NCAA Football Scandal and Reggie Bush: Leave the Players Alone

While everyone was going off on twitter about former OSU Players receiving "improper benefits" I knew that it was going on at each and every other school. I don't see the big deal, why should the players have to play for free.
Being a college athlete is a job in itself how much time, dedication and sacrifice they have to put into the sport they play. I do not think that it is  fair that a athlete should have to struggle financially like the other students because, they are not just athletes they are STUDENT ATHLETES. Students who put a lot of time and dedication in basketball, football, volleyball, and track, yet still have to maintain their grades as well. Then they also have to maintain what is going on in their personal lives. They have so many things they have to balance.


 "If you receive a big tip, its because you deserve it" thats how I look at things.


You cannot blame the player, yes, the player knows that it is wrong, but they do not care. The  coach is the LEADER of the team and the more responsible party, if anyone. The coach is suppose to lead by example, so if the coach is the one offering these benefits, should the players say no? No they shouldn't because the team looks at their coach as their role model, father figure. These players should not be receiving hate mail, on twitter and facebook for coming clean. They did the right thing. College coaches break all types of rules, when it comes to recruiting and benefits, they should just allow the players to be paid.


Are people going to start sending Reggie Bush hate tweets because he received stolen benefits? I don't think so and that is not fair.



Though the University of Southern California (USC) Trojans were the 2004 college football national champions, the school has just been stripped of that title after an investigation revealed that NFL star Reggie Bush, had received “improper benefits” while he played for the team.


According to reports , this is just the latest in a number of titles and accolades that USC has been stripped of due to their affiliation with Reggie. He has since forfeited his 2005 season Heisman Trophy when it and the NCAA has taken away all of the university’s wins in which Reggie was a participant. Although, USC attempted to appeal the decision regarding the 2005 Orange Bowl 55-19 win against Oklahoma, the NCAA rejected the appeal and took away the title.
At the height of the investigation back in 2006, the NCAA purported in documents that the “gifts” Reggie’s family received came from marketing agents who were launching New Era Sports & Entertainment and wanted Reggie as their first client. The gifts included:

• $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.
• $250.65 for limousine transportation from the Oakland airport to the Ritz-Carlton in San Francisco that November weekend for the Bush family where the family stayed as guests.
• 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;
• Weekly payments of at least $1,500 to the Bush family.
• $623.63 for a hotel stay by Bush at the Venetian Resort & Casino in Las Vegas from March 11-13, 2005, charged to Michaels, according to a document signed by Bush.
• $1,574.86 for a stay by Bush at the Manchester Hyatt in San Diego from March 4-6, 2005, paid for by Michaels, according to a hotel document, a hotel employee and a source.
• Approximately $13,000 to Bush from New Era to purchase and modify a car, three sources said.
• As reported by Yahoo! Sports in April, $54,000 in rent-free living for a year at Michaels’ $757,500 home in Spring Valley, Calif., according to Michaels and San Diego attorney Brian Watkins.
• Also from previous Yahoo! reports, $28,000 from Michaels to help Bush’s family settle pre-existing debt, according to Michaels and Watkins.
• Thousands of dollars in spending money to both Bush and his family from the prospective agents, according to multiple sources

Debts paid off, rent-free living, monthly spends and trips to Vegas? That’s very enticing for a struggling college student. I’m sure Reggie isn’t the only pro athlete that was involved in accepting these types of gifts.
Source


Thanks Reg, you proved my point