What do you think of USC's self-imposed sanctions?

20 Comments

  • John G. Jerdon - 14 years ago

    "Alas fair Illium, I knew her well". That being said, I hope the hammer of Aggememnon again falls on the Trojans

  • Joe K - 14 years ago

    Sacrificing the basketball program as a smoke screen for football team infractions is a desperate move. Hopefully, it won't pay off in the end. See Plaschke's interesting article at http://www.latimes.com/sports/college/basketball/la-sp-plaschke4-2010jan04,0,3432202.column

  • p carson - 14 years ago

    Garret is the problem. He is either blind or stupid or maybe both. You can not tell me he did not know. He should be fired.

  • Steve Burt - 14 years ago

    I'm wondering how many of the readers truly understand the relationship between the NCAA, PAC 10 and USC. All make a ton of money off of USC's football program and all expect each school to govern itself. In the case of the Trojan basketball program USC initiated its own investigation into the recruitment O.J. Mayo. When it became apparent that Tim Floyd was knowledgable about NCAA violations, he quickly resigned from the school. Further investigations proved that the man who brought O.J. to the school was considered by NCAA rules to be a USC booster. USC recognized that their coach was involved and did the right thing. The PAC 10 and NCAA are satisfied with USC findings and subsequent penalties and punishment imposed on the basketball program.

    As far as the football program goes; USC has already complied with the PAC 10 and NCAA regarding the Reggie Bush issues. The civil court case between the crooks and Reggie will require that USC administration provide witness testimony which at this point is we [USC] did nothing wrong. Reggie's stepfather and mother made deals with the crooks assuming they would become Reggies agents and marketing firms when he went pro. This didn't happen but Reggie was aware of his parents renting their home in San Diego county on a one-year lease. From what I know the lease has been paid and his parents moved out of the home. The rest is on Reggie's back. If the PAC 10 and NCAA were going to rule on the USC investigation they would have done it by now. There will be now ruling against USC. The defendant in the court case is Reggie Bush and his family. One reader mentioned "the Death Penalty" for the USC football program. The last death penalty was given to SMU back when Dickerson and James were the "Pony Express." Most of the players accept money and spiffs. But it took three NCAA investigation before they levied the dealth penalty. The penalties destroyed the Mustang football program for twenty-years. The school is just now getting back with Coach June Jones.

  • marinaguy - 14 years ago

    Why punish this team, none of whom had anything to do with the transgressions? And, frankly, it was a beautiful thing to see this team, whose stars had departing early with a coach in disgrace arise from the ashes with a new coach to play with such passion and skill so that they are now regarded as a significant force in college basketball. Why, legally, can't one go after the guilty even after they have left? Why not write contracts with a clause that stipulates 5 years of deferred compensation which can be stopped if there is a past transgression in that period. Minimally, the Athletics Director bears responsibility and should let go.

  • Dick Diamond - 14 years ago

    USC (Mike Garrett and company) will do nothing to football. So what else is new? As long as the USC faithful want this kind of program, it will be. Blame the administration, blame the booster clubs and the folks who pride themselves in this kind of charade and the football program and basketball program will keep going along with it. It's the fans who what win at any price and the moneyed USC interests that rule the roost. BTW, this goes on at more big time schools than we want to think about.

  • Steve Brumbach - 14 years ago

    This is a bunch of crap. SC couldn't care less about the basketball team. They want to diminish the fallout from the lack of institutional control of the football team. Make no mistake with the appellate judges ruling that Garret, Carroll, Bush, et al will now have to testify under oath in open court about the transgressions in the football program the University is trying to lessen the blow. They know they are dancing with the "Death Penalty" from the NCAA. Garrett is a pussy who is throwing the hoops team under the bus to lighten what might happen to the football team. The Administration should fire Garrett tomorrow and fire Carroll shortly thereafter. More than likely they will continue to plead ignorance of any wrongdoing on Carroll or the football teams part. Can't wait until Lloyd Lake et al win in open court and the sham that is SC football goes down in flames.

  • Art - 14 years ago

    All is not fair. Why should this team (and 2 more seasons) be punished for something that the perpetrator is not being punished for. This years team had worked their a-- off, for what? Sophmores & above have nothing to look forward to. I actually think this is going on at many schools, they just haven't got caught yet. These guys deserve all of our support.

  • Whatever - 14 years ago

    College "sports" are a joke and take money and attention away from academics. Let professional sports be part of professional leagues only - where they belong.

  • Mary Wills - 14 years ago

    I want to second Frank Tiscareno's comments. I have followed this year's team. They are what USC says they are about - to "Fight On". What a kick in the stomach to these young men who have worked so hard to not only represent themselves as a team but to represent our university. I hope they will hear those of us who support them and continue to fight on. My support is with the team. All of you have earned our support.

  • Marty - 14 years ago

    Nice smoke screen Garrett. Hopefully the $$$ won't cloud the NCAA's view of the fire!

  • Christopher Eaton - 14 years ago

    In my mind, the punishment is much too severe for the crime. Aside from that though, the reality remains that the NCAA has created an inherently unfair system in which massive revenue is generated on the backs of poverty-stricken student athletes, only a few of whom ever go on to make money from their chosen sport as professionals. The NCAA needs to be reformed, period. And for any snotty bRuins fans who are feeling sanctimonious right about now, remember that the primary difference between schools that are sanctioned and schools that aren't is that the latter don't get caught. Any other belief is naive at best. Fight On!

  • Stanley Gottlieb - 14 years ago

    I find it interesting that our A.D. seems only interested in punisment instead of management of his department so as to avoid NCAA violations. Didn't he wonder how Mayo chose USC over all the other schools that were recruiting him? A good manager would have reviewed the recruiting process and discovered any irregularities. A good manager would have been proactive and not allowed Mayo to play until it was shown that his selection of USC was legitimate. So Garrett doesn't manage, avoids responsibility, and punishes the current team and its' coach. But Garrett keeps his job. Maybe the NCAA can impose an additional punishment - fire the Athletic Director!!!

  • Hank Konigsmark - 14 years ago

    Institutional control? What a joke. And the AD is a real joke. If this weren't USC (a $$$ favorite of the NCAA) they would receive the Death Penalty.

  • Frank Tiscareno - 14 years ago

    These, so called, sanctions do not penalize those involved (Mayo, Floyd, Guillory, and Johnson). Instead the NCAA and the University have imposed these penalties to a innocent group of student athletes, who to this point of the season, who have worked hard to be the surprise of this NCAA basketball season. Institutional control is the issue and the innocent are always the punished in these situations. This years USC Trojan basketball team was on a mission and now the cause will be potentially lost due to these sanctions. Why choose now to impose institutional control? I am truly saddened for these players because they have shown so much strength. May continue to do so in the face of such unfair punishment. "Fight On!" Has been given a new meaning for this years team! Fight On boys! Fight On!

  • frank14 - 14 years ago

    Excellent post Tom Clark. I wish a fair-minded, honest person like you were the AD instead of Mike Garrett and all this stuff would have never happened.

  • Gary Kingsbury - 14 years ago

    This school is a cancer that should be removed from college sports.

    If this is what USC feels if fair for its basketball program, where is their penalties for a football program that has players taking cars and homes? Is USC too powerful to be penalized for its transgressions? Their arrogance and corruption are unbelievable!

  • Tom Clark - 14 years ago

    The purpose of self-imposition is to try to demonstrate that we have institutional control. The sanctions are appropriate even if all USC did was fail to notice who was hanging out in OJ's dorm room and failed to question where he got the electronics clearly in evidence in the dorm room. If we had gone for lesser sanctions, it would have been derided as a whitewash. I think it is clearly an attempt to save the football program. I'm not sure that will be a successful attempt once the facts about Bush become known. SC already looks bad for not knowing about and questioning the McKnight situation before the media brought it out (even if McKnight's explanation is validated). SC should be in a position to find out about and investigate these situations before anyone else. Inability to do so, rightly or wrongly lends support to the argument that we are looking the other way.

  • Ben - 14 years ago

    I will be impressed if USC does the same with the Football program. Looks like a smokescreen at the expense of the current Basketball team. Welcome to USC Coach O'Neill. Just one question... When does USC sanction Mike Garrett?

  • Mike - 14 years ago

    What is the purpose of USC putting sanctions on themselves without waiting for the NCAA to do so? Why would the NCAA wait this long on putting sanctions on USC basketball and football and not do so of as of today? Is USC that powerful in relation to the NCAA? I welcome other readers answers to these questions.

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