T1B

Bush lawyer reveals settlement
By Jason Cole and Charles Robinson, Yahoo! Sports
Jun 5, 8:08 pm EDT

Buzz Up PrintSAN DIEGO – An attorney for Heisman Trophy winner Reggie Bush filed a motion this week acknowledging that the running back’s family reached a financial settlement with a financier of a would-be marketing agency that attempted to recruit Bush while he was at the University of Southern California.


The settlement with Michael Michaels of now defunct New Era Sports & Entertainment, first reported by Yahoo! Sports in April 2007, was for $300,000.


The motion to settle the case through arbitration was revealed Thursday during what was scheduled to be a deposition of New Era partner Lloyd Lake. Lake has filed a civil lawsuit against Bush and his family seeking $300,000 for cash and gifts Lake said he provided while Bush played for the Trojans.


Proceedings halted less than 10 minutes after Lake’s deposition was to begin. Bush’s attorney David Cornwell said the motion was to compel Lake to adhere to the terms of the settlement reached between Michaels and Bush’s parents – LaMar and Denise Griffin.


An irritated Superior Court Judge Joan M. Lewis admonished both sides, but ultimately agreed to postpone all depositions in the case and schedule a hearing for Aug. 1 to discuss the motion.


Cornwell said the settlement with Michaels included Bush as an “intended beneficiary” of Michaels, releasing the family of any liabilities. A copy of the settlement filed with the court was heavily edited, removing almost all detail of the transaction.

“They’re conceding that they received this money,” Lake’s attorney Brian Watkins said. “But now their argument is that: ‘We got this money, but we paid it back already. We paid it to Michaels and that satisfied Lloyd’s debts.”

Lake was more succinct.

“The key thing is (they said) they never took money before,” Lake said. “Now, they’re saying they did.”

If Bush’s attorneys don’t win their argument Aug. 1, Bush could be doing his deposition Sept. 9. That’s two days after Bush and the New Orleans Saints are scheduled to open the NFL season.


An NCAA investigation into the actions of Bush and USC continues. If the NCAA rules that Bush received extra benefits during his playing career at USC, he could be ruled retroactively ineligible. Since some of the benefits date back to the 2004 season, the Trojans’ national championship that season could be rescinded. USC could face further NCAA sanctions and Bush’s 2005 Heisman Trophy could be in jeopardy.



spin away bitch...

right...because there is no way ANYONE at USC would notice Reggie and his digs, etc...I mean what is the USC compliance department doing...surfing?

If the NCAA doesn't take action they might as well never take any action ever again. Bush agreed he took the money. What else do you need NCAA.

If the NCAA doesn't punish U$C I think schools like OU, SMU, FSU, etc should file suit against the NCAA for selctive enforcement. They would seek to recoup the money lost while on probation/punishment.

Left Seater wrote:If the NCAA doesn't take action they might as well never take any action ever again. Bush agreed he took the money. What else do you need NCAA.

If the NCAA doesn't punish U$C I think schools like OU, SMU, FSU, etc should file suit against the NCAA for selctive enforcement. They would seek to recoup the money lost while on probation/punishment.

We already know NCAA-enforcement is selective but their hand is pretty-much forced now. Now Bush is admitting he got paid. Something has to be done. No he wasn't being paid to play by a booster, it was an investment by an agent. But the fact remains the guy and his family were suddenly rolling phat and the compliance-office was out checking to make sure the golf-team wasn't getting free tee's or some shit.

So is Auburn going to be national champ for the 2004 season now? I would find that amusing.

I'd lean towards yanking a couple schollies then making sure the compliance-office and coaches know they'll get significantly worse if they stick their heads in the sand again. Just get it over with.

So is Auburn going to be national champ for the 2004 season now? I would find that amusing.

They would have to be since Bush played and would be inelligible. Dude would also lose the Heisman since it specifically says that you must be elligible. 2005 will get an * and a note that VY was the top vote getter, but I don't think they will award him the trophy.

So all that three in a row garbage suddenly might become none in a row.

Still waiting for his take on this too. Tick Tock, Tick Tock.

Lefty he is too busy having illegal baseball practices...

buckeye_in_sc wrote:I mean what is the USC compliance department doing...surfing?

Probably, LA and all. If you wanted to make a rhetorical emphasis you might have said something like, "What is the USC compliance dept. doing, knitting scarves?" You know, in case hell freezes over and SC gets in trouble for this.

Maybe the NCAA should hand down the same "harsh" punishment they laid on Oklahoma. Take away USC's wins from that season and then just give them back a couple years later.

Neither Lake or Michaels had any contact with the Griffens until the April after USC beat Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl so nothing that season could ever be in jeopardy.
The NCAA changed the rules limiting a schools responsibility in the wrong doings of an agent or want to be agent not acting in the schools interest.
Show me where a booster paid Reggie to go to or stay at USC or a faculty gave him free A's for classes he never attended and then you can point some blame towards USC

The baseball team finished undefeated and only had one game where the enemy was within 10 runs. All the kids are back on their travel teams now trying to qualify for the Elite World Series in Orlando. My 11 year olds team has qualified, my 12 year olds team is still trying to

The NCAA changed the rules limiting a schools responsibility in the wrong doings of an agent or want to be agent not acting in the schools interest.
Show me where a booster paid Reggie to go to or stay at USC or a faculty gave him free A's for classes he never attended and then you can point some blame towards USC

You can keep rolling that out and hope that it sticks, but good luck. The fact of the matter is they didn't change this section.

NCAA DIVISION 1 MANUAL for 2004/2005 wrote:
12.3 USE OF AGENTS
12.3.1 General Rule. An individual shall be ineligible for participation in an intercollegiate sport if he
or she ever...
12.3.1.2 Benefits from Prospective Agents. An individual shall be ineligible per Bylaw 12.3.1 if he or she
(or his or her relatives or friends) accepts transportation or other benefits from: (Revised: 1/14/97)
(a) Any person who represents any individual in the marketing of his or her athletics ability. The
receipt of such expenses constitutes compensation based on athletics skill and is an extra benefit
not available to the student body in general; or
(b) An agent, even if the agent has indicated that he or she has no interest in representing the student-
athlete in the marketing of his or her athletics ability or reputation and does not represent
individuals in the student-athlete’s sport. (Adopted: 1/14/97)

If you still want to claim U$C isn't to blame then yell it to your heart's content. Reggie was ineligible because he took benefits from an agent. Reggie is part of U$C. Can you say 0 fer 2005? Bye, bye Heisman.

Also, you need to expand your focus beyond Lake and Michaels. Orinstein (SP?) whom Bush signed with to handle marketing also gave Bush and the family improper benefits, though not cash directly, prior to the 2005 season. That could lead to the 0 Pete.

There is no point in arguing any of this because the NCAA will take no action against USC.....except maybe cut 1 scholarship for 2 years and make USC apologize. Nothing is going to happen, which is what I have been saying ever since this story came out. USC is untouchable.

If anyone thinks Reggie is the only one at SC getting benefits like this, they're completely mistaken. He's one of MANY. I guarantee it. No athletic program at any school in history has ever been this crooked. Not even Jerry Tarkanian's teams. Pete Carrol puts Steve Fisher to shame in terms of cheating!

But seriously, this is a dead issue. You can argue all day about how the NCAA needs to come down hard on USC, but it doesn't matter because at the end of the day, nothing is happening to USC.

Yuh got that right!

OJ is the cover boy for the story listed on the top left, right? An issue about the B-Ball Hall of Shame. Looks to me like they got it right.