Living in the USC world

Throughout the last week or so, I have heard nothing from the USC camp but excuses as to why they are so unbelievably talented, so deserving of a title shot, so embarrassed to be degraded by playing another "Slow-10" team in the Rose Bowl, etc.  Here's the thing, the sports world DOES NOT EXIST SOLELY BASED ON TALENT!  This is obvious to most that will read this post, but I think most USC faithful can use a reminder

So, as a reminder to USC and everyone else, here is a hugely incomplete list from the top of my head showing what may be different about the sports world if USC had their way, and the sports world were based on talent and potential alone (I should note beforehand that I'm a baseball fan first, so sorry that most of these will probably be baseball-heavy).

Sports movies that never would have been made:

• Hoosiers
• Rudy
• The Rookie
• Rookie of the Year
• any Rocky movies
• The Bad News Bears
• Major League
• Mighty Ducks
• Cool Runnings

Champions that never would have been crowned:

• 1969 New York Mets
• 1997 Diamondbacks
• 1985 Villanova Wildcats
• 2007 New York Giants
• 1980 United States hockey team
• 2004 Whoever won gold in Olympic basketball
• 1986 PENN STATE NITTANY LIONS

Notable sports players that would (or might someday) be in the Hall of Fame:

• Doc Gooden
• Darryl Strawberry
• Len Bias
• Bo Jackson
• Michael Vick (or at least he would still have a job at the moment)
• Ricky Williams
• Happy Gilmore
• Ki-Jana Carter
• Vince Young
• LaVar Arrington

In this world, sports games themselves would be replaced with foul shooting contests, 40-yard dash times, skills competitions, Wonderlic scores, shoe sizes, pedigree, experience and talk.

Over here in the slow east, we still believe in showing up and winning with hard work AND talent.  So bring on those asses.  We'll play them in their own backyard.