Garrett Didn’t Telegraph His Dismissal of Bibby

USC Athletic Director Mike Garrett was a guest on the father-daughter radio show Sunday on XTRA Sports, and my old sparring mate and I disagreed on the quality of the Trojans’ basketball program and the job Coach Henry Bibby had been doing.

“Hey, we have a great program -- what are you saying?” Garrett said.

I told him I didn’t share those feelings and didn’t like the way Bibby handled his basketball players, and Garrett said, “You and I have agreed on everything so far -- why are you going to do this to me?”

We joked some. He said he might put his newborn twins on the line to speak for him, and I said there was a time in my life when I might’ve said: “They’d certainly make more sense,” and Garrett laughed.

“Is Henry under the gun?” I asked after mentioning the groundbreaking for USC’s new arena. “Does he have to show you more?”

Garrett replied, “You have to win at USC. I think that Henry -- this is his ninth year -- has done a great job. We’ve been to the NCAA a couple of times. We’re going to assess it and make a decision, and that’s what we always do.”

If Bibby was listening, he had to be feeling pretty good.

Twenty-three hours later, after a USC basketball staff meeting to prepare for Wednesday night’s game with Fresno State, Bibby met with Garrett, who apparently had assessed it, and Garrett told him he was fired.

Everyone else, of course, has been unable to find a reason to explain why Garrett chose to dismiss Bibby at this odd time of the season, but it’s pretty obvious he wants to make sure we really do agree on everything.

This could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

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GARRETT, ON whom he is picking to win the Heisman: “Matt Bush.”

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MINNESOTA’S Latrell Sprewell yelled obscenities at Clipper fans Saturday night, which were heard on local radio and TV, but fortunately no one tossed a cup of beer at him -- the high concession prices at Staples Center finally paying dividends.

Witnesses said some Clipper fans yelled at Sprewell near the end of the overtime game, and Sprewell fired back with crude language.

“In light of what happened with that brawl in Detroit, that’s ridiculous; it’s ridiculous anyway,” said Clipper radio broadcaster Mel Proctor, who apologized to his audience for Sprewell’s comments. “It was offensive, uncalled for and you could hear it clear as a bell. I would imagine there were kids who heard it.”

Channel 5 Vice President and General Manager Vinnie Malcolm said that in response to the Sprewell incident, he’s working to have a seven-second delay ready for Saturday’s Clipper-Laker game.

Sprewell, who has choked his coach and groused recently that he’s “got a family to feed” on $14 million a year, will return to Staples to play the Lakers on Jan. 19 -- in case you want to keep the women and children home. But then maybe we’re getting to the point where everyone should just stay home.

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ROCKIES’ OWNER Charlie Monfort said fans are going to see “more than talent,” and when players come to Colorado it’s also going to be about character and morals. With that in mind, the Rockies released pitcher Denny Neagle -- despite owing him $19 million -- less than a week after he was cited for soliciting a prostitute.

If this catches on, and teams keep talented players with only good character and morals, I worry someday that a team won’t have enough players to put on the field.

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WAYNE GRETZKY was in the Rose Bowl press box for the USC-UCLA game, and when I asked him who he was rooting for, he said, “I’m just here to watch the game.” A little later he was on the sideline wearing a UCLA cap. If only UCLA were that good all the time when it comes to recruiting the great ones.

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THE BCS is pure genius. College football has never had such publicity.

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THE DODGERS have signed Ricky Ledee, and I can only imagine the rush to buy season tickets, knowing he’ll be bringing a lifetime batting average of .242.

The Dodgers’ press release also noted that Ledee was “a member of the 1998 World Champion Yankees,” going six for 10 in the World Series -- the third-highest average in history for any player participating in every game of a Series.

What World Series experience has to do with the Dodgers, I have no idea.

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FOUR DAYS into the Hollywood Park Jockey Race for Kids, there have been no surprises. Lyons The Loser, who works as an analyst for TVG and who has lost two previous contests with Page 2, is losing again.

Team Page 2 selected jockeys Victor Espinoza, Tyler Baze and Felipe Martinez, who has been a stiff to date. Espinoza and Baze have won a combined nine races for Page 2 while Rene Douglas, Martin Pedroza and David Flores, riding for The Loser, have five wins. If Page 2 finishes first at the end of the Hollywood Park meet on Dec. 20, the Mattel Children’s Hospital at UCLA will receive $3,000 donated by the track and TVG.

One reason I picked Baze: The daughter who is married to the Grocery Store Bagger always bets on Baze because she says he’s cute and she has to live the rest of her life with someone who is not. Baze has dominated the competition so far, and I’ve never seen the daughter happier.

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TODAY’S LAST word comes from Garrett:

Asked whether he will consider former UCLA coach Steve Lavin as a candidate to replace Bibby, Garrett was quick with the answer.

“I will consider Lavin,” he said before pausing briefly, “[for] about that long.”

T.J. Simers can be reached at t.j.simers@latimes.com. To read previous columns by Simers, go to latimes.com/simers.