Flirtation or commitment?

USC Athletic Director Mike Garrett writes to the fans today.

Dear Fellow Trojan:

It gives me no pleasure to write a letter of this kind, but there are issues facing our university that you need to understand. The University of Southern California has been negotiating diligently for months, trying to renew USC’s lease with the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, and trying to get guarantees that USC’s football team and fans can enjoy home games in a completely renovated and improved stadium.

Of course our beloved Rose Bowl is probably just being played to wedge concessions from the Coliseum, despite USC's Dickey assurances to me -- with deadpan sincerity -- the deal was go from their side and only depended on Pasadena approval.