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NCAA Documents Prove USC Trojans Were Treated Fairly

By Caleb Calhoun

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The LA Times released documents to try to prove the USC Trojans were victims of a witch hunt in 2010. But it just proved they were treated fairly.

In what has circulated across the news media over the past two days, The Los Angeles Times published a story about the release of NCAA Documents in the Todd McNair-USC defamation case.

According to the LA Times, the documents have a “negative tone.” Here is what it says in the lede, written by Nathan Fenno.

"Members of the NCAA infractions committee that handed USC some of the most severe penalties in college sports history compared the evidence in the scandal to the Oklahoma City bombing, mocked the university’s response to the matter and derided the hiring of Lane Kiffin."

After reading the full story, it is still hard to say USC was treated unfairly by the NCAA.

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There appears to be a thought process going around that that the sanctions levied against the USC Trojans in 2010 based on improper benefits to Reggie Bush and O.J. Mayo were the result of a personalized witch hunt against the school. Of course, that was the thinking of everybody there, including former athletic director Mike Garrett, who had to nerve to say those involved were just jealous that they’re not Trojans.

Garrett’s replacement by Pat Haden has been great for the program, as Haden has accepted the sanctions and moved on.

Examining the outrage, the NCAA was accused of comparing the sanctions to the OKC bombing in 1995. Here’s the quote, from Rodney Uphoff, a nonvoting member of the infractions committee.

"But there is no question that the evidence in this case is much stronger than against Nichols in the OKC case."

As you can see, that accusation is completely unfair. The comparison is not about the severity of the case, but to make a point about the evidence in the case.

Arguments also point out that the hiring of Lane Kiffin was criticized as evidence that the school did not take the investigation seriously.

But If there was evidence that Bush received improper benefits, than pettiness on the part of the NCAA over the hiring of Kiffin is irrelevant, as are the comparisons that are made.

Stop skirting around the real issue.

The fact of the matter is Bush and Mayo received improper benefits, and Mayo was retroactively deemed ineligible before he even played a game.

Alabama was put on a two-year bowl ban for the same thing in the early 2000s. But USC, who is so used to being the media darling, had to act like it was an unfair victim when the NCAA treated them the exact same way they treat other schools for recruiting violations.

And don’t compare this to Ohio State’s one-year bowl ban.

Ohio State players received minor improper benefits, shoes for tattoos, that the school at first did not seem to be affiliated with. It was nowhere near to the degree of benefits Mayo and Bush had.

As a whole, bowl bans and probation are always the wrong way to deal with these things. But it is time for USC Nation and the LA Times, which is part of its fan base to get over it.

The NCAA treated you guys just like everybody else, so stop complaining that you didn’t get special treatment.

Do what your own A.D., Pat Haden, and you own head coach, Steve Sarkisian are doing. Move forward.

Notice the program has a bright future. Get over the past.

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