Daniel Fienberg
@dfienberg.bsky.social
Same as over at The Other Place: This is the porcine alter ego of @TheFienPrint — mostly for politics and sports.
Reminder that for overall entertainment coverage, you want to follow @TheFienPrint. But you presumably are already doing that.
Reminder that for overall entertainment coverage, you want to follow @TheFienPrint. But you presumably are already doing that.
It isn't that USC lacked for wide receiver talent this season, but every once in a while I ponder that Offensive Genius Lincoln Riley was completely unable to find creative ways to utilize Zachariah Branch, leading him to transfer.
January 2, 2026 at 4:13 AM
It isn't that USC lacked for wide receiver talent this season, but every once in a while I ponder that Offensive Genius Lincoln Riley was completely unable to find creative ways to utilize Zachariah Branch, leading him to transfer.
I give Payne a lot of credit there. It's hard to concentrate on keeping your feet in-bounds while wondering why THREE STRAIGHT TROJANS missed head-on, two-armed tackles.
December 31, 2025 at 5:42 AM
I give Payne a lot of credit there. It's hard to concentrate on keeping your feet in-bounds while wondering why THREE STRAIGHT TROJANS missed head-on, two-armed tackles.
A well-earned loss from USC. That was straight out of last year's playbook. #FireLincolnRiley
December 31, 2025 at 5:39 AM
A well-earned loss from USC. That was straight out of last year's playbook. #FireLincolnRiley
Not a TCU fan — in case you didn't know — but that was a catch. Or it wasn't not-a-catch. If it was a catch on the field, it was a catch.
December 31, 2025 at 5:35 AM
Not a TCU fan — in case you didn't know — but that was a catch. Or it wasn't not-a-catch. If it was a catch on the field, it was a catch.
First and goal at the two and Riley calls two runs up the middle. That brilliant offensive mind of his. Fraud.
December 31, 2025 at 5:32 AM
First and goal at the two and Riley calls two runs up the middle. That brilliant offensive mind of his. Fraud.
Maiava with 2.5 years of starting experience looking like an absolute freshman out there.
Zero excuse for that endzone interception.
Zero excuse for that endzone interception.
December 31, 2025 at 4:03 AM
Maiava with 2.5 years of starting experience looking like an absolute freshman out there.
Zero excuse for that endzone interception.
Zero excuse for that endzone interception.
D'Anton Lynn is leaving for Penn State?
Huh.
I figured he'd put in one more year and try to get a head coaching job.
He did a "Better than Alex Grinch"-level job!
Huh.
I figured he'd put in one more year and try to get a head coaching job.
He did a "Better than Alex Grinch"-level job!
December 31, 2025 at 2:07 AM
D'Anton Lynn is leaving for Penn State?
Huh.
I figured he'd put in one more year and try to get a head coaching job.
He did a "Better than Alex Grinch"-level job!
Huh.
I figured he'd put in one more year and try to get a head coaching job.
He did a "Better than Alex Grinch"-level job!
That two-point conversation up by 17 is exactly the sort of fun-and-petty bullshit you're supposed to do in a rivalry game/on Senior Night.
Still, this game should probably be 65-10. USC's offense basically took half of the game off for some reason. #FightOn
Still, this game should probably be 65-10. USC's offense basically took half of the game off for some reason. #FightOn
November 30, 2025 at 3:48 AM
That two-point conversation up by 17 is exactly the sort of fun-and-petty bullshit you're supposed to do in a rivalry game/on Senior Night.
Still, this game should probably be 65-10. USC's offense basically took half of the game off for some reason. #FightOn
Still, this game should probably be 65-10. USC's offense basically took half of the game off for some reason. #FightOn
The problem with my desire to #FireLincolnRiley is that there isn't a clearly superior coaching choice poised and ready to go. So firing Riley would be good, but once Riley is gone and half of the No. 1 recruiting class decommits, what's the alternative?
November 30, 2025 at 1:53 AM
The problem with my desire to #FireLincolnRiley is that there isn't a clearly superior coaching choice poised and ready to go. So firing Riley would be good, but once Riley is gone and half of the No. 1 recruiting class decommits, what's the alternative?
This feels like a good day to crush UCLA. Any closeness in this game is gonna reflect on USC failing, not UCLA succeeding... (Which doesn't mean that closeness won't happen.) #FightOn
November 30, 2025 at 12:30 AM
This feels like a good day to crush UCLA. Any closeness in this game is gonna reflect on USC failing, not UCLA succeeding... (Which doesn't mean that closeness won't happen.) #FightOn
USC just isn't as good as Oregon.
And USC's defense remains a problem. D'Anton Lynn's job shouldn't be in jeopardy, but if he gets other options, he should jump. The statute of limitations on "Better than Alex Grinch" being acceptable enough lasts a maximum of two seasons. #FightOn
And USC's defense remains a problem. D'Anton Lynn's job shouldn't be in jeopardy, but if he gets other options, he should jump. The statute of limitations on "Better than Alex Grinch" being acceptable enough lasts a maximum of two seasons. #FightOn
November 23, 2025 at 12:11 AM
USC just isn't as good as Oregon.
And USC's defense remains a problem. D'Anton Lynn's job shouldn't be in jeopardy, but if he gets other options, he should jump. The statute of limitations on "Better than Alex Grinch" being acceptable enough lasts a maximum of two seasons. #FightOn
And USC's defense remains a problem. D'Anton Lynn's job shouldn't be in jeopardy, but if he gets other options, he should jump. The statute of limitations on "Better than Alex Grinch" being acceptable enough lasts a maximum of two seasons. #FightOn
I love Makai Lemon, but running him left and then right on consecutive plays was STUPID and kinda baffling playcalling by Lincoln Riley, leading to a DOINK.
That's it, I'm afraid. #FightOn
That's it, I'm afraid. #FightOn
November 22, 2025 at 10:31 PM
I love Makai Lemon, but running him left and then right on consecutive plays was STUPID and kinda baffling playcalling by Lincoln Riley, leading to a DOINK.
That's it, I'm afraid. #FightOn
That's it, I'm afraid. #FightOn
USC's got 1:52 to score a TD before the half or this game is over, since Oregon starts the 2nd half with the ball and USC can NOT stop Oregon on defense. #FightOn
November 22, 2025 at 10:20 PM
USC's got 1:52 to score a TD before the half or this game is over, since Oregon starts the 2nd half with the ball and USC can NOT stop Oregon on defense. #FightOn
<"Arrested Development" narrator voice>
They could not.
They could not.
Encouraging start for the Trojans, but this game hinges on the defense stopping Oregon, not the other way around... #FightOn
November 22, 2025 at 9:02 PM
<"Arrested Development" narrator voice>
They could not.
They could not.
Lots of the enthusiasm for USC next season was under the assumption Maiava would stick around as a Heisman frontrunner and the two top receivers would go pro, but I just saw my first mock draft with Maiava in the first two rounds, which would presumably be enough to get him to leave.
November 22, 2025 at 8:40 PM
Lots of the enthusiasm for USC next season was under the assumption Maiava would stick around as a Heisman frontrunner and the two top receivers would go pro, but I just saw my first mock draft with Maiava in the first two rounds, which would presumably be enough to get him to leave.
This feels like the biggest game of the Lincoln Riley administration.
Beat Oregon and I promise no #FireLincoln posts until next fall. (Unless they win today and somehow lose to UCLA, in which case #FireLincoln.)
Beat Oregon and I promise no #FireLincoln posts until next fall. (Unless they win today and somehow lose to UCLA, in which case #FireLincoln.)
November 22, 2025 at 8:30 PM
This feels like the biggest game of the Lincoln Riley administration.
Beat Oregon and I promise no #FireLincoln posts until next fall. (Unless they win today and somehow lose to UCLA, in which case #FireLincoln.)
Beat Oregon and I promise no #FireLincoln posts until next fall. (Unless they win today and somehow lose to UCLA, in which case #FireLincoln.)
Huh. NEVER seen Lincoln Riley that pumped. No clue where THAT came from.
Good win for USC and definitely not the sort of win they would have gotten last year. Both offensive and defensive adjustments and... it worked.
VERY curious to see what happens with several of this week's injuries. #FightOn
Good win for USC and definitely not the sort of win they would have gotten last year. Both offensive and defensive adjustments and... it worked.
VERY curious to see what happens with several of this week's injuries. #FightOn
November 15, 2025 at 11:41 PM
Huh. NEVER seen Lincoln Riley that pumped. No clue where THAT came from.
Good win for USC and definitely not the sort of win they would have gotten last year. Both offensive and defensive adjustments and... it worked.
VERY curious to see what happens with several of this week's injuries. #FightOn
Good win for USC and definitely not the sort of win they would have gotten last year. Both offensive and defensive adjustments and... it worked.
VERY curious to see what happens with several of this week's injuries. #FightOn
Everybody who wrote a "USC controls its own destiny for the Playoff" story in the past two weeks is going to deserve what I fear is about to happen to USC.
Hope I'm wrong, but Iowa teams are always well-coached and Lincoln Riley teams reliably lose to well-coached teams.
Hope I'm wrong, but Iowa teams are always well-coached and Lincoln Riley teams reliably lose to well-coached teams.
November 15, 2025 at 8:56 PM
Everybody who wrote a "USC controls its own destiny for the Playoff" story in the past two weeks is going to deserve what I fear is about to happen to USC.
Hope I'm wrong, but Iowa teams are always well-coached and Lincoln Riley teams reliably lose to well-coached teams.
Hope I'm wrong, but Iowa teams are always well-coached and Lincoln Riley teams reliably lose to well-coached teams.
This game may be the best that Lincoln Riley's offense has looked in... Years? Or at least the best it has looked against a *semi*-legitimate team in years?
November 8, 2025 at 4:53 AM
This game may be the best that Lincoln Riley's offense has looked in... Years? Or at least the best it has looked against a *semi*-legitimate team in years?
That was as stupid and pointless a run of end-of-half play calls as I've ever seen. Well done, Northwestern.
November 8, 2025 at 3:41 AM
That was as stupid and pointless a run of end-of-half play calls as I've ever seen. Well done, Northwestern.