Earlier this week, it was announced that Reggie Bush’s Heisman Trophy would be revoked. Although there is no doubt that he is guilty of accepting gifts from USC, should he really lose his Heisman trophy because of it?

Well, it’s a complicated issue, to say the least.

The Heisman Trophy is awarded to the most outstanding college football player whose performance best exhibits the pursuit of excellence with integrity. The key words here are: performance and integrity.

Did Reggie Bush perform with integrity?

The quick answer is yes, he did.

The way I see it is that Reggie Bush didn’t cheat the game; he cheated the system. So even though his off-the field lifestyle was led with bad decisions and illegal action, his on-the-field performance was always outstanding.

And for that reason, he should keep his Heisman.

Perhaps the most interesting topic surrounding this controversy is whether or not Reggie would have done as well if he had not received so many perks courtesy of the university.

No one knows the answer to that, and no one ever will. Which is why we can’t demean his accomplishments during his time at USC.

Regardless of what he received from the university, Reggie Bush played the game fair. It’s not like he was receiving performance-enhancing drugs for four years. He, like every other player, had to earn every single yard and touchdown during the season.

Put it this way: if you gave me a fighter jet and Stacy Keibler, I could never in a million years match Reggie Bush’s stats from 2005. Never.

So, even though I believe Reggie Bush and USC should be punished for their actions, I do not think that Reggie should be stripped of his Heisman. He was voted the winner for one reason: his performance during game time was outstanding.

So you can take away his money, houses, and cars, but you can’t take away his accomplishments from that year. What he did on the field, he left on the field… and that was everything he ever had.

Used with permission of the author.

Logan Rhoades is a Los Angeles-based writer and contributor to Sports Climax. With an extensive knowledge of ESPN topics and celebrity gossip, he is known for mixing sports and pop culture to entertain his readers. Check out his blog and Follow him on Twitter @loganrhoades.

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