For the first time in its 75 year history, the Heisman Trophy, which is awarded annually to a top college football player, is being returned.
Reggie Bush won the top honor while playing for the University of Southern California Trojans in 2005. Now a member of the Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints, he has been forced to return the trophy and relinquished the honor after the Heisman Trust concluded it “will ultimately concur with the NCAA’s determination that Bush was ineligible during his Heisman-winning season in 2005.” And because of this conclusion, the trust chose to relieve Bush of the award and leave the honor for that season vacant. In addition to losing the award, all of Bush’s records will be wiped from the USC record books and the Trojan’s will be hit with sanctions and miss the opportunity to play in BCS Bowl Games over the next few years.
Bush was accused of taking gifts and receiving other special benefits while a running back at USC, which is technically against NCAA rules. But what makes the charges against Bush interesting and a bit contradictory, is that most of today’s elite college athletes receive the same gifts, benefits and treatment as Bush — if not more! It’s a well known yet hush-hush practice that spans football, basketball, and most every college sport. In order to attract and hold onto the best players, schools find unique ways to provide cash and other incentives to their players. And professional sport’s agents assist in the process, also providing benefits to get players to sign with them for representation. It’s a “You-scratch-my-back-I’ll-scratch-yours” type mentality that has been going on since the beginning of time.
So why pick on Reggie Bush? If he hadn’t won the Heisman, this would have all likely been a non-issue and would have flown low beneath the radar. Why make him the poster child of sports scandals? If the NCAA needed to investigate Reggie Bush and relieve him of his Heisman, then why have they not gone back to investigate ALL previous Heisman Trophy winners? Surely then, a lot more back-room deals would be uncovered and many more trophies would have to be returned. Or is the NCAA really ready to face such a double-standard?
Hmmm. I don't agree with what Reggie Bush did. The fact that it's an OPEN secret this kind of violation goes on all the time in recruiting elite college athletes into pro sports is NO excuse for Bush or any other athlete enaging in the activity.And frankly: Black athletes, in particular, should know by now that there's a DOUBLE-standard for them ANYWAY …especially if they're successful. It's NOT fair but this IS America. We know the deal! But I have a question: Were sanctions appiled to anyone else involved in this incident? The coach? The recruiter? Anyone else? Or was Bush the ONLY one penalized?