Reggie Bush's family flee house

[BigWillie]

Yeah, I can see how Bush would have no knowledge of where his parents got such an expensive house rent-free.

 

Reggie: "Hey mom, how can we afford this house?"

 

Mom: "Don't worry, we just found it on the edge of the street. Finders keepers!"

 

Hearing his explanation of why they moved out so quickly after being asked to be interviewed by Yahoo was funny. First he said they moved out because he put a bid in on a house, but then later said they didn't get it. Why would you move out of your house for something you might not even get? Who does that?

[Pedro Guerrero]

Its too late for that i dont think they can do that. But if it comes true there will be some serious explaining to do by USC.

Ask the "The Ohio State University" basketball team if the NCAA can do something like that. USC may take a huge hit on this.

Or the Michigan basketball team. Or the UMass basketball team.

[OhioHusker15]

I've heard if anything is actually proved the hammer would come down on reggie bush harder than on USC since the house was supposively given to bush's parents by an NFL agent and not by anyone affliated with USC. I've heard that USC could have to forfit all their games that bush played in but i think on PTI they said that would be unlikely and reggie bush would be stripped of all his records at USC and also the HEISMAN......Honestly i'll be surprised if anything comes from this but i agree that bush really did side step some questions today on PTI.

[NUpolo8]

I just wonder if Bush is acting on his own stupidity or if the almight Carroll is not as squeaky clean as once thought?

[BIGREDIOWAN]

If this is true I hope that the PAC 10 comes down hard on USC and I hope that Reggie is held accountable as well. It's things like this that makes college football look horrible.

[HSKRNOKC]

They should get smacked HARD if this is true!

[HSKRNOKC]

It was kind of funny...Bush on PTI just a moment ago...he talked fine until the direct question came up, then it was a COMPLETE Porky Pig moment...a-deeb-a-deeb-a-deeb i now have the money to buy my parents a new house!

 

That's great, Reggie!

 

But why have they been living there for the past year?!?! OOOPS!!!

 

BUSTED!!!!

[Foppa]

I'm not so sure this is something that Carroll or USC knew about. It's possible, but that would be very hard to prove. But there is NO WAY Bush didn't know about this, and in fact probably set it up. How in the H E double hockey sticks could he not? After all, he's the one in control of his own destiny!

 

USC won't feel the backlash from this, IMHO...but Bush will...while he's sleeping on millions of dollars.

 

Something needs to be done about this crap.

[BIGREDIOWAN]

I hope it drops him a little in the rankings for the Draft on Saturday (probably won't) But as a coach or owner of a team I would seriously question his moral character. We all have seen players like this cause a stink in the NFL once they get there!!!

[Foppa]

Here is some more that came out this morning...

 

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=cr-b...e=lgns&expire=1

[kc_husker]

I dont think it will drop him in the draft. the NFL doesnt

care what happens in college except for how many yards you have.

[Foppa]

I dont think it will drop him in the draft. the NFL doesnt

care what happens in college except for how many yards you have.

That's probably true, KC...I'm more interested in what it does for USC. Hopefully they take some kind of hit on this, whether it be Bush's records, or USC's. Doesn't sound like USC as a team will feel much heat from this.

[bennychico11]

I'm not going to comment on what the NCAA should or shouldn't do to Bush, but I will comment on this:

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news;_ylt=Asfj...=yhoo&type=lgns

 

Michael Michaels, who owns the Spring Valley, Calif., home in which Reggie Bush's family lived for nearly a year, said Thursday he will file a $3.2 million lawsuit for fraud against the Bush family Friday to recoup unpaid rent and other finances given to the USC star's family.

 

Michaels' attorney, Brian Watkins, alleged Thursday night that Bush's mother and stepfather, Denise and LaMar Griffin, failed to pay $54,000 in rent for the home that has become the center of a joint Pacific 10 Conference and NCAA investigation. Watkins also said that Michaels supplied money to the Bush family, including financing that allowed them to travel to several USC road games last season.

 

Not paying rent and taking cash from Michaels could constitute extra benefits and a violation of NCAA rules by Reggie Bush. Student-athletes, their friends and relatives are prohibited from receiving extra benefits from professional sports agents, marketing companies or their representatives. A breach of these statutes could result in an athlete being ruled ineligible, and games in which they played could be forfeited.

 

According to Watkins, Michaels became involved with the Bush family after LaMar Griffin and Lloyd Lake sought to establish New Era Sports & Entertainment – with Reggie Bush as a future client – in November 2004, prior to the Trojans winning that season's national championship.

 

Watkins said Michaels' role in New Era Sports was that of primary investor, and that Michaels' relationship with the family fell apart in recent months – after Bush signed with agent Joel Segal and didn't make good on a commitment to join New Era.

 

"There was an agreement that they weren't supposed to live free and mooch in that house," Watkins said of Bush's family. "They were supposed to pay rent. But they never paid one dime. Their premise for not paying was that, ‘Next month, we'll pay you. Next month we'll pay you.'

 

"Then it got to the extent where they were saying, ‘Well, don't worry about it, it's all guaranteed because we're going to be owners of this marketing and agency business, we'll give it to you out of our profits.' Twelve months passed by in that house, and not one dollar was paid."

 

Said Michaels: "They took advantage of me."

 

Reggie Bush has denied knowledge of any deal his family may have had with Michaels.

 

Watkins said that after New Era Sports & Entertainment failed as a business, Michaels sought to recoup $300,000 in back rent and other finances spent while establishing New Era over the course of the last 12 months. The attorney said his claims will be documented by different forms of communication collected in recent months.

 

 

okay, if you're a land lord and you have a tennet not paying rent for over a year ($54,000 worth) and also you're just GIVING them money so they can travel to games....??!??!!?!?

You're an f'ing' moron.

"They took advantage of me"

Oh come on, you're the one who brought them into your house, gave them all this money in hopes that he would sign with the company you're investing in...it appears to me you were trying to take just as much advantage of them as they were of you.

Gimme a break

 

(blah on the censorship/filters on this forum too )

[Eric the Red]

Lawyer shares February letter with newspaper

 

NEW YORK -- The parents of Southern California football star Reggie Bush received $100,000 in cash from investors in a sports marketing company that hoped to sign the running back, an attorney for the investors said in a letter obtained by The San Diego Union-Tribune.

 

Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Times reported that when Bush signed with an agent who was not connected with the marketing company Bush's family was asked to return the money, and Bush himself sat in on a tense settlement meeting between his parents and company officials.

 

 

 

Attorney Brian Watkins told the Union-Tribune on Friday that Bush's parents, LaMar and Denise Griffin, asked for the money partly to resolve financial problems. Watkins said the money included an initial payment of about $30,000 to help start up the New Era Sports and Entertainment agency.

 

Watkins said the money was disbursed throughout 2005 and was given on more than one occasion at the home of Lloyd Lake, an investor in the company and a documented gang member. Watkins described him as a longtime friend of the Heisman Trophy winner.

 

Watkins described the $100,000 in disbursements in a letter dated Feb. 13 in which he asked David Cornwell, the Bush family's attorney, if USC should be included in settlement discussions.

 

"We would not object to their [uSC's] participation as we understand their wanting to be involved due to the fact this matter was ongoing during their Championship season of 2004 as well as the entire season of 2005, and any lawsuit filed might have an adverse effect on them," Watkins' letter said.

 

USC spokesman Tim Tessalone said he was unaware of the letter and declined comment.

 

The content of the letter was reported hours after the Houston Texans, who have first overall selection in Saturday's draft, passed on Bush and signed North Carolina State defensive end Mario Williams.

 

Watkins said earlier this week that Bush's parents didn't pay $54,000 in rent during the year they lived in a house owned by a sports marketing agency investor who wanted to represent the football star.

 

 

 

The money dispute began after Bush signed with another agent and marketing representative, ending any chance of a deal with New Era.

 

Watkins told the Times that Bush personally tried to resolve the dispute, sending New Era an e-mail that said no one was trying to cheat them, then attending a settlement meeting several weeks ago that included his parents, Watkins and New Era representatives. Watkins said New Era representatives were searched for recording devices when they entered the meeting room.

 

 

 

Bush's mother and stepfather had agreed to pay landlord Michael Michaels $4,500 in monthly rent when they moved into the Spring Valley house Michaels bought for $757,000 in March 2005. Michaels said the Griffins told him they eventually would pay him rent from Bush's earnings when he went pro.

 

Also Friday, agent David Caravantes, who is under investigation by the NFL Players Association for his role in the housing arrangement, said he has had nothing to do with the Southern California star.

 

Caravantes told The Associated Press he is unaware of the investigation, adding: "I have had no involvement with Reggie Bush. The truth will come out."

 

Gene Upshaw, executive director of the NFLPA, confirmed Friday that the probe of Caravantes has begun.

 

Watkins, who represents Lake and Michaels, said Bush's family defrauded his clients out of $300,000 over 1½ years using "the carrot" of Bush's future football career as an enticement.

 

Bush, who signed with agent Joel Segal, said he believes the matter will be cleared up in a few weeks.

 

"I've got to get back to football," he said. "My life is parallel to a horse race. They have blinders on to keep them from being distracted in the race and keep them focused on winning the race. That's kind of like my life. Focus on the goal, not the things coming at me from the side."

 

Watkins sent the player's parents an eviction notice on April 3, and they moved out of the house last week. Bush has said his parents left because they found another place to live.

 

Watkins said he plans to file a fraud lawsuit against Bush's parents and possibly Bush.

 

Cornwell, the Bush family attorney, did not return phone calls to The Associated Press, but in an interview with the Times he accused New Era of trying to extort millions from Bush.

 

"We identified their scheme months ago and collected written evidence over the course of the months," Cornwell said. "And we provided that evidence to the NFL Players Assn. and NFL Security."

 

 

 

NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said in a statement Friday, "Based on the information presented by Reggie Bush's attorney, our office has advised the attorney to consider referring these matters to law enforcement authorities."

 

The NCAA is investigating whether the living arrangement violated rules prohibiting student-athletes and their families from receiving extra benefits from agents or their representatives