Laughably Predictable Trojies: U$C Throws Hoops Under The Bus To Save Football

$C is sacrificing its basketball program to protect its football program.

And wow, they’re giving up some BB wins, one BB scholarship and a few BB recruiting days for all the years of Pete’s cheating.

It won’t wash. Let’s see them vacate all of the games that Bush played. Bush got paid a whole lot more than OJ.

Weigh in here. We need your insight.

Just learned the news.

Here are the relevant parts of the press release: "The University of Southern California today announced that it has implemented self-imposed sanctions on its men’s basketball program for violating NCAA rules. [¶] The sanctions are a result of a University investigation that found NCAA rules violations related to O.J. Mayo, who played for the USC’s men’s basketball team during the 2007-2008 season. [¶] ‘USC takes allegations of NCAA rules violations very seriously. When allegations were made regarding our men’s basketball program we immediately began an investigation and worked closely with the NCAA and the Pac-10 in an attempt to ascertain the truth,’ said USC Athletic Director Mike Garrett. ‘When we’ve done something wrong, we have an obligation to do something about it and that is exactly what we are doing here.’ The press release then identifies the sanctions and basketball Coach Kevin O’Neill’s whining. The press release ends: "Mr. Garrett concluded, "While we recognize there may be additional questions about our announcement today or other alleged NCAA infractions, until the NCAA concludes its inquiries, we cannot make any further comment.’ [¶] A video statement from USC Athletic Director Mike Garrett can be viewed at

The entire statement is at http://uscnews.usc.edu/university/usc_announces_self-imposed_sanctions_on_mens_basketball_team.html

Notice what USC Senior Vice President Dickey (pronounced like the fake turtleneck accoutrement) who is really a former general counsel and supervises the general counsel (his real occupation is concealed in the press release) said about the scandal—nothing. As noted, here is what the press release says Mr. Dickey, who is really a lawyer, said: ‘"We have very high standards for our faculty, athletic department, staff and students,’ said USC Senior Vice President Todd R. Dickey. ‘We expect and demand that everyone associated with the University live up to these standards. Nothing is more important than the integrity.’" Now here is what Mike Garrett, who is charged with living up to "very high standards," has to say: "While we recognize there may be additional questions about our announcement today or other alleged NCAA infractions, until the NCAA concludes its inquiries, we cannot make any further comment."

See the sandbagging disingenuousness of all this. First, Mr. Dickey admits nothing abut the past. The other parts of the press release state the scandal involves O.J. Mayo (who now it can be revealed is named after the sandwich spread not the prison inmate) and Rodney Guillory. But Mr. Dickey doesn’t say what they did. Mr. Dickey’s investigation revealed something but he sure won’t tell us. Most importantly, what did the Head Basketball Coach who was hired by Mr. Garrett, the guy charged with living up to "very high standards," do? Note that the USC lawyers who helped draft the press release made sure Mr. Floyd’s name is nowhere to be found. Mr. Dickey isn’t saying. Second, same thing with Mr. Garrett, the guy charged with living up to "very high standards," he won’t say what happened other than to refuse to comment further. You would think Mr. Garrett, the guy charged with living up to "very high standards," would say something about his former hire. (The USC website announces that Mr. Garrett, the guy charged with living up to "very high standards," has a video statement. I cannot get the link to work now at 4:29 p.m.)

The truth is we don’t know how this will play out. And the sanctions story is at an early stage. As when the Floyd payoff allegations arose (which sure look like they were true—but we all knew they were because we all know Dr. Samples has no control over the athletic department), the story and revelations played out day by day. And today is one more iteration in an on-going scandal. There will be more.

One last thought—this conspiracy of we ain’t talkin’ may fall apart. As has been pointed out several times on this site, every time some U.S.C. lawyer or Mr. Garrett, the guy charged with living up to "very high standards," says, we "cannot" comment further—they are lying. The can talk—they just choose not to do so, which generally means they have something they do not want to talk about; i.e. something to hide. The layers of athletic compliance supervision are all staffed by lawyers and they won’t talk. But this is an issue of making money. The athletic program is part of the profiting making business model of the school. Serious journalists are drawn to stories of money making moguls who cheat and then won’t talk. So far, no serious journalist has made the decision to get to the truth. Hopefully, that will change once journalists realize this is cheating to amass large sums of money and they are being blown off with misleading press releases and a phalanx of stiff arming of lawyers. For those who say it will never happen—you may be right but we’ll see. This level of corruption has a way of eventually collapsing.

You know they’ll find some other way to cheat the system while the NCAA “powers that be” show how impotent they are.

A reduction of 1 scholarship? Please… this is the same place that hired a recruit’s father and L’il Romeo and had the players as walk-ons to save themselves from using up a scholarship.

They pride themselves on finding ways to cheat the system while laughing all the way to the bank.