PFT: Reggie Bush loses his Heisman, sort of

[cowboyjoe]

Reggie Bush loses his Heisman, sort of
Posted by Mike Florio on July 20, 2010 4:20 PM ET
Former USC running back Reggie Bush won the Heisman Trophy in December 2005. In June 2010, the NCAA declared that Bush was in fact not eligible to play during the 2005 season, due to the receipt of cash and other benefits from a would-be marketing agent.

To date, the Heisman Trophy Trust has not demanded that Bush surrender the trophy, even though we think it's a no-brainer.

USC apparently agrees, given that the school has decided to return to the Heisman Trophy Trust the copy of the statute on display at the school.

In announcing that Pat Haden is in and Mike Garrett is out as A.D. at USC, the school mentioned that all evidence of the careers of the two players who got the Trojans in hot water with the NCAA -- Bush and O.J. Mayo -- will be removed from the school, including the copy of Bush's Heisman Trophy.

It's the right thing to do. Though clearly in the wrong, Bush has emerged from the controversy sparked by his own conduct largely unscathed. Apart from simply not taking money from the men who wanted to represent him, Reggie simply could have, and indeed should have, paid back the cash without a lawsuit being filed. Even after suit was filed, Bush could have helped USC avoid its current predicament by doing the right thing and settling up with Lloyd Lake and Michael Michaels.

But if Bush returns the Heisman, don't count on Vince Young welcoming with open arms an award that he desperately wanted to receive. Joe Schad of ESPN.com reports that Young has told friends he wouldn't take Bush's trophy, even if it were offered.

We'll believe it when Young doesn't take it.

 

[casmith07]

I'm guessing a fat ole Super Bowl ring takes the sting off of "losing" your Heisman.

 

[cowboyjoe]

I'm guessing a fat ole Super Bowl ring takes the sting off of "losing" your Heisman.

very true, but still stings if he doesnt get to keep his heisman for later years in his life :

 

[HoleInTheRoof]

Accepting money off the field doesn't diminish what he accomplished on the field.

Just sayin . . .

 

[Kangaroo]

Accepting money off the field doesn't diminish what he accomplished on the field.

Just sayin . . .

I am sorry going back and taking it away is stupid end of story and it in no way punishes him or makes fans forget who won the dam thing. :bang2::bang2::bang2:

In fact the NCAA record books are a joke since they go back and wipe records. The whole NCAA way of handling the issue is asinine.

 

[KingintheNorth]

We also fired the AD today. That move plus distancing ourselves from Reggie are the first steps in restoring ourselves as a college football power.

I'm still a Reggie fan though. I just wish his (and his parents') enormous greed could have waited 15 more months.

 

[casmith07]

They aren't even taking Reggie's trophy - just the replica that is on display at USC. It's ridiculous and stupid.

It's like saying someone has to vacate wins or a championship - everyone will still know who won the game.

 

[Future]

It's a good thing for the school to have to get rid of it - the school didn't fairly earn that trophy. But absolutely no college player should ever be stripped of on-field accomplishments for accepting bribes or whatever. Hammer the schools, but leave the kids out of it.

 

[arglebargle]

IF they got serious and caught all the schools that connive on this sort of thing, there would be a lot of empty trophy cases.

What they're really getting after him for is being obvious about it.

 

[Fizziksman]

so does Vince get the Heisman then?

 

[MarionBarberThe4th]

We also fired the AD today. That move plus distancing ourselves from Reggie are the first steps in restoring ourselves as a college football power.

I'm still a Reggie fan though. I just wish his (and his parents') enormous greed could have waited 15 more months.

Are they still going to get the same recruits w/o cheating? Im actually asking


I want to see a stacked USC VS Florida one day

 

[monkey]

It's a good thing for the school to have to get rid of it - the school didn't fairly earn that trophy. But absolutely no college player should ever be stripped of on-field accomplishments for accepting bribes or whatever. Hammer the schools, but leave the kids out of it.

I disagree that the college player shouldn't be punished for breaking the rules by doing things they clearly know are wrong (i.e. they put themselves into it). In Bush's case, there isn't a whole lot else they can do, besides take it away.

 

[KingintheNorth]

Are they still going to get the same recruits w/o cheating? Im actually asking


I want to see a stacked USC VS Florida one day

The violations had nothing to do with that. Reggie Bush and his family accepted money from an agent after he was already here (end of his sophomore season). The NCAA hammered USC because they felt USC should have known something was up. The school had nothing to with the actual violations and the fact that Reggie Bush had money did not make him a better player on the field. We weren't "cheating". We were naive and possibly looked the other way. Reggie was cheating in regards to his amateur status.

That's why so many USC fans and the actual school are upset about the sanctions. The NCAA felt USC football coaches should have known that Reggie Bush and his family's rent was being paid for by a wannabe agent who had nothing to do with USC. USC has 80 football players. My daughter is a D1 basketball player on a team with 12 players. Her coaches have no clue how I pay my bills. I realize football's a much bigger deal but I just don't see how a football coach can reasonably keep track of how 80 players' families pay their bills.

The NCAA also ruled USC should have known about things in OJ Mayo's past that they themselves (the NCAA Clearinghouse) missed when they cleared him before USC was allowed to accept him.

I think the sanctions will be reduced and today's firing of the AD along with the public distancing of Reggie Bush will go some way towards that.

 

[DallasCowpoke]

They aren't even taking Reggie's trophy - just the replica that is on display at USC. It's ridiculous and stupid.

Technically, wouldn't Reggie's be a "replica" too?

 

[MarionBarberThe4th]

The violations had nothing to do with that. Reggie Bush and his family accepted money from an agent after he was already here (end of his sophomore season). The NCAA hammered USC because they felt USC should have known something was up. The school had nothing to with the actual violations and the fact that Reggie Bush had money did not make him a better player on the field. We weren't "cheating". We were naive and possibly looked the other way. Reggie was cheating in regards to his amateur status.

That's why so many USC fans and the actual school are upset about the sanctions. The NCAA felt USC football coaches should have known that Reggie Bush and his family's rent was being paid for by a wannabe agent who had nothing to do with USC. USC has 80 football players. My daughter is a D1 basketball player on a team with 12 players. Her coaches have no clue how I pay my bills. I realize football's a much bigger deal but I just don't see how a football coach can reasonably keep track of how 80 players' families pay their bills.

The NCAA also ruled USC should have known about things in OJ Mayo's past that they themselves (the NCAA Clearinghouse) missed when they cleared him before USC was allowed to accept him.

I think the sanctions will be reduced and today's firing of the AD along with the public distancing of Reggie Bush will go some way towards that.

Its pretty cheaty. I mean, do all these players go to USC if theyre not getting paid? Its a huge recruiting advantage and now they wont have it.


Even w/ Kiffen being who he is I want to see them get back to where they were. It was always an awesome display of individual talent when they played. Really made it easy on a draftnik

 

[speedkilz88]

Accepting money off the field doesn't diminish what he accomplished on the field.

Just sayin . . .

Vince Young should have been awarded it in the first place. Just sayin . . .

 

[KingintheNorth]

Its pretty cheaty. I mean, do all these players go to USC if theyre not getting paid? Its a huge recruiting advantage and now they wont have it.


Even w/ Kiffen being who he is I want to see them get back to where they were. It was always an awesome display of individual talent when they played. Really made it easy on a draftnik

Oh boy.


Again, USC had nothing to do with Reggie getting paid. It wasn't set up through a coach, employee of USC, or booster. It was a recently paroled wannabe sports agent with no ties to the University who wanted to attach himself to the rising superstar that was Reggie Bush.

The problem is with agents getting access to these amateur football players. This isn't just a USC thing as evidenced by the current investigations at North Carolina, South Carolina, and Florida.

The NFL could actually solve this problem with one move. If the NFL put a lifetime ban on any agent found guilty of paying, illegally contacting, attempting to pay, etc. a college football player this problem would go away. It might seem harsh but why should the NFL want to deal with an agent who has cheated and/or broke the law.

 

[KingintheNorth]

Vince Young should have been awarded it in the first place. Just sayin . . .

No.

Vince was the better player on January 4th, 2006. Reggie was the best player all year long.

 

[big dog cowboy]

To date, the Heisman Trophy Trust has not demanded that Bush surrender the trophy

Until that happens, everything else just doesn't matter IMO.

 

[big dog cowboy]

Vince Young should have been awarded it in the first place. Just sayin . . .

Lets not revise history please.