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The Heisman Choice
Published: 9/16/2010 11:44 AM
Last Modified: 9/16/2010 9:44 PM

Voting for the Heisman Trophy, like that of any sports hall of fame, is almost always based on performance.
When I vote for the Heisman, I vote for the player I believe is the best player.
I'm not voting on his character. I'm not voting on whether I think anything illegal or against NCAA rules has gone on.
If that was the case, I probably would have changed a few of my votes.
There are guys with questionable character in every sports hall of fame. There are guys with questionable character that have won the Heisman.
So, when Reggie Bush returned the Heisman because he broke NCAA rules five years ago, I applauded.
But, it doesn't change anything. There are a lot of athletes who probably should return trophies, as well.
On the other hand, if character and rules are not a part of the equation, then Pete Rose and Roger Clemens and others should be easy votes for the hall of fame.
The decision by Bush was the right one. I just don't think it is going to change anything. There are going to be guys in the hall of fame and guys denied the hall of fame for basically the same thing - bad behavior.



Reader Comments 3 Total
Kilgore.Trout (2 years ago)
Agree with most of your sentiments.

It's Bush'e decision and he made it quickly. It diffused years of camera fodder for ESPN which they would have harrassed him with as much as Barry Bonds.

ESPN is now nerd central. Derek Jeter's a cheater because he got on 1st base. Barry Bonds was the only guy taking juice in baseball? Remember when Clemens was their "White Knight". Now it's Albert Pujols? Sure?

Bush and his teammates are now not going to have to listen to the nitwits on ESPN hold public opinion polls and put him under the microscope as they did Bonds.
Smart move on his part.
BLA (2 years ago)
If anyone thinks Reggie Bush is the only college football player to take money...that's ridiculous. Its more a statement about how these kids are used for the cost of tuition ($30,000/yr at most) so the universities they represent can make millions of dollars off of them, not to mention ESPN, CBS and every other network that makes millions off of them.

The stance the NCAA took against USC was harsh, but if it wants to regain control of the ridiculousness, they needed to start. Let's hope that OU and there long line of infractions from the past several years is the next blue blood to fall. OU fans in Oklahoma would start throwing themselves into the Canadian River if the NCAA took away a couple of bowl games and their football seasons became meaningless. At least the rest of us wouldn't have to hear Boomer Sooner in our nightmares!
BLA (2 years ago)
And Pete Rose should be in the Hall of Fame. He never cheated the game and is the epitome of what baseball players should put forth in their effort. They didn't call him Charlie Hustle for no reason.
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Klein's Korner

Tulsa World senior sports columnist John Klein is in his fourth decade of covering sports. He started his newspaper career at The Daily Ardmoreite in 1977 and moved to the Tulsa World in 1978. He served 10 years as sports editor for the Tulsa World before being named to his current position in 2005. He also spent five years as the Southwest Conference beat writer for the Houston Post. He has won many writing awards and is a former Oklahoma Sports Writer of the Year.

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