Hell hath no fury like a UCLA fan with some dirt on someone in the USC football program. The Internets are abuzz today with the news that Todd McNair, USC's running backs coach, was convicted accused (and pleaded out) of dogfighting and animal cruelty back in the 1990s. The Los Angeles Times did up the story today, and the whole thing was started by Bruins Nation yesterday. Well played.
The details of McNair's situation seem as bad, if not worse, than Michael Vick's.
In March 1994, police in the New Jersey Borough of Paulsboro shot and killed a pit bull for biting and locking onto a neighborhood dog. They suspected the dog belonged to McNair, and discovered six more chained in his yard. He agreed to move them. On March 30, 1996, McNair was charged with cruelty to animals, failure to obtain licenses and keeping animals for the purpose of fighting on his property in East Greenwich, N.J. Animal control officers found up to 22 pit bulls, including 17 adults and five puppies. "I've never seen anything like it," Gloucester County officer Charles Barone told the Philadelphia Daily News in a story dated April 4, 1996. Police Chief William Giordano told the newspaper: "These conditions are deplorable."
The Rocky Mountain News reported later that year that the dogs were attached to heavy automobile towing chains. Some of the dogs were found in standing water, and many were scarred. Several had fresh wounds and one had a broken leg.
McNair has already paid his fines and served his probation, so we don't quite understand the notion of firing him, as some have called for. But we certainly have a better idea now how that whole USC running back logjam resolved itself: Halfback fights!
Southern Cal Now Engulfed In An Ugly Dog Cruelty Scandal [Bruins Nation]