Smile USC You’ve Just Been Punk’d Bitches !
So without much ado the NCAA stripped USC of its 2004 BCS title and rescinded the 55-19 result that went down in the record books denoting the team’s victory over the Oklahoma Sooners for the national title . And so ends another sad saga in the annals of the USC legacy which now has been completed shrouded in improprieties than even incumbent AD Pat Haden would have even cared to admit. Like a thief in the night off went Reggie Bush and Pete Carroll to further garner financial gain. All the while both denied any wrong doing on their part , now we know that to be a complete lie and with Bush and Carroll now unwilling to make a public statement on the latest turn of events , one can only surmise how the USC Trojans’ fans must now feel about the actions of the NCAA . From being darlings of the collegiate football world to now pariahs within collegiate athletics .
=================================================================================
================================================================================
Slide show for your perusal .
And to further emphasize how ridiculous the program still remains in spite of Haden’s wish to move on we now have Todd McNair a former assistant coach at USC filing a lawsuit against the NCAA for slander and libel in the misconduct of their investigation of the Reggie Bush affair . No integrity or accountability to this day from anyone involved in the matter but yet somehow McNair feels aggrieved by the actions of the NCAA. Should he not have been overly concerned with the actions of Carroll and Bush at the time ?
Courtesy of Associated Press & Yahoo Sports
Former USC assistant coach files lawsuit in LA
LOS ANGELES (AP)—Former Southern California assistant coach Todd McNair has sued the NCAA, accusing the collegiate governing body of libel, slander and misconduct in its investigation of the Reggie Bush case.
McNair is seeking unspecified damages from the NCAA in the lawsuit that was filed Friday. Attorney Bruce Broillet did not immediately return telephone messages Monday.
McNair was punished for what the NCAA claimed was his role in the scandal surrounding the Heisman Trophy-winning tailback. The NCAA claimed he knew about some of the gifts lavished on Bush’s family by two aspiring sports marketers hoping to land Bush as a client.
The NCAA imposed a two-year bowl ban and scholarship restrictions on USC last year as a result of the Bush case. McNair was prohibited from contacting recruits and his USC contract was not renewed.
McNair’s lawsuit claims the NCAA’s investigation was one-sided and that he wasn’t allowed to cross-examine witnesses. It asks the judge to strike down the NCAA rules that the organization used in ruling against McNair.
============================================================================================
Click on link shown to read this article in its entirety .
===========================================================================================
So much of this could simply been avoided had Haden’s predecessor Mike Garrett simply acted with a modicum integrity instead feigning altruism and integrity on his part and that of the athletics program . Instead the then AD acted as if findings of the NCAA and those investigations conducted in-house by USC were minor transgressions that simply didn’t warrant any punitive sentence from from either the NCAA or by the college itself. The ridiculousness of this whole episode begs the question has USC any integrity whatsoever much less that of both Pete Carroll and Reggie Bush ? I find it hard to believe this bullshit within the public domain about forgiving and forgetting _____ when such egregious actions take place and not one person is prepared to ask the question why is it that neither Bush or Carroll has offered a public apology as an act of contrition ! But there you have it when people speak passionately about collegiate sports I think that they’re now simply misguided for their own good ! Collegiate sports has now become so corrupt that it simply doesn’t warrant addressing and trying to say ‘well there’s still some integrity that remains within this environment’.
And if you thought that Ohio State was out of the woods of yet then you’d be sadly mistaken . Buckeyes’ quarterback Terrelle Pryor now under investigation concerning the purchase of a Nissan 350Z of which we were informed had been purchased by his mother , Thomasina Pryor . But now with the NCAA now intent on conducting an intense investigation of Pryor and several of his teammates in the advent of their dealings with several local auto dealerships in the local Columbus , Ohio area , the player has sought to forgo his junior season with Ohio State . It is now being widely reported that the player will declare himself eligible for the NFL’s Supplemental Draft . That being said , with the player already under a 5 game mandated suspension by the NCAA in light of Pryor’s and his teammates’ own improprieties from last season I think it unlikely that the NFL will actually do anymore to further punish the player !
If the sheer stupidity of another distinguished program that simply cannot be trusted to act appropriately and one ought not to be surprised by what is now taking place . Ohio State’s AD Gene Smith and university President Dr E Gordon Gee have simply been about as proactive in dealing with these incidents as a blind man playing hop scotch in the midst of a mine field . These two bumbling buffoons have simply become the butt of so many jokes and have made the athletics program as well as the school a complete laughing stock . And for the misguided Buckeyes’ students who remain loyal to Jim Tressel who has since resigned , my question to you all , is how can you simply adjudge the coach’s actions as simply an error in judgment ? Are you all that stupid and that naive ? As for former PGA Tour golfer Jack Nicklaus and former coach turned college football analyst Lou Holtz making compassionate pleas for the besieged former coach , stating that Jim Tressel is still a man of integrity . I ask of you both what fucking planet are you living on where you simply condone lying and the actions of a coach who implicitly lies to the entire faculty of the school ? Suffice to say both Holtz and Nicklaus are both past their prime and have become complete idiots in the eyes of the public .
I’m sorry but now the idiocy has come into play with regard to the NBA Finals because the necks of the Dallas Mavericks are now on the chopping block. Down 2-1 in the best of seven series Rick Carlise and his coaching staff now know it’s all or nothing . Dirk Nowitzki is having a splendid series and despite the idiotic criticism that he’s simply not playing well enough . I’ll pose this question without Nowitzki’s stats in this series where indeed would the Dallas Mavericks be at this juncture ? If you are going to make these statements at least back up that argument than some minutiae of a statement that simply has no rhyme or reason when you don’t even acknowledge that Nowitzki is like a man stranded alone on an island. It’s not as if he has been ably supported in this series by Jason Kidd , Jason Terry or Shawn Marion for that matter ! I have long held the contention that the Mavericks are indeed a soft team but this season they have had their moments and have played at times like team possessed. Since the acquisition of Tyson Chandler the Mavericks have been a staunchly defensive team but during these Finals they have simply been outplayed in all facets of the game when it mattered most .
Now on Tuesday night the Miami Heat with their All Star trio of Chris Bosh , LeBron James and Dwyane Wade locked in step to the precision of a Swiss watch as they look to take a 3-1 lead . The fans of the Mavericks will have their part to play by being completely vociferous in support of their team as I am sure that the American Airlinse Center , Dallas , Texas will be packed to the rafters . If they can get behind this team and try to negate the confidence of the Miami Heat then quite possibly the Mavericks will have a chance of squaring the series . If not, then more likely than not this series could be over before most have actually acclimatized themselves to the fact that this series was meant to be a suspenseful one.
I would like to think that NBA hierarchy led by Commissioner David Stern has to be pleased with the ratings garnered by ABC’s televising of the NBA Finals . That being said if this series should suddenly close out in a whimper I can’t but imagine the thoughts that would be going across the mind of the commissioner. The NBA at present needs as much public exposure as one could possibly imagine with there now being such a divergence in the NBA hierarchy and NBPA reaching a possible agreement before the collective bargaining agreement that expires on 30th June 2011. David Stern and his union counterpart Executive Director Billy Hunter and union President Derek Fisher are adamant that the union and its Executive Committee won’t acquiesce to any demands that lessens the revenues that is shared between the league and union. At present that breakdown is 53% to 47 % in the NBPA’s favor, in the breakdown of the revenues which meets they payroll of the teams within the league. The salary cap for the 2010-11 season is $57 million . And it appears that the league hierarchy and team owners would like to see that figure decline by at least 10% .
From my own standpoint the impasse between the league and the union could very well become contentious and if anything therein lies a cause for real concern because David Stern has made it public that the league is on course to lose in excess of $450 million for the fiscal year . If that is simply being done to scare the fans at the same time ward off the aggressive stance being taken by the union I am not so sure that Stern and the owners actually believe that they are capable of duping Hunter and his members . I for one sincerely hope that the NBA and NBPA are not prepared to go down the road where they contest their differences within the justice system ! We’ve all seen how idiotic the situation has become with the NFL and the team owners seeking to have their lockout and work stoppage remain in tact as the union (NFLPA) seeks to have that verdict overturned within the 8th District Court of Appeals in Minneapolis , Minnesota . There’s a lesson to be learned here but unfortunately for those involved it all seems to be falling on deaf ears .
Now comes the hard part for the NBA and the NBPA how can they seemingly convince their fans that they have no intention of there being any type of a lockout or stoppage on the part of the league hierarchy. At this juncture I am not liable to believe either of the parties concerned ! Stern has become an agent provocateur while at the same time the union and its members come of looking like a bunch of money hungry individuals who are simply to seek a cure for their own avarice . Somehow neither party to my mind comes up smelling like a bed of roses at this juncture ! Care to respond to my own thoughts here ?
================================================================================
===============================================================================
Picture gallery for your perusal .
What thoughts if any do you have on the points raised within this piece ? Simply leave a comment as your to views and as always thanks for the continued support as it’s greatly appreciated !
Alan aka tophatal …………….
Picture and slide show details below .
————————————————————————————————————————————-
(1) FILE – In this Jan. 4, 2005, file photo, Southern California coach Pete Carroll holds up the trophy after defeating Oklahoma 55-19 in the Orange Bowl in Miami. The Bowl Championship Series stripped Southern California of its 2004 title on Monday, leaving that season without a BCS champion. AP Photo/Chris O’Meara …..
(2) Matt Leinart celebrates with Pete Carroll after their triumph in the national title game . The NFL player now suggests that he still feels having participated in the game that team can be still viewed as champions. AP Photo/ Tom Riordan ……
(3) Bush (5) looks to gain ground in the open space avoiding Sooners’ defenders during the 2004 BCS national title game at the Orange Bowl in Miami , Florida . The Associated Press which conducts a poll and awards a trophy to the national champions will not rescind USC as their champion of note thereby letting the school be noted as their champion of record for the 2004 season. AP Photo/ Tony Douglas …..
(4) USC AD Pat Haden who’s predecessor Mike Garrett stepped down in light of the ongoing controversies surrounding the school during the latter part of his tenure . Courtesy of USC copyrighted material all rights reserved .
(5) January 4, 2011: Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor (2) stands in the confetti shower behind the trophy after winninng the NCAA Sugar Bowl game between the Arkansas Razorbacks and The Ohio State Buckeyes at The Louisianna Superdome, New Orleans LA . Cal Sports Media via AP Images …..
(6) In this photo taken Monday, May 30, 2011, Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor arrives for a players only meeting at the Woody Hayes Complex in Columbus, Ohio. Pryor, the highest profile recruit of former coach Jim Tressel’s 25-year coaching career, is one of five Buckeyes who have already been suspended for the first five games of the 2011 season for taking money and tattoos from local tattoo-parlor owner Edward Rife, who pleaded guilty last week to federal drug trafficking and money-laundering charges. AP Photo/Terry Gilliam ……
(7) Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor arrives in this Nissan 350Z, center, to a players only meeting Monday, May 30, 2011, at the Woody Hayes Complex, in Columbus, Ohio. AP Photo/Terry Gilliam…..
(8) Dallas Mavericks’ Dirk Nowitzki, center, answers questions for the media after a basketball practice for Game 5 of the NBA finals against the Miami Heat, Wednesday, June 8, 2011, in Dallas. The series is tied 2-2 . AP Photo/Mark Humphrey …….
(9) LeBron James (L) of the Miami Heat looks for a pass while guarded by Jason Terry of the Dallas Mavericks during game 4 of the NBA Finals on June 7, 2011 at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. The Dallas Mavericks defeated the Miami Heat 86-83. AFP PHOTO / Robyn BECK AFP PHOTO / ROBYN BECK ……
————————————————————————————————————————–
Team stats
============================================================================
Do take time to participate in the above mentioned poll.
NB : This piece was written prior to the Mavericks squaring the series at 2-2 (games piece) last night .
Theoraclesays's Blog 
Former Trojans’ Todd McNair assistant looks to console Reggie Bush. I wonder if that also meant him looking the other way when Bush violated NCAA rules ?
Only an absolute asshole such as McNair would now think that he has some veracity in making a case that he and the Trojans’ program were slandered never minded what he deemed to be libelous . First he’s got to prove that the findings of the NCAA were false to begin with. This mutha’ fu##er is simply looking for a monetary settlement because no wants to hire his ass ! Only a Trojans’ former assistant would come up with something this asinine !
tophatal ………..
Let’s call it what it is quiz. NCCA football and basketball is masquerading as amatuer sports yet they rake in millions from the BCS, ABC, CBS, NBC Fox Sports, ESPN. What the $$#@! gives here. This is pure bullshit. At least you know what you get when you follow The NFL and NBA.Follow the money.
Bobby Gee
Collegiate athletics has been a joke from the beginning and anyone who believes that the NCAA has ever been about the well being of the student athlete much less their education , they need to face reality. That has never been the case at all ! The broadcast networks suborns the corruption that takes place because they still get a major story to write about and at the same the monetary gain remains immeasurable nonetheless .
If the NBA , NHL , MLB or NFL wanted to assist the NCAA in stopping the actions of the athletes then they would have in place some form of punishment in place for any athlete who leaves a program under a form of suspension or cloud of suspicion pending the rendering of a verdict . Like you said it’s simply about following the money trail .
tophatal ……………….
As far as college football in concerned, there is so much money involved that there will always be people willing to break the rules in order to profit from their situation. Even if the NCAA agree to pay players there will still be someone trying to gain an unfair advantage. Sad but true.
aero
NCAA President Mark Emmert has said that he’d like to see a situation where the student athletes are actually paid per diem . However major conference commissioners such as Mike Slive (SEC) and Mike Tranghese (Big East) oppose such an idea and notion . Obviously those rat fink bastards don’t want too many fingers in the cookie jar !
And we’re suppose to believe that these individuals have the best interests of the athletes much less a student athlete at heart ? Sadly nothing could be further from the truth at this juncture !
tophatal ………………
I was talking with a buddy the other day how we might have more vacant titles than actual titles over the decade. Auburn probably won’t be keeping theirs from this year! It just shows how much improvement the NCAA needs to make before it’s a level playing field. Although, I don’t see how it ever will be, unless they start giving the death sentence to programs again!
chappy
I look at this way the NCAA Infractions’ Committee is almost as useful as a congressional hearing or sub-committee ! All the frigging pontificating and piousness won’t change a fuc#ing thing until they’re given teeth that bite . And by biting I’m talking about them having powers to fine a program monetarily . Then you’re liable to see programs actually changing their attitude rather than simply repeatedly circumventing the rules . Carroll walks away from the Trojans and lands a seven figure multi year deal with the Seahawks knowing full well what was about to happen. Both he and Mike Garrett are fuc#king jokes ! And for all the pu##y assed Trojans’ fans out there you are as dumb and as gullible as you appear to be in person !
OSU and Auburn are extremely worried at the moment I can assure you of that ! I tell you this with the NCAA the emphasis has been placed far too much on athletics rather than the education of the athlete. Why else would you now have increasing rates in terms of student athletes actually failing to gain a degree over the course of their academic career in college ? No wonder Education Secretary Arne Duncan is so fu#king pis#ed the education system is now producing a bunch ill educated morons amongst student athletes !
tophatal …………………
Ohio State, Tennessee, USC.
I wonder if Las Vegas has odds on the next big program to run into trouble.
Chris
When there’s more of an emphasis for these kids merely to be great athletes rather than being productive and well educated individuals. What else do you expect to happen other than what we’re now seeing within collegiate athletics ? The NCAA is absolutely toothless as a body because their sanctions simply hasn’t stopped the gross misconduct of the athletes , coaches , or the alumni associations much less the agents who hover around like vultures feasting off a dead carcass !
The whole system is corrupt from top to bottom and the likes of commissioners Mike Tranghese (Big East) and Mike Slive (SEC) don’t make things any easier with their take on NCAA President Mark Emmert wanting to give the student athlete a per diem payment . Instead of looking to make such an instance a reality those two assholes (Slive & Tranghese) are dead set against it . College athletics is corrupt from the top to the bottom and there’s not a clean program at the DI one level much less the subdivisions . They’ve all got something to hide and that includes the parochial establishments ( Notre Dame and Brigham Young to name but two) as well . The fact that they haven’t been caught doesn’t mean that they’re not above suspicion or actually abiding by the rules it’s just that their ass hasn’t been caught as of yet . They’re simply doing their sh#t on the down low that’s all !
tophatal ………….
Stripping it almost ten yeras later means jack shit. Just the NCAA trying to act like they’re doing something to stop it…What a joke.
Ask those Sooners players if that 55-19 ass whipping stings any less.
BleedPRRPL&GOLD
Money has simply clouded the morality tale within collegiate athletics ! The NCAA has become a complete joke and so too has Mike Slive as the SEC Commissioner this guy has made more flips on the issue of athletes being paid than Mitt Romney and John Kerry have over the course of their political careers .
Simply put everyone has something to hide even trucker girl . Wouldn’t you agree ?
As for the Sooners that program isn’t without its own past misdeeds either . They simply haven’t been caught as of yet that’s all !
tophatal …………….
BleedPRPL&GOLD
When the NCAA hammered the SMU Mustangs’ program did it actually stop anything at all ? So what makes anyone now believe that the sanctions placed against USC much less the impending sanctions against the Buckeyes or Tennessee Volunteers will actually do a damn thing ? Unless the NCAA has the teeth to really bite by suspending coaches and passing out major monetary fines not a fu##ing thing will change in collegiate sports at all.
Push those suckers together and smile baby !
tophatal …………..