Column: Enough is enough. Give Reggie Bush back his Heisman Trophy
Bill Plaschke (LA Times) — Give Reggie Bush grief for breaking the rules. Give him guilt for breaking the USC football program. Give him every bit of blame for the decade-thick darkness that buried the Trojans.
But give him back his Heisman.
It’s time. It’s fair. It’s owed.
When Bush gave up his 2005 Heisman Trophy as it was being yanked from him in 2010, it was the right thing to do.
He had smashed through all the NCAA improper benefits rules like he was breaking tackles against Fresno State. His family allegedly accepted rent-free housing from an agent. He allegedly accepted $300,000 from two sports marketers.
It was stupid stuff, it was selfish stuff, and it landed the Trojans on an obscene probation that cost them their identity for a decade. They were stripped of wins, stripped of scholarships, stripped of their soul, and it showed.
The Trojans won just one major bowl game in the next 10 years while cycling through awkward coaching changes and mediocre win totals and general chaos.
Reggie Bush did that. Reggie Bush paid a price for that. But times have changed, wounds have healed, rules are different, and the fact that arguably the best running back in college football history doesn’t have his Heisman is just silly.
Bush and his lawyers made that point Wednesday in a Coliseum news conference announcing their intent to file a defamation suit against the NCAA.
The lawsuit is based on the NCAA’s comments two years ago that Bush was involved in a “pay-for-play arrangement,” which means he wouldn’t have played for USC if he had not received those benefits.
Reggie Bush and attorney Ben Crump at Coliseum news conference Wednesday. (Wally Skalij / LAT)
His lawyers claim that is untrue and that it “substantially and irreparably damaged his reputation.”
While it indeed seem untrue, it hardly damaged his reputation, as he followed his 11-year, $63-million NFL career with a spot on a nationally televised football show.
Bush survived just fine. The lawsuit isn’t about damages. It’s about records. Bush wants to threaten the toothless NCAA enough that it will restore Bush’s records, thus allowing the folks at the Heisman Trophy Trust to finally return his award.
“How many more years before the NCAA finally admits they’re on the wrong side of history, they’re on the wrong side of fairness and they’re on the wrong side of justice?” said attorney Ben Crump at the news conference. “How long? How long?”
It only makes sense. By keeping Bush’s Heisman — the only trophy ever returned — the Heisman Trust is clinging to a college football world that no longer exists.
Collegiate players can now be paid for their name, image and likeness. Today Reggie Bush would not be considered a scoundrel. Today he would be considered a smart student with savvy advisors.
Furthermore, the NCAA no longer runs the sport. It is being commanded by the major conferences and will eventually disappear altogether. It will surely settle this lawsuit because it no longer has the chops to fight it and win it.
And then there’s Johnny Manziel. Did you see the recent Netflix documentary about his misspent youth? Did you see where he acknowledged accepting thousands of dollars for signing autographs while playing at Texas A&M?
Did the NCAA vacate all of his records? Did this lead to him losing his Heisman Trophy? No, and no, and that’s yet another reason why Reggie Bush should only hear yes.
Yes, the NCAA should restore his greatness. Yes, the Heisman Trust should return his trophy. Yes, the memories of his brilliance should once again be whole.
And yes, he should be able to fulfill hopes outlined at Wednesday’s news conference.
“I’ve got dreams of coming back in this stadium and running out of that tunnel with the football team,” Bush said. “I’ve got dreams of walking back in here and seeing my jersey and my banner right down there next to the rest of the Heisman Trophy winners, but I can’t rightfully do that without my Heisman Trophy.”
Bush screwed up. But enough is enough.
Give him that tunnel run. Give him his banner jersey. Give him back his Heisman.
latimes.com
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Off topic, but Friday evening Carrollton, GA plays on ESPNU in case you want to get a glimpse of Julian Lewis, the recent USC QB commit.
USC goes on Pac-12 Network this weekend while small schools are on ESPN Matt Zemek (Trojans Wire) — We all wished the Pac-12 made good decisions, but it didn’t. That’s why USC and its fans wanted to leave for the Big Ten. In this final Pac-12 football season, USC fans can remind everyone else how bad this conference’s leadership truly was over the past several years. Just look at the Week Zero football schedule as a representative example: USC ON PAC-12 NETWORK NOTRE DAME ON NBC OHIO BOBCATS ON FOX SPORTS 1 HAWAII ON SEC NETWORK JACKSONVILLE STATE is also… Read more »
I think the losers at PAC-12 headquarters will be miserable jerks trying to screw SC especially, but also the rest of the schools going to the B1G and the Bug-12.
The PAC-12 administration could have tried to stay classy this final year of the conference (think:the orchestra playing on to soothe the doomed passengers on the Titanic), but no. We are talking about the collective known as the PAC-12, conference of chumps and ankle-biters.
“The Conference of Champions!”
Unfortunately, I’ve heard Bill Walton proclaim that so often, and so loudly, that the label reeks of something wrong for some reason.
Too bad that USC and the rest of the Pac-12 didn’t publicly part on better terms…
Just kidding. Great XMAS day shirt though.
Well, Allen, I would call that Christmas shirt more of an acquired taste.
Absolutely. I’d shy away DDS!
But since it looks like something a prank-inspired but well-meaning family member might spring on someone. I’m giving Bill the benefit of the doubt. Maybe he even deserves it.
Walton surely loved the Pac-12 Conference of Champions mantra more than many of us. He probably feels a little lost now, since his borderline obnoxious presence on TV might be in jeopardy unless the belittled Pac somehow survives.
I often mute broadcasts that have Walton as the color guy. He’s not only annoying, but also goes off on meaningless tangents. I do respect Bill’s skills as a player and still think he is one of the best passing Centers I’ve seen in my lifetime. Bill always has good things to say about the late, great Paul Westphal of USC, may he R.I.P. Paul’s brother Bill, a forward at USC in the mid-1960s who played with Tom Selleck, was the basketball coach at my alma mater, Glendale, CA High School (GHS). Paul’s wife Cyndy was the older sister of… Read more »
Unreal … is Larry Scott in prison yet
DO NOT Get me started on this subject ….. As an SC Fan from NY Metro area how the Pac-12 NITWITS ….. Sorry ….. Network . Have handled marketing their Conference to the rest of the Country these last years (I personally have been giving them an F Grade ) Makes me want to vomit ….ARRGGG !!!!!
I have people in my neighborhood that are College Football fans that know A LOT about Georgia …..Ohio State and say Alabama ( and they ARE NOT fans of those schools either ) but but have to sometimes SEARCH to get info on USC. Who is to blame ? A lot of ESPN Writers point at the people that ran the Pac-12 .
The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman ranks USC #3 1 MICH 2 LSU 3 USC 4 GA 5 OHIO ST Feldman — “I was tempted to pick USC to win it all. Caleb Williams is the best player in college football, and he has so many weapons at receiver and running back. Expect the defense to be much improved. The linebackers, which were so bad last year, will be a strength of the defense with Mason Cobb and Tackett Curtis. Safety Calen Bullock is ready to take another step forward, and I’ve heard speedy young CB Domani Jackson is really starting to come on. I’m not expecting it to be a great… Read more »
I hope Feldman is right in his prediction that USC will make the CFP and Caleb Williams will a repeat Heisman winner. I’m still sore that Archie Griffin beat out my classmate Ricky Bell to get his second Heisman. He beat Anthony Davis the year before. Always like how SC’s Defense shut down Griffin in the 1975 Rose Bowl.
Frozen Leftovers, Indeed! Florida State fan describes Stanford and Cal to ACC as ‘frozen leftovers’ Matt Zemek (Trojans Wire) — If you ask ACC fans about the idea of adding Stanford and Cal, some of them might accept the reality that more television money is necessary. If you ask those ACC fans from schools other than Florida State or Clemson, they will probably concede the point that the ACC needs to add Stanford and Cal as insurance against FSU and Clemson eventually leaving the conference. Most ACC observers think Florida State and Clemson will leave. It’s a matter of when,… Read more »
I was wondering recently how an institution such as USC could get out from under the NCAA’s thumb and I realized they cannot. Although membership in the NCAA is voluntary, nobody would schedule a game against your team if it didn’t belong to the club. What it will take to break the grip of the NCAA is for the members of a conference to disavow membership in the NCAA. The conference would setup their own regulatory organization (which already exist in many cases) and possibly have a joint association with other conferences for game rules standardization. The conference can handle… Read more »
Here’s your USC Depth Chart
Such a deeper team than last year and some surprises
Competition! Gotta love that Riley plays no favorites, best guys win the job.
We will lose almost half of our starters at seasons end. Based on Class level.
Riley will need to replace them with equal or better candidates for our first season in the BiG..
We are going to lose quite a few people, it’s called college football. Everyone loses players. I think Riley has taken that into consideration. Portal here we come.
1/2 the team returning you say lol … the big loss will be CW. Plenty of young talent coming back. SC gets decent qb play next year, they will be good.
Couple of things stuck out for me: Where is Michael Jackson III? He failed to make the WR depth chart? My guess is he will be entering the transfer portal and has already advised the staff. The Corey Foreman saga is clearly over. He is listed third on the DE chart, but that chart does not show Lucas, Alexander or Sullivan moving over to DE in certain sets, which I am certain they will. So, Corey is effectively #6 on the Depth chart. How well both Stanley T and Benton have improved over last year. I did not expect that… Read more »
Reggie Bush did not screw up! What he may have done many other Heisman winners have done and then some! Todd McNair proved it was an unfair process and unfair penalties. Finally players can cash in on their worth, just like Caleb Williams is doing with Dr. Pepper. NCAA just let it go. The hypocrisy is over. Finally, College players can cash in on what they are worth with transparency.
Reggie Bush’s parents (especially his grifting step-dad) started the problems. They were 100 plus miles away from Reggie who was a full-time FB player and a college student. It is not up to a 21year old to police the activities of his guardians three counties away who should know better.
I wonder, has Reggie asked the ncaa to give it back? I know everyone else has. I guess he has or this suit would not be needed.