When USC and UCLA tipoff today at the Staples Center it will be the first time the two programs have ever faced each other in the Pac-10 Tournament. It may also be the last time you see the school bands at a hoops rivalry game. Earlier this year, UCLA ended a long tradition by refusing to invite the Spirit of Troy to Pauley Pavilion. They also declined to send their own band to the Galen Center.

Whether you're watching in person or on TV, make sure to enjoy the sounds of the Trojan Marching Band. If you've got some time, check out their 2007 Year-In-Review (after the jump), which chronicles an impressive 452 engagements and 47,677 miles traveled. It's amazing how much work goes into their performances around the nation. Maybe they deserve an invite back across town.

Thanks to Assistant Director Brett Padelford for passing this along from the Spirit of Troy:

2007 was another record-breaking year for the Hardest Working Marching Band in the History of the Universe.  This year???s theme was probably ???the road??? as the band traveled 47,677 miles (or the equivalent of nearly two times around the world) on the way to gigs and USC Athletics events.  To understand how the Trojan Marching Band fits all the traveling, performing, and practicing in a single year, here is a road trip through 2007.

ANY USC CONTEST, ANYWHERE

USC Athletics is the TMB???s top priority and band members will travel anywhere to support the Trojan teams.  In 2007, the band attended 92 USC Athletic events supporting 15 sports, including track & field, water polo, and crew.  Band members traveled 25,797 miles in the process while logging 1,035 hours (or more than 43 days) at the games or in transit.   

Of course, football comes first and the TMB???s streak of consecutive games attended ??? home or away ??? passed 250 this year at the Coliseum versus Stanford.  Currently, after the 2008 Rose Bowl, the band???s remarkable run ??? which started in 1987 ??? rests at 259.

During the 2007 season, the band logged 13,083 miles following the football team to Nebraska, Washington, Indiana, Arizona, and up north to Berkeley for the Weekender. Among The Spirit of Troy???s other destinations this year for sports were Spokane, Washington and East Rutherford, New Jersey with the men???s basketball team for the NCAA tournament and College Station, Texas for the women???s soccer team???s national championship victory in the College Cup.  The TMB also traveled to the men???s NCAA Water Polo Championship and women???s Volleyball Championship, both in Northern California.

ALWAYS ANOTHER GIG

When not at a game, the TMB can usually be found on its way to a gig.  ???Gigs??? are any band performance that???s not for a USC athletic event, whether it???s a wedding, a university event, a birthday party, a media appearance, or a corporate meeting.  The band performed 360 gigs in 2007 or nearly one per day while traveling 21,880 miles and spending 1,412 3???4 hours (or nearly 59 days) on the road or at gigs.  Most of the band???s events each year are performed by the small ???10-Piece Band.???  Of the band???s 360 gigs, the 10-Piece performed 280 of them.

Some of the band???s more interesting gigs this year included the opening of Star Wars Celebration IV at the Los Angeles Convention Center, a pre-NFL draft party for USC Wide Receiver Dwayne Jarrett at a Hollywood nightclub, a photo shoot for a portable audio recorder print ad, and a playoffs rally for the Los Angeles Angels at Anaheim Stadium.

In 2007, the band appeared at 48 weddings (plus 1 engagement party, 1 wedding shower, and 2 wedding anniversaries), 34 birthday parties, 12 graduation parties, 8 golf tournaments, 6 retirement parties, and 4 bar mitzvahs.  The TMB also performed at 7 corporate events in 2007 for clients like the Walt Disney Company, Russell Athletic, and Neiman Marcus.  Non-profit organizations were very important too as the band attended 30 charity events for such causes as the Special Olympics, March of Dimes, and the Junior Blind of America, to name a few.

HOLLYWOOD???S BAND

The TMB is not called ???Hollywood???s Band??? just because the big studios are right down the street.  No, the band earns this title every year with all the work it does in front of the camera.  In 2007 alone, the band participated in 13 major media events including Jeopardy!, The 2007 ESPY Awards, ???til Death, Mad Money w/ Jim Cramer, and Last Comic Standing.  In July, the band was flown back to the ESPN Campus in Bristol, Connecticut to perform for the debut of ESPN???s College Football Live.  The band was also asked to appear on 3 local morning news shows in 2007, only 1 of which was in Los Angeles.  The other two were KHQ in Spokane, Washington and CW31 in Sacramento, California.

A TYPICALLY BUSY FALL WEEKEND

Fall weekends are the busiest for The Spirit of Troy because its many different commitments all come together at once.  For example, during the weekend of the USC vs. Oregon game in Eugene, the band performed 16 gigs from Thursday through Sunday with numerous segments of the band out on Saturday (whether back home in Los Angeles or in Eugene). The sophomore class got to the game on the road, leaving after practice on Thursday night and enduring 1,768 miles and 24 hours on a bus.  Earlier that day, a 10-Piece band traveled up north with an alumni group on the train and played at 6 stops on the way to Portland.  Meanwhile, after the game on Saturday, the band back home broke into a 10-Piece band that did two gigs, a 40-Piece band for the KIIS-FM Homecoming Concert in Anaheim, and a 30-Piece for a women???s volleyball game at the Galen Center, making five different segments of the band out at once.  After three more 10-Pieces on Sunday and including the USC Athletics events, the band had tallied 19 engagements over four days along with 7 hours of practice.

2007 BY-THE-NUMBERS

• Total engagements for the band (Gigs & USC Athletic events): 452
• Total distance traveled by the band: 47,677 miles (or about 10 roundtrips between LA & New York)
• Scheduled practices, sectionals and meetings: 210
• Time spent by band members at practices, sectionals, and meetings:  422 1???4 hours
• Total time spent by band members at gigs, practices, & athletic events: 2,870 hours or nearly 120 days
• Length of band camp in August: 10 days
• Practice time during band camp: 67 hours
• Most gigs performed in a week: 23 (the week of USC???s graduation)
• Overnight trips taken: 21
• States visited: 11
• Farthest traveled: Bristol, Connecticut
• Requests for the band to appear at events: 636
• Events in 2008 requested in 2007: 74

Dwayne Jarrett was picked up on a DUI last night at 3am by the Mecklenberg County Sheriff in North Carolina.

Panthers' Dwayne Jarrett Arrested for DWI [Fanhouse via Pyle of List]

A number of USC fan favorites, including Reggie Bush, Justin Fargas, and Keary Colbert, sat out this week with injuries.

LenDale White (RB - Tennessee) became the Trojan's second 1,000-yard rusher this season thanks to a 23 carry, 103 yard performance. He's up to 1063 on the season. The Titans beat the Jets 10-6.

Carson Palmer (QB - Cincinnati) had another rough outing. He was 11-of-21 for 115 yards, 1 touchdown, and two more interceptions (19 on the year). The Bengals squeaked out a 19-14 win over Cleveland.

Troy Polamalu (S - Pittsburgh) forced a fumble and had six tackles as the Steelers beat St. Louis 41-24.

Brian Kelly (CB - Tampa Bay) made an interception and a tackle in a 21-19 loss to San Francisco.

Junior Seau (LB - New England) mad five tackles and was credited with half a sack in the Pat's 28-7 win over Miami.

Sammy Knight (S - Jacksonville) made eight tackles as the Jags downed Oakland 49-11.

Billy Miller (TE - New Orleans) made three catches for 38 yards against Philadelphia. The Saints lost 38-23.

Chris McFoy (WR - Oakland) caught the first pass of his career, a 19 yarder for Lane Kiffin's Raiders.

Keary Colbert (WR - Carolina) may be looking for a real estate agent.

Kenechi Udeze (DT - Minnesota) had 6 tackles in a 32-21 loss to Washington.

Lofa Tatupu (LB - Seattle) had 5 tackles in 27-6 win over Baltimore.

Willie McGinest (LB - Cleveland) made 3 tackles in the loss to Cincinnati.

Mike Patterson (DT - Philadelphia) had 2 tackles in the victory over New Orleans.

Also Played: Dominique Byrd (TE - St. Louis) and Dwayne Jarrett (WR - Carolina).

Justin Fargas (RB - Oakland) ran for 81 yards and had five receptions for 23 more, but the Raiders lost to Chicago 17-6. He also lost a fumble.

Reggie Bush (RB - New Orleans) wasn't a huge factor in the Saint's 37-29 loss to St. Louis. Coming into the game with a knee injury, he had 7 rushes for 17 yards and a touchdown, along with 5 receptions for 27 yards. He left the game for a few plays after a helmet-to-helmet hit ... Bush fired his marketing agent last week. The story appears unrelated to Lloyd Lake.

Dwayne Jarrett (WR - Carolina) saw action for just the second time in his career, making catches of 22 and 6 yards in a 20-13 loss to Atlanta.

Mike Patterson (DT - Philadelphia) made 6 tackles, including a sack, and forced a fumble in the Eagle's 33-25 victory at Washington.

Troy Polamalu (S - Pittsburgh) had 4 tackles, one for a loss, and participated in two interceptions as the Steelers took down Cleveland 31-28.

Frostee Rucker (DE - Cincinnati) had his biggest game of the season with 3 tackles and a forced fumble.

Billy Miller (TE - New Orleans) only had 1 catch for 1 yard -- and 1 touchdown.

LenDale White (RB - Tennessee) ran the rock 8 times for 12 yards and had a 5 yard reception. He hurt his knee in the Titan's 28-13 loss to Jacksonville.

Carson Palmer (QB - Cincinnati) was 23-for-34 and 271 yards. The Bengals won 21-7 in Baltimore.

Sammy Knight (S - Jacksonville) had four tackled and participated in an interception in a 28-13 win over Tennessee.

Shaun Cody (DT - Detroit) picked up two tackles in a 31-21 loss to Arizona.

Willie McGinest (LB - Cleveland) made two tackles as the Browns fell 31-28 to Pittsburgh.

LaJuan Ramsey (DT - Philadelphia) made a tackle for a loss in the win over Washington.

Kenechi Udeze (DE - Minnesota) made one tackle in a 34-0 loss to Green Bay.

Mike Williams (WR - Unemployed) still needs a team. If you own an NFL franchise and are in need of his services, please have your people call his people.

Monday Night Football: Lofa Tatupu's (LB - Seattle) Seahawks welcome San Francisco tonight.

It’s fourth-and-9 at Notre Dame, and USC’s brain trust scrambles during a timeout to find the right combination to somehow keep a championship dream alive. After consultations between the offensive coordinator, quarterbacks coach and head coach - and with a final reminder for the quarterback to look for one tiny defensive adjustment - a legendary Trojans moment is born when Matt Leinart hits Dwayne Jarrett for a 63-yard completion… continue

Justin Fargas (RB) was a surprise star for Oakland, picking up a career high 179 yards on 22 carrier with a long of 48. He replaced injured starter LaMont Jordan just before halftime.

Matt Leinart (QB) started for Arizona, was replaced by Kurt Warner, then returned in the fourth to lead a touchdown drive that put the game out of reach for Pittsburgh. He was 7-of-14 for 93 yards.

Dwayne Jarrett (WR) played in the first game of his career and had a six yard catch.

Winston Justice (LT) got the first start of his career, and boy did it look like he had never played before.

Lofa Tatupu (LB) had eight tackles and forced a fumble in Seattle's victory over San Francisco.

Troy Polamalu (S) had two tackles and forced a fumble against Matt Leinart's Cardinals.

Willie McGinest (LB) assisted on a tackle in his first game of the year as Cleveland beat Baltimore.

Keary Colbert (WR) made grabs of 10 and 6 yards in a Carolina loss to Tampa Bay.

Shaun Cody (DT) had a tackle for the Lions in a win over Chicago.

Kenechi Udeze (DE) made two tackles in Minnesota's loss to Green Bay.

Monday Night Football: New England heads to Cincinnati in a showdown of two marque NFL QBs. Carson Palmer will be at the helm for the Bengals while his former backup, Matt Cassell, plays second fiddle for the Pats. On defense, New England has a pair of Trojan linebackers named Oscar Lua and Junior Seau. Cincinnati also has DT Frostee Rucker. Lua and Rucker have yet to play this season.

USC tailback Chauncey Washington said team doctors told him he has a Grade 3 sprain of his right shoulder, an injury more severe than the one that kept receiver Dwayne Jarrett out of two games last season. Nonetheless, Washington said he intends to play in the Trojans’ next game, Sept. 15 at Nebraska. “Unless something tragic happens at practice, I’ll be out there,” he said… continue

The final score: USC 38, Idaho 10.

The USC Trojans were dominant throughout Saturday's season opener, beating a better than expected Idaho Vandals.

It wasn't the trouncing everyone had expected from a number one team. Still USC dominated both sides of the line throughout Saturday's opener at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, hoisting the Trojans' home-game win streak to 34.

With the departure of Dwayne Jarrett and Steve Smith, USC has some very big shoes to fill at wide receiver. Patrick Turner looks ready to step in as the Trojans go-to guy, and Ausberry is making a strong push for the #2 spot… continue