance because it got to a point where people started believing I had a chance and that made me pursue it even more. I wanted to earn that position, earn that scholarship, and help my family out. I have always wanted to just give everything my all. I prayed about it and kept working. Luckily, I ended up with the job.

I would try and learn from example. Because when you left, you left on top. I had some big shoes to fill. From getting out information and communicating with people to just being a great leader for the managers who were up and coming and those who were returning, I took everything I could and tried to be a good leader.

DC: What changed when you became the head student manager? I liken the job to

being the “Project Manager” on The Apprentice for a full season.

AV: The big difference was that the responsibility levels just skyrocketed. Any phone call, any change, I had to come up with answers quick. If there was any change in practice, I had to get on that quick. Sometimes, the stress level went up a little bit. I remember you told me that it’s a job where you’re on a deadline everyday. Everything has to get done, one way or another. They don’t care how you get it done, just as long as you get it done.

There was one day when we couldn’t bring the field goal over to the track field from the practice field because all the doors were locked. There was no way we were going to be able to bring it in for practice. We told Coach Carroll at the beginning of practice and he said not to worry about it. But then, all of a sudden, coaches were screaming for the field goal post at the end of practice. I had to explain to Coach again what happened, and he said, “Well you should have got a crane or something and lifted it up on to the field.” *laughs* Last year, I was more of a follower, but this year, I had to set an example for everyone else. I would be running around with my team of managers, but I always wanted to make sure that we were having fun doing our job. We were out there to have fun and be part of something special. Only a select few of us can experience something like this at SC.

DC: I also heard you had the opportunity to intern in the football office this year as well, can you tell us about that experience and how did that help you during the season this year?

AV: That was a great opportunity for me to intern upstairs in the football office. It was different because I was working downstairs for the equipment room, but interning upstairs for the football office. Being able to work with Jared [Blank], Slu[tak], and Justin [Mesa] was amazing. It also helped my relationships with the coaches because they saw me more and saw I was getting work done for them. It was fun getting things done for recruiting and helping just get things done.

On Thursdays, before every home game, because the coaches would drive their cars, I would take their cars, get them all cleaned and detailed. It was job work, but it was cool. Coaches started to ask, “Hey are you going to go get my car washed?” And I would tell them that I would hook it up. I’d take them down here to San Pedro Harbor detail, get their cars all hooked up. The first time I had Sark[isian]’s car washed, he looked at it and said “Dang Art, that thing looks brand new!” And then Kiff[in]’s car, my goodness, it was like he hadn’t washed his car since the day he bought it. It had sand in there and all this other stuff. I took it to the detail shop and explained that coaches don’t have time to get their cars washed. It was cool for me to be able to do something that made the coaches feel good after they left the office. The next day, the coaches always came up and said “Thanks Art, we appreciate it.”

DC: What do you think you’ve taken out of this experience and what will you take into whatever job you do down the road?

AV: Just that there might be times where you might feel very pressured to get something done and a coach might be screaming at you, but in the end, it taught me that if something needs to get done, it has to get done quick. I’ve learned a lot of leadership skills and things that will help me in my work life because I’m hoping to work down here at the Ports. Working for a group of people and getting a group of people together to get a job done has really given me a lot of great experience with communication and scheduling. With football, everything is a schedule, down to the minute. As soon as the schedule is typed out, we’re on that schedule.

DC:Let’s take it way back for a minute. In high school, you played at Long Beach Poly alongside guys like Winston Justice, Herschel Dennis, Manny Wright, Marcedes Lewis, and Darnell Bing, tell us what it was like to play with them and the “national championship” against De La Salle High School. Did you ever think you were going to reunite with these guys at USC?

AV: Playing with these guys at Long Beach was amazing. Going to Poly, I thought I experienced it all playing with these guys. They were the Fab Five. We were considered one of the greatest teams ever in high school football. Four of these five guys are in the NFL right now. In high school, we were all kids still. But at USC, they were all grown up, but we all still act like kids *laughs*.

Playing next to Winston on the offensive line… his thing was that he wore glasses and couldn’t see. So a lot of times, we’d score, then come back, but he couldn’t see the scoreboard. We’d sit down and he’d ask, “Art, what’s the score?” At first, I didn’t know he couldn’t see the scoreboard, but then I realized he couldn’t see it, so I would tell him, “28-0” or whatever it was. After that, he would ask me every single time that we would sit down.

These guys were hilarious and I got to build friendships with these guys because I went to high school with them. We all hung out and it was a different atmosphere. I remember signing day, they had a huge press conference with reporters inside. Winston, who I was closer with, told me he was going to USC, then I knew Herschel and everyone was going to follow because they all wanted to play together on the next level. For all of them to be able to go to that next level was amazing.

Going back to that game… It’s something I’ll never forget. Going into Long Beach Vet stadium and seeing it completely sold out was the most people I’ve ever seen inside that stadium. I remember my first time on the field at the Coliseum reminded me of that, tons of people screaming because there was just so much hype. It was a true #1 vs. #2 match-up. I didn’t think we were going to lose that game. We didn’t see too much film on them because we didn’t have a lot of film, but what we did see, we thought we could handle it. But when we were shaking hands with them at the beginning of the game, right across from me was Maurice Drew. I was going up to him and knew he was the running back, then I looked at his legs and this guy had the biggest thighs I’ve ever seen on a “little dude.” He didn’t even need thigh pads his legs were so huge! He’s a monster and could just run the ball. I couldn’t believe we lost, but he lit it up. It was his show. Of course, if we could play that game again, we would have beat them *laughs*.

DC: I have always thought that a head student manager looks as good as his team of student managers allows him to look, could you tell us a little bit about the new guys on your crew this year? What would you say to them if you had the chance to get everyone together again?

AV: This year’s crew really stepped it up. I really needed a crew that was going to be there when we needed them and cared about Trojan football. If I was to talk to them again, I would tell them to just enjoy it. A lot of times, we got fed up with each other and situations, but in the end, we’re a family. The first rule of football is “protect the team,” and I would tell them that we had to protect “our team.”

The new guys who really stepped up were guys like Brandon Buehler. He was just on fire for Trojan football and was always there when I needed him for practice. If I needed him before or after practice, I could count on him. From Matt to James, to “Flash (Dave)”, they worked hard and picked up everything so quick. I would just tell everyone to enjoy their time because sometimes we take practices for granted, thinking “Dang, we’re out here again…” But for me, it was like a countdown, thinking “this is my last practice,” or “this is my last walk-thru.” I think everyone just needs to remember that we’re out there for a reason and that we’re lucky enough to be out there at USC. We could be outside at Nichol State or something like that, but we’re at USC, on the field, with some of the greatest players and coaches who have ever stepped on these fields. Being around Coach Carroll and what he’s done is amazing. I’ll be able to look back one day and say that I was there, right next to Coach Carroll and that’s amazing.

DC: Tell us about the equipment room staff and how things operate behind the scenes.

AV: We work hand in hand with the equipment guys and they do a great job, from Tino Dominguez to Dave Scott, to Greg Allen, Hammer, and everyone else. A lot of what we do is because of their leadership.

Dave Scott being the Director of Equipment Operations, his ability to be organized and get anything we needed, he would always say, “You know ‘Pops’ got your back!” Anything you needed, any concern, he was there for it.

Tino is like a dad away from home. Whenever you need something or need to talk to someone, he was there. He’s been here for a long time, seen the good, bad, and the great, and knows how to get the job done. Following him and realizing he can do anything is incredible. He taught me how to fix a tire that didn’t even have air in it! I’ve just learned so much from this guy. He just gets the job done and gets it done in perfectly. They might seem anal or get upset about something, but they get on our [the student managers’] case about little things is because they take pride in it and we should take pride it in as well. Learning from them was a great add-on to being able to work for them.

DC: Let’s say you were stuck in the woods and a bear was running at you trying to eat you, if you could choose one player on this year’s team to help you escape from the bear, either by blocking, throwing things at the bear, or picking you up and running, which player would you choose to help you survive and why?

AV: A bear…a big bear… I think I’d have to pick Sed[rick Ellis]. The beast. Just because he’s “Big Sed.” Big, buff dude. They call him “The Beast” for a reason. He’s also a funny guy. To be stuck in the woods and to have him be there, it’d be funny. He would just look at you and ask, “Why the hell are we out here?” *laughs*

DC: You developed some very close relationships with many of the guys on your team. I remember in my years, every manager had a “top 5” favorite players list, who would round out your list?

AV: Top 5 would be Mark Sanchez. Next guy would Sam Baker. Next, Oscar Lua. Who else…Rey [Maualuga], just because he’s Rey. Last, he got hurt, but Pinkard, Josh Pinkard. He’s a great guy and he was very respectful to the managers.

DC: You’re a Public Policy & Development major taking some graduate courses as well right now, what are some of your career goals? Have they changed since you’ve had this experience as a manager?

AV: I’ve always wanted to work down here at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. It’s like my backyard. I look out the window and that’s what I see, the port. I see cranes and cargo going in that goes all over. I always took an interest in that because it’s so amazing. Being able to go to USC, I hope to work down in the ports in the planning department. I want this area of San Pedro to be here for my grandkids. There are so many environmental issues with the trucks and ships down here that could create a problem. It’s a great place to live and I want to get involved with keeping it that way.

DC: What was better? Being part of one of the greatest offensive machines in the history of college football and experiencing the win at Notre Dame? Or this year, coming in and surprising some critics and winning the Rose Bowl?

AV: I’d have to choose this year because we did win the Rose Bowl. Last year was an amazing year. I think last year was about Matt Leinart and Reggie Bush. But this year really felt like a team, which is what football is all about. This year, I got to see more of a team atmosphere. It was great to walk away 1-0 in ’07. That meant a lot to me.

DC: What were some of the most memorable parts of your job?

AV: The Notre Dame game. That game will be in my memory forever. Just not knowing if we were going to get that 4^th and 9 was unreal. I had a headset because I had to chart plays and just hearing Coach Carroll, Kiff, and Sark going at it with one another, then all of a sudden, Kiff said, “Quiet, hold on. Just hold on.” Coach Carroll was saying “We need a play, we need a play,” because we had just called a timeout and needed a high percentage play to try and get that first down. Just listening to how they would go at it, then seeing how relaxed Matt was after they called the play, it was emotional.

Jarrett caught that pass and I thought he was going to score, but then he got dragged down and I couldn’t believe it. Then all the fans ran on the field, and I couldn’t believe it, “Did we lose?” But then the next thing we knew, Matt scored. And it was awesome. It was the quietest locker room ever, but it was emotional. It was quiet, but in a good way because everyone was so drained.

DC: Lastly, what would you like to say to the football program’s staff, the fans, and anyone else who supported you over the past couple years?

AV: I want to just say thank you for the memories. My parents, thank you for putting up with my time away from home. The fans, thank you for going out there and giving your support. The Thundering Herd, those guys are always out there at practice and everyone else who came out to practice everyday to cheer for the players. I just want to thank the coaches and the equipment room staff for giving me the opportunity to be involved with something that will be with me for the rest of my life. It taught me to grow as a person and just so many skills that have allowed me to look at myself in a different way. Being able to be part of something so prestigious and exciting is something that will be with me for the rest of my life. Thank you. For everyone who is still there, I wish them all the best and hopefully next year, they’ll be there – at the National Championship.

Rest in peace, Mario Danelo.

(Credit AP/Matt Sayles)

In no way am I going to pretend that I was Mario's best friend, or that I knew him better than many of us, but I wanted to take a minute to share some of my memories of Mario.

The first day I met Mario, I remember thinking, "Who the hell is #19?" My friend Carlo Godoy and I walked over and introduced ourselves to an at-the-time quiet guy who introduced himself as just "Mario," no ego, no attitude behind it. Apparently, he was going to be a kicker and his dad was allegedly a kicker in the NFL. Regardless, we walked away after a little small talk and I remember us agreeing, "Seems like a pretty good guy..." Little did we know that this "#19" would become the NCAA record holder for number of PATs attempted and made in a season. Little did we know what a good, high character guy he would become, and what a great example of a NCAA athlete he would be throughout his time at USC.

Mario came to USC as a walk-on. At USC, what that means is that you might have been recruited, but you're still paying for school, your dinner, books, and you're likely sharing a locker with other players. It takes a lot of character to be a walk-on at USC, where the student managers are often treated with more benefits than the walk-on's, but Mario was one of those high-character guys who never had a chip on his shoulder about it. I have no doubt he had every opportunity to go to another NCAA school on a full scholarship, but he decided to come to USC and earn a scholarship.

After nearly beating our former USC kicker Ryan Killeen, Mario almost earned not only a scholarship, but nearly earned a starting spot at the same time. I remember congratulating him when I read the news that he was being awarded with a scholarship. I remember the fun we would have together when practicing fake field goals, where punter Tom Malone would fire away nearly impossible to catch passes at myself and a couple other managers, and we would all laugh about it - after pretending to take the drill way too seriously. I remember standing beneath the goal post either after practice or while other drills were going on and raising my arms to signal that Mario had made the kick he was trying from nearly 50 yards out and him always thanking me for spending the extra time with him so he could make sure he made that last kick before he ran to the locker room after practice.

I remember the practical jokes the special teams guys would play with one another. I remember how for 3 years, my job on game days was to be Will Collins' (our long snapper) good luck charm. We would warm up Will's arm, get him a few practice snaps for field goals and punts, and then Will would have me run patterns all over the Coliseum (or whatever stadium we were at) field. When Mario came out, it was my job to make sure Will had the best special teams ball available so Mario could make that first field goal as he was warming up. We'd run up and down the field together in pre-games as Mario drilled kick after kick, even in the face of taunting fans. I remember during practices, when Mario wanted to warm up doing kickoffs and none of the returners were stretched and ready to receive the kicks, he'd always thank me and laugh at my enthusiasm as I ran 50 yards down the field to field his kicks, juking and faking imaginary defenders for a few yards before I hurled the ball back to him. Mario was one of those guys who never gave any of us managers a hard time. He had a scholarship. He was a record-breaking NCAA athlete, but he was always humble and always the same guy.

Outside of the field, Mario knew how to have a good time. Every now and then, we'd run into each other out on the Row and even one night, I shared a Campus Cruiser ride with all the Special Teams guys on a late night. Every time, Mario would have that ever-present (someone called it his "Kool-aid smile") smile on his face and no matter where we were or who was around, we'd be friends. It doesn't sound like a big deal, but it was always appreciated. Mario was always a player that we could come to and ask to sit next to on the bus to the hotel, or ask him about what the practice schedule was going to be for the week. He was never too good to answer or too "busy" to listen. He was Mario, and that never changed in any situation. He worked hard at practice, the weight room (Mario nearly doubled in size since coming to USC) and had fun off the field as well. He was a humble guy, a good person, and after spending 5 days a week with him for 3 years of my college life, he is missed and will continue to be missed.

Perhaps the best story I have of Mario is when I was collecting the whole team's autographs at the end of the season at our hotel in Miami. Mario had been on an absolute tear and was regarded as one of the country's most dependable kickers by the end of the year. I brought my ball to Mario, which had already been signed by a bunch of guys and asked him if he could sign it for me. Mario, then our starting kicker, looked at me and asked "Are you sure you want me to sign it?" I told him of course, that I wanted everyone to sign it. And Mario, obviously not accustomed to signing as many autographs as the Matt Leinarts and Reggie Bushes of the world, smiled, signed my ball, and thanked me for letting him sign it.

Rest in Peace, Mario. You are missed.

Anyone else giving Boise State the mythical national championship this year?

Hey all!

Hope everyone is doing well and I hope that 2007 brings nothing but good to everyone.

I'm a little under the weather today, but managed to attend my first Jiu-Jitsu class at the Gracie Academy in Torrance. I was throwing up all morning, but since I had signed up, I forced myself to go. I met Ryron, Rener, and Rorion Gracie, which was a real thrill. Our class was taught by Rener, who was really patient and seemed to enjoy himself while he was teaching the class. A humbling part of the class was when Rener let us get the upper hand on him, by letting us get position on top of him (in the "I'm going to punch you in the face a bunch of times" mount that many of us imagine us to do in a fight), only to have Rener flip us over in a matter of seconds. Even better, we were taught how not only to do that, but how to force someone to submit from a mounted position (instead of wildly swinging at someone's face). Of course, as luck would have it, I got paired with the guy who was a little rougher than the rest, which is wonderful when your body is already aching from throwing up all morning. Regardless, it was a lot of fun and a great experience. I learned a couple moves that I could actually see myself using, if I ever got into a confrontation (god forbid).

I have a job interview on the 18th that I'm really looking forward to, but if I don't land the job (which would be disappointing, because it would be great to move, not that I don't love being in Southern California), I'll be enrolling in a 12 month program at the Gracie Academy. Either way, something new is just around the corner and I'm excited for whatever it may be. For now, this sickness, paired with a slightly overzealous partner has my neck in unbelievable pain and I can't even turn my head without wincing in pain. Hopefully, this is gone by tomorrow!

Regardless, wanted to let everyone know (not that anyone would object) that my website is actually going to undergo a bit of an overhaul over the coming weeks! I think it will be really fun to watch and read. In addition to the random rants and thoughts about current events, I'm intending to launch profiles on USC students or recent graduates who I believe are well on their way to becoming the "next big thing," even before they make it to that status. I hope that they're going to be some interesting stories on some fascinating people that I hope everyone enjoys! I have a couple lined up already, so if you stay tuned (or bookmarked), I hope it'll be as great as I think it will be.

School starts Monday, I'm gonna get some rest because my body is pretty much tapped out from this sickness.

Apparently, The OC has been cancelled.

Despite my efforts to "Save the OC" by posting a link to the online petition (which was not signed by nearly the number of people who actually watch the show) on my Facebook profile, it appears our weekly trip to Newport has been cancelled for 2008 and beyond. It would have been nice if the petition made it to a million, even if it didn't make a difference). So Season 3 wasn't very good compared to the roller coaster that was Seasons 1 & 2. Regardless, Season 4 has been incredible so far and it's a shame to watch what has become my favorite show on television go to TV heaven. For fun, I thought I would post the email that I sent to FOX via the "Save the OC" website. Summer, Ryan, Seth, Kirsten, Sandy, Julie, Dr. Roberts, Taylor and the rest of The OC gang, you will be missed!

To whom it may concern-

As a 22 year old, heterosexual, male, graduate student at the University of Southern California, I am writing in support of saving my favorite show on television, The OC. Since watching DVDs of the first two seasons, which subsequently prompted me to ask for the third season on DVD for Christmas (which I am enjoying, while watching the superior 4th season every week), I have formed what we call in social science, a very strong parasocial relationship with Seth, Ryan, Summer, Kirsten (Kiki, Keeks), Sandy, Taylor, Jimmy, Dr. Roberts, Marissa (RIP) and even the conniving Julie Cooper.

More than any other show on television, The OC has strong characters that viewers develop powerful relationships with that compel us as viewers to look at these characters as if they were real people. We develop relationships with them as if they were our friends, which cause us to hate Oliver, be annoyed with Johnny's meddling in Marissa and Ryan's happiness, loathe Vollchek with all the hate our loins can muster up. It's not that these are poorly developed characters, it's that The OC has presented itself in such a way that viewers truly care for the characters on the program and are affected by what happens to their favorite Orange County residents every week. I feel like this is rare on television today. The shows that manage to do this are the shows that seem to remain on television every week. I wish that you could come into my workplace and hear three males in their 20's recounting the previous night's episode and fervently debating various aspects of the episode with raised voices. Perhaps only then could you begin to understand how much The OC's characters have become parts of people's lives.

I work full time and am a full time graduate student. However, when a new episode of The OC is on, I rush home from work, pick up food on the way home (because delivery could possibly interrupt my time with the Cohens), and anxiously await Phantom Planet's words, "California, California, here we come...", to transport us all into the wonderful world of The OC. In this 4th season, The OC has truly transformed and become so superior to the episodes in the first three seasons that it would be an unbelievable shame to see the series end here. Taylor Townsend is as strong, if not a stronger character than Marissa Cooper (and is arguably better looking for the males who transport to Newport every week). Besides, it would be unfortunate to have Ryan Atwood's transformation from a troubled kid from Chino to a Newport resident with an edge end before it has truly started to take its shape. The show is taking off in this new chapter of its life and it has loyal viewers that follow the show religiously. If cancelled, The OC would no doubt be replaced with a few hit or miss dramas that would sputter out because of their inability to make viewers forget about their abrupt loss of their friends in Orange County.

Please don't leave us hanging. Please, save The OC.

Sincerely,
David Chung

Oh yeah, and we won the Rose Bowl! A surprising blowout and a really impressive showing by USC's defense. It was reminiscent of us attacking Michigan QB John Navarre a few years back with Kenechi Udeze and Will Poole among others. Unfortunately, because the game was essentially over by the 4th quarter, all any fans can seem to talk about from the game is USC Song Girl Megan Ramer's skirt catching a gust while she was performing (http://awfulannouncing.blogspot.com/2007/01/usc-song-girl-identified.html). Whoever was assigned to get shots of the Song Girls (the most attractive group of USC Song Girls in 5 years) has a wonderful, wonderful job. Blowout or no blowout, Song Girl wardrobe malfunction or not, it's great to see the program doing well. I'm proud of the guys and of this year's student managers (especially my head student manager successor Art Vasconcelos).

But did anyone else catch that Boise State v. Oklahoma game? While they only work every now and again, few plays in football are as exciting as a well executed Hook and Ladder or the Statue of Liberty. This game had both of them. If you haven't had the chance to see the game, get the clips on YouTube, buy it on iTunes, do something. It's worth seeing.

Not only did it have drama on the field, but the game finished with a successful marriage proposal from Boise State Running Back Ian Johnson (who had the game winning score) to Chrissy Popadics, who the commentators referred to as the "Head Cheerleader" at Boise State. While Ian was doing his postgame interview, I was sitting there thinking, "He must really like this girl to have her standing there with him after the game..." Only to find that "this girl" would end up becoming his fiance' within seconds.

Somehow, if Maxim or Stuff comes through (R.I.P. FHM USA, which recently revealed it will be shutting down its American operations), I feel like Chrissy could end up becoming just as famous as her. Totally attractive and looked like a nice girl, who knows if she'll shoot to Jenn Sterger (FSU "Cowgirl" turned Playboy/Maxim model and Sports Illustrated College Football/Relationship advice columnist) status, or if this will just be her 15 minutes of fame. Regardless, hope the two find happiness together as Ian takes off to the NFL. Thanks to the Irish Trojan's blog (http://www.brendanloy.com/) for the first picture.

(Credit Ted S. Warren/Associated Press/Fox Sports http://foxsports.foxnews.com/cfb/story/6326858)

The happy couple

Probably the best game I've ever seen (and this comes from someone who was on the field for the USC/Texas 2006 and USC/Notre Dame 2005). Leaving to return to LA today, which oddly enough, feels like home.

I'm going to catch Freedom Writers on Friday, which looks like Dangerous Minds 2007. On Saturday, I'm going to take my first Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu class at the world-renowned Gracie Academy in Torrance, California. If I am still alive after my intro class and don't have cauliflower ear (which terrifies me), I'll let you know how it goes. See you guys in a few days!