Last week, a judge ordered Saints running back Reggie Bush to submit to a deposition (it’s a fancy legal word for “sittin’ down and talkin’”) in the lawsuit filed against him by Lloyd Lake, one of the owners of long-defunct New Era Spots and Entertainment, whose first client was supposed to be Reggie Bush. Charles Robinson and Jason Cole of Yahoo! Sports report that, with the deposition set for Friday, Bush has settled the case.
We assume the looming mandate to give sworn testimony under penalty of perjury was merely a coincidence.
Lake and partner Michael Michaels claim that they gave Bush and his family cash and other benefits while Bush was still playing college football at USC. If true, Bush could lose his eligibility retroactively -- and ultimately be required to send his Heisman Trophy to Titans quarterback Vince Young.
Also, Robinson and Cole point out something that we either didn’t know or had forgotten. Despite having no obligation to do so, Bush submitted to an interview with the NCAA last year. And he denied any wrongdoing.
So why not submit to a deposition and deny wrongdoing under oath?
The possible difference is simple. Lying to the NCAA isn’t a crime. (Our lawyers want us to point out that we don’t know whether Bush lied to the NCAA. Otherwise, we could be “sittin’ down and talkin’” at some point, too.)
Despite the settlement, this story has not yet ended. The NCAA will eventually release the findings of its investigation. Assuming that Lake gave the NCAA detailed information to support his claim, the question comes down to whether the NCAA believes Lake or Bush.
