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NCAA punishes USC - Reggie Bush, OJ Mayo, Dwayne Jarrett, Joe McKnight investigation

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Not a bad house

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<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=yspsctnhdln>Transcripts allegedly tie Bush to sports agency</TD></TR><TR><TD height=7><SPACER height="1" width="1" type="block"></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>By Charles Robinson, Yahoo! Sports
April 26, 2006

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Transcripts of parole violation hearings for New Era Sports & Entertainment associate Lloyd Lake not only detail alleged links between the marketing agency and USC running back Reggie Bush but also indicate contact with Trojan offensive tackle Winston Justice during the 2005 college football season.

In the transcripts – acquired by Yahoo! Sports from the U.S. District Court in San Diego – Lake's attorney, Marc Carlos, contends that his client's sports agency was "in negotiations with recruiting Reggie Bush" and that the agency at some point considered "potential litigation – or a settlement involving Mr. Bush's involvement with that agency."
San Diego-based agent David Caravantes, testifying as a character witness, claimed that he and Lake began working together in October to start a sports marketing firm that would be tied to the Sycuan Indian Tribe. That firm eventually took on the name New Era Sports & Entertainment. One of the tie-ins to the tribe was Michael Michaels, another one of the New Era founders who also works as a business officer for the Sycuans.
The Sycuan Tribe, acknowledging it was approached by Michaels and Lake, told the Associated Press Tuesday that it had no role with New Era Sports. "There was a request to become partners in this New Era Sports," Adam Day, Sycuan's assistant tribal manager, told AP. "Both the tribal council and the development corporation board of directors refused to join into the business venture."

In the unsworn court testimony, taken on Jan. 30 and Feb. 6, in front of M. James Lorenz, Carlos produced a brochure put together by New Era Sports. The attorney then outlined Lake's role with New Era, and the marketing firm's involvement with Bush as a prospective client.
Carlos alluded to a fallout between Bush and New Era, noting that there had even been potential litigation discussed by the agency for breach of an agreement on the part of Bush and his family.
"He has been trying to get together a sports agency group," Carlos alleged of the attempt by Lake and others to form New Era Sports. " Apparently, they were in negotiations with recruiting Reggie Bush. And that matter is in litigation right now due to, I guess, representations made by Bush and his family to Mr. Lake's group."

Carlos later revisited the alleged fracturing of the relationship between the Bush family and New Era, noting that a meeting was supposed to have taken place among members of the firm to discuss some form of litigation.
"Apparently, what happened is that Mr. Bush – or through his associates – had made some type of agreement with Mr. Lake's group, the sports agency group that they had. There was a meeting to have happened. It was supposed to be on a Saturday where they were going to discuss potential litigation – or a settlement involving Mr. Bush's involvement with that agency."
Carlos, reached Tuesday, declined to elaborate on the testimony.
Details about Justice, a junior tackle who has made himself eligible for this weekend's NFL Draft, also surfaced during Lake's testimony. On Nov. 26, 2005 – one week before USC was to play UCLA in the regular season finale – Lake testified that both Justice and Bush were supposed to spend the night out with him. In his testimony, Lake explained his girlfriend had gotten upset with him for planning to go out with Bush, Justice and some of Bush's friends.
"Well, I had a sports agency we had formed, and we had a guy in, Winston Justice, from USC," Lake testified. "And [my girlfriend] had planned to go out with us that night, but Reggie Bush came into town. And at that time, he was going to go out with us, so I told her all his friends were coming and that it wasn't a good night for us to go out, and that kind of got her upset."
Lake said the group took a limousine to a club, and then eventually dropped Justice off at "Hotel Shalimar". There is no listing for a Hotel Shalimar in San Diego, however, there is an upscale $300 per-night resort in the city's Gaslamp district called "Hotel Solamar." It is unclear from the testimony whether Bush was part of the group that night.
USC spokesman Tim Tessalone said the school was unaware of any of the details of the testimony.
"That's the first that we've heard of it and I probably need to verify it with Winston," Tessalone said of Justice's name appearing in the testimony.
Tessalone also told Yahoo! Sports that USC football coach Pete Carroll and athletic director Mike Garrett would be reserving comment until an ongoing investigation is concluded. An NCAA source confirmed Tuesday that the association has joined the Pacific 10 Conference in investigating the relationship between New Era Sports and Bush.
Caravantes also gave details of the New Era Sports venture in his testimony.
"Lloyd and I had got together in October to start a new sports management firm with the Sycuan, the Indian resort," Caravantes said. "And since then, Lloyd and myself, and some members of Sycuan and others, have put together a company called New Era Sports and Entertainment. And since October, Lloyd was a viable part of the company, helping recruit players, and in the process of merging this New Era Sports with Sycuan. In the process of this happening, you know, it obviously hurt the company because he had relationships with certain players who ended up not signing."
Bush signed with agent Joel Segal and marketing representative Michael Ornstein. His family lived in a house owned by Michaels for most of the last year until moving out last week. Bush attorney David Cornwell and USC offensive tackle Winston Justice didn't return calls seeking comment.
http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news;_ylt=AgiGGWEQn_Ug4iwKGbddFvYcvrYF?slug=cr-bush042606&prov=yhoo&type=lgns&expire=1
 
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An Interesting Perspective - LA Times

Hmm, media in USC's backyard circling the wagons for the Trojans perhaps?
LINK
Bush Proves to Be More Elusive Than Ever

Bill Plaschke

April 26, 2006

He has spent the last three years sprinting away from opponents, rendering them dusty, bloody and face down.

Is Reggie Bush now doing the same to USC?

Will his last official act before signing a professional contract be the defacing of his college program?

There are still many unanswered questions about a controversy that has performed a sudden Bush-like somersault across the sports landscape.

But this much is clear:

• His parents lived, for a year, in a house owned by a businessman attempting to secure Bush as a client.

• Bush has refused to answer questions as to whether they paid rent.

And USC, despite no apparent involvement, could end up a victim.

While Bush is making big money in the NFL, the Trojans could lose big money in the future because of NCAA sanctions.

While Bush streaks into the pro spotlight, USC is left with the scuff marks.

We often read the sad tales of universities exploiting athletes for profit before discarding them like threadbare socks.

But if allegations that Bush received what the NCAA calls "extra benefits" prove correct, tell me again, who's using whom?

"Mad at Reggie Bush?" Pete Carroll asked me Tuesday during a phone interview. "Why would I be mad at Reggie Bush?"

Oh, I don't know.

Maybe because Carroll constantly warns his players about the danger of premature involvement with agents?

Because Carroll does all but literally chase these agents off campus?

Because Carroll has worked hard to build that rare dynasty that follows the rules?

"I'm on my kids at every turn, every day, doing whatever I can to keep outside influences from clouding their thought processes," Carroll acknowledged.

Mad at Reggie Bush? Maybe the Trojan family should be.

Some say there is no way a college kid could know the finances of his parents' living arrangements.

"Think back to when you were in school, did you know how your parents paid the mortgage?" Carroll asked.

Of course not. For me, for the longest time, mortgage was only a word written on the back of a Monopoly property.

But being the most famous college athlete in the country, Reggie Bush is different.

For a year his parents lived in a huge house owned by businessman Michael Michaels, who fancied Bush as the client who would help him launch a San Diego-based sports agency.

Bush wouldn't have wondered why, and how, his parents were suddenly loading up boxes?

More compellingly, Michaels wouldn't have wanted Bush to know that he was doing his parents a favor?

A businessman allegedly ate thousands in rent each month to be Bush's friend, and Bush isn't going to know about it?

That doesn't make sense. And neither does it seem plausible that Bush didn't know it was against the rules.

"We talk all the time about people who come after our players, people without the best of intentions, people just trying to get what they can," Carroll said.

Bush was one of the Trojans' smartest, hardest-working players, early for every practice, the last one to leave. Yet he missed those lectures?

Bush was so tied to San Diego that when he played, he wore the city's main area code, 619, in black strips under his eyes. Yet he didn't care where or how his parents lived?

We would ask these questions of Bush, but apparently he has stopped talking to the Los Angeles media that he once courted.

Bush's marketing guy, Mike Ornstein, a former Raider official who specialized in fighting with the media, didn't return my phone call Tuesday.

It seems Bush doesn't need USC anymore. He doesn't need their fans anymore. He's long gone. He's $25 million gone.

You want to hear him, tune to ESPN.

In a recent interview with espn.com, Bush said, "I think [college] athletes should get paid."

If his parents lived rent-free for a year in a house purchased by a guy trying to buy Bush's affection, then he was paid.

And, if so, then his former coach and teammates will have to foot the bill.

Tell me again, who was using whom?
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Wow, that guy sounds pissed...


Anyway, on a bit of an "off-shoot" topic, I wonder if and how this (negative pub / potential violations) affects recruiting or if it shakes any of those who have already given a verbal. I would think it will at the very least slow down the decision process for some who might have pulled the trigger earlier, but who now want to see how things play out.

Will any recruits "open" up the process again just in case?
 
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Padraig said:
Wow, that guy sounds pissed...


Anyway, on a bit of an "off-shoot" topic, I wonder if and how this (negative pub / potential violations) affects recruiting or if it shakes any of those who have already given a verbal. I would think it will at the very least slow down the decision process for some who might have pulled the trigger earlier, but who now want to see how things play out.

Will any recruits "open" up the process again just in case?
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Based on the fact that the Trojans netted two recruits in the last couple of days it would seem the answer today is no. Of course, if clouds gather and the skies over LA are darkened by the NCAA then that could change - its a long time till NLOID '07!
 
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Padraig said:
Wow, that guy sounds pissed...


Anyway, on a bit of an "off-shoot" topic, I wonder if and how this (negative pub / potential violations) affects recruiting or if it shakes any of those who have already given a verbal. I would think it will at the very least slow down the decision process for some who might have pulled the trigger earlier, but who now want to see how things play out.

Will any recruits "open" up the process again just in case?
Click to expand...

Duke Lacrosse gear sales is through the roof. I am guessing that unless there is an institutional lack of control (cough...NOT....cough) they will be Okee Dokee.
 
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Padraig said:
Wow, that guy sounds pissed...


Anyway, on a bit of an "off-shoot" topic, I wonder if and how this (negative pub / potential violations) affects recruiting or if it shakes any of those who have already given a verbal. I would think it will at the very least slow down the decision process for some who might have pulled the trigger earlier, but who now want to see how things play out.

Will any recruits "open" up the process again just in case?
Click to expand...

I guess it depends on if this opens up like the Clarett incident did. Time will tell.

If you think back, during the early days of our problems, recruits were pretty much with us and eventually most of the good ones stayed with us. In the end, we lost a few good recruits because of the perceived likelihood of penalties hanging over Ohio State, which escalated bit-by-bit with each little revelation.

I think if you apply a microscope to any Div 1 program long enough, you have got to find compliance allegations. In our case, none of these stuck except the self-reported payment to Smith. USC will hope that Bush is the only problem and that his only problem is this house, if it is indeed a non-compliance issue.

It's when the second issue is discovered that all hell breaks loose.
 
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An NCAA source confirmed Tuesday that the association has joined the Pacific 10 Conference in investigating the relationship between New Era Sports and Bush.
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This was a noteworthy tidbit in the article posted by ScriptOhio. The NCAA is now involved in the investigation.
 
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New Link in Bush Case

In court records from unrelated criminal case, lawyer cites claims of ties with sports agency group. NCAA joins Pac-10 in investigation.

By David Wharton and Gary Klein, Times Staff Writers

April 26, 2006

New details emerged Tuesday suggesting that Reggie Bush's family had significant ties to — and perhaps a business agreement with — an aspiring sports marketer who hoped to sign the USC tailback as a client.

The relationship, laid out in court documents and interviews, has come under investigation because the family lived in a house owned by a New Era Sports & Entertainment executive during Bush's Heisman Trophy-winning football season.

Bush has characterized the situation as "blown out of proportion," saying that his parents were merely leasing the spacious suburban home in Spring Valley near San Diego.

But in transcripts from an unrelated criminal case, a lawyer for one of New Era's founding partners said: "Apparently, what happened is that Mr. Bush — or through his associates — had made some type of agreement with … the sports agency group."

And, as New Era sought to form a partnership with the Sycuan Indian tribe, Bush's stepfather, LaMar Griffin, went to the reservation east of San Diego.

"He was extended the courtesy of a visit," Sycuan spokesman Adam Day said. "The tribe chose not to be a part of that company."

Neither Griffin nor his wife, Denise, could be reached for comment.

Bush, who enters this weekend's NFL draft as the probable No. 1 pick, would have been a valuable client for the fledgling company. He ultimately chose other representation.

Still, a Pacific 10 Conference official confirmed Tuesday that the NCAA has joined the conference in an investigation into Bush's connections with New Era.

If investigators discover the company allowed the Griffins to live rent-free or at a reduced rate during the 2005 football season, USC could face sanctions even if Bush and the school had no knowledge of the violations.

Those sanctions could include forfeiting some or all of the victories in a 12-1 season that saw the Trojans reach the bowl championship title game, where they lost to Texas.

"We're moving on it," said Ron Barker, the Pac-10's associate commissioner for enforcement. "We have made some progress and we'll go from there."

In other developments, it was learned that San Diego-based sports agent David Caravantes — who minimized his connection to Bush and New Era in reported comments earlier this week — previously told a judge that he was actively involved in the company. New Era also claimed to have met with USC tackle Winston Justice in San Diego.

The details come from court transcripts that shed more light on the little-known company.

It reportedly was founded last year by Lloyd Lake and Michael Michaels, a Sycuan member who also works for the tribe's development corporation.

Last March, Michaels purchased the Spring Valley house for $757,500, according to San Diego County property transfer records. LaMar and Denise Griffin, and their teenage son Jovan, moved in shortly thereafter.

They had previously lived in a town home several miles away. The new house was larger but hardly luxurious, part of a new tract across from older homes, its yard grown knee-high in weeds.

A neighbor said rents in the area are around $2,000 a month. The Griffins moved out earlier this month.

The court transcripts involved Lake, who previously had a previous drug-related conviction, said Marc Carlos, his attorney. Early this year, Lake was summoned back to court amid allegations of domestic abuse, a violation of his probation.

At hearings Jan. 30 and Feb. 6, Carlos and his client told the judge about New Era, saying the company had reached an agreement with Bush. Carlos said the company was considering a lawsuit over Bush's switching to other representation.

Neither Michaels nor Lake could be reached for comment.

On Tuesday, Carlos pulled back somewhat from his courtroom statements, saying he was merely relaying claims made to him by Lake, who has since been returned to prison.

"My intent was to establish that New Era was a viable business and not a front for some illegal purpose," Carlos said. "There may have been tentative agreements [with Bush] or maybe they were in progress. That's for someone else to figure out."

NCAA investigators are expected to pay particular attention to whether such an agreement existed while Bush was still playing last season.

Caravantes, the agent, appeared at the February hearing on Lake's behalf, telling the judge: "Lloyd and I had got together in October to start a new sports management firm with Sycuan, the Indian resort. And since then, Lloyd and myself, and some members of Sycuan and others, have put together a company."

Lake's sister, Lisa, a San Diego television news anchor, also was mentioned in court as part of the business. She could not be reached for comment.

Sycuan tribe officials reiterated Tuesday that they chose not to partner with New Era.

Justice did not return phone calls, but the transcripts prompted a sharp reaction from his agent, Gary Uberstine, who also represents USC Coach Pete Carroll.

"He didn't do anything with them," Uberstine said of Justice's purported meeting with New Era. "He hooked up with Reggie and, if he was in a group of people that he didn't know, maybe they were there."

David Cornwell, the attorney for Bush and his family, could not be reached for comment.

Meanwhile, it remained to be seen if the controversy would affect Bush's draft status. The Houston Texans have the first pick Saturday and had not revealed their intentions.

"At this point in time, we're not aware of anything that Reggie might have done that was improper," team owner Bob McNair said in a telephone interview. "The allegations concern his parents."

McNair said that while the situation raises questions, "our concern is with the behavior of the player we're drafting. As long as his behavior is satisfactory, we can't expect him to control every member of his family."
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Also of note, this Lisa Lake character also attended Helix High in SD.


USC PLAYERS KNEW ABOUT BUSH GOINGS-ON

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.
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