REGGIE BUSH STIFF-ARMED!

Reggie Bush Stiff-armed! The 2005 Heisman winner reportedly to be stripped of the award. Our only question is "What took so long?"

As soon as the smoke began to rise around Bush and possible dealings with agents during his time at Southern California, didn't we all know there was a fire...and a big one?

Turns out we were right and it has since consumed the USC football program, resulting in major sanctions.

Bush cheated and got busted. Now he claims "I am USC and I represent USC." Really? If that were so, and everything wasn't just about you and what can benefit you, you would've never cheated in the first place...or kept that tainted Heisman all this time. USC returned their copy of Bush's Heisman Trophy and Bush should do the same. He should have already done it. He should have done it first. As for Pete Carroll, he's dirty too. Carroll continually created and embraced an atmosphere around USC that welcomed agent-types and glamour boys and showed not a care in the world...as long as the Trojans were winning. But Carroll ain't no fool, the minute the winning stopped and Carroll could see the writing on the wall, he bolted for Seattle leaving USC to burn. I have nothing more than my opinion but from where I sit Carroll was not only aware of, but actively complicit in the wrong doings that occurred at USC.

This begs the question, "How did all of this happen at the most successful college football program in the country without anyone knowing what was going on?" That's easy, no one wanted to know what was going on. ESPN, the self-proclaimed worldwide leader in sports, could have very easily uncovered the biggest college football story of the past decade if they had wanted to, but they did not because they didn't want to ruin their relationship with Carroll and the program. With dedicated reporters around the USC football program for years, it seems implausible to think that they had absolutely no idea about what was happening around the athletic department. I see ESPN as being either just as complicit as Carroll in what happened at USC because they did not do their duties as journalists (I know...doesn't even look right when typed) to uncover the story or they are utterly incompetent in their efforts to do so. On face value, I can believe either option.

I got a little fired up on my soap box right there, but let me get back to my original question concerning the statue, "What took so long?" As for the answer, I have no idea. All I know is Bush should absolutely be stripped of his Heisman Trophy and the school did the right thing by giving their copy back. Furthermore, USC should be forced to vacate every victory gained by USC that Bush participated in. It's simple. If Bush is guilty of accepting extra benefits he should be deemed ineligible, and if he played while ineligible, then USC should be forced to vacate any and all wins gained in games in which Bush played...national championship games and all.

This whole situation is awful and I feel dirty. I just hope everyone involved gets what they deserve in the end.