Long Beach Press Telegram: USC program not above scrutiny

Steve Dilbeck

Where's the trust? Why don't you trust that I'm doing a good job with this? Why are you lacking trust in me? Do you not like the way we're doing things around here? Pete Carroll was angry, flabbergasted, maybe even a little hurt. Carroll is used to being trusted, and with reason. At USC he has built the premier college football program in the country. Is seeking an unprecedented third consecutive national championship. He is king in this town. The amazing turnaround has again swollen the Trojan faithful with pride. He is greeted with adulation that borders sports worship. Really, there has been precious little to critically examine about him or his program. He is personable, energetic, straightforward, positive. So maybe it was the concept as much as the actual questioning that so aggravated Carroll. He is used to having his way accepted, embraced. And it seemed a fair question. True freshman linebacker Rey Maualuga made a sarcastic comment about another student's Halloween costume at an off-campus party last Monday. When the student responded, Maualuga allegedly punched him. He was arrested for misdemeanor assault. Then last Saturday, five days after the arrest, Maualuga played in the second half against Stanford. There was no suspension, unless it was simply for the first half. It seemed a disconcerting message to send to the team: Punch someone out and you can still play. Are you going to tell me how to discipline my children? Then why are you talking about my players then? Just understand we're doing stuff, doing a really good job of it. Do we have a really well structured, highly visible, fully functioning program or don't we? Are our kids on course to graduate? Think about it. What are you worried about? USC's program is all of those things. The absolute cream of college football, if not all collegiate athletics. But that doesn't put it above scrutiny. Does not leave it exempt from simple, if even logical, examination. Presidents, priests and extremely successful college coaches still have to answer to public inquiry. No one is above being questioned. When a program is as wildly triumphant as USC's, people can tend to look the other way at what some might view as minor indiscretions. Last Monday, Carroll staged tailback LenDale White being thrown off a five-story building at the end of practice. It was termed a Halloween prank. Students jumping or being tossed off buildings didn't strike many as humorous, but Carroll received amazingly modest criticism. It is good to be king. But everyone must answer for their actions, whatever the circumstances. There are consequences to be paid for failings, and with Carroll's desire to handle things internally, to the outside there has been no apparent consequences paid by Maualuga at USC.

How would you know he's not paid? How would you even know? You have no sense of it. I don't need to please you with telling you. We don't tell you what's going on. We keep our stuff in house. Just like you deal with your family, we deal with ours. We take care of business. Hopefully we do a masterful job of taking care of our issues. Hopefully they do, but blind faith is a dangerous path for any to be invited down, let alone follow. Certainly, Carroll is completely earnest and motivated by good intentions. This isn't like some wildly successful college program that's careening out of control. And making this particular situation more sensitive is the declining health of Maualuga's father. Carroll said Maualuga left the school Monday and flew to Eureka to be at his father's side, and it's uncertain when he will return. We do things we feel are appropriate to reconstruct a guy's mentality. Whatever we have to do, we're going to do in a first-class, upfront fashion. But it's our business. A group of USC team leaders meets and makes recommendations to Carroll after incidents like this. Maualuga has met with youth groups since his arrest and is reportedly scheduled to undergo anger-management courses. All positive steps, but not exactly disciplinary measures. No one suggested he lose his scholarship or even be suspended for the rest of the season, but a full game or two hardly seems inappropriate. Carroll is being consistent in not revealing his actions. Only tailback Hershel Dennis was suspended last year after being investigated for sexual assault, though it was supposedly for having a party after curfew; the charges were ultimately dropped. Maualuga's arraignment hearing is scheduled Nov. 22, and he too, may never be prosecuted. However, his apology to team and family, and the references to his remorse, hardly indicates denial. There will be more questions for Maualuga, and as foreign as they may feel, to Carroll, too.