NCAA Cold Case: Why Reggie Bush Should Lose His Heisman Trophy

Nothing is official yet, but reports indicate that Reggie Bush's personal trophy room will soon feature a Heisman-shaped void. Bush's alma-mater, USC, is already smarting from a barrage of NCAA sanctions for violations during the '04-'05 seasons, and it looks like Bush will soon be feeling their pain. The NCAA has declared the tailback to be ineligible for the season in question, and the Heisman Trophy Trust is now expected to follow suit by stripping Bush of his Heisman trophy. 'Bout time...

Now, I have nothing against Reggie Bush. From all appearances, he seems like a nice enough man. He's only a passable flex player in fantasy football, but no one is perfect. The City of New Orleans loves him (with good reason). And I'm sure if we were to dig deep enough, we could find a handful of Heisman winners even less deserving of the trophy. I'll even listen to the argument that Bush is merely a victim of circumstance and shady recruiting practices. Many of the NCAA's recruiting regulations are cumbersome and stupid anyway.

However, none of those items really change the fact that Bush was party to some first class rule-violating during his time at USC. Bush could be running around kissing babies and adopting stray kittens for all I care. He deserves to be punished for his part in USC's downfall. I'm tired of watching college players and coaches get off scot-free while the NCAA drops the hammer on their alma-mater for a laundry list of recruiting violations.

This is college football's one chance to actually punish a player for his role in a recruiting scandal. They need to do it. It's too bad that Reggie Bush has to be the example, but it needed to happen eventually. When the Heisman Trust rips Bush's trophy, it will send the message that the NCAA will at least enforce its rules when it has the power to do so. Even if you win the Heisman. Even if it takes five years.

Hopefully that will be enough to make a young player think twice before listening to that shady agent or accepting that pile of free ________ from a grinning recruiter. Confiscating Bush's Heisman isn't going to change the culture of collegiate athletics overnight, but it's definitely a step in the right direction.

Now if only they could find a way to stiff-arm Pete Carroll for his role in this mess...