Tag: Reggie Bush (Page 7 of 15)

      Parcells the reason Texans passed on Bush?

      June 15, 2010 /

      According to a report by Yahoo! Sports columnist Jason Cole, the reason why the Texans passed on Reggie Bush in the 2006 NFL Draft was partly because of the NCAA’s potential investigation of him at USC and partly because of former Cowboys head coach Bill Parcells.

      Unknown fact: People around the Houston Texans often say the specter of an NCAA investigation of former USC running back Reggie Bush(notes) had much to do with the decision by the team to take defensive end Mario Williams(notes) over Bush. Bush scared the Texans by not returning calls right away after news of possible violations was broken by Yahoo! Sports. That’s partially true, but the clincher in the deal was a bit of advice from then Dallas Cowboys coach Bill Parcells, a high-placed NFL source said recently. Parcells weighed in on the matter after being contacted by Texans owner Bob McNair.

      …and?

      I wish Cole went into more detail as to what Parcells said to McNair, although obviously he didn’t have that information. Either way, it’s interesting to hear that Parcells shared his insight on the matter with another team’s owner. I’m not surprised that McNair took his advice, however.

      Parcells is widely known around the league as being one of the best talent evaluators to have ever worked in the NFL. It’s said that he can determine the strengths and weaknesses of a prospect within minutes of seeing the player workout, which is one of the many reasons he’s had so much success over the years.

      Of course, Bush’s athletic talent has never been questioned (outside of his inability to run consistently between the tackles). So if Parcells did weigh in, maybe he convinced McNair that Bush wouldn’t be worth the money and/or eventual trouble that could occur down the road once the NCAA investigated his situation at USC. (That said, it’s not like the investigation has had an impact on his NFL career.)

      Either way, if this report is true, it once again shows what kind of impact Parcells has made on the NFL throughout his career.


      Photo from fOTOGLIF

      External Sports, NFL

      Pete Carroll “shocked” about USC ban

      June 11, 2010 /

      Former Trojans head coach Pete Carroll says he’s “absolutely shocked” about the sanctions that were recently levied by the NCAA against USC’s football program, which include a two-year postseason ban and the loss of 30 scholarships over the next three years.

      Here’s the video:

      Like most kids growing up, I used to hide things from my parents. Progress reports, poor test grades, and of course, the occasional Playboy or two. (Stop it – you know you hid them, too.)

      Granted, I was often successful in hiding these items from my folks. But hiding a crumbled up Playboy is a little easier than sneaking free hotel stays, rent-free homes, suits and limousines past my parents.

      In other words: How the hell didn’t Carroll and USC know that Reggie Bush was getting free crap? How did they not know that several of his family members were staying in rent-free homes, or that he rode in a limousine wearing a brand new suit when he accepted the Heisman in New York in December of 2005?

      You can sneak a lot of things by unsuspecting people, but not on a college campus and not when the program’s most recognizable player is involved.

      Even if Pistol Pete didn’t know, someone had to. Someone had to have seen what was going on. Are you telling me that a jealous player didn’t see everything Bush was getting and not tell other people? Come on – word travels fast, I don’t care what the situation is.

      I refuse to believe that USC was completely oblivious to what was going on when Bush was there. And as so many people have pointed out over the last couple of days, it’s hardly a coincidence that Carroll agreed to head back to the NFL during the same year that USC was punished.

      College Football, External Sports

      USC football program gets two-year postseason ban

      June 9, 2010 /

      USC just got gorilla-smacked by the NCAA.

      From ESPN.com:

      The USC football program will receive two-year postseason ban, a reduction in scholarships and a forfeiture of wins from at least the 2004 season when the NCAA releases it sanctions on Thursday, a source told ESPN’s Shelley Smith.

      I’ll have more on this topic when more details are released, but here are some quick-hit thoughts:

      – Looks like Pete Carroll got out of So Cal at the right time. Think he knew the shit storm that was about to come down on the program when he decided to take the Seahawks job in January? Many people thought it was odd timing for Carroll to head back to the NFL when the decision was announced, but something tells me Pistol Pete had an inkling that something was about to go down and decided to hightail it out of town.

      Before Captain Wiseguy points out the obvious, yes, I’m just speculating. But let’s be realistic about the situation: Carroll, who has been courted many, many, many times throughout the years by NFL teams, decides to accept the Seahawks’ head coaching job five months prior to USC getting a two-year postseason ban. Coincidence? I think not.

      – I wonder how Lane Kiffin feels about leaving Tennessee in the dust to take over for Carroll at USC now. If you listen closely enough, you can her Vols fans laughing in the distance.

      – That 2004 USC squad is highly considered one of the greatest college football teams of all time, so the fact that the program will have to forfeit their 13 wins from that season is jarring to say the least. People will still remember how powerful that team was, but from now on, it’ll always be associated with this ban.

      – Soooo, is Oklahoma now the 2004 (or 2005) BCS National Champion? How does that work?

      College Football, External Sports

      USC may have to forfeit wins; Bush could be stripped of Heisman

      May 31, 2010 /

      According to ESPN.com, the NCAA committee on infractions will release its findings regarding the USC football and basketball programs on Friday.

      ESPN’s “Outside the Lines” reported in May of 2008 that former basketball player O.J. Mayo accepted cash and gifts — extra benefits — from Rodney Guillory, who was connected to Bill Duffy Associates Sports Management. Moreover, Floyd was alleged to have provided a $1,000 cash payment to help steer Mayo to USC, according to a Yahoo! Sports report.

      USC already admitted wrongdoing with the basketball program and sanctioned itself, including a ban on postseason participation, a reduction of scholarships and vacating all of its wins from 2007-08.

      But though USC chose to contest the allegation against the football program, its ultimate goal is to overcome the perception of a lack of institutional control, which could result in significant sanctions, including scholarship reductions, TV and postseason bans, recruiting restrictions and probation.

      If USC is found guilty of major violations, the NCAA also could rule that the Trojans are “repeat violators.” Per NCAA rules, “An institution shall be considered a ‘repeat’ violator if the Committee on Infractions finds that a major violation has occurred within five years of the starting date of a major penalty.”

      As the article notes, the football program was sanctioned back in 2001 so if allegations concerning Reggie Bush are found to be major violations, USC could be forced to forfeit victories during the running back’s time in the program. That would be a massive blow considering the Trojans won a national championship and lost in the BCS title game during that span.

      Bush should be concerned, too. If he is found retroactively ineligible, then he could lose his 2005 Heisman Trophy award.


      Photo from fOTOGLIF

      College Basketball, College Football, External Sports

      It makes sense for the Saints to keep Bush

      February 25, 2010 /

      After weeks of speculation that he could be dumped in a cost cutting move this offseason, Mike Lombardi of the NFL Network is reporting that the Saints aren’t even contemplating releasing running back Reggie Bush.

      Bush is set to make $8 million in 2010, which is a lot of loot for a team to spend on a part-time player. The Saints also have 21 pending free agents (18 of them are restricted) that they have to decide whether or not to bring back and an extra $8 million in salary relief could go a long way this offseason.

      That said, the Saints just won the Super Bowl and Bush is good for at least 10 touchdowns a year in some capacity. As he proved against the Cardinals in the playoffs, he’s a game changer if he gets enough touches and he’s liable to take one to the house every time he gets his hands on the ball.

      Teams have a very small window to win the in NFL because of the amount of turnover that occurs from year to year. The Saints already have a Super Bowl roster and while Bush will no doubt be overpaid next season, he’s still a viable commodity to New Orleans’ offense. Even though that money could definitely be used elsewhere, it makes sense that the Saints would want to hang onto Bush for one more year and make another run at a Super Bowl while they still have the talent to do so.


      Photo from fOTOGLIF

      NFL

      « Older posts Newer posts »

      © 2026 The Scores Report – The National Sports Blog

      Theme by Anders Noren — Up ↑