First it was allegations of impropriety while at USC and now Reggie Bush is out five to 10 million dollars as the Houston Texans have gone with NC State defensive end Mario Williams as the first pick in tomorrow’s NFL draft.

We talked to someone inside the Texans’ organization and he confirmed that the decision was all about football:

“All the coaches and scouts got together and tried to figure out which of the two players would best help us overtake Peyton Manning and the Colts in our division,” said the source. “In the end, Williams’ name kept coming up.”

“A lot of people were split over this. The organization feels that Williams could be the best lineman to come out of college since Reggie White. He could probably get up to about 310 pounds and not lose a step.

“The NCAA stuff with Reggie had no effect on the whole thing, though I’m sure it didn’t help.

“A lot of the fans aren’t too happy. We have a draft party tomorrow and the word is that we’re not going to get as many people as planned.”

It was the Texans who broke off talks with Bush on Thursday, as they decided to go with Williams. It seems that the decision came down to football and needs.

One other note: Rumors are circulating in the NFL that one of the people on Bush’s team is a convicted felon. While his people probably aren’t to blame for him not going No. 1 overall, it seems his image has been tainted a bit by the people he has associated with.

One final note: Another rumor is out there that there is more trouble at USC with yet another player. Stay tuned.

While the NFL is now claiming that Reggie Bush was a victim of extortion, the principles involved in New Era Sports–the fledgling agency set up in the hopes of representing Bush–are saying that they plan to sue the Bush family for fraud..

So what to make of all this? Hard to say at this point, as there are unsavory characters saying all kinds of things that are unverifiable to those not on the inside of the case.

What’s notable in the latest round of news is that Michael Michaels, the owner of the house that was lived in by the Bush family, is asking to be compensated for rent not paid. This would imply that there was an agreement to pay rent before they moved into the house, which the Bush family did not abide by. Hence, the eviction proceedings. The question arises: Is it an NCAA violation if a family welches on its rental agreement? Whatever the case, light has been shed on one very important issue–the Bushes were not intended to live rent free at the house.

What’s also notable is that the attorney for New Era is claiming that Michaels gave the Bush family money to go on USC road trips this past season, thus opening up a whole new can of worms.

In the end, it’s still going to be a tough case for the NCAA to verify. And there is a precedent for this.

In a similar circumstance, a federal indictment of a busted sports agency uncovered that Heisman trophy winner Charles Woodson accepted tens of thousands of dollars in cash and gifts from an agent during Michigan’s 1997 co-national championship season. But the NCAA never even bothered to investigate the situation, let alone punish the Wolverines.

The NCAA is investigating the Bush matter, but for those who are slobbering in anticipation of USC forfeiting games or Bush giving the Heisman back, it could be a disappointment.

While USC doesn’t have to have been aware of the situation for a violation to have occurred, the seriousness of the punishment won’t reach that level unless it can be shown that USC was aware.

That will be hard to prove.

In a move that could have a major effect on the eligibility of certain high school players across the country, the NCAA is expected today to enact legislation to combat academic fraud in high schools and ‘diploma mills.’

See the story from the Indianapolis Star here.

Last November, The New York Times reported on a Miami “correspondence school,” with no classes or instructors, that offered degrees for $399. The paper reported that athletes from the school had signed with schools such as Florida and Tennessee. Subsequent stories revealed other questionable high schools.

The fraud is committed to make athletes eligible for college competition, although Lennon characterized it as an issue of concern for all of higher education. He said the NCAA, individual school admissions offices and law enforcement need to work on the problem together.

It will be interesting to see if this legislation will have enough teeth to produce the intended effect. I guess we’ll know this fall. If you see a ton of kids not qualifying and heading for junior college, you’ll know it’s working.

In what must be a world record for opportunism, there is a website now hawking ‘Free Sanchez’ t-shirts, hats and buttons.

Strange days.

Backup quarterback Mark Sanchez has been arrested after being accused of sexual assault by a female USC student. He is now under investigation.

It’s the latest in a string of recent troubles for the USC program. Last offseason, starting cornerback Eric Wright was accused of rape (though never charged) and was kicked off the team after police found 137 ecstasy pills in his apartment (he was never charged for those, either). Linebacker Rey Maualuga was accused of punching a student at a party last October, but was never charged. This past weekend, Heisman Trophy winner Reggie Bush found himself embroiled in a controversy over the living arrangements of his parents over the past year. The Pac-10 and NCAA are investigating that situation.

I’ve met Sanchez before and came away thoroughly impressed by his intelligence and character. This is a sentiment shared by almost everyone I know in the media who has met Sanchez. From watching the coverage of the arrest, it seems to be a view held throughout the USC campus, too.

In the end, I would be shocked if this accusal turned out to be true.

If it turns out that no charges are actually filed, it wouldn’t be the first time that an athlete has seen his name dragged through the mud by baseless or unprovable accusations.

In fact, the only athlete–amateur or professional–that I can recall ever being found guilty of sexual assault was Mike Tyson.

If the charges are true, then Sanchez should face the music like anyone else. USC would then need to go into overdrive to clean up its act.

But it also raises the question: If you can’t trust a Mark Sanchez in your program–after all, he was an exemplary student in high school and by all accounts comes from a great family–then who can you trust?

If the charges are false, however, then something needs to be done about the avalanche of frivolous rape accusations that are taking place coast-to-coast–from Durham to Los Angeles–against high-profile athletes.

College athletes at major universities are often pampered and can have a sense of entitlement, but that doesn’t mean that ‘open season’ should be declared upon them.

The whole issue reminds me of when Reagan administration Labor Secretary Ray Donovan was accused of corruption. He endured the scrutiny of the press and then underwent a long trial, where he was acquitted.

Afterwards he asked: Where do I go to get my reputation back?

Where, indeed?

I finally figured out how to put up a new banner, one I designed myself. Now I just have to figure out how to make the banner clickable….

Anyway, I think it looks pretty cool (if I do say so myself).

Note–There are six Heisman winners featured. I felt these were the winners who best encompassed the areas covered by The Heismandments. Plus, their pictures worked in the design!

Featured on the banner:

[list]
[*] The first winner
[*] The most recent winner
[*] The first black Heisman winner
[*] The only Heisman winner to play for a losing team
[*] The winner who made the most famous play in Heisman history
[*] The only winner who was primarily a defensive player
[/list]
There’ll be more construction in the coming week as I try to bring this site’s graphics up to speed.

Since the Reggie Bush scandal hit, Pete Carroll has received two commitments from big-time recruits.

One of them is probably the top offensive lineman in California, Martin Coleman, while the other is an athlete out of Servite High in Anaheim named D.J. Shoemate, who is just a sophomore right now.

It looks to me like this scandal may actually be helping USC….recruits are trying to commit before all the free houses are gone.