Per statement from ESPN
“There was never any suspension or any other form of disciplinary action. We took the time to review his upcoming work assignments in light of the book to which he contributed and will manage any conflicts or other issues as needed. Bruce has resumed his assignments.”
Power to the people!!! Twitter nation has spoken and ESPN clearly realized a unity of elite sports writers and die hard college football fans spoke for what was right. The facts will eventually come out. The part I have trouble understanding is they are protecting Craig James. The same Craig James that was a part of a major recruiting class put together by Southern Methodist University in 1981 and featured on ESPN 30 for 30 “The Pony Excess”. Here are some direct quotes from Craig James who played running back while at SMU.
James, from Houston, was a top target for many schools as well, but his recruitment wasn’t quite as eventful. His girlfriend, Marilyn, who is now his wife, was already going to SMU ahead of him, so he was hoping to follow her. But he admits he still was part of that same culture.
“You’re 17 or 18 years old, and you’re put in this fast lane, and you’re really puppets, as I look back now, in a rich man’s game,” James said. “I don’t know if there’s not many people in life that wouldn’t have some do-overs if they could with some decisions that were made when you’re 17, 18, 19 years old. I know this: When I got to SMU and it came time to go to a party, and Marilyn says, ‘You’ve got to have a blazer,’ I didn’t have a blazer. It was the fast lane that we got in that had nothing to do with us.
“Eric and I have basically been the …”
“Scapegoats,” Dickerson said emphatically.
“We were the two name guys that came out of there, everybody knows who we are,” James said. “But I think what the film does is it depicts that it wasn’t us, which we’ve known forever.”
By no means am I saying Craig James was a part of the problem that occurred at SMU, but this current situation with Mike Leach definitely raises eye brows and has to make you wonder if he was.