Reggie Bush forfeits his Heisman

This story is a joke, therefore it's very easy to write about.
Reggie Bush was a star running-back in college at the University of Southern California. In 2005 his final year, he won the acclaimed Heisman trophy over Vince Young and his teammates Matt Leinart and Lendale White. The subsequent investigations into Bush's dealings with professional sports agents procured findings that Bush received moneys nearing $200,000 for himself and his family. These reports surfaced shortly after Bush's final season at USC, but the credibility of the story didn't become official until recently.
Now the NCAA is in an uproar, an NFL running back is having to explain the mistakes of his college days and the sports world is having a hey day calling for Bush to give back his Heisman. Well, Reggie finally gave in to the NCAA's and the National Media pressure. He 'forfeit' the prestigious trophy today, September 14, 2010.
In the grand scheme of world stories and happenings, this is not a tragedy nor a important historic event. However, it is the first time ever that a Heisman trophy winner has officially forfeit the award. The important issue at the heart of this story is the idea of college athletes being paid. For almost 10 years now, the NCAA has been in litigation with various factions, including former UCLA Basketball star Ed O'Bannon, for the usage of college athlete's names and likenesses in everything from jersey's in campus stores to video games sold around the world.
Presently, Reggie Bush is a highly paid star running back and kick returner for the current Super Bowl Champion New Orleans Saints. But back at USC, Reggie was just another college kid struggling to make a few dollars, get his school work done and fulfill his duty as a student athlete. OK he wasn't a typical college kid. He wasn't paying tuition, he probably wasn't having trouble with his school work and I'm sure his plate was never lacking in size or quantity(Have you seen the modern college athlete. They weigh 200 to 300 lbs. Do you know how much you have to eat to get that big?).
So what are the facts and determining circumstances of this story. We know Reggie took money. Is that a crime? No. Does it violate current NCAA regulations? Yes. Is the NCAA a joke? Yes. Do college athletes deserve some compensation for their work as athletes? If their work as athletes contributes in any way to the financial betterment of their institution, then HELL YES they do.
Reggie Bush did nothing wrong or different than most other logical human beings would do in the exact same situation. He and his family were struggling to make ends meet so a couple of sports agents lured them in, knowing that eventually Reggie would be a Pro Athlete of high accord. They gave them some money probably for the promise of future agent and promoting services that would occur once Reggie was drafted into the NFL.
Did taking money affect Reggie's play on the field? Of course not. I'm sure it improved his piece of mind and his families' living conditions though. AND WHO WOULDN'T DO THAT FOR LOVED ONES??? I wouldn't like anyone whom would choose to not better their families lives.
The Bottom Line is Reggie Bush is the 2005 Heisman Trophy Winner and he always will be. The fact that the NCAA are an organization of hypocrites make them the losers in this story. They take all the money that these "college athletes" earn on the fields and then they say it is unethical for a student-athlete to receive money. That in itself is laughable. If I were Reggie Bush, I would be all over the news saying things like, "Yeah I took money. So What? Did I take drugs? No. Did I cheat? No. All I did was improve the lives of my family in a time of need and for that I am being looked at and reported as a criminal. I am and always will be a Heisman trophy winner. And I know that I am not the only college kid who ever took money from an agent. I am just the only one who's won the Heisman and got caught.