FOOTBALL

In college football, Reggie Bush may have returned his Heisman and, in turn, admitted to a wrongdoing, but it turns out that his 2005 Heisman will not be passed on to anybody else.   Many thought it should be awarded to Heisman runner-up Vince Young (now the QB of the Tennessee Titans), but the head of Heisman Trophy voting has said that will not happen.  Why?  Well, he said that the NCAA wants to keep looking to the future of the game and not be concerned with the past — especially with the dark tinged year of 2005.  Plus, he stated that giving it to Vince Young isn’t exactly correct because who knows how the votes would have shaken out if Bush wasn’t in the running.  That may have affected the voters opinions since Bush finished 900 votes ahead of Young.  Either way, Bush is without a Heisman and the NCAA has decided to just move on.

In the NFL, the San Diego Chargers are facing a problem they haven’t faced in a while.  Apparently, the Chargers are not sold out yet for their Sunday showdown against the Jacksonville Jaguars.  If they don’t sell out, then the game will be blacked out, meaning that people in Southern California won’t be able to see it.  In the NFL, you have to sell out or your game isn’t broadcast.  The Chargers are, of course, blaming the recession for the lack of ticket sales (as they still have 10,000 to sell), but it is most likely because fans are seeing the downfall of the team.  They typically sit atop the AFC West, but they just lost a game to the normally weak Kansas City Chiefs.  Not good for the Bolts.  This would be the first time they got blacked out since Drew Brees was their quarterback.

BASKETBALL

Finally, in the NBA, LeBron James has taken a major popularity hit.  James was known to be the most popular and likable figure in the NBA.  An unbelievable player and a teddy bear of a guy.  But, since he decided to join the Heat on an ostentatious prime-time special he dubbed, “The Decision”, LeBron now finds himself as the sixth most unlikable player in sports.  Not in the NBA, but in sports.  This is a major fall from grace, and James will have to do a lot to rectify his positive image.  However, LeBron James still has one thing on Kobe — the fans still voted LeBron as more likable than Mr. Bryant.  So whom will people be rooting for if the Lakers meet the Heat in the finals.  According to this study — nobody.