Thoughts on the hiring of Kennedy Pola

…is that USC has a new OC. Pola was a guy that both Kiffin and Fisher wanted, and Pola chose to return to USC. The reasons don’t matter much. It’s telling that Pola said “yes” within 24 hours, and neither talked it over with Fisher nor pursued a counter offer. There is little doubt that Pola ended up in his preferred position, and that Fisher is pissed off about it.

But, Kiffin was not required to seek permission from Fisher. And even if he had, Fisher could not have prevented Kiffin from offering or Pola from accepting. At worst, Kiffin is guilty of a breach of etiquette. Only at USC would this be news.

It’s disappointing that Fisher didn’t address his frustrations about Pola’s departure man-to-man with Kiffin and Pola. A personal attack through the media is the petty tactic of someone who is acting in anger and/or has no other legitmate recourse. It takes “lack of professionalism” to a whole new level…but don’t the media to recognize this obvious truth.

Perhaps Fisher has been away from USC for too long. Fight On, Jeff. The “woman scorned” role doesn’t suit you.

That’s basically the sentiment of hater-America when it comes to Coach Lane Kiffin. Let’s not split hairs here: whatever he does and whatever USC does IS MAGNIFIED 100 TIMES and especially so- when it’s even slightly negative news.

So, yeah- Kiffin didn’t REALLY do anything untoward. He didn’t REALLY break any written rules. But, he sure knows how to allow negative energy to come his way- and with that. . . .OUR WAY. Pete Carroll had a legion of haters, but his actions hardly ever went “negative”- most of his actions were positive with negative spin. Coach Kiffin’s actions in this were negative, with a pile-on of negative spin to boot.

We shouldn’t lose sleep over this. We should be celebrating this hire. And we will. When we see 1,000 yard rushers and 10+ touchdowns from our RB’s. Coach Pola is that good. Coach Fisher and Coach Del Rio will relish the thought of being in position to draft some of these badass RB’s on our roster in the drafts to come.

To that I say, welcome home Coach Kennedy Pola!

If Fisher hadn’t gone running like a little girl to squeal on the big bad Kiffin, there is no story. Calculated move by Fisher, but makes him look foolish.

the future is unclear in the NFL…

There’s a subclass of NFL workers more worried than the players about a potential 2011 work stoppage: the assistant coaches. That worry comes in various forms, like Vikings assistant Derek Mason leaving a playoff team for a similar job at Stanford, and Cowboys assistant Todd Grantham doing the same to go to Georgia, and other coaches — many of them, I’m told — are considering similar moves that would have been considered a step down in peaceful labor years.

“Assistant coaches are really angry right now,‘’ said Larry Kennan, the executive director of the NFL Coaches Association. "They’re more frustrated with management and ownership than at any time I can remember. They want to be treated with the same respect that they’ve given to the game over the years, but they’re not.’’

Kennan and the assistants are angry because of the wildcat way teams are treating coaches in regard to contracts for the 2011 season, with the prospect of a job action looming as early as March of next year. Kennan would not supply specifics, because teams have warned coaches not to disclose contractual language, but teams have been planning how to treat coaches if a lockout occurs. Kennan broke down what teams are planning, in generalities:

• About a quarter of the 32 teams have not told coaches what their plans are, and whether they will employ coaches at their full or partial salaries — or, in the case of one team, whether they will renew any of their contracts for the 2011 season.

• About a quarter of the teams have told coaches they will be paid normal salaries for between two months and six months — and then, if there is a lockout, coaches will be paid a percentage of their contracts (which varies from team to team) while there is a lockout. If no games are lost due to the lockout, the lost money will be paid to coaches.

• About 10 teams will cut salaries immediately upon locking out the players. The pay cuts will be between 25 and 40 percent, and could increase if the job action persists.

With the lock-out more of a reality today than when this article was written in March the move makes total sense. couple that with Pola wanting to come back to ‘SC and having his son(s) play at Mater Dei…the deal was sealed. I think the reason Pola didn’t jump earlier in the year was because of the timing then…he wanted to do the right thing by Fischer. But in the end he had to look out for himself…nothing wrong with that…

Fisher needs to think before he speaks. Remember Norm Chow? I do. Turnabout is fair play…

and, some of you still find a reason to bitch and moan. Fisher was probably just playing to the media to hide his embarrassment at losing a star assistant right before summer camp to a COLLEGE program. Does not speak well for the Titans or Fisher.

Pola is a star and Kiff now has incontrovertibly the best coaching staff in America. To pull of this hire at that late of date is remarkable. Kiff is truly a wunderkind wielding magical powers.

Also, did you hear that another reason KP came was so that his son, KC, could play at Mater Dei and then get preferred walk-on status at USC. He will get to coach his son.

Fight on, Lane!!! Keep hatin’, haters!