Reggie Bush May Become New Orleans' Next Evacuee
Published July 24, 2006
When I saw the advertisement "Reggie Bush Plays NCAA Football '07," I never dreamed EA Sports meant "instead of playing actual NFL football." But Reggie Bush is mulling that kind of plan.
Bush and his agent have been negotiating his contract with the New Orleans Saints after being taken No.2 overall in April's draft. But two very prominent sources — Yahoo! and MSNBC — are reporting that Reggie Bush might abandon all contract talks with the Saints and re-enter the draft next year.
Allow me to be one of many to say that if Reggie Bush re-enters the draft, he will be the most foul-smelling scumbucket to leave New Orleans since the Ninth Ward dried up.
Bush's marketing agent is stating the unlikelihood of Bush signing anything before training camp, which is Okay, given the norm. A lot of players — good ones — hold out, and as unpopular and selfish it looks, Bush can't be singled out as a money-grubbing athlete any more than the next one.
(Except Matt Leinart, of course. Unlike Reggie Bush, who is looting the Saints for all they're worth, the Arizona Cardinals' Leinart is just finding a better contract.)
What's scary is that Bush could evacuate New Orleans and become a No. 1 or No. 2 pick next year for the — yeah, I'll say it — Houston Texans. That would make the Texans drafting Mario Williams over Bush more brilliant than the Chargers effectively trading Michael Vick for LaDainian Tomlinson and Drew Brees.
If it was any other hapless team — San Francisco, Detroit, Miami, Houston, Oakland — the fans may resent Bush in a hypothetical rejection, but none of those cities were waterlogged last year. The Lions may be pitiful, but at least they didn't have to barnstorm around the Great Lakes region playing home games in Lansing and Toronto.
The Saints are selling season ticket bundles as if they're the Packers. Excitement is abuzz for their home team's dignified return to the once-thought-irreparable Superdome late this year. And most of it is because of last year's most exciting college football athlete.
So here's some advice for Reggie Bush, his agent Mike Ornstein, and Saints owner Tom Benson: Take Bush's demands, add it to Benson's offer, divide by two, and sign on the goddamn dotted line. There's a city out there that needs something to root for this year.
Matt Sussman is the sports editor of BC Magazine and also writes for Deadspin, SPORTSbyBROOKS, The Futon Report, and the Toledo Free Press. Catch him Mondays and Fridays at 8 p.m. ET with asst. sports editor Tuffy on Treehouse Fort, the official show of BC Sports. E-mail sports-related inquiries (or inquiry-related sports, such as full-contact Twenty Questions) to matt.sussman@blogcritics.org.
- Reggie Bush May Become New Orleans' Next Evacuee
- Published: July 24, 2006
- Type: News
- Section: Sports
- Filed Under: Sports: Football (American)
- Writer: Matthew T. Sussman
- Matthew T. Sussman's BC Writer page
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Comments on this articleComments
If it's just a negotiating tactic, it's one I can do without ever hearing about again.
Bush should take a page out of Leinart's book...no stock stays up forever...
Agree with everything you said except that Bush was the most exciting player last year - Vince Young was totally the most exciting player to watch.
I just bought a Reggie Bush NO jersey for $75.00 -don't tell me he isn't going to play for the New Orleans Saints-the city doesn't need another blow like this!
Oh, he'll sign. If he walks away, I can't imagine he'd be drafted especially high next time around, because if another year passes for people to scrutinize the player, they'll get a better look at just how lucky his 2005 season was. Yes, he was one of the best players on one of the best teams, but when you look at him relative to the rest of the NCAA, most of his success comes from him being lucky enough to have some really good teammates. The Heisman winner was 10th in the nation in yards-per-game? Say it with me now: Over-rated!
Of course, I'm only saying this because he stole the Heisman from my man Vince, but still...
By the way, you might want to do some metaphor management. The implication could be made that you're suggesting New Orleans evacuees were foul-smelling scumbuckets. Of course, I know better, I'm just saying...
The bucket of scum metaphor alluded to the actual substance that flooded the streets.
And whether his hype delivers what it promises remains to be seen, but the point is the city is paying to see him. And as we see in the comments, people are already buying his jersey.
who the fuck does this dumbass think he is??? haha like he is anyone to be talking about reggie fucking bush! shit i wouldnt play there either if i was him.
Why all the hype about Reggie not signing. We all know he'll be in Da Black N Gold come opening day. There's no way in hell Mr. Benson or Mr. Mueller let him go unsingned. We are happy to have him here not just as a ball player but part of our city. He has'nt made a dime from the NFL and yet he's giving away a ton of money to the community.
Can this stupid blog end now that Reggie's unbelieveable TWO DAY hold out is over?
bush man you are so fast i have follow you for ever
i will watch you on tv may in a ten year i will be up thier with you
i can eat you alive
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Reggie might want to rethink that logic. Next year there will be at least one franchise QB at the top of the draft- Brady Quinn.
This is stupid posturing. He'll sign.