Bush Says Forfeiture Not an Admission of Guilt
by Joey Kaufman on Sep 16, 2010 2:57 PM PDT
in USC Football
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PrintYou can hit the laugh track now. Per the Associated Press:
Reggie Bush says his decision to relinquish his Heisman Trophy is not an admission of guilt.
The former USC running back says he didn't want to give up his title as the 2005 Heisman winner but felt it was the best way to silence negative talk surrounding his association with the award. He says his decision stemmed from his respect for the Heisman Trophy Trust and all other Heisman winners.
Bush says he hopes putting the matter behind him allows him to focus more on football. He says he remains dedicated to helping the defending champion New Orleans Saints win more Super Bowls.
For four years, Bush has adamantly denied any wrongdoings, and despite the recent NCAA sanctions, has not lessened his previous stance regarding his innocence in this whole mess. That's why his relinquishing of the Heisman Trophy on Tuesday was such a significant event; it was the first time he showed a glimpse of contrition. Whether or not he meant it remains irrelevant. For once, it seemed to suggest that even Bush could admit that mistakes were made during his time spent at 'SC.
That is why thse latest comments are a bit odd. Nobody is really going to believe them. Seriously. If Bush was truly the victim in an extortion case started by Lloyd Lake and Michael Michaels, he wouldn't be turning in his Heisman. He'd be fighting to keep it.
As much as we criticize Bush nowadays (for good reason), he isn't an idiot. And if you still want to doubt that, take note that he pays thousands of dollars for legal advice. They have to be advising him to do something. This isn't all just Reggie.
As a result, I find it hard to believe that Bush is simply making these statements on a whim. These things have to be extremely well calculated and pre-meditated. There's a lot of money at stake, particularly for Bush, and he isn't going to do anything to jeapordize his monetary earning. He didn't back then, and he certainly won't now.
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I think the writing on the wall is
that the Heisman Trust called him and told him that he could give back the trophy to save face, or they would take it away. Giving back the trophy changes nothing. Without an admission of wrong doing, this particular act is meaningless.
Not meaningful, anyway...
Another opportunity for Bush to step up, and another fail.
It ain’t gonna happen,he is always going to try to say that nothing happened, if he says anything at all. No real surprise there, but that he keeps saying that he wants to help USC, that he is there if they need him, is what is so irritating.
He can’t really believe that he’s fooling people with that, can he…?
Failure builds character; success reveals it
by signcut on Sep 16, 2010 4:46 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
+1!!
"What have they figured out?" "NOTHING." Lane Kiffin
"Mention USC to a Bruin and they get angry; mention UCLA to a Trojan and they laugh."
If he admitted it
He would end everything at that moment. He would be another Pettitte or ARod. The media would let it die. The fact that he is clinging to his innocence is what makes the media go after him even harder.
The IRS is still looking forward to having a little word with him, so ya, he's "innocent" alright.
Football season is here
U feeling Loco?
So what if the IRS is waiting
As if he can’t pay the back taxes and penalties and not even feel it.
All this swerving and dodging goes well on a football field, but that isn’t where real life plays out…
Failure builds character; success reveals it
Big difference between a reporting mistake and outright fraud.
Football season is here
U feeling Loco?
Report it now
Letting it go will only increase the penalties, in every way
Failure builds character; success reveals it
People disappoint
When you go through life, you need to carefully select those people who you trust, and who you can expect to do the right things.
Bush shouldn’t be on either list. You will be much happier.
From another perspective
The NCAA failed to prove their case to me in their report. Not that they had to prove anything to anyone anyway. Yes, there was a lot of circumstantial evidence. Yes, there seems to be direct evidence that Lamar is guilty. But, the NCAA failed to prove the extent of Reggie’s knowledge or involvement, IMO.
And, to say that he is guilty because he hasn’t sued to prove his innocence is a faulty premise too. Suing New Era likely would require suing his father in-law.
1) For 4 years, USC refused to self-sanction football because we proclaimed innocence.
2) Reggie has repeatedly proclaimed his innocence.
3) Lloyd Lake is a convicted felon whose evidence was full of holes, circumstantial, non-sensical, and drawn out by leading questions from the investigators.
4) USC has Appealed at least a portion of the sanctions. Until we read the Appeal, if ever, we will not know exactly what USC still disputes.
5) Todd McNair’s Appeal blew the NCAA document to shreds. I’d be shocked if USC’s doesn’t too.
Yes, it’s hard to believe that something illicit did not occur. But, I refuse to judge based on the lack of evidence that I have seen to date.
You can't put sanctions on the fkn endzone! Death to the NCAA!
Plus that Dallas
35-TO Nothing---------Yep the LA Monopoly is a changing------
Oh and Duckies you might quack but I throw bricks back---so don't come here empty handed
by so.cal.native1952 on Sep 17, 2010 4:51 AM PDT up reply actions
-----
something happened — who knew what when if at all concerning Bush’s and/or his family actions seems to me more in doubt to me than whether or not something happened… I wanted to believe nothing was done when Bush kept saying he was ‘clean’ … but in the end I don’t think he or his family was…. it was a messy greedy episode….
by trojanarchitect on Sep 16, 2010 7:16 PM PDT reply actions
Will somebody please...
buy a zipper for Reggie’s mouth.
by TrojanJAG on Sep 16, 2010 8:55 PM PDT reply actions 1 recs
For the sponsors
If Bush returns the Heisman, while maintaining his innocence, he can plausibly present himself as doing the right thing vis-a-vis the Heisman. It may be self-serving, but it plays well at the corporate level.
I work with a bunch of folks in New Orleans and so far as I can tell, they genuinely don’t give a shit whether Bush was involved with shenanigans when he was in college. I mean, the serious LSU partisans might enjoy giving me some shit about it, but it seems like for the average Saints fan, the only thing that matters is that he was part of the Super Bowl winning team.
"When the seagulls follow the trawler, it's because they think sardines will be thrown into the sea"
the divisional championship TD run against the Vikings
that’s what matters!
You can't put sanctions on the fkn endzone! Death to the NCAA!
twice!
I had forgotten about this. As nice as those runs were, however, the block on the first return is a thing of magnificence.
"When the seagulls follow the trawler, it's because they think sardines will be thrown into the sea"
those MNF punt returns were incredible; I was thinking about this 2nd round playoff run
You can't put sanctions on the fkn endzone! Death to the NCAA!
Really at this point I don't care one way or another.
I don’t know Reggie Bush, his family, or any of his friends. What goes on in their lives doesn’t effect me 1 bit in my life, plus I would say they don’t care about me. I refuse to get behind a rich sports person and what they do in their lives, it’s their BS. Yes it’s to bad what the ncaa did to USC, but I am used to anything they do. Personally I feel that the ncaa screwed me, but that was years ago in my life. The one thing I found out is that the ncaa doesn’t care if you are black or white or how much money you have, because they probably have more. So in my life I say I DON’T CARE oh and about the ncaa well I’m on DFW side —-DEATH TO THOSE BASTARDS.
35-TO Nothing---------Yep the LA Monopoly is a changing------
Oh and Duckies you might quack but I throw bricks back---so don't come here empty handed
by so.cal.native1952 on Sep 17, 2010 5:06 AM PDT reply actions
Now, I'm wondering when this man is going to come to his senses
He’s definitely operating outside of his mind. At this point, the “non-guilt” admission of not admitting has killed any good PR from the already messy PR of the handover. Just when a fan like me is leaning towards feeling anything charitable to the numnut, he goes and says/does THIS.
I’m wavering . . . .still haven’t lost all hope. But, that’s just like me.
I’m about to bastardize a John Donne poem line:
“Twice the fool, I am I know
For believing in you, and saying so.”
"Fun fact: My grandma actually had 7 carries for 79 yards and one TD last year against Stanford. The (Oregon Ducks) spread option just works like that, but it helped that she’s pretty scrappy" (JShufelt- Addicted to Quack)
You are an amazingly tolerant man Bix
I admire the “slow to anger and quick to forgive” attitude you and DFW have demonstrated towards RB, especially since he was (purportedly) a Trojan at one time. My hat’s off to you and mi amigo Tex.
Football season is here
U feeling Loco?
This particular ex-Trojan has vexed me so!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I wish I were truly “slow to anger”- on this point, I must concede that although flattering of you to say. . . . . I am not.
If I am of such quality, than I owe a large debt of gratitude towards my brother and sisters- as I am the last of 6 children (one adopted) and they have shown me an many different ways over the years this quality in the active-examples they’ve exhibited towards me and my antics.
It’s a great surprise to me as well as anyone that I feel compelled to stand behind a loathsome, selfish, celebrity who doesn’t even know my name. Weird? (i can use a drink, at 10:30 IN THE A.M. on this fine sunny Friday in the year of our Lord, 2010)
"Fun fact: My grandma actually had 7 carries for 79 yards and one TD last year against Stanford. The (Oregon Ducks) spread option just works like that, but it helped that she’s pretty scrappy" (JShufelt- Addicted to Quack)
by BixBeiderbecke on Sep 17, 2010 10:28 AM PDT up reply actions
Everyday is beautiful
and it’s great to be alive.
"Understanding is a virtue, hard to come by"
J. Airplane
This
I think like you I reflect on mistakes I have made, and the forgiving response by family and those close to me. But RB does seem to find a way to tax this. He doesn’t know when enough is enough.
_________________________________________________________________________
"You can't sanction heart, and you can't sanction the will to win" - USC QB, Matt Barkley
by WE ARE SC on Sep 17, 2010 2:43 PM PDT via mobile up reply actions
Sounds like we can surely have some "war stories" to share between us?
I appreciate the tone and candor of your response WE ARE SC. Truly, I do. (in a heated topic such that Reggie Bush is, coupled with mistakes we’ve all made in our lives- you could have empathized in a different manner. But you didn’t, and responded in kind. For that, I appreciate it more than I can convey here. Thanks again.)
"Fun fact: My grandma actually had 7 carries for 79 yards and one TD last year against Stanford. The (Oregon Ducks) spread option just works like that, but it helped that she’s pretty scrappy" (JShufelt- Addicted to Quack)
by BixBeiderbecke on Sep 18, 2010 6:59 AM PDT up reply actions
On a more topical matter. . . .
. . . . .WHAT A FUCKING DICK, HAH? CAN REGGIE BUSH JUST SHUT THE CRUD UP, AND SERIOUSLY GO BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD? DOES THIS MAN HAVE COMMISSIONER DREYFUS FROM “THE PINK PANTHER-SERIES OF MOVIES” AS HIS ADVISOR? OR IS IT THE CREATOR FOR, “THE WORLD’S BIGGEST LOSER” SHOW?
BOTH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
"Fun fact: My grandma actually had 7 carries for 79 yards and one TD last year against Stanford. The (Oregon Ducks) spread option just works like that, but it helped that she’s pretty scrappy" (JShufelt- Addicted to Quack)
by BixBeiderbecke on Sep 18, 2010 7:03 AM PDT up reply actions
Actually as the owner of the Saints should tell that fool to Shut the Regg up or trade his ass to the Canadian Football League.
There he might become all world new era sports super gang banging brother SS man big booty loving Boy.
35-TO Nothing---------Yep the LA Monopoly is a changing------
Oh and Duckies you might quack but I throw bricks back---so don't come here empty handed
by so.cal.native1952 on Sep 18, 2010 8:29 AM PDT up reply actions
But he said he made "mistakes"
His statement includes: “I would like to begin in this effort by turning a negative situation into a positive one by working with the Trustees to establish an educational program which will assist student-athletes and their families avoid some of the mistakes that I made.”
So he made “mistakes,” but he isn’t guilty of anything? Or, maybe as DFWTrojan said, his mistakes were not knowing what his family was up to — or failing to settle with Lake and Michaels.
The Butler did it.
Reminds me of the movie “The Shawshank Redempiton”… about a guy unjustly convicted of murder then sent to the “Joint…” where the first rule he learns… all “Cons” are innocent.
trojanWar
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