Reggie Bush Forfeits Heisman Trophy

it was about to be taken from him.

Because whatever happened before, he is a Saint now, and while I applaud him for taking one last hit to remove it forever from the media spotlight. It doesn’t lower his onfield accomplishments in my eyes in the least, and personally, I think the NCAA’s attitude on this is rather draconian, and unrealistic for as much money as these sports bring into the college systems. Reggie will run just as well next week as he did this week, and the Heisman means nothing to the people that will be trying to stop him.

Frankly my enjoyment of college football has pretty much disappeared. It’s become nothing more than a high end money grab for major college institutions using student athletes for their own personal gain while holding them down from receiving anything in return. Big time colleges and the NCAA proclaim over and over that it’s big business while at the same time slamming the athletes claiming it’s all about their education alone. Sad times.

Best to move on from it. What he did (allegedly, although his statement seems to indicate he was guilty of some infraction) was wrong, but there’s no need for this to become a further distraction in his life. I’m sure it was a tough decision, but the right one.

That doesn’t change my opinion that Tony Dungy needs to shut his sanctimonious pie hole.

Enormously huge hypocrisy on the part of the NCAA, the Heisman Athletic Supporter Club, nearly all talented college football players and all college football fans. I show you my bare fatwa ass.

Good statement and good job on getting ahead of the situation if it was going to be taken from him. I like the fact he is establishing an educational program for student-athletes and their families. If this comes to fruition, maybe a lot of good will come from this.

And is it just me, or does his statement sound like something Drew would come up with?

And poll question should ask, “Does this show Reggie having class?”

Sometimes the choice for the Heisman Trust must be difficult, but that year it was pretty clear he was head and shoulders above everyone else, regardless of what happened vs Texas.

I think it’s a classy way to deal with it, even if it would inevitably be taken from him.

I voted no for the same reason as theprogrammerman. All happened before he was a Saint. I hope this at least lifts a burden off of his back and gets the MSM out of his face for all the USC BS. Good luck Reggie. Run North and don’t look back.

I hope they actually do the work together to help future athletes in this area and that schools and the NCAA do as well, and that it really makes a difference.

All I would worry about is how it affects his mindset, game preparation and performance, but I don’t think there’s any way to truly know if it does impact those things. I’m sure that I and other media folks will speculate…

And Pat Y actually wrote something decent about it here. And if you don’t tear up and think of an Applebee’s commercial after reading it, then gosh darn it you’re all just as jaded and cold-hearted as I always suspected! (that’s my Oscar moment clip…someone please submit it to the academy for consideration – to do it myself would be unseemly…THANKS)

I could care less. First of all I’m not a college football fan so there. When you hear about billion dollar NCAA deals and the players that make that happen get 0? Come on now. And do you really think Bush is the only one that made (alleged) money under the table? Get real. Some of those same cats that vote put that money under the pillow of him or some other college player, PAHLEEZ!! Give me a break. Anything that Bush MIGHT have done was done OFF the field so penalize him OFF the field. The Heisman was won ON the field. All good Saints know God put eyes in front of your head for a reason. No looking back baby. Go forward young man go forward! Heisman – WHATEVA.
Geaux Saints, Geaux Reggie!!
Beat SF in 2010. 2005 has been over and done with half a decade ago.

Super Bowl Ring > Heisman Trophy Anyday of the week. And I still want to see him do the Heisman pose when he scores his 1st touchdown this year

if you have Reggie on your team, start him this week. He’s gonna be highly motivated to put forth an excellent game and Payton will most likely figure him in greatly in the game plan to give him that opportunity. I know all about the 49ers stout D and all, but I don’t think it’s gonna matter that much. He’s gonna take out his frustration on losing the Heisman on the 49ers.

take a look at this pic:

I only care because I like Reggie and I know this must be heart-breaking for him. Imagine yourself getting that Heisman or something else in life you value greatly and then having to give it back. Yes, Reggie and his family should have exercised better judgment, but the program at USC at the time seemed to almost invite those sort of dealings with agents. Had someone offered me that money, I can’t say I’d have turned it down. I probably would have taken it. Hell, with the way my finances are now, I may take a measly $10K for my mother. She’s had a good life. Maybe being sold into slavery would do her some good.

Just kidding, Mom. I love you too much. :)

..as long as he doesn’t pull an OJ, I’m all good.

but I can see how it’s important to the college players. Once you start playing with the big boys, however, it’s time to put it away. I think Reggie realizes this (or he’s getting advice to do so), and I think it’s the best move for him to make. Fine, you want to drag me through the mud over some BS and take your award back? You can have it.

Personally, I don’t care much about college football. I don’t have time to watch it, and the whole thing is based on hypocrisy anyway. In my mind, football has nothing to do with college, and college has nothing to do with football. I don’t fault the players for playing or coaches for coaching, but don’t tell me it’s about education, except for a football education.

I know that it’s important and all, and clearly Reggie made some poor choices during his college days. But at this point in his career and his life, what difference does it really make? I think the way he decided to forfeit the trophy before being asked and the statement he released show just what kind of stand-up player and man he has become. Reggie is certainly on the right team—he may have made some mistakes, but he is truly a Saint!

Because it’s gone now and there’s nothing that can be done about that. And we still got Reggie, so I care about him doing well and f@#^ the Heisman Trust and NCAA.

I guess that kind of sounds like a I do care a little, huh?

On the one hand, has Reggie ever once just admitted it? He speaks elliptically about “the persistent media speculation regarding allegations” and “the mistakes that I made,” but I haven’t yet seen him just say, “Okay, yeah, I did it, it’s all true. Sorry.”

But on the other hand: so what? Maybe Reggie doesn’t deserve a Heisman, which is given to the player who brings in the most coin to the NCAA in a given season, but he does deserve some sort of award for being smart enough to game the system and provide for his family. I mean, other “student-athletes” get cars; this dude got a house!

And also for bringing down Pete Carroll.

because this revision of history is crap. I’m on record as saying that Vince deserved it in the first place, but Reggie got it, so let’s move on. So what now, do they mail it to Vince with Reggie’s name scratched out and his name written in with a sharpie? I would’ve loved for Vince to win the Heisman that year, but we got the crystal football instead, so I’m quite happy with the way things turned out. I feel bad for Reggie because he seems like a good kid and has been nothing but a hard worker and good teammate since he’s been on the Saints and as Vince said himself, he won it fair and square.

So everybody gets screwed in this deal (except Pete Carroll of course, who just happened to walk out just in time with a sackful of money. Crazy coincidence, huh?)

Objectively speaking you really feel like Vince didn’t deserve it? I mean come on! Yeah, Vince was sick but not nearly 600 yards vs Fresno St. Sick!

I know I said I don’t care, but really that’s very un-empathetic of me to say that. I’m sure Reggie had a couple of sleepless nights over the whole thing, and as much as I don’t give a damn about NCAA and it’s stupid rules, I’m sure he does very much so. He EARNED that Heisman, he knows it and everyone else does too. It’s not like he took any performance enhancing drug to make him better. In ’05 he was the Best! And NO-ONE can take that away.

because I think it gives the NCAA an easy way out of this situation. The award was won with his performance on the field, and unless there were steriods in the money and benefits his parents took that magically made it into Reggies body undetected, he earned that Heisman the same way every other winner did. Giving the award back, although a very classy act on Reggies part, does nothing to solve the real problem. Athletes need to be paid for their services, instead of just being used to line the coffers of the school’s athletics department. A four year scholarship should be a four year CONTRACT for athletes, with the best contracts going to the best talent, just like the pros. This whole ‘amature’ sports thing is a sham, and we all know it. If it’s really supposed to be amature, stop putting the games on national television and stop selling team merchandise. Stop charging admission and over charging for snacks. If it’s really supposed to be amature, make it a rec league with only the students that get in on their academic merits, and stop putting students in the newspaper and on ESPN when they select a team to play for. Notice, I said team, not school. If it were really about the school, the best athletes would all be found in the Stanfords and MIT’s, Pepperdines and Ivy League Colleges, and they’d all graduate. The NCAA is getting a free pass with Reggie volunteering to give up the award he earned on the field, and despite his intentions, he really isn’t doing anything to uphold the reputation of the award.

//end rant

….what is Sedrick Ellis’ position on all this? Does he stand with Reggie…or are they not on speaking terms anymore?

I have a list of all the USC players that got paid over the last 7 years and Reggie was 3rd on the list but his didn’t even go directly to him….