USC's Zach Baer responds to former players criticism

LOS ANGELES >> USC’s worst start to a season in 15 years does not appear to be sitting well among some of its former players.

The latest loss stirred up more dissatisfaction.

A couple minutes after USC stumbled in the final seconds at Utah last Friday, a handful of high-profile, ex-players publicly ripped the team.

“We are a joke!!!” former ruing back LenDale White wrote on his Twitter. “This is (expletive) horrible.”

Former wide receiver Keyshawn Johnson added the “Crying Jordan” meme on a photo of the USC mascot Traveler, along with the rider of the horse.

“I’m so stressed this is starting to feel like (the) HACKETT years,” he wrote, referencing former coach Paul Hackett, who was fired after USC’s last-place finish in the Pac-10 in 2000. It was 5-7 overall and 2-6 in the conference.

The season was the last time USC finished below .500.

So far this season, the Trojans are 1-3 overall, their worst start since 2001, Pete Carroll’s first season. They began 1-4 before finishing 6-6.

Both players, along with others, compiled a series of criticisms.

Right tackle Zach Baer drew the ire of White at one point.

“#73 bra u need to get it together,” White wrote. “Big (expletive) teddy bear all u waa do is shake hands.”

Baer was bothered and responded. He brought up White’s ejection from a 2014 game against Colorado at the Coliseum. White had been given a sideline pass. He later told him to stay away from the team.

Baer, a senior captain, said Tuesday he regretted the spat became public.

“I just got to let it go,” Baer said. “It’s an immature way to keep talking, and I shouldn’t have responded. But I don’t argue with what I said. I argue with how I said it. I was sticking up for my team. It was a bad choice. I shouldn’t have tweeted it. It’s over.”

In the days after the loss, Baer said a program official told him that White was upset he had helped lift opposing players off the ground.

“When I put them on their back, and I get up off of them, and I pick them, that’s not me being soft,” Baer said. “That’s just me being a good sport. I look up to guys like Russell Wilson. I look up to guys like Andrew Luck, guys like that. It’s not a soft thing.”

He added that he hoped to move past the Twitter barbs.

“A lot of people are flared up because we’re losing,” Baer said. “That doesn’t excuse people. I’m talking about the past players who played here. You have every right to be pissed off we’re losing, but don’t abandon ship. Don’t give up. I’m not giving up, and I’m not going to give up, regardless if we win this weekend, next weekend, blah, blah, blah. I want to win.”

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