Reggie Bush to loose his Heisman

[baphamet]

what some people cant seem to grasp is it doesn't matter what he did that year because he rendered himself ineligible when he broke the rules.

its just like when a guy is thinking about entering the draft early but isn't sure....once he talks to an agent he cannot play college football anymore.

once bush accepted those gifts he should not have been allowed to play, that is why his existence at USC should be wiped out that year along with the Heisman.

remember it isn't the NCAA's decision to take away his Heisman either, its the Heisman trust.

also the argument that thr NCAA gets to make money and why shouldn't the players is valid until you start considering all the other student athletes that don't get paid either and wont get a potential huge contract coming out of college either.

bush got a free ride in college for playing football, that was him getting paid.

[Alastor]

I have to admit that the things like the pimp-mobile and other toys taint my view of Bush and diminish some of the points I tried to make in my original response.

Bush's mother was a supervisor for a state (I think child welfare) agency, I wonder about his background with her having (seemingly) a decent job.

This part I can speak to. State workers in those positions don't make crap until they've been there about 25 years, and even then it doesn't normally compete with entry-level positions in the private sector. This is especially true for a lady that has several children whose husband is trying to become a minister (who also don't make much, if anything).

Also bear in mind that she didn't have this job at the time Reggie was young. It's entirely possible she only recently got that position.

Yes, they were poor. That much I'm pretty sure of.

[Portia11]

(from Wiki) The Heisman Trophy is awarded to the outstanding college football player whose performance best exhibits the pursuit of excellence with integrity. (I wondered how it was worded)

If you Google "NCAA Sanctions Report USC" all 67 pages are right there. Interesting read. Bush got a car, rims, low rise tires, custom sound-with all the amounts spelled out. His mother and step-father got a rent free .5 mil house and many monetary gifts. Then many other family members of Bush lined up for money, the wanna be agents (one a felon) couldn't keep up with the money flow because their only client hadn't made a dime yet. Various members of his family also received trips and money for clothes. Reading the report leaves little doubt everybody knew it was wrong, they describe the routing of phone calls (to hide contacts) and money given to "handlers" to give to family members.

Bush's mother was a supervisor for a state (I think child welfare) agency, I wonder about his background with her having (seemingly) a decent job.

IMO Bush's family should have just said NO, Bush knew you didn't get free cars, and the "agents" should both have gone to prison (one did, on other charges). They would have all had lots of money in less that a year.

[Cahill]

Who actually thinks he cares? If I had some award from college that they wanted back while I sit on my millions of dollars and super bowl ring (and probably more) I would mail it to them myself and crap in the box. Screw the ncaa.

Hahahaha, you just made my day/morning.

[theMileHighGuy]

Who actually thinks he cares? If I had some award from college that they wanted back while I sit on my millions of dollars and super bowl ring (and probably more) I would mail it to them myself and crap in the box. Screw the ncaa.

[Cahill]

He broke the rules - a significant one I might add. I understand his on the field accomplishments, but none the less he violated the character and ethics of the NCAA.

Again, that's not to say he made the wrong decision. I've still not been able to find anything that contradicts my understanding of what happened, and I don't blame him a bit.

But he knew the rules and he broke the rules. We all make choices.



It kind of does. It's not a "sometimes" thing. A person either does or doesn't fulfill the expectations of the NCAA. He... Did not.

Well I don't have a lot of respect for the NCAA. They don't have a lot of class in my opinion. I am sure they were very happy when they were making millions of dollars off of Bush's jersey sales when he was in good standing at USC. If they were getting a cut of the perks themselves, they would be fine with it. AJ Green gets suspended for selling his own jersey but its okay for the NCAA to sell it and make money from it. It's dumb.

[Alastor]

It's not like he took pills or steroid injections that made him perform at a higher level. He still outplayed everyone that year BY FAR and should keep that Heisman for life.

He broke the rules - a significant one I might add. I understand his on the field accomplishments, but none the less he violated the character and ethics of the NCAA.

Again, that's not to say he made the wrong decision. I've still not been able to find anything that contradicts my understanding of what happened, and I don't blame him a bit.

But he knew the rules and he broke the rules. We all make choices.

I understand that what he did off the field was against the rules but that doesn't change what he did on the field.

It kind of does. It's not a "sometimes" thing. A person either does or doesn't fulfill the expectations of the NCAA. He... Did not.

[Cahill]

I understand that what he did off the field was against the rules but that doesn't change what he did on the field. He won that award based on his skill and the performances he had that season. The award isn't based on character, it's based on performance. Bush shouldn't lose the award in my opinion simply because he was the best college football player that year. They want to punish the players for taking benefits but they don't punish the people giving the benefits. They need to somehow find a way to punish the agents for talking to these players earlier than allowed.

[Bernie24]

It's not like he took pills or steroid injections that made him perform at a higher level. He still outplayed everyone that year BY FAR and should keep that Heisman for life.

[12and4]

he deserves it for burning us for 513 all purpose yards in 05... totally just smashed us... i almost cried that game... i probably woulda if it happened this year since i'm more attached to college football now that i actually attend fresno state...




on a real not, i like reggie, he's a great guy seemingly (as Al said, from what we can tell from the media) and I don't think he really gives a rats patooty about a heisman when he has the grandaddy of them all, a SB Ring...


"Here take the heisman, i've got one better"

[Alastor]

I was talking to my mom about this tonight. She asked me what I thought. Bear in mind I only get to see what the media depicts. For all I know the kid was getting hookers and blow, but my understanding is that in addition to some really cool perks, primarily he was being offered a chance to take care of his family. Correct me if that's errant, but that's what information I have. With that in mind...

I said to my mother:

I think that Reggie Bush was a running back from the ghetto who had spent his entire life waiting for one chance to break free. He stayed off drugs. He stayed out of gangs. He stayed on the good side of the law. He stayed in school. He worked hard and stayed out of trouble in a place where there's almost nothing but trouble.

His dad had abandoned him and his family was poor. He stayed out of trouble and made good grades (3.8 in high school). His step-father and mother worked hard to raise him right and keep him level-headed. They were poor, and Reggie did what he was supposed to do. He worked hard, he studied hard, and he played hard.

The kid did NOT have an easy life, but he did it right anyway.

Then USC came for him. The next thing the kid knows, someone is offering him a nice house for his mom and step-dad to stay in. They've lived a life in poverty. Reggie didn't know if he'd get injured or not. Reggie didn't know if he'd get drafted or not. But after having a hard life he worked through honestly, someone was telling him he could provide for his entire family and treat them the way he felt they should be treated.

If I'm a poor kid, raised by my mom and step-father, my dad abandoned me, and I don't know what tomorrow brings but there's some dude over here offering to treat my mom the way she ought to have been treated all along for standing by me and providing for me all those years, you bet your ass I'm taking it.



But Reggie knew the risks.


I hope he stands up and says, "I had no choice. I had an opportunity to provide for my mom and my family who have worked so hard to do what was right for me. I broke the rules and I realize the damage that's been done."

"There are few opportunities for people that are poor in a big city. I took what I could get to take care of my family. I did so in violation of NCAA rules and I accept that they have no choice but to retract my scholarships and my trophies. That's the risk I took at the time and I knew the consequences. I made a choice."

"And I'd make it again."

"With regret, I respectfully return the Heisman trophy, and extend my sincerest apologies to the Trojan program."





Reggie made a choice. He knew the consequences of his choice.

In my opinion he made the right choice; a choice he should be proud of. He took the chance to take care of his family. He didn't know what tomorrow would bring and that opportunity was there. He chose to take care of his mom who had taken care of him all along.

I love my mom dearly and if I were in a similar position, I wouldn't hesitate to take it. I wouldn't care about the trophy or the records nearly as much as the chance to bring something good to her life that she deserved.

He should give back the Heisman and accept the situation because he did make a choice.

The right choice, and he should be proud of it.

Character is worth a Hell of a lot more than a trophy, and I don't mind a kid choosing to take care of his mom.

That's a good kid right there. He doesn't need a Heisman. It pales in comparison to his character.

[Jer_ber73]

Ummm what? Bush had one of the greatest seasons ever for a RB with over 2500 yards from scrimmage while averaging 9.1 yards per attempt...

And the one game with 500+ all purpose yds. Bush was pretty decent that year. Bordering on mediocrity.

[TheQBGuru]

Besides Bush has not even remotely resembled someone who earned his trophy

Ummm what? Bush had one of the greatest seasons ever for a RB with over 2500 yards from scrimmage while averaging 9.1 yards per attempt...

[Joshecalpoly]

It was about the fact he violated the rules to get it and actually it says in the bylaws that it must be won with dignity and respect for the NCAA and its rules. He violated that and thus lost it. Still its stupid noone looked into this sooner and what are they going to do give it to the 2nd place winner.

Besides Bush has not even remotely resembled someone who earned his trophy but many heismans are the same way because they play on teams like USC where everyone their is the best on their team. Some do earn it and are busts. Tebow may be a bust but the guy certainly did not have the O-line that Leinhart and Bush had sometimes I wonder if they evaluate players properly in college at all.

[baphamet]

I think this is retarted because no matter if Bush did take a home from USC that did not make him a better football player for the 2005 season.

Did Reggie lie about getting this home ... Yeah more then likely but again it doesn't make him a Heisman award winner so it shouldn't be taken away from him.

I am a USC fan being from California and I don't like the fact that they lied to the NCAA and now they've cost a good running back an award he earned.

I think it's laughable that the NCAA is wanting to bust USC for doing things illegaly but they turn a blind eye to the SEC and how they helped Florida so much last season.

Florida would have lost to LSU and Arkansas if it wernt for HORRIBLE calls late in the game to help the "Jesus" of football Tim Tebow

The BCS and NCAA is all a joke they play favorites with who they want to win so again my point is leave Reggie alone.

its taken away from him because accepting that gift made him ineligible to play that year after the fact.

by the way it isn't the NCAA doing this, its the Heisman Trophy trust. if you render yourself ineligible by excepting gifts and wipe away all the things you did that season, how can you keep the Heisman?

i understand what you are saying, he was still the best player that year but he should have not been allowed to play, that's the point.