Another O.J. being investigated

by Ryan Grindle

Just when it seemed like O.J. Mayo’s life couldn’t get any better, things took a definite turn for the worse. The NBA-bound, former USC basketball phenom is now under investigation by the NCAA for allegedly accepting cash and gifts from BDA Sports Management. BDA is believed to have made payments to Rodney Guillory, who allegedly acted as a runner between BDA and Mayo.
A few months ago, Mayo was involved in another controversy, having accepted tickets from his friend, NBA star Carmello Anthony. At the time, this seemed like nothing at all. The NCAA followed up on the case and Mayo made charitable contributions amounting to the value of the tickets. However, what the initial story did not mention is that Anthony is a client of BDA.
Now with the NBA draft looming only a few months away, Mayo has declared his eligibility and announced that he has hired Calvin Andrews of BDA as his agent.
Things don’t appear to be getting better for USC, who will be paying close attention to former Heisman Trophy winner Reggie Bush’s deposition on June 23 on allegations that he accepted gifts from another sports agency while playing at Southern California.
If these allegations turn out to be true, USC will, and should face major repercussions. In his interview on ESPN’s Outside The Lines, former Mayo associate Louis Johnson claimed that Guillory was in constant contact with the USC coaching staff, who should have done the right thing and told a school official.
With two potentially damaging investigations in front of them, USC should be punished to the highest extent by the NCAA if either turns out to be true, because there is no way that they didn’t know anything about what their players were doing.