Hoosier_Vol
Vol Stuck in B1G 10 Hell
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In response to a recent report in The Los Angeles Daily News that USC tailback Reggie Bush has already decided to turn pro -- and that he is being "advised" by Reebok representative Mike Ornstein -- some NFL insiders are questioning whether Bush technically has blown his eligibility for the Rose Bowl.
The problem isn't whether Bush already has decided to enter the NFL draft, but whether Ornstein already is acting as his "agent" for any reason relating to Bush's eventual professional career. Indeed, it was the decision to sign with an agent after the initial Maurice Clarett court ruling that eventually kept receiver Mike Williams from returning to USC. If, then, Bush already has done the same thing, Bush arguably should not be permitted to play against Texas in the Rose Bowl.
Of course, neither Bush nor Ornstein is stupid enough to reduce the terms of their relationship (whatever it might be) to writing. But based on the info we could glean from the NCAA's official web site (which is poorly organized and would desperately benefit from a complete overhaul), it looks like the NCAA looks to the total facts and circumstances in such situations, not just the question of whether someone has put pen to paper.
In this case, something stinks (in our opinion) about Ornstein's role in all of this. Sure, he's not an NFLPA-certified agent. But he represents multiple NFL guys in broadcasting and marketing contexts, and he is a paid rep for the company that makes all of the NFL's clothing.
The real question is whether the NCAA will do some poking around in response to this report -- and, if so, whether any conclusions will be reached before January 4.
And we suppose that, if the NCAA ultimately decides after the Rose Bowl that Bush blew his eligibility before it, there's a possibility that the Trojans, if they prevail in Pasadena, could be stripped of the win.
The problem isn't whether Bush already has decided to enter the NFL draft, but whether Ornstein already is acting as his "agent" for any reason relating to Bush's eventual professional career. Indeed, it was the decision to sign with an agent after the initial Maurice Clarett court ruling that eventually kept receiver Mike Williams from returning to USC. If, then, Bush already has done the same thing, Bush arguably should not be permitted to play against Texas in the Rose Bowl.
Of course, neither Bush nor Ornstein is stupid enough to reduce the terms of their relationship (whatever it might be) to writing. But based on the info we could glean from the NCAA's official web site (which is poorly organized and would desperately benefit from a complete overhaul), it looks like the NCAA looks to the total facts and circumstances in such situations, not just the question of whether someone has put pen to paper.
In this case, something stinks (in our opinion) about Ornstein's role in all of this. Sure, he's not an NFLPA-certified agent. But he represents multiple NFL guys in broadcasting and marketing contexts, and he is a paid rep for the company that makes all of the NFL's clothing.
The real question is whether the NCAA will do some poking around in response to this report -- and, if so, whether any conclusions will be reached before January 4.
And we suppose that, if the NCAA ultimately decides after the Rose Bowl that Bush blew his eligibility before it, there's a possibility that the Trojans, if they prevail in Pasadena, could be stripped of the win.
