Day Six -- Reconsidering Norm Chow

Today at 1:30 in my back yard, Pasadena’s Rose Bowl, my beloved USC Trojans will play their cross town rivals, the UCLA Bruins. Unfolding on the field, and more precisely in the press box, is a story steeped in drama, secrets, broken promises and back stabbing to rival Desperate Housewives or perhaps even a Danielle Steele novel. In the interest of making my tail gate party, I will focus on only Norm Chow and Pete Carroll despite the fascinating elements afforded by Steve Sarkisian and DeWayne Walker.

I will begin with USC’s head coach, Pete Carroll who during his tenure has led the Trojans to two national championships and six major bowl games in eight seasons among many other accolades. Second, Norm Chow, who from 2001 until his untimely departure in 2004, was USC’s offensive coordinator. Chow left at first for the NFL’s Tennessee Titans but began this season, breaking the hearts of many loyal Trojan fans myself included, as UCLA’s offensive coordinator. Today, for the first time I know of since his leaving, Norm Chow and Pete Carroll will be at the same place at the same time – the Rose Bowl, 1:30, for the UCLA/USC game.

Since Norm Chow has left, the Trojans have lost five games – Oregon State in 2006 and again this season, Stanford 2007, the humiliating 13-9 loss to UCLA in 2006 and perhaps most painfully, the Texas Longhorns in the 2005 national championship game. In particular, most say had Norm Chow still be the Offensive Coordinator; the Trojans certainly would have beaten the Longhorns thereby earning a third National Championship. For most programs, five losses in four seasons is something to be proud of but for the second most successful college football team in history, anything short of National Championships is failed season. My words, not Pete Carroll’s mind you.

Perhaps because of this strange chapter of life I find myself in, I have this week really reconsidered Norm Chow. Many have speculated that Chow was not only motivated by the sizable pay jump in the NFL, but was driven to leave by Carroll’s unconventional schemes to “relieve” Chow of some of his play calling duties. Was Carroll feeling like his offensive coordinator’s fame was beginning to eclipse his own? Instead of dismissing him as a Benedict Arnold type; it seems just as likely he was double-crossed by an insecure Pete Carroll who couldn’t handle his second’s growing success.

Of course, neither Chow nor Carroll has commented on these theories – speaking highly and briefly of one another but never speaking. And it is the not knowing that opens the door wide to all types of conjectures. However, despite this year’s stint for the Bruins, now that USC has an opening (Huskies, Sarkisian is all yours), just maybe, Pete Carroll you could swallow your pride and ask Norm Chow to come home.