Perhaps it’s just a matter of semantics, but USC athletic director Pat Haden is now denying a published report stating that Reggie Bush apologized to him during a 15-minute phone conversation last week.
USA Today reported early Friday morning that a “contrite” Bush apologized to Haden for making “a series of mistakes” that led to harsh sanctions being levied on the USC football program.
Speaking to Gary Klein of the Los Angeles Times this afternoon, Haden said that, while Bush was indeed contrite, he never did offer-up an actual “oops, my bad” during their time on the phone.
“Never did he say I’m sorry or I apologize,” Haden said. “Never did he say, ‘I lied to the NCAA or I took stuff.’
“I would say it was conversation of him being contrite, not an apology.”
So, either the writer of the original story mischaracterized the conversation he had with Haden, or Haden is misstating the conversation he had with the writer. Or, we’re just talkin’ semantics man. We’re talkin’ semantics.
We’re not talking about the actual words. We’re talkin’ semantics man.
It is important – he can’t admit wrongdoing.
It would be interesting to have a comment from Bush on this.
If I have to pick who I believe here, I pick Haden !
John Taylor, do you really get paid for this kind of writing? Really?
@Taylor John: Yes. Really.
Christ, this situation is so lame. Does anyone give a shit besides sportswriters and the NCAA?
College players should milk that system for all its worth. If some creepy old booster who likes to refer to adult human males as “studs” wants to give them a free car, they should go for it. In the real world, there are benefits to being better at stuff!
“If I offended Jessie Jackson for calling him a n*****, I apologize…”
Some guys might throw that out as an apology but I don’t buy it as one. Now, Bush could have said that he felt sorry for what happened but that still wouldn’t be an apology, right?
Who cares. USC got millions during his time there and he got some on the side.
‘edgy’ couldn’t be more right. A qualified apology is not an apology. Being contrite is not an apology.
If Bush has any brains and listened to his attorneys, he didn’t actually apologize and just danced around it. And if he did, then Haden SHOULD correct the stories out there that say that Bush apologized.
From what Haden is now quoted as saying, it is clearly he didn’t feel there was an apology offered at all… and that he is not ambivalent about that at all.
Sounds to me that Bush is trying to begin rehabilitating his image and hoped that Haden would unintentionally go along with it by absolving Bush after their conversation. Obviously, that’s not going to happen… and why would it? As a USC alum and former board member, Haden SHOULD be super pissed at Bush for soiling the school and their football program’s name. And he owes Bush no favors, he’s new to the job. Why Bush would think that his phone call would have been well received by Haden is weird.
@John Taylor:
If you’re offering morsels of hate to cowardly, racist morons like “edgy,” then giving them a platform in which to spew their rambling, illiterate theories, then you must happily count yourself among them.
Is this what you envisioned when you got into this business?
Dont worry. Im not expecting a reply…
Maybe it hasn’ taken Haden as long as we thought it would, to go back over to the dark side.
This is all about the appeal.
John Taylor,
Loved you with the 49ers!! I actually thought you were a bit underated but those teams were loaded!!
I figured with all the negativity coming at you from posters you could you a compliment.
Don’t believe Haden would sacrifice his integrity for the sake of the appeals. Haden is squeaky clean and there’s only the “right side” for Haden.
It should be noted that NO WHERE in the original USA Today story did Pat Haden EVER use the word apology or say that he did. It was the reporter who said so in the headline and his characterization of the conversation (something that happens both here and on PFT).
Cornerdenizen says: August 13, 2010 11:49 PM ET
@John Taylor:
If you’re offering morsels of hate to cowardly, racist morons like “edgy,”
*********************
Edgy supports civil rights and is not black.
Edgy supports women’s rights and is not a woman.
Edgy supports gay rights and is not gay.
Edgy supports the end of don’t ask, don’t tell and while is not gay, served in the military.
Edgy supports free speech and isn’t a mute.
Edgy supports freedom of ALL religions and while Lutheran, isn’t one that goes over the edge.
Edgy is Puerto Rican, Ojibwe and Sioux and has friends that are black, white, native, Lutheran, Southern Baptist, Catholic, Hindu, Jewish and Muslim.
Racist — not hardly. My point, which went WAY over your head, is that over the years, guys have used the non-apology apology and I listed an example. If I were racist, I would have spelled the word out or called him something like a (OK, edgy, you made your point quite well).
@ Cornerdenizen: Why would you not expect a reply? It’s not like I sit around here cowering behind a desk.
Why did I let edgy’s post get published? Honestly, I didn’t think it was racist. It seemed to me that he was trying to make a point by “shocking” people, using a thinly-veiled n-bomb to drive home whatever message he felt the need to get out there. It’s not exactly the tack I or most would take, but it didn’t look inherently racist to me. Edgy’s been borderline psychotic — he’s a USC fan, after all — but never even remotely racist at any level, and he’s been around for awhile.
Am I looking at it the wrong way? Perhaps. Maybe I’m not seeing something that I should. I have no problem admitting I’m wrong, and this case is no different.
@ Cornerdenizen
For what’s it worth Edgy & I go at it all the time.
Although I find him to be short sighted, irrational & thick headed (think the point is made-lol)
I as well have never found him to be racist. I could add maybe a dozen more descriptive words to describe him but that word sure isn’t one of them…….
You’ll never hear a peep of an apology from this guy because he doesn’t think he did anything wrong. He is thoroughly steeped in his own world of entitlement and to him, he deserved every penny and more.
My thoughts about the “agent” problem:
http://boards.edgy-sports.com/viewtopic.php?f=20&t=2720&start=0
@edgy:
The point wasn’t lost on me. I just think the use of that word—or even the inference of that word was waaay too specific to be injected into this particular topic for its intent not to be taken as racist or provocative. If it wasnt your intent, then I apologize.
But… if you’d attributed that “quote” to someone in a very specific context, then it would be open to further interpretation, but as it is, I dont see the “value.”
I don’t have a problem with the word n—–. It doesn’t bother me because I know that in every conceivable way, I’m superior to the person using it and that person, by using the word, is acknowledging my superiority. Bottom line is, I’d rather be called a n—– than treated like one.
How do treat me like one? By telling me you didn’t intend the word to provoke a response—especially around here. I think your black friends, at least the more enlightened, self-respecting ones, would agree.
@John Taylor:
If I wasn’t expecting a response it was because I’ve attempted, on may occasion, to get a response from you. This is the first one.
Of course you have every right to print whatever comes your way—intelligent, hateful, bullshit, or whatever. I question your judgement of this particular post. While I’m well- versed about football and all the issues surrounding it, I know that you, edgy and a host of others have more in common with one another than you do with me.
But I’m always gonna call you out when I suspect you’re catering to an element that already gets too much love from the publishing world.