NCAA punishes USC - Reggie Bush, OJ Mayo, Dwayne Jarrett, Joe McKnight investigation

[methomps]

If this were Ohio State, ESPN would have this on page 1, but since it's USC it's...err, nevermind.

Look, I think Carroll made a mistake. I think he went too far in trying to counteract the record amount of negative recruiting that LSU was using.

But it's a secondary violation. I think barring McKnight from coming would be an overreaction, and I think the mindless connect-the-dots between this and Bush's agent mess is silly.

I think some people who have previously complained that ESPN was blowing things out of proportion are guilty of the same.

 

[jwinslow]

It's one thing to break the rules, it's another to lie publically (and ask a kid to do the same), IF that is indeed what happened.

The NCAA has a track record of rewarding self-policing. If Carroll tried to lie his way through this, how would that affect their decision?

 

[scooter1369]

If I made a comment to the media, and then my new coach came out and called me a liar to the same media, I'd be looking for another school in which to play football.

 

[23Skidoo]

If this were Ohio State, ESPN would have this on page 1, but since it's USC it's...err, nevermind.

Look, I think Carroll made a mistake. I think he went too far in trying to counteract the record amount of negative recruiting that LSU was using.

But it's a secondary violation. I think barring McKnight from coming would be an overreaction, and I think the mindless connect-the-dots between this and Bush's agent mess is silly.

I think some people who have previously complained that ESPN was blowing things out of proportion are guilty of the same.

Nobody here is playing connect the dots. If the dots weren't already connected, there would be no reason for Bush to talk to McKnight in the first place.
And I reiterate that it's very curious that RB is willing to relate his story to USC recruits, but not to journalists or NCAA investigation or anybody else who can put his (and perhps USC's) feet to the fire.
Also, is there a rule about discussing ongoing NCAA investigations with recruits? Or is this only a general guideline to be followed with the media?

 

[ysubuck]

methomps,
You can not compare the job espin did on Ohio State to what is happening to USC right now. USC is getting a mention here and there for what may or may not be major violations with Reggie Bush or recruiting violations concerning Joe McKnight. Go and look at espn's college football page. A big picture of Pete Carroll and how they cleaned up again in recruiting (oh, and by the way, they may have committed a recruiting violation in the small print over there on the right).

espin went on for 2+ years about Ohio State, Maurice Clarett, Jim Tressel's time at YSU, Sammy Maldonado, Norma McGill, Andy Geiger, and how everything is horrible in Columbus. They even included a piece about alleged violations by the Buckeye women's basketball team on their college football page.

They also did a national hatchet job on Jim Tressel and Ohio State during the Alamo Bowl coverage in 2004. Not only during the pre-game and half-time, but also for most of the 2nd quarter. So if you didn't get it on espn.com, or espn the magazine, or sportscenter, you got it if you watched their coverage of the Alamo Bowl.

Some of us are still pretty bitter about that whole mess. I take offense when a fan of a program who has had nothing but POSITIVE press for the last five years tries to make any kind of comparison to the beating that Ohio State took.

 

[jimotis4heisman]

its so interesting how you guys change when its "us" vs "them"

let things play out and the facts come out...

 

[23Skidoo]

its so interesting how you guys change when its "us" vs "them"

let things play out and the facts come out...

If the parties involved showed any integrity whatsoever in meeting issues head on, I would agree with you 100%. But RB has been notoriously reticent w/the NCAA investigation, and now -- after a kid says he talked to RB -- there is a complete "coverup" operation unfolding. And I'll be the first to state I don't give a rats ass whether he talked to RB or not -- it should be a slap-on-the-wrist infraction, IMO.
Nothing out of these guys revolving around NCAA/Bush has given me the impression that USC or their associates (Reggie) are being forthright. And, in that situation, I'll take the military approach when people want to play the "well you can't prove it" game... ie: guilty until proven innocent.

 

[OCBucksFan]

its so interesting how you guys change when its "us" vs "them"

let things play out and the facts come out...

I think that's the route most people are taking, but as a fan of another school the fact that all these rumors go around and the ncaa doesn't seem to care bothers me. The moment there's a rumor at most schools there's a full on investigation, with USC it seems to just be ignored.

Do I know if something happened? Nope. However, I do feel it's time for the NCAA to look at that program and if nothing else put the rest of the countries mind at ease. Until something is done there will be tons of speculation and accusations.

 

[methomps]

methomps,
You can not compare the job espin did on Ohio State to what is happening to USC right now.

Nobody can talk with Ohio State fans about espn because, as soon as you do, some OSU fans start putting words in your mouth and stop paying attention to what you are actually saying.

Where in my post did I make a comparison? I didn't. I took a shot at the people who say that ESPN and the like ignore anything bad about USC and just don't cover it.

It's a problem of hyperbole, salience, and selective retention. It's basic psychology that people are more likely to remember information that corresponds with their beliefs, and less likely that they will remember things that do not correspond with their beliefs. People are also more likely to remember things that are more important to them, so a Buckeye fan might remember an OSU article but forget a USC article.

USC is getting a mention here and there for what may or may not be major violations with Reggie Bush or recruiting violations concerning Joe McKnight. Go and look at espn's college football page. A big picture of Pete Carroll and how they cleaned up again in recruiting (oh, and by the way, they may have committed a recruiting violation in the small print over there on the right).

Go look at ESPN's FRONT page. No mention about cleaning up in recruiting, but a headline about recruiting violation. Which page do you think gets more traffic? And I like how you discount the headline as "small print." Yeah, nobody ever scans down the headline lists to see what is going on.

Some of us are still pretty bitter about that whole mess. I take offense when a fan of a program who has had nothing but POSITIVE press for the last five years tries to make any kind of comparison to the beating that Ohio State took.

I didn't try to make a comparison, and USC hasn't received "nothing but POSITIVE press for the last five years." But again, hyperbole and selective retention. Hyperbole creates belief (ESPN ignores bad USC news) and then selective retention protects that belief.

Just a few weeks ago I was discussing this on Bucknuts with a guy who claimed "FACT: ESPN has not had one story about the Bush scandal since April." Of course, I had the links to prove him wrong, but it doesn't matter. The sad truth is that some Buckeye fans approach the issue from an emotional standpoint more than a factual standpoint.

 

[daddyphatsacs]

It is kinda like Daddy bringing a girl over to the house and little Susie telling mommy, only to have Daddy promise little susie some Candy later if she tells mommy that there was no other girl at the house, that she made it up...While daddy denies...now what reason does the little girl have to make this story up, none...It is like the NCAA is playing hte naive wife and saying o yeah I believe he didnt have another girl over, when everyone on the outside looking in knows that is not the truth...

Leave me out of this you dirty bastard.

 

[daddyphatsacs]

its so interesting how you guys change when its "us" vs "them"

let things play out and the facts come out...

I tend to agree with your statements for the most part. The only reason I brought up the "where there is smoke, there is fire" is because it seems like the incidents coming out of So Cal aren't isolated....... But they all do tend to tie themselves in to Reggie Bush, one way or another.

 

[BuckeyeNation27]

For factual purposes I must point out that there are 4 NFL QBs on ESPN.com's front page.

 

[BuckStocksHere]

I think if you want pro USC sentiment - you should go to a pro USC board. Don't forget the audience you are talking too.... I frankly hate USC and always have. Not as much as Notre Dame and not as much as scUM, but they are right up in that next group.
The one thing I don't do is go defend OSU related items on a USC board. Never have, never will.

 

[lvbuckeye]

Nobody can talk with Ohio State fans about espn because, as soon as you do, some OSU fans start putting words in your mouth and stop paying attention to what you are actually saying.

Where in my post did I make a comparison? I didn't. I took a shot at the people who say that ESPN and the like ignore anything bad about USC and just don't cover it.

It's a problem of hyperbole, salience, and selective retention. It's basic psychology that people are more likely to remember information that corresponds with their beliefs, and less likely that they will remember things that do not correspond with their beliefs. People are also more likely to remember things that are more important to them, so a Buckeye fan might remember an OSU article but forget a USC article.



Go look at ESPN's FRONT page. No mention about cleaning up in recruiting, but a headline about recruiting violation. Which page do you think gets more traffic? And I like how you discount the headline as "small print." Yeah, nobody ever scans down the headline lists to see what is going on.



I didn't try to make a comparison, and USC hasn't received "nothing but POSITIVE press for the last five years." But again, hyperbole and selective retention. Hyperbole creates belief (ESPN ignores bad USC news) and then selective retention protects that belief.

Just a few weeks ago I was discussing this on Bucknuts with a guy who claimed "FACT: ESPN has not had one story about the Bush scandal since April." Of course, I had the links to prove him wrong, but it doesn't matter. The sad truth is that some Buckeye fans approach the issue from an emotional standpoint more than a factual standpoint.

comparing headlines on a website to the headliner of the most watched sports show in the country is apples and oranges. when they do a complete episode of Outside the Lines about the shit going on at USC, you'll have an argument, but not before.

 

[methomps]

I think that's the route most people are taking, but as a fan of another school the fact that all these rumors go around and the ncaa doesn't seem to care bothers me. The moment there's a rumor at most schools there's a full on investigation, with USC it seems to just be ignored.

Do I know if something happened? Nope. However, I do feel it's time for the NCAA to look at that program and if nothing else put the rest of the countries mind at ease. Until something is done there will be tons of speculation and accusations.

Your mistake is assuming that the NCAA does nothing. I'm sure you know that the NCAA does not discuss its investigations. I'm also sure you know that the "news" is not the full and complete account of what happens. That is to say that things might happen that go unreported in the media.

What you may not know is that a lot of these NCAA investigations make it into the news because of FOI requests. Public universities are subject to these. USC is not. So when Joe Sportswriter asks Oklahoma to turn over any correspondence between them and the NCAA regarding x, Oklahoma has to do it. When he asks USC, his phone call isn't even returned.

An investigation of USC has taken place.