If USC Is Going To Admonish Reggie Bush, They Should Look at O.J. Too

Pat Haden has been named the new athletic director at USC, and it's clear from one of his first actions in the position that he's trying to change the perception of the school.

Six weeks ago, the NCAA laid down hard sanctions on the Trojans football program after discovering that former Heisman winner Reggie Bush accepted improper benefits from an agent while attending the school.

The Trojan's basketball program also faced sanctions last year when the NCAA discovered that O.J. Mayo had also accepted improper benefits during his freshman season at USC.

In an attempt to distance the institution from Bush and Mayo's malfeasance, Haden has decided to erase all memory of the sports stars from the school's athletic department.

According to ESPN.com, "Haden said the school's plan to get rid of nearly all references to Bush and Mayo--right down to scrubbing their images from school murals and removing Bush's 'No. 5' jersey in its place of honor in the lobby of Heritage Hall--are all part of the NCAA's directive to disassociate the school from the athletes."

There was no word on whether Haden planned to also forfeit the millions and millions of dollars in revenue that the athlete's generated for the school during their time there. After all, the school's motto is "Palmam qui meruit ferat" (Let whoever earns the palm bear it).

The message that USC is trying to send is obvious. By eliminating all traces of Bush and Mayo, they're trying to indicate that their athletic department has turned a new leaf and will have no tolerance for cheaters moving forward.

I suppose they'll deal with Lane Kiffin next.

Realistically, Bush and Mayo were never "student-athletes." From the time that they were in high school, or perhaps earlier, they knew that they would not make their livings as Lawyers or IT Analysts.

Bush attended a school that, for all intensive purposes, fills the football void left by the NFL, and Mayo stated that one of his main motivations for attending USC was to gain as much publicity as possible before he made a jump to the NBA after one season.

This situation is a greater commentary on the flawed system of college athletics as a whole, but alas, that's an entirely different article (or book) altogether.

USC's folly in setting a precedent by removing athlete's names from campus is that they created a pretty troubling double standard.

While Bush's Heisman will no longer be displayed on the campus, convicted felon and accused murderer O.J. Simpson's award remains.

Wrap your head around that for a second.

Simpson, who should be studied rather than honored, has done unspeakable things in his lifetime--but the key is that he didn't do anything to harm the USC athletic program. So regardless of his actions after he left the school, Simpson's legacy remains in tact.

Meanwhile, after leaving USC for the NFL, Reggie Bush donated millions of dollars of his own money to Hurricane Katrina relief efforts, and helped fund football programs to help locals schools get back on their feet. Yes, he took money in college, but doing so clearly didn't destroy his moral fiber. Remember, it was Bush's family that lived in the house he supposedly acquired illegally, not his posse. 

That Simpson continues to be celebrated on the campus, while Bush banished, makes little sense. Either eliminate both, or keep both.

Perhaps before outwardly punishing former players, USC should inwardly explore its questionable logic.