[UPDATED] Some Interesting "Quotes" from Norm Chow...

I am putting the update here at the top - P

UPDATE:

Not Surpised by this at all...

Norm Chow plans to return as UCLA's offensive coordinator in 2010.

Chow wasn't as clear about his intentions immediately following the EagleBank Bowl.

After causing a bit of a stir among fans and media folk, Chow wanted eliminate any further speculation, so he delivered his message -- without ambiguity -- through a athletic department spokesperson.

Now that that is settled....

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I am not one these conspiracy theorists who wonder "what if" when it comes to Norm Chow.

There have been a few rumors floating around out there about Chow coming back to USC and how unhappy he is at ucla. I don't know the validity about any of that. Chow left, for whatever the reason, so to me that is a closed chapter in the Pete Carroll era at USC.

Up to this point it has been just a bunch of rumors and innuendo from message boards posters who are supposedly "in the know". To me it makes interesting reading but I really haven't given it much thought. We really haven't heard anything on the subject from Chow so to me there really isn't much to this...until yesterday.

Now, I am not sure of the context and I have a hard time trusting anything Simers says for the obvious reason that he likes to stir the pot but even I raised my eyebrows when I read this...

The only question then, will Chow be here next season to oversee Prince's development?

His answer, nothing but a smile after the bowl win, and when the question was repeated, Chow said, "Check back next week."

How's this for a devilish thought? Would USC try to bring Chow back, thereby appeasing irritated Trojans fans unhappy with the play-calling, while heightening the tension between UCLA and USC?

"That'd be interesting," Chow said with another grin.

Would Carroll agree to such a thing? A few weeks ago he raced 50 yards down the field to embrace Chow, the guy Carroll is not supposed to like, so was that for show, or an initial overture?

Whatever, isn't it odd that Chow's answer wasn't an immediate "Of course I'll be back"? Isn't it odd he never did answer the question?

Maybe this is a leverage play to win a raise, and if Prince is the key to the Bruins' success, pay him.

I would agree with the last sentence...nothing more than leverage. And that is pretty brazen.

When Chow first came on at ucla I was wondering how long before those two would butt heads over the direction of the offense. Slick Rick doesn't want to seed control to ANYONE...I don't care what he has said publicly.

Chow has a history of always looking for more money...he did it at USC and there was no way he would have taken the ucla job on its merits without that Tennessee money already in his hip pocket. He could have gone anywhere else but he chose ucla to poke USC in the eye. So far the experiment really hasn't paid off. Prince continues to struggle, though it would appear that he gives ucla the best chance to win. Brehaut is not looking to be all that was advertised, though Slick Rick wants to give him a shot...if for no other reason than to at least foster some semblance of competition between the two.

There is no question that Prince is tough. He has stood tall and been a human pinball back there all season.

I am not really sure I am interested in having Chow back. I mean has anything really changed? This whole idea of "getting the band back together" has just as many issues as it did back in 2003/04. In my experience grown men get MORE stubborn as they get older not less. And I am not sure that Pete Carroll has had some Epiphany about seeding control of USC's offense after all that he has been through the past few years.

I won't deny that the comments by Chow is interesting but I do think it is all about leverage. Chow is all about the Benjamen's...always has been, always will be. That is fine, but that will never change.

And even if he did want to come back that magic is gone and it is never coming back...