Bush forfeits his Heisman

[cards2468]

if he's good enough to get paid illegally to play at USC, then he was good enough to play in about any program he wanted... but reading the mission statement by the Heisman Trust, and it becomes obvious to me he doesn't deserve the award.

The Heisman Memorial Trophy annually recognizes the outstanding college football player whose performance best exhibits the pursuit of excellence with integrity. Winners epitomize great ability combined with diligence, perseverance, and hard work. The Heisman Trophy Trust ensures the continuation and integrity of this award. The Trust, furthermore, has a charitable mission to support amateur athletics and to provide greater opportunities to the youth of our country. Our goal through these charitable endeavors is for the Heisman Trophy to symbolize the fostering of a sense of community responsibility and service to our youth, especially those disadvantaged or afflicted. All assets of the Trust beyond the expense of maintaining the annual presentation of the Heisman Memorial Trophy are reserved for such charitable causes. The Trustees, who all serve pro bono, are guided by a devotion to college football and are committed to community service and the valued tradition which the Trophy represents.

Keep in mind this isn't some MVP award they toss to the best performer, they really are looking for a well rounded top notch athlete, and in light of the scandal he was involved in, he misrepresented himself to the Trust and was not the man they thought they were giving the award to.

[Jocephus]

remember when you went to college to get educated first, then also play sports?

i dont

[ghostrunner]

I read this as "I'm richer, older, and I have a Lombardi trophy. Keep your little gold dude."


Also, reading things like this

[SHOW]

The eight-member Heisman Trophy Trust, based in New York, had said it would have to consider what to do about Bush, who won in a landslide vote over Texas quarterback Vince Young.

"The Heisman Trophy Trust will issue a statement in due course," Trust president Bill Dockery said Tuesday. "Until that time we have no further comment.

reminds me how silly these things are. How much difference is there between this and Glenn Beck's Medal of Hope or whatever? Not much.

[sighyoung]

remember when you went to college to get educated first, then also play sports?

i dont

I think it depends upon the sport, and sometimes the student. I have never taught a basketball or football player in 17 years at my institution (with the exception of a redshirt punter whose mother taught high school English). I think the athletic department shuttles most of them into a fixed range of courses to keep their averages up, and provides them with a great deal of tutoring and advising.

On the other hand, I've taught some really smart student-athletes: a sprinter who went to med school, a swimmer who earned a Fulbright scholarship, and some really smart baseball, soccer, and volleyball players. I never taught Will Scott (a substitute guard), but he transferred in from Cornell, and was said to be a remarkable student.

But in the big money sports, I think it's a meat market.

[cards2468]

I taught a few athletes in engineering courses. 1 got drafted by the SF Giants, another is starting for SLU's soccer team right now. Both rarely made it to class, but that was due to their schedules. They both worked harder than most students to make up for it and both earned good grades. Believe it or not, there's solid athletes out there who actually give a [expletive] about school.

[TheoSqua]

I taught a few athletes in engineering courses. 1 got drafted by the SF Giants, another is starting for SLU's soccer team right now. Both rarely made it to class, but that was due to their schedules. They both worked harder than most students to make up for it and both earned good grades. Believe it or not, there's solid athletes out there who actually give a [expletive] about school.

Yeah people talk about the "free ride" they get through scholarships, but they gotta work their butt off. There are plenty of other ways to leave college with a degree and no debt but pretty much all of them involve working your butt off to some extent or another, or if you're rich someone previously in your family worked their butt off.