Where was this statement from USC six months ago?

by Paragon SC on Jun 12, 2009 7:00 AM PDT in News Comment 4 comments

Last night USC finally issued a statement in regards to the Reggie Bush and OJ Mayo Investigations.

The statements by Todd Dickey, USC's senior vice president for administration, and Athletic Director Mike Garrett were short and to the point. They said exactly what many of us wanted them to say for months now. A statement that addresses the allegations, that also lets the fan base and critics know that they are on it. It did not have to be elaborate and it wasn't. It did not have to offer any details and it didn't.

The sad thing is that this should have been done six to twelve months ago. While the effort is a welcomed sight now the impact may be minimal as USC has let the speculation of the scandal get out of control to the point that these statements appear to be a late effort in damage control and the appearance of caving into the media's clamoring for answers. USC has the right to defend itself in the court of public opinion even if that defense is inadequate in the eyes of our detractors, rivals or media members.

Of course, many questions still remain and Dickey's statement in regards to USC seeking to interview the main accusers contradicts reports that USC never made the effort at all. Expect to see a back and forth from Lake's attorney disputing this. But at least USC put their side of the story on the table. It won't be enough of course in the MSM's eyes, they will want more but that is immaterial. SC made a statement, which many of us wanted, and now they will go back into the bunker and ride it out. I have no idea what they are doing behind the scenes nor does it matter to me. They made a statement acknowledging the issue and that is all many of us asked.

Let the splitting of hairs now begin...

In Paul Pringle's story in the LAT two weeks ago Pringle states the following...

Meanwhile, USC also has not tried to question Louis Johnson, who has accused Floyd and Mayo, though it did sit in on NCAA interviews with him, said Johnson's attorney, David Murphy.

"It did seem kind of bizarre that they didn't seek to speak to my client directly," Murphy said of the school. "As far as I know, there has not been a single phone call."

In Dickey's atatement he says the following...

The statement that USC has not interviewed Louis Johnson is also false. Mr. Johnson has twice been interviewed jointly by USC, the NCAA, and the Pac-10. Any suggestion that USC has not taken these allegations seriously and investigated them thoroughly is simply wrong.

I am not sure how important is for USC to ask the questions if the NCAA and Pac-10 reps are there conducting the interview. The questions would probably be the same and I have a hard time believing that USC did not at least huddle with NCAA and Pac-10 investigators before the interview to offer up questions to get the answers to what they wanted to know. I would suspect that if there was something way out of the norm in the interview that SC would have jumped in and asked a direct question.

Like I said...the splitting of hairs.

These statements needed to be made but they should have been made a while ago. How they impact where we are today is the question that will be open to speculation for the foreseeable future.

0 recs | Comment 4 comments | Share

Story-email Email Printer Print

Comments

What really chaps my hide is how long this is taking.

This worst than the OJ trial, it could go on for years and buy that time who knows how basketball will do. Football seems to be alright for now, but the BB team is losing players and recruit by the groves. This all just (in the words of Johnny Mac) is the PITS.

Paul D. Kelley

by so.cal.native1952 on Jun 12, 2009 8:20 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

A Day Late.....

and a dollar short. The horses are out of the barn. Elvis has left the building. This statement, along with a statement of support for CTF and the hoops program, should have been made months ago, as you say, Para. Or, USC should have fired Floyd months ago. Leaving the program twisting in the wind of a media firestorm as destroyed us. The USC admin is culpable.

by DFWTrojan on Jun 12, 2009 11:55 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

It all comes down to that they really don't care about Basketball Program

I don’t why they bothered to build the new GYM, It’s like not living the Watts area back in the 60s as did Pepperdine did.

Paul D. Kelley

by so.cal.native1952 on Jun 12, 2009 12:41 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

DC Trojan Made a Point a Few Days Back

But it seems to have been missed, especially by older alumni and some of the more lunatic-fringe types who post on fan boards.

The administration and the faculty generally have a disinterest in athletics except when it begins to affect them personally, i.e. embarrassment from colleagues at other schools. This has always been true, especially at elite schools, and USC strives to become one of them. Administrations all over the country understand that a high profile sports program helps with the recruiting and attracting of students, but they aren’t always comfortable with that, because with high-profile sports programs comes high-profile headaches.

Basically, the administration has other things to worry about, especially funding and endowments, because of the economy. Sample’s embarrassed, yes, which is why Dickey made the statement he made today, but Sample is also sending a message to other alumni and benefactors who care more about the overall health of the University than whether a 55-year-old millionaire, mercenary coach with no ties to the school or Los Angeles is “adequately” protected, especially since said mercenary coach is also a documented liar who heaped embarrassment upon himself.

What the admin is saying is to other parts of the University, especially the academic side, is “You are just as important as 12 scholarship athletes, at least half of whom will never obtain a degree from this institution, and their redneck coach. We not dropping everything so we can deal that train wreck.”

I’m guessing that one thing that Sample did was tell Garrett to “Take care of this.” And Mike, with his usual arrogance, simply twiddled his thumbs and said “Move along now, nothing here to see.” Which is part of the reason why USC is in the position it is today.

by Zoulou on Jun 12, 2009 1:42 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs