Just a couple of quick things to start the day...
- Heisman Voter Reaction on Reggie Bush. This a pretty good read from HP. At this point I really couldn't care less about Bush's Heisman USC has taken its stand and I am fine with it, but some of the comments here are interesting. The Heisman Trust is in an interesting spot but I would suspect that a majority of the writers and players eligible to vote will let sleeping dogs lie. I would not be upset if the Heisman Trust took the award but Reggie is stained enough on this so I am moving on...
- USC is digging in...Glen Stanley denied release from USC. I think the school is well within its rights here. This is different from Henderson. Stanley has bounced around in his college career. He can't seem to make up his mind. The moment 'SC was hit with the sanctions he decided to bolt. I ultimately think 'SC will let him out but they will not make it easy, they will let Stanley squirm a bit.
- I have to laugh...Bob Ryan of the Boston Globe doesn't get it...Honest. If Ryan actually took the time to read the COI's report he would see that USC is required to disassociate from Reggie Bush (and OJ Mayo). It doesn't matter how it is done or to what degree it is done but it has to be done. Here is relevant text from the NCAA's report...(page 58, Section 8)
Finally, the institution's records regarding football, men's basketball and women's tennis shall be reconfigured to reflect the vacated institutional, coaches' and student-athletes' records in all publications in which records for football, men's basketball and women's tennis are recorded, including, but not limited to, institutional media guides, recruiting materials, electronic and digital media, and institutional and NCAA archives. Any reference to the vacated results, including championships, shall be removed from athletics department stationery, banners displayed in public areas, and any other forum in which they appear.
Here is President-Elect Nikias rationale for going the extra steps...(page 4 of his announcement letter)
"The Trojan family honors and respects the USC sporting careers of those persons whose actions did not compromise their athletic program or the opportunities of future USC student athletes. Accordingly, I have instructed the senior vice president of administration to remove athletic jerseys and murals displayed in recognition of O.J. Mayo and Reggie Bush by mid-August..."
If Nikias chooses to go the extra mile he is well within his right to do so as the stweard of the institution. As for the money that USC received because of Reggie's play on the field they will lose plenty of it because of his actions off the field and the subsequent investigation and the schools inability to play in the post season for the next two seasons.
Zoulou is right...the media at times is feeble minded...
- Expose the NCAA, not the athletes. This will make some uncomfortable, but Whitlock makes some great observations. Sooner or later the NCAA is going to get theirs...