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Pac-12 Football 

Weiner: USC Homecoming Not Worth the Trouble

, 4 min read
The Los Angeles Coliseum was nearly empty for USC's game vs Arizona last Saturday. | Joey Kaufman via saturdaydownsouth.com


  By Matt Weiner, SuperWest Sports

November 2, 2021


As I was watching USC’s home opener against San Jose State back in early September, a question popped up that has remained constant during the other three games I’ve attended this year.

“Is it worth it to be here?”

Personally, it’s always worth it. It’ll take an immediate family member getting married or the birth of my child to pass up an opportunity to spend a Saturday at the Coliseum.

Events that I RSVPed to months in advance could be broken off on a whim if it means I get to watch the Cardinal and Gold.

But what about the normal members of society who aren’t degenerate football fans? Is it really worth it for them?

Judging by Saturday’s homecoming game against the University of Arizona it would be a resounding No.

If anyone could provide validity to my devastating inquiry it would be USC Psycho. Mr. Psycho hasn’t missed a game since 1992, so it’s fair to say he has an adequate sample size.

Unless you made the trip out for the sole reason it was the yearly homecoming game, it was easy to forget about it. The only time there was a sense that it was worth it for fans to come back home was the halftime show.

As it was going on, a lady in front of me turned to her friend and asked why there were a bunch of old people without uniforms on the field. The lack of nostalgia in the air fortified her brain from making that connection to no fault of her own.

It was a game between two Pac-12 South opponents. Arizona was hoping to end a 20-game losing streak, and USC was hoping to make it to a bowl promoted by some product you’ve never heard of.

The lady shouldn’t be chastised for not knowing because it lacked all familiar symptoms of homecoming. Along with the lack of attendance there was also a weak turnout in the alumni department.

Lendale White was a great get, but the only other notable alumni shown on the jumbotron was Saweetie.

The infamous recording artist and social media influencer was on the field for a swift 20 minutes. Which was plenty of time for photo ops, so USC’s social media accounts could embellish the event.

What the camera didn’t show was how she went nearly unbothered walking up the stairs on her way out of the stadium. Many fans would’ve paid more attention to vendors selling peanuts and kettle corn.

They also didn’t capture the fans surrounding me in section 310B, who had to rely on their kids and grandkids to answer the pressing question of “Who is Saweetie?” Stumbling their way through the pronunciation of Saweetie as well.

I assume that this same conversation was being had everywhere in the stadium besides the student section.

What Saweetie did was answer the question I originally stated. It was worth it enough to show up for photo ops, but not enough to watch the game. The pop star is just one of many who didn’t feel the need to be in the Coliseum the past five Saturdays this year.

After the dismal performances to Stanford, Oregon State, and Utah, cost and logistical inconveniences seem to be too much to overcome.

Was watching Stanford pummel USC worth the hundreds spent on wildly overpriced parking, food, and beer?

If the main event of your evening features Oregon State rushing for 300-plus yards, was it worth it to go through the hassle of finding a babysitter?

Is it better to spend the night in to watch Utah’s Cameron Rising combine for four total touchdowns instead of having to deal with the embarrassment of punishing your kids in the stands?

For the sake of brevity, No!

This has little to do with location as well. The Dodgers led stadium attendance in the MLB this year with 2,804,693 fans, and they have to deal with all the aforementioned dilemmas as well.

If you build it they will come. For the meantime, nothing has been built, so fans won’t come. Even if it’s homecoming.

Matt Weiner
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