Reggie Bush, His Tarnished Trophy, Vince Young and Media Douchebaggery

I'm sitting here wondering just how much sympathy Reggie Bush has received, or might receive going forward now that he has returned his Heisman Trophy. 

At the same time there's no question he's going to have that same trophy rammed up his ass by members of the media, and every fan outside of New Orleans.  The New York Times has a nice little piece on who's saying what about Redge.

The first time I heard Bush defended was on 1050 ESPN Radio this past weekend, during their Sunday NFL Pregame show.  One of the hosts, I believe Don La Greca, made the comment about Bush being the best player in college football, and that no one was better than him "on the field.

This line of thinking has been echoed by many, from those who are fans of Bush, Southern Cal, or by those who just want to see judge him by what he did on the field.  

I get it. 

Yeah, on the field, other than that one time he pitched the ball in the middle of the field and threw away the national championship, he was awesome.  Actually, come to think of it, that play really takes on a whole new meaning right now. 

In my mind I hear Phil Collins singing, "throwing it all away" as I write.  But yes, on the field, he was quite good.

That being said, here is why what he did "on the field" hardly matters at all.

First off, the Downtown Athletic Club, the overseers of the Heisman Trophy, and the media folk who vote to decide who will receive the award, never ever would have chosen Bush if they had known he had cheated.  No different than say a Lawrence Phillips, the former Nebraska Cornhusker star who was dismissed from the team after assaulting his ex-girlfriend. 

Phillips was on his way to winning the Heisman, or at the very least, being part of the discussion.  Had this charge been levied upon Phillips one week before the end of the regular season, no way he wins the trophy. No way.

Why? 

Because the trophy is awarded to "The outstanding college football player whose performance best exhibits the pursuit of excellence with integrity."  It says nothing about the "performance" being solely on the field.  Beating up a girl is not a good display of integrity.

Now I realize Bush did not beat up a girl, or use drugs, drive drunk, or miss team practices, and on, and on, and on.  But think about this for a second. Had Bush been known to just miss a lot of practices, or be consistently late, would he have won it then? 

In other words, had his off the field actions become a story in 2005 would he have still won the trophy, even if they were minor infractions?  Maybe.  But again, not very likely.  A player being considered for the Heisman rarely carries with him any negative baggage.

The second biggest factor as to why he should be stripped of the trophy is because taking money off the field may have enabled Bush to be a better player on the field. 

There are countless college athletes who do not cheat, do not take money, attend class every day, work extremely hard, and have a very difficult home life, the likes of which many of us could not comprehend.  Because Bush was taking money his life was made that much easier. 

Having money in your pocket puts to rest other worries you may have, which in turn enables you to focus on college football. 

This pretty much applied to everyone.  Who is to say Bush did not use the money he received to pay others to do his homework, write his term papers, or a number of other things? 

Maybe he ate better than others, or lived more lavishly.  Surely some of these things happened, no?  Would you put any of it past him at this point?  I wouldn't. 

Having money in your pocket makes your off the field life much easier at any age, which in turn enables you to focus more of your energy on the field.  In fact, was that not the point of giving him the money in the first place? 

Whomever forked it over to Bush probably did so with a wink and a smile, then said, something to the effect, "Just go out there and get us a National Championship, okay?  And we'll take care of the rest..."

It is well documented Vince Young, the runner-up for the Heisman Trophy in 2005, had a difficult home life, which probably added stress and pressure to himself while he was in school.  This is something Young may have had to overcome, focus on, and work through, in addition to being a student, an athlete, and a leader. 

You cannot overlook the fact he, and others, dealt with these things throughout their careers, and still excelled.

What Bush did was wrong, and he gave himself an easier path to success by cheating.  It is cut and dry.  There is no "if" here.  He did not represent college football, his school, or himself, with integrity, which is what the trophy is all about.

As of this point, my only issue with the returning of the trophy is not Bush giving it back to the Downtown Athletic Club, but that he is not dropping it off on Young's doorstep instead.