Hold the Mayo

     "Why is a sandwich so expensive at the University of Southern California? The Mayo costs $30,000" - a joke told on ESPN radio this morning.

     OJ Mayo received over $30,000 in gifts before and during his time at USC, or so says ESPN's Kelly Naqi. Naqi's Outside the Lines report details Mayo's involvement in a complicated operation that saw a major sports agency bankroll the life of Mayo's mentor, Rodney Guillory, who transferred some of the funds to the basketball star himself. This is probably as close a look as we will see at the shady system of amateur and collegiate basketball and the lives of one-and-done b-ball stars who live within that  system. Read the ESPN article and watch the video. It's worth it.

     So who is to blame for this? Mayo? Guillory? The agency, BDA Sports? How about the University of Southern California? The answer, I think, is everyone - but Mayo least of all. While Mayo obviously should have shown better judgment, is it really fair to blame a guy who grew up in this system? Mayo was blessed with a talent that most of us will never know and he grew up with millions of people offering him the world. He fell in with Guillory and his crowd at a very young age (high school), had a major sports agency offering to back him when he was 16, and moved over 2,000 miles from his family to attend school. The system was his only influence and he grew up under its control. I'm usually not that understanding regarding the poor judgment of athletes, but I cannot hold this kid fully responsible for being a pawn in a powerful, imposing, negative system. As Naqi's interview subject and former Mayo confidant Louis Johnson said, Guillory pimped Mayo. I can't think of a better way to put it. Mayo performed, got a small share, and now has to face the music.

     I blame the system, these shady characters within it, and yes, I blame USC. It's simply unbelievable that these coaches didn't know what was going on with Mayo. He was their STAR player, just as Reggie Bush had been the star player in football. He was one of the premier recruits in the country, every school in the country was gunning for him, and USC was thrilled to get him. Do you really think they wouldn't keep a hawk's eye on him once he was there? USC's national reputation and success all hinged on this kid. If they were going to keep a close eye on anyone, it was their star. It was their job to know exactly what their premier player was doing, who he was with, and everything else about him. This wasn't just money in an envelope. This was a major, ongoing transaction that included a a change in lifestyle and an ever-present posse. There is no way in hell that USC did not know. I'm not saying this is USC's fault, but it is their responsibility.

     Everything aside, Mayo was a bust for USC. Let me explain. He failed to lead them past the first round of the NCAA tournament and he brought about this major scandal that, in the wake of the Reggie Bush fiasco, could cripple one of the NCAA's premier athletic departments. All that for a first-round tournament exit.

Comments

[RG]

Thought this was a great article..well written....hope USC is reading too