619-GET-CASH

I don't know what Reggie Bush did to piss off Charles Robinson at Yahoo! Sports, but he'd better apologize. As I'm sure you're aware, Yahoo just published another expose' on the alleged benefits Bush's family received from marketing agents while he was at USC. If accurate, the story details over $100,000 in various loans and gifts given to the Bush household while Reggie was enrolled at USC. While I'm still amazed that anyone trying to buy the Bush's services would get them a house in Spring Valley (I used to live just a couple blocks from their rent-free digs) instead of La Jolla or Mission Hills, I'm even more amazed that it's Yahoo that keeps breaking these stories. Yahoo can't even keep my email running for a full day, but they somehow have more ardent investigative reporters than ESPN, Sports Illustrated, or the LA Times? Then again, ESPN and the LA Times have their own vested interest in portraying USC and Reggie Bush in a positive light...

For the record, I'm a huge Reggie Bush fan; and while these allegations don't look good, I hope they don't have too much of an effect on his career going forward. Seeing as how other players have been able to overcome incidents like drunken driving, spousal abuse, or vicodin addiction and still create an overall positive image in the media, I think Bush will be fine. However his (and his family's) actions still must have repercussions, and it will most likely be USC and Pete Carroll that ultimately pay the price. In a worst-case scenario, USC could be forced to forfeit their 2004 National Championship, as there are claims that Bush had already begun receiving benefits at that point.

To think that just this past January, there was talk of USC's football team going for a threepeat. Now there is the possibility that when the dust settles, all that remains is the split championship with LSU. Maybe the marketing folks over at 'SC can salvage things and get a trademark on the phrase "half-peat???"