Southern Cal tried to ride the wave of Christopher Nolan’s latest film release, but the Trojans ended up taking heat for a post that sent X into full roast mode.
The USC athletic department posted, “Our Odyssey begins Aug. 29.”
The timing was meant to tie into the film’s buzz and the Trojans’ season opener against San Jose State on Aug. 29.
Instead, the reference drew immediate pushback from users who pointed out the basics of the story.
That mattered because the film is an adaptation of Odysseus’ journey home to Greece, a tale told by Homer in The Odyssey. In the source material’s telling, the Greeks used the giant horse trick to destroy Troy, and Odysseus’ long trip home came after that. USC’s attempt to borrow from that mythology didn’t land.
The replies came fast and sharp.
“@USC_Athletics @lacoliseum @uscfb @USCCinema
This post does not speak well to an @USC education.”
Another user wrote, “Holy fuckin airball, USC athletics marketing. You might wanna read the fuckin book.”
One response put it even more bluntly: “The guys in The Odyssey all beat the Trojans”
There were more jabs from there.
“Clearly you don’t need to have an understanding of middle school literature to get into @USC_Athletics”
“Is this a help wanted ad for your History department? Clever angle.”
“Is USC going to be sacked and leveled on 08/28?”
“Someone didn't read the The Iliad. The story does not end well for the Trojans.”
“A) the Trojans LOST THE WAR, and B) the Greeks were the ones who went on an Odyssey. Oh Good Lord. @uscfb with the most perfect tweet exhibiting their ignorance ever.”
“Wow, this is absolutely fantastic work. Did you hire a Notre Dame or UCLA grad to run the twitter account or something?”
The post was still up after the reaction piled on, and the source material notes that Southern Cal had not deleted it.
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