A Trojan Fan's Perspective: Choke On It, Jim Harbaugh

First, for sake of full disclosure, I readily admit I am a USC Trojan fan.

Big time.

Second, I am not too proud to take absolute delight in the suffering of a newly despised program via the hands of another besides my beloved Trojans.

Of course, that "newly despised" program is the Stanford Cardinal led by their chief villain and head coach, Jim Harbaugh.

And the program that handed Harbaugh and the Cardinal that defeat is none other than their hated rival, the California Golden Bears.

You know, those same Cal Bears that the Trojans thumped 30-3 in Berkeley some weeks ago.

Now, many would say that my delight in the defeat of the Cardinal is motivated by Stanford's destruction of USC 55-21, two weeks ago at the coliseum.

True, but of course, as any good Trojan fan will tell you, it goes deeper than that.

The real source of my hostile attitude toward the Cardinal can be summed up in one play.

That play is, of course, the infamous two point attempt Harbaugh called for when leading the Trojans by three touchdowns late in the game.

The Trojans stuffed it but that is besides the point.

After the game, at the midfield handshake, Pete Carroll questioned Harbaugh as to his motivation for the play, although it wasn't necessary to do so.

Everyone knew Harbaugh was trying to show up the Trojans, including coach Carroll.

In the week that followed the game, Jim Harbaugh was hailed by the national media as the "hot coach." leading the "hot program" to the promised land.

Except that the Cal Bears had something (I say gleefully) to say about it.

And the "hot coach" made some bad decisions.

Like going for it on fourth down, with 3-1/2 minutes to go and all of his timeouts left, Harbaugh rolled the dice and came up snakeyes when Andrew Luck ran out of same and threw an harmless pass which fell incomplete.

So much for Stanford's Rose Bowl aspirations.

Of course, many would say it is cheap to acquire such joy in the defeat of a program by someone other than the team you follow.

Guilty as charged.

However, while in my perfect world, the Trojans would have won two weeks ago, it wasn't meant to be.

The Trojans got beat by a better team that day.

So now I will gladly get my "jollies" vicariously through the Cal Bears and I have only one thing to say:

Choke on it Jim Harbaugh.