Feeling sorry for the rest of the 2004-05 Trojan players

[The Ensuing Kickoff]

Much is being made of the idea of stripping the national title from USC. IF a significant portion of what I'm reading is true, then yes, making them forfeit all of the games Bush was ineligible for seems an appropriate sanction, as does stripping claims to championships.

So, what about all those kids on the USC sideline that did nothing wrong? On every great team - even the greatest teams - the majority of the players go on to something other than football and their playing days end the day the clock expires on their last college game. They go on to be insurance salesmen, accountants, construction workers, petty crooks, coaches, shoe store managers, whatever. There are a ton of USC guys out there who busted their arses and did everything they could to win . . . and now maybe the rightly precious symbol of their greatest achievement - that ring displayed on their mantle or their finger - could end up meaning nothing.

That's the ****ty part - not whether OU or Auburn or nobody gets the "stripped" title - but really how much it would suck for those guys who we've already all forgotten about.:pop:

[Soonerus]

I have no sympathy for any USC fan or player after the treatment of OU with the Kerry Jackson incident....

[Sco]

Eh. They were part of a shady program who has the responsibility to hold everyone on the team accountable. It sucks since they didn't do anything wrong, but I doubt highly that at least one other person on the team didn't know Bush was getting something or another. As a football player on a team (or any team in anything, for that matter), accountability is a key part of it.

It's the USC program that's getting punished here. They should be keeping better tab on their players.

OU, on the other hand, when something happened, we kicked Bonehead off the team. That's how it should work. That why I have no sympathy for the Trojans.

[TheGodfather889]

Tear,what a pity for the Trojans.:rolleyes:

[Vaevictis]

Put it to you this way -- if the program did something bad enough that ends up getting the title stripped, there is ABSOLUTELY no way other people on the team didn't know.

Did they ever report it? If not, I have no sympathy at all. Do what's right, or expect to take your licks when you get the beatdown for it.

[Desert Sapper]

Why should we care about these a$$clowns? If this is payback from the football gods for the '05 OB, the timing is wayyy off. Why does it matter now that he's gone? God help us if the NCAA investigated OU ex post facto for some of the stuff that happened in the '70s and '80s. I say let it go if the guy is already gone. Too little, too late, NCAA. Look into USC's current players. Chances are, if it was happening with Bush, it's happening with a dozen other players. There is just too much money and star power in LA for there not to be.

[fadada1]

i might have "a little" sympathy for the guys that knew nothing about this. but, that number might be very small. don't think for a second that most, if not all, of his teamates knew what was happening. a lot of these guys know each other very well and know their family background. me thinks that if reggie's parents couldn't afford to go to a game in berkley, then he probably couldn't afford to "pimp his ride" on his running back salary at usc (which is apparently pretty high anyway).

[zeke]

Who really cares? I dont. Not surprised either. Whether they lose the NC or not they will still claim it & the others that they didnt win.

Players not knowing, you are kidding right? I'd bet the coach didnt know either. Thats funny. However Coach Cool might have been to busy looking at replays of himslf on the sidelines or just looking at his coolness in the mirror and never noticed what the Reggie family was up to.

[sanantoniosooner]

The problem with this topic is that it's centered around USC.

I would enjoy the discussion if it was about John Doe University.

The whole "everybody knew and are guilty as well" is BS. How many other players do you think had an idea that "the idiot" was doing what he was doing?

Players have ALWAYS keep their mouths shut as a typical rule, in every sport.

[fadada1]

Players have ALWAYS keep their mouths shut as a typical rule, in every sport.
i agree to a point. but don't tell me that once it get's out - because people ALWAYS open their mouth's to brag or gloat - it wouldn't spread like wildfire.

i find it hard to believe that $100K (of stuff) wasn't known by most of the team - or that there were hints that he was getting extra goodies.

[sanantoniosooner]

i agree to a point. but don't tell me that once it get's out - because people ALWAYS open their mouth's to brag or gloat - it wouldn't spread like wildfire.

i find it hard to believe that $100K (of stuff) wasn't known by most of the team - or that there were hints that he was getting extra goodies.
We are saying the same thing. You interpreted me to say that Bush kept his mouth shut.

But by the same token.....

How many OU players knew Charles Thompson was pushing dare and drugs at the same time? Or that Brett Rhomar was doing his dastardly deed? Or...............?

Playing the "they're guilty because they didn't speak up" card would probably make every player in the NCAA guilty.

[fadada1]

We are saying the same thing. You interpreted me to say that Bush kept his mouth shut.

gotcha. i was at work early this morning... after watching ku throw up all over themselves last night, my brain is slow to react.

glad we're agreeing on one thing - they're stupid.

[Cam]

Win as a team, lose as a team, get busted for cheating as a team.

[sooneron]

Why should we care about these a$$clowns? If this is payback from the football gods for the '05 OB, the timing is wayyy off. Why does it matter now that he's gone? God help us if the NCAA investigated OU ex post facto for some of the stuff that happened in the '70s and '80s. I say let it go if the guy is already gone. Too little, too late, NCAA. Look into USC's current players. Chances are, if it was happening with Bush, it's happening with a dozen other players. There is just too much money and star power in LA for there not to be.
Totally disagree. One reason for doling out punishment is to make future cheats think twice before doing it. Make suc forfeit their games in 05, even if bu$h was cheating in 04- that takes away the win streak and take away bu$h's heisman trophy. If you don't think that matters to him, you're crazy. Think of the embarassment to him and suc. They have to return their copy too.

[RedstickSooner]

I'm not sure we've got much to worry about.

I doubt those players will consider those games forfeited, no matter what the official records state. Nor will they take off those rings just because some NCAA committee declared the accomplishment they symbolize invalid.

Same goes for fans of USC -- they'll brag and count 2004 as a championship season, come Hell or high water.

The program itself should be punished, and punished severely -- there's no way a player's family gets $100k in benefits if the program is doing its job. Period.

Plus, the $100k is just what Yahoo was able to get hard evidence for -- odds are the actual amounts involved were greater, since an investigation like that rarely pulls up every single thing (since finding out every single illicit cent would require the co-operation of the folks who gave & received the benefits, and they aren't even admitting to what's been uncovered already -- let alone voluntarily admitting to further scandal.)

[Wishboned]

The only place USC is going to find sympathy is in the dictionary between sh_t and syphillis.

[Blue]

http://sapventures.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/sympathy_meter.jpg

[tbl]

Zero sympathy. It's USC.... The only time I'd have sympathy for players is if that happened to OUr guys.

These guys already got their rings. They can't take those back... and again, it's friggin USC.

[NormanPride]

I must ask.. *this is badger,btw*

Do you think they felt sorry for us after Rhett Bonehead was found cheating and we were left without a starting quarterback at the beginning of the season?