Damn Reggie Bush is gettin fucked over

[GangstaBoogy]

Report: Agents lavished Bush with gifts
Associated Press

LOS ANGELES - New Orleans Saints running back Reggie Bush and his family appear to have accepted gifts, money and other benefits worth more than $100,000 from two marketing agents while the Heisman Trophy winner was still playing at Southern California, according to a report posted Thursday on Yahoo.com.

The report says Michael Michaels, a marketing agency investor who wanted to represent the football star, and current Bush marketing agent Mike Ornstein lavished Bush and his family with gifts while he was still at USC, each hoping to entice him to sign with them once he left school.

Bush eventually chose Ornstein, which caused a falling out between Michaels and Bush's family.

Speculation over whether Bush and his family received money arose earlier this year in reports that his mother and stepfather didn't pay $54,000 in rent during the year they lived in a house owned by Michaels, who later said the family promised to repay him once Bush went pro.

The NCAA prohibits student-athletes and their families from receiving extra benefits from agents or their representatives. Any improper benefits could lead to NCAA sanctions against USC and retroactively cost Bush his college eligibility and Heisman Trophy.

The report was based on an eight-month investigation by Yahoo Sports, citing documents and interviews with on-the-record sources close to the situation. It lists several instances in which Bush and his family appear to have received financial benefits, including:

_ Suits for Bush's stepfather and brother to wear during the Dec. 10, 2005 Heisman ceremony in New York, a makeover for his mother for the event and limousine transportation - all paid for by Ornstein.

_ Two hotel stays by Bush, one in Las Vegas and another in San Diego, during March 2005. In both instances, the rooms were paid for by Michaels.

_ $13,000 from Michaels' fledgling firm, New Era Sports & Entertainment, to purchase and modify a car for Bush.

_ $595.20 in round-trip airfare from San Diego to Oakland in November 2005 for Bush's stepfather, LaMar Griffin, his mother, Denise Griffin and younger brother to attend the USC-California game at Berkeley. The charges were put on a credit card belonging to Jamie Fritz, one of Ornstein's employees.

Ornstein said he believes that when Fritz paid for airfare and a limousine for the Bush family's trip to the Cal game, the money was eventually paid back. Asked whether he was aware that such loans could constitute an NCAA violation, Ornstein told Yahoo: "I have no idea."

A phone message left by The Associated Press for Bush's attorney, David Cornwell, and Ornstein were not immediately returned late Thursday.

Ornstein denied to Yahoo any wrongdoing on his and Bush's behalf.

"Reggie Bush never received an extra benefit from Mike Ornstein other than what he was allowed to get from the NCAA when he worked with us," Ornstein told Yahoo. He added Bush was an intern at his marketing company in the summer of 2005. "I feel pretty damn good about that."

The NCAA and Pac-10 are investigating whether any rules were broken when Bush's family lived in the home owned by Michaels. Cornwell also said earlier this summer that FBI agents interviewed him about "potential federal crimes" by phone in June. The FBI would neither confirm nor deny whether a federal investigation was under way.

The NFL players union also is investigating the rent payments.

In a statement released by USC counsel Kelly Bendell, the school said it is cooperating with the probe but "cannot comment on any matter that is the subject of an ongoing NCAA and Pac-10 investigation."

Saints spokesman Greg Bensel told the AP the team would not comment on matters involving Bush when he was in college.

"It doesn't involve the Saints," he said.

The allegations would have no effect on Bush's professional football career, a person within the NFL with knowledge of Bush's standing in the league told the AP. The source asked not to be named because of the sensitivity of the situation.

Bush was expected to be the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL draft, but the Houston Texans bypassed him and took North Carolina State defensive end Mario Williams. Bush went to New Orleans with the second pick.

[Regime Mob - Yuk]

how did he get fucked over?  He broke the rules and got caught, its that simple

[R-Tistic]

LOL....all of that shit shouldn't make it possible to lose the Heisman. You should only lose it if you cheat, or do something unethical such as robbery, murder, rape, etc etc. I'm sure that he only got caught because he's Reggie Bush, and because Michael Michaels snitched. If this was any other player, nobody would give half of a f'ck at all. And I've seen + heard even worst stories than that one.

[I Am The Anton]

LOL....all of that shit shouldn't make it possible to lose the Heisman. You should only lose it if you cheat, or do something unethical such as robbery, murder, rape, etc etc. I'm sure that he only got caught because he's Reggie Bush, and because Michael Michaels snitched. If this was any other player, nobody would give half of a f'ck at all. And I've seen + heard even worst stories than that one.

Breaking the rules is unethical. I'm sure there weren't any second string players on USC getting hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of gifts. Bush was a college student at the time, not a professional football player, so until you become a pro you live like a college student like everyone else has to.

[R-Tistic]

LOL....all of that shit shouldn't make it possible to lose the Heisman. You should only lose it if you cheat, or do something unethical such as robbery, murder, rape, etc etc. I'm sure that he only got caught because he's Reggie Bush, and because Michael Michaels snitched. If this was any other player, nobody would give half of a f'ck at all. And I've seen + heard even worst stories than that one.

Breaking the rules is unethical. I'm sure there weren't any second string players on USC getting hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of gifts. Bush was a college student at the time, not a professional football player, so until you become a pro you live like a college student like everyone else has to.

That's hella idealistic....and even though 2nd n 3rd stringers probably didn't get gifts of that level, we all know it happens with players all around the country in other sports as well...it's just that the stars get more money n gifts, and they also have a greater chance of gettin put on blast. The colleges themselves do hella illegal and unethical shit when it comes to athletes. We all know how they get down with the recruitment trips and all that. And I don't know how you feel about the argument about if college players should or shouldn't get paid, but I think they should be able to get something for all the damm money they bring into these universities...and in most cases, they do get something. How fucked up is it that you have to work 40+ hours a week, not in an office but in the sun most of the time, and you basically dedicate your entire life to a program who will see millions of dollars in profit for your work, while not only are you not getting paid, but you can't even get a job?? You can say "well they get a free education" which sounds good, but most of these players don't even have to go to class or do that much work, and the schools could really care less if they graduate. They may make them take easy ass majors just so that they don't have to spend time studying....remember when one of those colleges had all the players MAJORING in shit like basket weaving? And it's bad, because you may be a superstar player, and you can put in 2, 3 years of hard work....but the day you get hurt bad enough, you can lose your scholarship and end up back on the streets, with NO money because you weren't allowed to work or receive money. How "ethical" is that??

So yeah....I agree, this may be breaking the rules. However, I wouldn't exactly say that they are practicing civil disobedience, but it's damn near a rule of the underground for players, alumni, and everyone else involved to get down like this.

[suckaa free]

as long as he never does anything else like maurice clarret, its all good.

[GangstaBoogy]

LOL....all of that shit shouldn't make it possible to lose the Heisman. You should only lose it if you cheat, or do something unethical such as robbery, murder, rape, etc etc. I'm sure that he only got caught because he's Reggie Bush, and because Michael Michaels snitched. If this was any other player, nobody would give half of a f'ck at all. And I've seen + heard even worst stories than that one.

exactly. all high school/college superstars take money & gifts. i remember reading that when lebron was in high school his mom (who was jobless) was suddenly the proud owner of an escalade. hmmm...

[I Am The Anton]

The point is, there are rules, and if someone breaks the rules, you have to punish them. Otherwise there would be no point in having the rules in place.

And if all of this is true (which i'm sure it is), Bush SHOULD lose the heisman. Accepting gifts makes you ineligible to play college sports,which would mean the whole time Bush was playing, he wasn't really even eligible to be playing,so why should he be given an award he wasn't even eligible to win in the first place.

[GangstaBoogy]

^I think he already lost the Heisman.

[Westcoastin']

i dont understand the rule, it seems stupid.  why shouldnt the players be able to get gifts? college sports are so huge in the states and generate so much fuckin money for the schools and the tv stations, the players deserve to be compensated.  and what about the players who arent good enough to go pro after college? they wont be making millions of dollars after college, shouldnt they get some added benifits?

[I Am The Anton]

i dont understand the rule, it seems stupid.  why shouldnt the players be able to get gifts? college sports are so huge in the states and generate so much fuckin money for the schools and the tv stations, the players deserve to be compensated.  and what about the players who arent good enough to go pro after college? they wont be making millions of dollars after college, shouldnt they get some added benifits?

They ARE compensated. They have their school paid for, and if they take it seriously they won't have to be a pro athlete to make a living.

[R-Tistic]

i dont understand the rule, it seems stupid.  why shouldnt the players be able to get gifts? college sports are so huge in the states and generate so much fuckin money for the schools and the tv stations, the players deserve to be compensated.  and what about the players who arent good enough to go pro after college? they wont be making millions of dollars after college, shouldnt they get some added benifits?

They ARE compensated. They have their school paid for, and if they take it seriously they won't have to be a pro athlete to make a living.

Their schoolin isn't anywhere near the amount that the school's make off of them....and as I said, they can't even get jobs during college!! Yeah it sounds good that they get education and all....but it's bad, because the ones who might even consider taking school serious probably won't because they don't have the time to study, and they know that they don't have to study anyway. Regardless of what we'll admit, 98% of us would NOT go to class, let alone study, if we were in their position. And with them RECOMMENDING you to take shitty majors, then what's the chance of you getting a good job, when there are people who study, have high GPA's, and good majors, but still have trouble finding a job after college??

[I Am The Anton]

Recommending isn't the same as forcing. I'd love to have my education paid for by a good school to play a sport. You tryin to make me feel sorry for people that get a free/partially paid for education that also have a chance to go on to the NFL? Not gonna happen. The thing is with most of these guys, they go to school with the intention of becoming a pro athlete, and not getting an education, so they just throw their classes on the backburner.

[R-Tistic]

Recommending isn't the same as forcing. I'd love to have my education paid for by a good school to play a sport. You tryin to make me feel sorry for people that get a free/partially paid for education that also have a chance to go on to the NFL? Not gonna happen. The thing is with most of these guys, they go to school with the intention of becoming a pro athlete, and not getting an education, so they just throw their classes on the backburner.

Yeah I agree that most of them throw this on the backburner and don't take it nearly as serious as they should, and there's no real excuse for that. However....I think it's one of those things that is a lot easier for us to say than to do if we were in their position and lived as they did. Most of them end up being spoiled so much from their high school years and up, and many do get caught in the limelight and feel that they will all go pro, so they don't have to get an education...and it's bad for those who don't have a solid background or foundation. I am not tryin to make you feel sorry for them, but I just think it's idealistic to say that they should all follow the rules because they are there, even though it's so much temptation to do these "unethical" things that 90% of the other players are doing. And maybe I don't feel strongly about it because I don't think it's nearly as bad as the MLB using steroids, and we see how much that gets pushed under the rug....the only reason their commissioner even acts as if he cares is to protect his own ass.

I do think that it is unfair to smaller schools who don't have the resources to pull strings in order to get the best players, but it is something that's been going on forever, and everybody in the NCAA and BCS knows it....they ONLY react when someone gets caught, and these are usually the best players who do get caught. But I would definitely do some of the unethical things that they do, especially depending on my situation. Sebastian Telfair was living in the projects, and he had planned to go to Louisville....but legally, his mom wouldn't be able to accept a house or even condo/apartment to live in if he played there, which is a major reason he went to the NBA...but if he had attempted this a year later, he would have had to wait and go to Louisville. So if a booster or whatever was like "ey.....I got you, I'll pay for your mom to get a house/apartment so she doesn't have to live in the projects", it's no way in the world that I could turn that down.

[I Am The Anton]

The things i'm saying are basically in response to the whole "reggie bush is getting fucked over" statement. To be honest I would probably accept gifts and stuff like that too, but all i'm saying is, when they get caught doing things like that they deserve to have all of their awards etc stripped from them. In no way are they getting fucked over when they are made to face the consequences for breaking a major rule.