Last night USC football coach Pete Carroll and USC basketball coach Tim Floyd kicked off their annual off-season coaches tour.

As expected Tim Floyd either deflected or refused to answer any questions about the recent allegations that he passed an envelope of cash to Rodney Guillory securing the commitment of O.J. Mayo.

Floyd appeared Wednesday night along with football Coach Pete Carroll at the Irvine Hyatt Regency, the first stop on a meet-and-greet tour with Trojans supporters across the state over the next couple of weeks.

The free fall that the basketball team is currently experiencing, the specter of an NCAA investigation into the Trojans' basketball and football programs, and rampant speculation that Floyd's job might be on the line was not part of the agenda.

The crowd that filled one of the hotel's ballrooms mustered only one tough question, which was asked of both coaches: There has been this cloud of the NCAA, are we ever going to get out of it?

Carroll quickly answered, saying that when he first got to USC his goal was to build a program where, "everyone was coming after us."

"Be careful what you wish for," Carroll added, also saying that scrutiny was the price "for being on top."

Floyd did not respond to the question.

While it is not surprising that Floyd didn't answer the allegations it still amazes me that Floyd hs not come out to defend himself in any way shape or form. I know what the school policy is but if this is my career and reputation on the line I go into full war mode to protect and defend my name...I mean a vigorus "the allegations are false" is better than nothing and leave it at that. The school could certainly allow Floyd to put out a simple statement that shows at least some level of self defense.

I also found Pete Carroll's stament of being so successful that everyone will come after us. I understand the what he means, you have to be wary of the negative recruiting aspect of the game but he needed to be mindful of leeches that will surround a successful program. It is a delaicate balance, the football program made things open to the masses but with all the well wishers came the scumbags who were looking for a quick payday.

In my own experience out at practice last November the openess was still there but you had to get cleared before they would let you in. That was clearly in response to the many agents and runners that once permiated Heritage Hall around the time that Reggie Bush mess broke.

Obviously this story is far from over and even after the NCAA makes their ruling the repurcussions will reverberate for a while so all we can do is wait and see.

A PROGRAMING NOTE: I hope to publish a story later today that I have been working on for over the past week. I need SBN final approval before posting it. I think you will find it interesting. I went through a lot of hoops in trying to put this together and I learned a lot about just how journalism works. there is a lot more to it than just putting words down on paper. I think you will find it telling and interesting.