If you still think Twitter hasn’t changed sports media dramatically, the train has officially left without you. Witness Reggie Bush during the USC-San Jose State telecast yesterday on Fox Sports West TV:
(It’s time to play The Feud, Trojan fans!)
Most of you are probably like Larry Fitzgerald on this, so if you don’t who Papadakis is and/or why Bush would say such an inflammatory thing about a fellow former Trojan, I can help. (I assure you there’s much more to this story than what happened yesterday.)
First, what exactly did Papadakis say during the USC-San Jose State telecast that made Bush upset enough to Tweet his disdain for the former USC football captain to his 230,000 Twitter followers?
Transcript after the jump.
Papadakis on yesterday’s Fox Sports West telecast:
“I am very impressed with the young man, Joe McKnight. When he showed up, there were a lot of comparisons to Reggie Bush. Frankly people just really didn’t see that and right now he is showing an extra dimension that Reggie Bush never really had despite winning the Heisman at USC, which is that physical, inside running part of it.
I have no confirmation from Bush on why he Tweeted what he did about Papadakis yesterday, though I have a sneaky feeling that comment had something to do with it. But was that comment alone enough for Bush to unload on a former USC football captain in such a disrespectful and public way? (See ‘Complete idiot!’, ‘How is this guy on TV!’)
Obviously, no.
There’s a lot of history between Bush and Papadakis you don’t know about unless you’re an obscure L.A. sports radio aficionado from the past several years. And since I’ve co-hosted USC football shows with Papadakis in the past and worked at the same radio station for a few years, I think I can help y’all out on this one.
When Bush was playing at USC, Papadakis hosted a weekday, L.A. sports radio show on the USC football flagship station: the now-defunct KMPC-AM. The show became an absolute must-listen for L.A. sports media and USC fans because, as I often chronicled here on SbB at the time, Papadakis would often launch into searing, negative diatribes about past and present USC football personnel. Not your typical superficial critiques.
Papadakis, freshly removed from the USC program, would reveal what would normally pass as privileged information about the team and staff. Personal stuff, about players and coaches. And a lot of it very, very negative. Since they were the kind of criticisms only a person who was recently part of the program could make, they packed that much more of a wallop.
One of Papadakis’ favorite targets at KMPC, and later KLAC-AM, was Bush. During the football season, even after Bush had departed for New Orleans, nary a week would go by without Papadakis noting Bush’s inability to run inside the tackles and consistently secure the football. (Fair criticisms if you ask me.)
But it was most likely what Papadakis said about Bush’s off-the-field habits while still at USC that likely stung the Heisman winner the most. Papadakis’ most common refrain about Bush at that time was his unceasing arrogance, be it be directed at former Trojans, fans or media.
In particular, Papadakis told a story where Bush refused an autograph request of former standout USC wide receiver and current local broadcaster John Jackson, who wanted the signature for his son. Jackson, a class act in my book, has since reluctantly affirmed that the story is true.
Back then Papadakis also reported to his audience that while at USC, Bush would have a sentry of bodyguards escort him off the field after practices expressly to avoid autograph seekers, most of whom were young children. (Bush, along with Matt Leinart, did indeed have USC-assigned bodyguards escort them from the practice field during their last season.)
Also, virtually every USC football player would do on-air interviews with Papadakis when he was doing his radio show on the USC flagship - except Bush. (And Leinart, who Papadakis also heavily criticized.)
These stories about Bush were originally broadcast over the USC flagship station and have subsequently been retold by Papadakis at KLAC-AM, which happens to be the UCLA radio broadcast flagship.
To my knowledge, Bush has never publicly lashed out at Papadakis. And if not for the wonderment of Twitter, in concert with Papadakis’ comment during the USC TV broadcast yesterday, he may never have.
Dinosaur media guy, are you listening?
5:24 pm on September 6th, 2009
The truth hurts, doesn’t it, Reggie? Kudos to Petros, who is the most refreshing thing to happen to sports talk radio in years.
5:31 pm on September 6th, 2009
Papadakis is disgusting. Looking at him makes me cringe. He always has all that spit in the corner of his mouth when he talks. yuck I swear standards of how to properly talk on camera have lowered and the fact that he is married means women’s standards have lowered as well. I bet she looks like a bulldog and he keeps her locked up at home. Cuz I have yet to see her in public yet, that tells me the whole story right there.
7:27 pm on September 6th, 2009
Petros is the best thing to happen to ESPN radio in LA… dude whenever he is on, I immediately change the station. Funny thing is, as annoying to listen to as he is, he’s even more annoying to watch on TV!!!
10:11 pm on September 6th, 2009
This guy is the biggest idiot broadcaster out there in my opinion. however, he has a pretty good bead on some of the Ol’ USC guys.
10:24 pm on September 6th, 2009
I hate Reggie Bush, but he is right, Petros is an idiot. He has some great Trojan connections to get him lined up in the business because he is horrible and now foxsports radio has him on the national show? Good thing for them no one listens to fox sports radio.
10:29 pm on September 6th, 2009
And his comments about McKnight, he had one good game and that was against San Jose State, other than that to even put him in the same sentence as Bush is a joke.Bush has been a huge bust in the NFL and will continue to be but I do have to give him credit he was a great college player, unlike McKnight.
10:31 pm on September 6th, 2009
Brooks is clearly looking for airtime on the radio, thus he is sucking up to Petros.
10:58 pm on September 6th, 2009
Petros Papadakis is the most unique talent in the sports broadcasting. He has been dead on in his criticism of Reggie Bush, who has demonstrated himself to be much more in the mold of Eric Metcalf than Barry Sanders. Bush and Matt Leinart are obvious douchebags, and only one guy in LA will say it.
11:16 pm on September 6th, 2009
Now THAT’s some true detective work.
11:41 pm on September 6th, 2009
Thing is, I’ve always considered autographs dumb. I can understand why somebody doesn’t want to be bothered. Now,you say ‘the kids..’.. well if the kids ask for his nail clippings is he supposed to give them because they are kids asking??No… because it’s stupid, don’t matter who’s asking.,…some goes for autographs……
When I was a kid I didn’t want any autographs, what possible use is it? It’s the most useless thing in the world.. and even though I was a kid, I had that figured out.
12:12 am on September 7th, 2009
Hey Rick, Petros’ wife is hot. I am not joking either. Check out the wedding at am570radio.com…like the Social Distortion song, “She’s a Knockout”.
12:21 am on September 7th, 2009
want to hear dumb, reggie just listen to your girlfriend talk….she just learned to say daddy last week….
12:36 am on September 7th, 2009
So uhhh…when will USC have to forfeit all those games and the BCS trophy and Bush’s Heisman since he was obviously receiving huge gifts and therefore ineligible? Every other school has to. Where is the corrupt NCAA??
1:25 am on September 7th, 2009
Petros and Money are the worst National show ever..Its not their fault,but how can a National show talk about LA sports 85 percent of the time..Yo guys you are on a national show..the rest of America does not get lathered up about Kobe,Pete Carroll,Manny and anything else LA..In fact LA is a —- sports town..Any city with no NFL team does not count…..his schtick may work in LA but not the USA
4:54 am on September 7th, 2009
thanks for the unbiased perspective. i wonder what the relative successes of petros’ and reggie’s USC teams play in this. ask him if he’s a Trojan. he says he’s not. he’s a “pac10 analyst”, he started as a “cal bear”, his “brother is a “bruin” and he “took ucla extension classes”. he’s distanced himself from his alma mater, unlike his proud Trojan father. plus he sucked as a USC player. reggie and matt, however, did not. hhmmm
he’s a good radio host though. i listen often. money is cool.
1:47 pm on September 7th, 2009
Aren’t you guys sick of all the identical sports analysis? “Chemistry, leadership…..” ug. Same kiss-ass compliments? “Nobody works harder than…….” Yikes.
Petros is honest & direct. That is RARE and valuable.
10:59 am on September 8th, 2009
I think petros needs to let it go,
about the days of Bush and Leinart at USC, we all know how they were, they were built up to be superstars and that inflated their egos.
But everyone is guilty, the SID for letting the entire cast of that seventies show snoop dog, henrey winkler and every other rap artist that wanted to hang around reggie bush on the sidelines during every game…
petros use to come off insightful, now he seems like a USC rat
1:43 pm on September 8th, 2009
Is Bush still with that girl Ray J banged every which way on youporn.com
2:00 pm on September 8th, 2009
Petros gets work because of his dad…
11:00 pm on September 8th, 2009
I used to like Petros up until last year when he made up that song about Matt Leinart, very rude didn’t have to go that far. So petros we know you hate Reggie and Matt, so GROW UP PUNK. Oh and you sucked at sc why didn’t you just stay at cal.
6:41 am on September 9th, 2009
blake, ramen, pkcourt… i couldn’t agree with you more.
petros is scum.
4:21 pm on September 9th, 2009
blake, ramen, pkcourt… i couldn’t disagree with you more.
petros is a good egg.
8:07 pm on September 14th, 2009
Petros is loud, frumpy, obnoxious and offers dead-on criticism, negative or positive. I’d take Petros’ in-your-face, spare nobody commentary over most of the safe, stale gibberish parroted by most other commentators & radio hosts. Petros is REAL, something most radio hosts don’t know about, putting on their ‘radio- or tv-persona’ when they are on. Petros is 100% himself at all times and he says it like it is which pisses a lot of people off. That’s what makes him and his show/comments great, as well as much watch/listen stuff….
9:23 pm on September 14th, 2009
I don’t understand what the fuss is all about. Petros calls it the way he sees it. Petros and Money is one of the more entertaining and insightful radio shows I’ve heard in a long time.
10:12 pm on September 14th, 2009
I agree, Petros is different, but I enjoy listening to his slant on things. His family goes way back with trojan football, and good greek food.
Even a casual fb fan can see the change in McK this year. Hes gained power and is sticking it inside in a way Bush rarely did. No knock on Bush, he’s just a different type of runner. I think McK will continue to add muscle and by the time he moves on he’ll be a real stud.
??? I’ve looked all over, isn’t there a weekly tv program about the football program?
Fight on!!!!