Like most "feel good" sports stories about athletes succeeding against long odds, the O.J. Mayo legend ends up too good to be true. Or should I call it the O.J. Mayo "brand?"
Reaction is coming hard and fast to ESPN's investigative report about Mayo's relationship with two handlers who allegedly broke NCAA rules by providing Mayo with clothes, a flat-screen TV, a cell phone and airline tickets during his one-and-done year playing basketball for USC. Some of these financial perks might have begun back when Mayo was at North College Hill High School.
The ESPN report is a sordid tale of how Rodney Guillory used money from Bill Duffy Associates Sports Management (BDA) to start currying favor with Mayo as he was becoming a nationally recognized star at North College Hill and then at Huntington (W.Va.) High. Mayo's teams won the Ohio state championship his sophomore and junior years and the West Virginia state championship his senior year.
With Guillory's help, ESPN says, Mayo decided to attend college in Los Angeles, "home to the stars, (where) he was going to create the Mayo Brand, and then take his total package to the National Basketball Association. Once he turned pro, Mayo would sign with an agent at Bill Duffy Associates Sports Management — which represents a number of NBA stars, including Steve Nash, Yao Ming and Carmelo Anthony — and the agent would polish that image."
Mayo announced last month that he was turning pro after one season at USC and that in fact he was hiring BDA as his agents.
Mayo denies any wrongdoing, and just as importantly several NBA executives tell ESPN that Mayo's status as a top draft choice won't be damaged by these allegations.
Nationally, Pat Forde says USC should be punished by the NCAA, with this scandal coming on the heels of a similar tale about famed running back Reggie Bush. The New York Times finds it hard to believe that USC basketball coach Tim Floyd didn't know what was going on. Sports Illustrated examines how whistle-blowers help keep sports honest.
Locally, Paul Daugherty is disgusted and North College Hill might have to sweat out an investigation of who knew what.
Remember this Sports Illustrated cover from December 2005, featuring Mayo and childhood friend/NCH teammate Bill Walker? Lots of Cincinnatians back then felt uneasy about a small suburban high school importing basketball stars, but they played some great hoops.
Looks like BDA and USC will be paying a price for supporting Mayo, and perhaps NCH will as well. Mayo? He'll be a lottery pick and sign a multi-million dollar contract.
Harang gets a win: Last night the Reds beat the majors' best team and actually scored some runs for Aaron Harang. Junior had a hard time catching the ball.
— John Fox
I covered NCH's third straight state championship last year. It was pretty cool to see the kids do it without Mayo and Walker.
"Junior had a hard time catching the ball."
hahaha
Posted by: danny cross | May 13, 2008 at 05:33 PM