So, what was Pizza Hut thinking when they hired Reggie Bush of the New Orleans Saints and the caused of one of the NCAA worst scandals to be their spokeman in commercials?
From ESPN: The NCAA announced Thursday that Reggie Bush couldn't have been more guilty of NCAA violations during his spare-no-superlative career at USC. The finding could lead to the BCS' taking back the 2004 BCS Championship won by the Trojans. The finding also could lead to Bush's losing his 2005 Heisman Trophy.
That is up to the Heisman Trophy Trust, an eight-person committee in charge of the most famous individual prize in American sports. The committee will decide what to do about the 25-pound bronze doorstop it gave the Bush that same year.
"If and when [the NCAA] issues a decision, we will review the underlying facts and possibly do our own investigation," the group's president, William S. Dockery, told ESPN's Joe Schad last week.
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/columns/story?columnist=maisel_ivan&id=5272888
Also From ESPN: It's just a trophy, right? A bronze, stiff-arming figurine set on marble and black onyx. A 25-pound doorstop.
But the Heisman Trophy deserves better than Reggie Bush. USC admitted as much when it announced it was returning its replica of the 2005 award to the Heisman Trust. Bush should do the same with his copy, but he won't. He wouldn't know the truth if it grabbed him by the face mask...
Bush was a natural target for the parasites. And according to the NCAA's investigation, he willingly, enthusiastically and arrogantly had his hand out. He can lend his name to all the charitable foundations he wants, but nothing changes his USC legacy as a cheater.
He isn't the first player to take money, and he won't be the last. But at least we know about Bush, and at least there's something that can be done about it -- even if that something is symbolic...
Bush was a football field away from compliance. He ran right past NCAA rule 12.3.1.2, the one that prohibits the acceptance of extra benefits. He wasn't a student-athlete. He was an athlete on the take.
When Yahoo! Sports first reported the alleged infractions, Bush said the situation had been "blown out of proportion." He'd explain his side of the story soon enough.
That was an NCAA investigation ago. A USC athletic director ago. A USC head coach ago. A USC president ago. A handful of debilitating sanctions ago.
The effects of Bush's greed will be felt for years, especially if an appeals committee upholds the initial penalties, which include scholarship reductions, a two-year bowl ban and forfeited wins. It already has cost USC a star recruit. No matter how Trojans coach Lane Kiffin, who inherited this mess from Carroll but has his own long history of integrity issues, wants to spin the situation, the program will take a hit under the chin strap.
The defiant, delusional reign of USC athletic director Mike Garrett ends in less than two weeks. He'll be replaced by Pat Haden, who, like Garrett, has a USC football pedigree, but he also has the good sense to admit mistakes were made.
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/columns/story?columnist=wojciechowski_gene&page=wojciechowski/100721&sportCat=ncf
So, now Pizza Hut is putting this scummy person, but good football player on their payroll and in their commercials. I know many USC fans and Bush is a 4 letter word to them- the nasty 4 letter words- not Bush.
And Pizza Hut thinks this the best person they can get for their commercials- a cheating, greedy football player that has cost people their jobs, cost athletes their scholarships and losing out on a free education? It cost USC their national championship and their prestige. And Bush has never given a heartfelt apology for all the problems he has caused.
And Pizza Hut thinks he is a quality individual , worthy of being on their commercials?
I was going to order pizza this weekend and it's not going be from Pizza Hut.
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