FWAA Strips USC of 2004 Rice Trophy, Trojan Fans Stifle Collective Yawn

In a year of bitter setbacks for fans of the USC football program, perhaps the biggest disappointment was delivered today when the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) stripped the Trojans of the Grantland Rice Trophy for its 2004 team.

With apologies to the outstanding sportswriter of decades gone by, the what?

As reported by ESPN, Tim Griffin, the president of the FWAA said, "Had these facts been known, USC would not have been selected for the award ... in light of standards applicable to FWAA poll participants, award candidates, and award recipients."

Meanwhile, that roaring silence you don't hear is the outrage of Trojan fans everywhere.

With the start of the Lane Kiffin era looming, and USC appealing part of the NCAA's severe sanctions against them on the horizon, Trojan fans have bigger fish to fry than to worry about some minor award being pulled from the program.

Cow tailing to the NCAA, the FWAA, who has been awarding the trophy as an association since 1954, came to a decision that, "best serves the sport," according to Griffin, a former blogger for ESPN.

That ESPN is connected to negative news about USC should come as no surprise to fans of the program, who have seen a concerted effort on the part of the mega-station to disparage the Trojans.

Although annoying to USC fans, the constant bad press about the Trojans, delivered by ESPN and others, have only served to steel the resolve of those who follow the men of Troy.

Mirroring the us-against-the-world mentality, extolled by new head coach Lane Kiffin, fans of the program have refused to let the criticism of USC define who they or the program are.

Instead, they ready with delight for a season which they believe will return the Trojans to the national spotlight.

This remains to be seen, but if USC is successful, these same fans, who have had to gag down an offseason of negativity, will celebrate with a vigor that will border on craziness.

Along with that, all the negative press will fade like a bad memory, to be replaced with a resounding, "I told you so."

Of course, if the Trojans stumble, the haters, and there are many, will have a field day with USC's misfortune.

But in the meantime, hope springs eternal and optimism will abound in Trojanville.

So take your award FWAA.

Just don't expect Trojan fans to lose any sleep over it.