The guy who broke the story said he hasn't found any evidence of payments, but not sure how hard he looked or if he even has the resources to find it. But he also mentioned that even if there were payments, you have to look at the amount of rent they paid. I don't know what the going rate for a 2,000sq house in San Diego costs. But either way, I find it weird that they have their name ingraved into the concrete if they were only renting the house. Hell, some people hesitate to paint a wall. But innocent until proven guilty. And it doesn't affect the draft process, just USC.
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/sports/14421370.htm http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiheral...iami&start=2&component_title=&component_desc=
The plot thickens.... http://www.profootballtalk.com/rumormill.htm POSTED 2:53 p.m. EDT, April 25, 2006 BUSH HAD AGREEMENT WITH NEW ERA? In what could be the next big step toward a finding that USC tailback Reggie Bush was ineligible for all or part of the 2005 football season and that USC knew or should have known about Bush's ineligibility, Liz Mullen of the SportsBusiness Journal reports that sworn testimony from two hearings regarding a parole violation indicates that New Era Sports & Entertainment had an agreement of some sort with Bush. Michael Michaels and Lloyd Lake founded New Era in 2005. Earlier this year, Lake faced the revocation of his parole from federal prison. At one of the hearings, Lake's lawyer, Marc Carlos, testified that "Mr. Bush — or through his associates — had made some type of agreement with Mr. Lake's group." Carlos also testified that, after Bush signed with another group, there was a dispute over "representations made by Bush and his family to Mr. Lake's group" and that "they were going to discuss potential litigation — or a settlement involving Mr. Bush's involvement with that agency." David Caravantes, an NFLPA-certified agent who reportedly was being lined up by New Era to handle the negotiation of Bush's football contract, testified as well. Caravantes confirmed his arrangement with New Era: "Lloyd [Lake] and I had got together in October [2005] to start a new sports management company with Sycuan. . . . Since October, Lloyd was a viable part of the company, helping recruit players, and in the process of merging this New Era Sports with Sycuan. In the process of this happening, you know, it obviously hurt the company because he had some relationships with certain players who ended up not signing." Lake gave the following testimony: "I had a sports agency that we had formed, and we had a guy in, Winston Justice, from USC. . . . Reggie Bush came into town. And at that time he was going to go out with us." The initial significance of this testimony is that it removes any credible doubt that, at some time after Bush's family moved into the house owned Michaels but before the completion of the 2005 football, Michaels was an "agent" within the meaning of the relevant NCAA bylaws. Thus, if it ultimately is shown that Bush's family paid anything less than fair market rent after Michaels became an "agent," then Reggie was necessarily ineligible under the NCAA rules for each subsequent game. More importantly, the reference to "potential litigation" suggest that New Era had (or at least thought it had) some type of binding commitment with Bush. If such an agreement was reached prior to the completion of the 2005 football season, Bush was ineligible regardless of whether his mother and stepfather were paying fair value for the house owned by Michaels. Also intriguing is Caravantes' reference not to Michael Michaels, but to his tribe -- Sycuan. The Sycuan tribe previously has denied involvement in Michaels' sports venture. The testimony from Caravantes potentially muddies the water. Folks, this thing has gotten a lot uglier over the past 48 hours, and we've got a feeling that it will get uglier long before it gets un-ugly. As more evidence of the ties between Bush and New Era is revealed, it will be harder and harder for USC to claim that it didn't know -- and shouldn't have known -- that Bush had forfeited his eligibility either by striking a deal with New Era or through the receipt of benefits from New Era by his family.
If true it is ugly for Bush's family, USC, and hopefully the guy who should have won the Heisman anyway ends up with it. But I don't see how any of this affects the Texans' decision. Whether Bush violated amatuer status has little to do with whether he is the right player for them to draft.
[If these reports are true] Just what we need. A player who would intentionally violate the rules with total disregard to the consequences of his actions and how they will affect his team. [/end]
You're right on the money. Like I've said before, let's get together after the draft and no matter who the Texans pick, go to a cabaret for some [Vince last name] [Reggie last name] and we'll be all happy.
I think it won' hurt his draft status, but it does cast doubt on him as a person...You keep hearing he's a great character guy, but then you here this... USC and the Pac-10 will suffer a little, but in time, everyone forgets...
I agree with this, I wouldn't blame his family or Bush. The system (NCAA, draft rules) IMO sets the stage to exploit the elite college athlete in a money sport (mens football and basketball). And it still would impact my decision as to whether drafting Bush. If Bush is who they want based on his potential for being a pro football player (my preference is to trade, but whatever), that is who they should go with. Whether he violated an amateur/NCAA status rule unrelated to breaking the law or playing on a pro football contract is irrelevant. But if true the amateur hardware awards should be given to their rightful owners. Young should have got the Heisman anyway for being the best college player, for those misguided about this Pasadena unequivocally cleared this up. Bush might end up the best pro prospect, or the surest pro prospect, but it was obvious the most impactfull and outstanding college football player of last year and in recent memory was the Texas quarterback. Maybe a backdoor way to clear up that injustice.
You a smart Longhorn. Looks like Bush's family owes for rent after all. 54K. Are they forced into this or do they actually have a choice? While I agree that they should get some sort of stipend (legal), a free education plus room and board is nothing to sneeze at. I would've traded places with any athlete, I know my parents would have loved it.
Given how much time they get to benefit from that "free" education, the athletes are getting ripped off. I live a couple doors down from a college athlete (football). While he gets room and board and education, he is very much paying for it with his own labor. It is offseason and its almost like he is working a full time gig. I can't imagine what it will be like for him when the season kicks off. There are only 24 hours in a day. Still, for most student athletes, it is a great deal and a way to get an education. Can't complain about that. What people do complain about is that the NCAA appears to be making way more money off the football and basketball kids than what these kids are getting back from the NCAA. On top of that, how many of these guys actually graduate anyway? While I the graduation rates has been improving, still male football and basketball players graduate at a clip significantly lower than the general population of students (you can browse the data at the NCAA website). So for most of these athletes, they don't even get the "free" diploma. And it isn't because they are all idiots or don't try. Despite the extra services they get, the athletic departments, in general, are more motivated to win, even if that means helping students "get by" with grades they didn't really earn. So often these guys reach the end of their college careers not having accomplished much in academics. Of course I can't talk about details (non-disclosure) but I've seen some things as a graduate student instructor that really make me question this whole "student athlete" thing.
This just doesn't bother me one bit. The NCAA and colleges make a ton of money off these players and they are not allowed to sign endorsement deals? How stupid is that? Look at that kid for Colorado who signed deals as a moguls skier and could not play football, what a joke the NCAA is. If Bush got away with it, good for him and his family, the whole system needs an overhaul. DD Got to support the Texans new star RB/KR
I've never understood this line of reasoning. First off, for players like Bush & Young and anyone else that's drafted, they get massive free national exposure through the NCAA which results in their next job. Second, every player gets the opportunity at a free education. At some schools, that's worth over $100,000 over 4 years. That's pretty damn good "pay" for a college kid. Beyond that, why does the NCAA need to give back the amount they make? What company does that? Exxon just made something like $30 billion last year - it's not like they gave it all back in raises and bonuses. The NCAA makes money because of their marketing and business decisions, as well as the quality of labor, and the labor is compensated in a mix of scholarships, education, and exposure, as well as all sorts of bonus services like free tutoring and such.
there is no way you can argue that vince young or reggie bush or matt lienart got paid their value to their learning institutions in educations that they won't even be using. i'm not arguing that they should receive compensation, because that opens another pandora's box. but the way scouting is, the exposure really isn't an argument anymore. take the nba, all of the international players get exposure, there is no value in ncaa exposure. the only value in its exposure is the fact that you have no other place to display your skills. they have the monopoly on exposure in football.
What was our bet again? I give you my sig? Didn't I have a bet somewhere where I had to stop saying "DD" at the end of my posts for a month? Sam, I can't back down from my bet, I have to honor it, as you did ours. DD
reggie todd owes me his signature from the Incredible Shrinking 6 foot episode. So if he gets yours, it should rightfully transfer to me. It's BBS common law.
If they didn't go to school and get the exposure the NCAA provided, would they be getting a $40 million payday today? That was the benefit they got. It's basically the equivalent of an internship or apprenticeship.
