I haven’t even had the opportunity to digest the fact that Reggie Bush allegedly accepted more than $300,000 worth of gifts while playing at USC, and this weekend it was revealed that OJ Mayo is accused of doing the same. According to ESPN, one of Mayo’s former associates revealed that the FORMER Trojan (I stress the word former because the prissy prima donna left Troy early for the NBA) accepted $30,000 worth of gifts from a runner for the sports agency that Mayo just recently signed on with.
I’m starting to become embarassed to be a USC fan, seeing as our biggest stars are proving to be the biggest delinquents………allegedly (Jim Rome). Mayo and Bush, two collegiate superstars with more combined talent than 80 per cent of all NCAA football and basketball athletes, couldn’t resist temptation and knowingly broke rules……allegedly (ibid).
So once again, the media are poking fun at USC and rightfully so. ESPN’s Pat Forde even went as far as saying that USC deserves the NCAA’s equivalent of the death penalty in his column.
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/columns/story?columnist=forde_pat&id=3390757&sportCat=ncb
Look, Forde is clearly exaggerating because only one former USC star’s name should ever be linked to deserving the death penalty (and whaddya know, his name’s OJ too), but even I think the Trojans need some sort of punishment and soon. The first time a recruit goes bad, the school can reasonably get off with a warning. The second time, the NCAA can’t be so nice, especially with the overwhelming evidence that is likely to come.
With that being said, I still think OJ Mayo is a despicable young man and I only wish the worst for him in the NBA. If there’s a positive that can come of this, then maybe scouts will be less likely to draft him and maybe his life will be ruined, the same way he hurt USC’s reputation.
Well then again, at least he’s not Rae Carruth!
DC
E-mail: ninersbuzz@yahoo.com
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5 Responses to “We Only Attract The Finest”
Posted: 05/12/08 at 12:07 pm
I think if he did he didnt care knowing he wasn’t staying beyond the 1 season.
If he didnt maybe it was an attempt from those trying to get something from him.
Posted: 05/12/08 at 10:13 pm
Listening to ESPN radio this afternoon, they said Mayo was taking gifts and cash in the 8th grade and that many others are doing the same thing. They also stated that the same thing happened under Tim Floyd so it has been going on for a longtime. Its just sad that these players leave behind a mess for the schools when it comes to sanctions after all is revealed.
Posted: 05/13/08 at 6:25 am
It’s just becoming a trend at USC with two of the highest profile college stars being the two most recent to be implicated in these messes.
Posted: 05/13/08 at 7:58 am
Look at the Chris Webber in Michigan 15 years ago. The same thing could happen to USC a few years from now the more that this kind of info gets out. Leinhart, Bush, White, Williams………alot of stuff that I have been told when I covered the Pac-10 was that these guys and many others were given endless cash and gifts during their reign.
Posted: 05/13/08 at 9:06 am
When you consider the kind of glamor life Leinart lived when he was with the Trojans, I wouldn’t be surprised if a similar story were released about him soon.