<p>Arrogance (n.):A strong feeling of proud self-importance that is expressed by treating other people with contempt or disregard. <br/>Sound familiar? <br/>It?s rivalry week, so there?s no doubt that it should. <br/>Everything about the USC football program exudes arrogance, starting at the top with His Majesty Pete Carroll and running through the players, the fans and Trojan hangers-on such as Brent Musburger and Snoop Dogg. <br/>At this point, in the sixth season of King Carroll?s reign, it?s become insufferable. <br/>Take Carroll first. <br/>Three weeks ago, in USC?s victory over Oregon, the Ducks scored a touchdown late in the fourth quarter. King Carroll challenged the ruling on the field, and the touchdown was taken away. Carroll, though victory was already secure, raised his hands to the heavens and celebrated like a schoolboy. <br/>Then Oregon coach Mike Bellotti challenged one particular aspect of the review, and after some delay, the call was reversed back to a touchdown. <br/>As the correct call was being explained to the King Trojan, he appeared absolutely disgusted, and rather than making eye contact with the referee, he seemed to be looking straight across the field to the Oregon sideline. <br/>Now I?m not a lip reader, but it was pretty hard to miss what Carroll said. <br/>?F you! F you! F you!? <br/>But he didn?t say ?F?. <br/>Now that?s classy. With his team up 28-10, the face of the USC program is letting go an expletive-laced tirade on national television, which appears to be directed at an opposing coach for bringing up a very valid point. <br/>To all the Trojan youth watching at home who might have seen Uncle Pete saying some things they shouldn?t have been seeing, well, F ?em. <br/>?I apologize to anybody who thought that might have come their way,? Carroll said later. ?I was just really upset by the whole situation that we had just gone through and just did what I shouldn?t have.? <br/>Carroll probably shouldn?t have let Reggie Bush?s family live in that house without (allegedly) having paid for it, either. And he probably should have paid more attention when Papa Leinart was paying for Dwayne Jarrett?s sick downtown digs. But maybe that?s too much to expect from the man in charge of the program. <br/>Pete Carroll wins football games ? seemingly without much regard for others ? and for the Trojan faithful, that?s plenty. For others, it?s slimy. <br/>The Trojan faithful, for their part, are far more insufferable than the king and his players. At least Carroll and his team do something more than consume alcohol and verbally assert their superiority upon everyone willing to listen (or not) every Saturday. And Sunday. And Monday. Well, pretty much all the time. <br/>Last year, USC fans were talking about how Texas matched up with their Trojans (answer: pretty well) before the UCLA game had been played. This year, USC fans are already looking ahead to Troy Smith and Ohio State. Presumptuous, no? <br/>Good ol? Brent Musburger is equally complicit. <br/>After Dwayne Jarrett?s third touchdown in USC?s victory over Notre Dame, Musburger declared, ?And now it looks like the road to Glendale, Ariz. is paved with Trojans.? Shortly thereafter, I threw up in my mouth. <br/>And check this one out. On Tuesday, after performing on ?The Tonight Show with Jay Leno? ? decked, of course, from head to toe in Trojan paraphernalia ? Snoop Dogg was arrested leaving the NBC parking lot. <br/>In his ride were some other types of paraphernalia ? weed, coke and a gun. Fight on, baby. <br/>If I sound bitter, it?s because I am. <br/>In reality, I?m sure Pete Carroll isn?t such a bad guy, Trojan players are generally talented and hardworking, and the fans aren?t all that bad. And I like Snoop. (Brent is another story.) <br/>But this is rivalry week, and consequently, I hate them. I hate everything about them. <br/>I particularly hate the arrogance, the sense of entitlement ? the hubris, if you will. <br/>Last year, I wrote a letter to Santa asking for a UCLA victory. <br/>Not only did Santa not grant my Christmas wish, but 66-19 seems to be rather emphatic proof that Santa might not exist. <br/>So now I?m at a loss. <br/>All I can really say is that seven years is a long time. <br/>And the Trojans probably aren?t as good as people think they are. <br/>And the Bruins are probably better than people think they are. <br/>Frankly, hubris has gone unpunished long enough. </p><br><br><a href='; target='_blank'>;