HAZE Posted January 25 Report Share Posted January 25 http://www.nfl.com/teams/story/NO/9952465SAN DIEGO (Jan. 24, 2007) -- The existence of taped conversations between Reggie Bush or members of his family and an investor in a failed sports marketing agency could confirm the New Orleans Saints running back received cash and gifts while playing for Southern California, Yahoo.com reported.A federal investigation into extortion claims by Bush and his family revealed the existence of the taped conversations, according to the Yahoo.com report.The U.S. Attorney's office in San Diego has issued grand jury subpoenas to multiple witnesses in the probe, Yahoo.com reported. According to a copy of a subpoena obtained by Yahoo, at least one of the witnesses was asked to hand over "any recordings in your possession of conversations between Lloyd Lake and Reggie Bush, Denise Griffin or LaMar Griffin."Lake, who founded a sports marketing agency in hopes of landing Bush as its first client, is the subject of a grand jury probe into the extortion claims. Denise Griffin is Bush's mother, and LaMar Griffin is Bush's stepfather.Yahoo.com, citing unidentified sources, reported LaMar Griffin spoke with federal investigators in the spring of 2006 and acknowledged the existence of the tapes.When asked in the past about the allegations of receiving inappropriate extra benefits, Bush has insisted that he and his family did nothing wrong.Multiple sources told Yahoo.com that Lake made the tapes in late 2005 to protect his financial investment if Bush backed out of a deal to sign with New Era Sports & Entertainment, founded by Lake and San Diego businessman Michael Michaels. In January 2005, Bush signed with agent Joel Segal and marketing agent Mike Ornstein.On Jan. 12, 2007, Lake's mother, Barbara Gunner, testified before a grand jury, according to the Yahoo.com report, that she had heard portions of tapes made by her son, in which LaMar Griffin states Bush intended to repay New Era Sports "their money," as well as for a car purchased for him."I respectfully decline to comment on the media frenzy regarding Reggie Bush, his family and his college career," David Cornwell, Bush's attorney, told Yahoo.Lake told Yahoo in August 2006 that he contributed a portion of the cash and gifts allegedly given to Bush and his family as part of an agreement to represent the 2005 Heisman Trophy winner when he signed an NFL contract. In September, Yahoo.com reported Ornstein also supplied Bush and his family with gifts while he was still at USC.According to Yahoo.com, nearly $280,000 in cash, rent and gifts was allegedly given to Bush and his family.The Pac-10 Conference and the NCAA are investigating whether Bush or his family broke NCAA rules and compromised his eligibility during the 2004 and '05 seasons by taking extra benefits.If Bush is found to have violated NCAA rules, USC, which won a national title in '04 and played for the '05 championship, could be sanctioned.Also, the Heisman Trophy Trust requires players be in good standing with the NCAA to be eligible for the award given to college football's top player. If Bush is ruled ineligible by the NCAA, he could be in danger of having his Heisman taken away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stymie Posted January 25 Report Share Posted January 25 when you steal 300K from someone you are officially a full blown criminal.I wouldnt have been surprised if this story went the other way and these guys that he ripped off had someone kill him, or at least try to kill him instead of bringing this to the media and releasing tapes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lolahotass Posted January 25 Report Share Posted January 25 hey same thing happened at good ol' University of Michigan.. you can thank Chris Webber for putting that school's basketball program to shame.It will be too bad if USC loses its national title due to this.. i think pete carroll is an exceptional coach with an exceptional program... but it could all go bye bye if they get sanctioned!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stymie Posted January 25 Report Share Posted January 25 thats diff tho... webber took moeny from boosters no?this guy took hundreds of thousands from an agency that he was supposed to sign with then just fucked them out of the deal and all the money.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vicman Posted January 25 Report Share Posted January 25 fuck 'em all. watch the NCAA do shit and look the other way. when the fuck will the NCAA actually remunerate in some form the "student-atheletes" that bring in MAJOR $$$$ to the university and the NCAA?goddam, at least pay them a fucking stipend, like $10 an hour for every hour they spend in practice and travelling to and from games and at the games. of course, those players who dont even show up at class and still pass should just go fuck themselves. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JonStephen Posted January 25 Report Share Posted January 25 thats diff tho... webber took moeny from boosters no?this guy took hundreds of thousands from an agency that he was supposed to sign with then just fucked them out of the deal and all the money....you're right with webberon that note, i dont think the university or the program should get sanctioned at all if they in no way had anything to do with giving a college athlete any extra compensation. i think the punishment should go solely on the player Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghhhhhost Posted January 25 Report Share Posted January 25 all they can do is just take his personal accolades away...unless USC has knowledge of anything that went on...and they can prove they did...USC shouldnt lose any of the natl titles... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lolahotass Posted January 25 Report Share Posted January 25 yeah your right stymie.. it was the booster scandel... doh!i wonder if he'll lose the heisman? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hbacura Posted January 30 Report Share Posted January 30 fuck 'em all. watch the NCAA do shit and look the other way. when the fuck will the NCAA actually remunerate in some form the "student-atheletes" that bring in MAJOR $$$$ to the university and the NCAA?goddam, at least pay them a fucking stipend, like $10 an hour for every hour they spend in practice and travelling to and from games and at the games. of course, those players who dont even show up at class and still pass should just go fuck themselves.I think it's called getting their education for free! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghhhhhost Posted January 30 Report Share Posted January 30 4 years @ USC= 120-150K in tuition. 4 years of football @ USC= 120-150m in earnings parity like a mofo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vicman Posted January 30 Report Share Posted January 30 I think it's called getting their education for free!please. education for free my ass. not everyone on the team has a full scholarship, so that point is mute. and they can't have any jobs during the season, so 1/3 of the year they dont have any sort of income.point is, not every student on an NCAA team (football, basketball, baseball, polo, volley ball) will make mega $$$$ when they are through with school, not everyone has a full scholarship. if a student assistant makes $10 an hour helping a professor, if you can go and work in the library for 20hrs a week regardless if you have a scholarship or not, why do they make all these rules for student-atheletes who might or might not have scholarships?$10 an hour for the time spent in practice, working out, going to and from games, and playing is chump change for the amount of $$$ these teams bring into the program and the exposure the university gets. when else can you get 80,000 people to go into, say, the University of Alabama on a Saturday afternoon? only during football season. these programs and the NCAA make mega $$$$ off the students. you dant have to pay them that much so they can at least take a date out to mcdonalds and a movie during the week.and try posting a bit more than once every 2 years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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