Bombs over South Central ...

From the perspective of the USC football program, the only question regarding the Reggie Bush rigmarole that really matters is whether anyone in a position of authority knew or should have known that Reggie or his family were receiving benefits from any prospective agent.

Based on information we've picked up from several sources, it is now obvious to us that multiple members of the USC team knew that something was going on with Reggie.

What that "something" is remains to be a matter of contention.  Players knew about Bush's family living in a house that they didn't own.  Players knew that Bush was involved, to some extent, with the New Era group.

Regardless of whether Bush's eligibility actually had been compromised, the fact is that there was enough chatter in and around the locker room to trigger the program's duty to inquire.  That's the premise of the "should have known" standard.  The head coach and his staff can't plug their fingers into their ears and yell, "La la la la, we're not listening."  When there's information to suggest that a violation of NCAA bylaws might have occurred, the program has an obligation to look into it.

In this case, we believe based on what we've heard that coach Pete Carroll or someone who works for him should have done something to ensure that Bush was still technically eligible throughout the 2005 season.