Usc Is Sending Back Bush's Heisman Trophy

[NT80]

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/gameon/post/2010/07/usc-reggie-bush-heisman-trophy/1?csp=hf

[emmitt01]

As mentioned in this article it is puzzling that the heisman of a suspected double murderer stays on display while Bush's is removed.

[eulessismore]

As mentioned in this article it is puzzling that the heisman of a suspected double murderer stays on display while Bush's is removed.

+1. But that only gets you up to even in this strange world we live in.

[foutsrouts]

As mentioned in this article it is puzzling that the heisman of a suspected double murderer stays on display while Bush's is removed.

Suspected?

[South Texas Green]

As mentioned in this article it is puzzling that the heisman of a suspected double murderer stays on display while Bush's is removed.

A murder trail is quite different from receiving gifts, but the catch is this. No matter how many people think O.J. might have done it, the guy was still found innocent. On the other hand, it's a fact that Bush and the school did wrong. I do think the Heisman Committee should take away Bush's trophy though. If he wasn't eligible then whatever he did on the field shouldn't be counted.

[UNT90]

A murder trail is quite different from receiving gifts, but the catch is this. No matter how many people think O.J. might have done it, the guy was still found innocent. On the other hand, it's a fact that Bush and the school did wrong. I do think the Heisman Committee should take away Bush's trophy though. If he wasn't eligible then whatever he did on the field shouldn't be counted.

But, he was found guilty of Aggravated Robbery, is in prison, and yet the Heisman remains. NCAA values it own rules over those of society?

Edited July 21, 2010 by UNT90

[CMJ]

The deal with Bush is, if the decision to nullify his junior season stands, then he was illegally playing. So, yes - in the state of the game it's a bigger deal than what Simpson did. All of Simpson's legal affairs have zero to do with his playing days at USC or the NFL(they didn't take him out of the Hall of Fame did they?).

Edited July 21, 2010 by CMJ

[KRAM1]

This makes USC look pretty stupid. Send back Reggie's but keep OJ's. Nice. They should probably keep both or send both back if they are really serious about the reasons given for sending Bush's back. By the way, the trophy USC has in its trophy case is a replica. Does Reggie have the original and does anyone think he will be sending the original back?

Better deal would be to take back some of the money paid to the coaches who, obviously, knew about Reggie's hi jinks and condoned them. Penalize the coaching staffs for this stuff personally and it will slow down a great deal. If the kids take all the heat, well, what do the coaches care unless they get caught of course, then they all seem to find religion and talk about the evils of such things. Pretty funny really.....if it were not so sad.

[CMJ]

This makes USC look pretty stupid. Send back Reggie's but keep OJ's. Nice. They should probably keep both or send both back if they are really serious about the reasons given for sending Bush's back. By the way, the trophy USC has in its trophy case is a replica. Does Reggie have the original and does anyone think he will be sending the original back?

They're sending it back because when he earned it - he apparently wasn't eligible. Simpson committed a felony that didn't have anything to do with his eligibility - something like....2 generations after he played. Why the hell should USC apologize for that?

[glick1980]

They're sending it back because when he earned it - he apparently wasn't eligible. Simpson committed a felony that didn't have anything to do with his eligibility - something like....2 generations after he played. Why the hell should USC apologize for that?

+1

What OJ did was wrong, but he didn't do it while at USC or during his playing days. Bush did. That I think is the main difference here.....

[Shuke-D]

What you have to understand is that HOF awards take into account the totality of one's contributions to the image of the school. USC has a top-ranked film school, so it's understandable that they're keeping Simpson in the ranks. James Lipton wishes he could have interviewed the genius who played Nordberg.

[Army of Dad]

But, he was found guilty of Aggravated Robbery, is in prison, and yet the Heisman remains. NCAA values it own rules over those of society?

Would that really surprise you?

[KRAM1]

They're sending it back because when he earned it - he apparently wasn't eligible. Simpson committed a felony that didn't have anything to do with his eligibility - something like....2 generations after he played. Why the hell should USC apologize for that?

Something about the image USC wants to project perhaps? Yep, let's be sure and punish the kid, but leave all the "adults" free to go elsewhere for $$$multi-million deals. Why is it that corporate heads are held accountable for stuff they would really have no way of knowing while allowing coaches to get away with things they knew or should have known were going on under their watch. You think the fact that it is "sport" as opposed to business that has anything to do with it???? Seems to me that what is "right" for one should be "right" for the other. When you start holding coaches accountable this sort of "eligibility" question will tend to disappear.

[CMJ]

Something about the image USC wants to project perhaps? Yep, let's be sure and punish the kid, but leave all the "adults" free to go elsewhere for $$$multi-million deals. Why is it that corporate heads are held accountable for stuff they would really have no way of knowing while allowing coaches to get away with things they knew or should have known were going on under their watch. You think the fact that it is "sport" as opposed to business that has anything to do with it???? Seems to me that what is "right" for one should be "right" for the other. When you start holding coaches accountable this sort of "eligibility" question will tend to disappear.

I was talking about OJ Simpson, not the coaches during Bush's time? That's a whole other debate.

Besides, the NCAA can't really punish Carrol when he is in the NFL now. The school is being punished - maybe not enough(tho they are gonna pay back money from what I understand) - but they are. Plus USC did just fire the AD who was in charge at the time.

Edited July 21, 2010 by CMJ

[UNT90]

Would that really surprise you?

Not at all.

I understand CMJ's point, but, as a very bad administrator once told me, perception is reality. Maybe USC doesn't care about perception, and if so they made the right decision.

I guess the bad publicity couldn't get much worse at this point.

[TheTastyGreek]

In 1989, the Michigan Wolverines won the NCAA tournament led by Glen Rice and Rumeal Robinson.

19 years later, Rice was arrested for felony battery. A year after that, Robinson was arrested for bank fraud, bribery, wire fraud, and a host of other felonies. He conned his own mother into using her house as collateral for a loan that he wound up defaulting on.

That championship banner still hangs proudly.

A few years after the championship, the Fab 5 team got some illegal benefits from a booster. The school vacated two championship appearances, conference championships, and a host of other honors and awards connected to the booster scandal.

It's not about what sort of shitbags the players wound up being decades later... It's about what they did while they were there. Just like O.J. is still in the NFL Hall of Fame (and his NFL HOF biography mentions the 2000 yard season but nothing about murder allegations), he's still the Heisman winner. I wouldn't honor the guy at halftime if I were USC, but the Heisman is still legit.

[UNT90]

In 1989, the Michigan Wolverines won the NCAA tournament led by Glen Rice and Rumeal Robinson.

19 years later, Rice was arrested for felony battery. A year after that, Robinson was arrested for bank fraud, bribery, wire fraud, and a host of other felonies. He conned his own mother into using her house as collateral for a loan that he wound up defaulting on.

That championship banner still hangs proudly.

A few years after the championship, the Fab 5 team got some illegal benefits from a booster. The school vacated two championship appearances, conference championships, and a host of other honors and awards connected to the booster scandal.

It's not about what sort of shitbags the players wound up being decades later... It's about what they did while they were there. Just like O.J. is still in the NFL Hall of Fame (and his NFL HOF biography mentions the 2000 yard season but nothing about murder allegations), he's still the Heisman winner. I wouldn't honor the guy at halftime if I were USC, but the Heisman is still legit.

I wonder if a university like USC would vacate the Heisman of a player that was convicted of a rape that happened on campus while he was a player, but he wasn't arrested until 15 years later due to a DNA hit.

Interesting.

[TheTastyGreek]

I wonder if a university like USC would vacate the Heisman of a player that was convicted of a rape that happened on campus while he was a player, but he wasn't arrested until 15 years later due to a DNA hit.

Interesting.

That is an interesting question.

[UNTLifer]

But, he was found guilty of Aggravated Robbery, is in prison, and yet the Heisman remains. NCAA values it own rules over those of society?

Just for clarification, the NCAA is not making USC return the Bush Heisman and take down anything with reference to his time at USC. USC made the decision to do this on their own.

[eulessismore]

Just for clarification, the NCAA is not making USC return the Bush Heisman and take down anything with reference to his time at USC. USC made the decision to do this on their own.

They only did it hoping they'd get some slack from the NCAA. It'll probably work, but nobody can ever prove it.

[SCREAMING EAGLE-66]

They're sending it back because when he earned it - he apparently wasn't eligible. Simpson committed a felony that didn't have anything to do with his eligibility - something like....2 generations after he played. Why the hell should USC apologize for that?

---I absolutely agree with you... Bush was cheating to earn the Trophey... Simpson didn't, he earned it, and had even retired from the NFL before things went so wrong.

[emmitt01]

---I absolutely agree with you... Bush was cheating to earn the Trophey... Simpson didn't, he earned it, and had even retired from the NFL before things went so wrong.

I'm not sure it's accurate to say he "cheated to earn the trophy". He took benefits from agents, none of which helped him on the field. If the agents had given him PED's or magic shoes it would be different. Yes, he cheated...no, the cheating didn't lead to his Heisman.

[SCREAMING EAGLE-66]

I'm not sure it's accurate to say he "cheated to earn the trophy". He took benefits from agents, none of which helped him on the field. If the agents had given him PED's or magic shoes it would be different. Yes, he cheated...no, the cheating didn't lead to his Heisman.

--- Ok... then let us just say "he was cheating while earning the trophy".... He should have been considered a professional and not even playing NCAA football..... thus no trophy. You can also say that he cheated someone else who wasn't cheating out of the Trophy as well. No slack from me.

---Simpson.... at the point he received the trophy had apparently done nothing wrong or illegal.

Edited July 26, 2010 by SCREAMING EAGLE-66

[VideoEagle]

First, I'm not sure the NCAA really has direct input on the Heisman trophy. I believe the Heisman Trophy Trust are the ones who present the award. Their mission statement reads in part, "The Heisman Memorial Trophy annually recognizes the outstanding college football player whose performance best exhibits the pursuit of excellence with integrity. Winners epitomize great ability combined with diligence, perseverance, and hard work. The Heisman Trophy Trust ensures the continuation and integrity of this award."

It doesn't appear they have ever taken back a trophy, but the mission statement says the Trust is responsible for the integrity of the award which could include taking it back if their was a demonstrable lack of integrity by the winner during the season for which he won. I think it is clear Bush displayed a lack of integrity.

Here's the website.