Law & Order: Reggie Bush

The saying is “come hard, or don’t come at all.”

Reggie Bush—he comes strapped. Well, at least his bodyguard does.

The latest bizarre turn of events in the once intriguing and now implausible Bush fiasco has former Blood-turned sports marketing agent Lloyd Lake walking out before his schedule deposition in relation to his lawsuit filed against New Orleans Saints running back Reggie Bush (pictured), after Bush’s private security allegedly did his best Suge Knight impression by twice flashing (once in the building’s lobby beforehand, and then again right before the start of the deposition) a concealed weapon.

Lake is the financier of a now defunct sports marketing company–New Era Sports and Entertainment—and is suing in San Diego District Court to recoup $291,600 in cash and gifts that he claims he gave Bush and his parents during the 2004 and 2005 seasons.

Lake’s attorney, Brian Watkins, also claims that he saw the weapon once inside the deposition room, whereupon he immediately halted the proceedings.

But Bush’s attorney, David Cornwell, neatly explained the matter. Not only did the security detail have a valid conceal-and-carry permit, Cornwell stated, but the added measure was reasonable, given not only Lake’s sordid past, but also threats that Lake allegedly made (as well as an implicit threat from Watkins himself relating to being unable to control his client) towards Bush.

Bush, meanwhile, is scheduled to give a deposition on Feb. 25, and has been quite vocal in calling out Lake for what Bush perceives as an attempt to “duck and dodge” giving a deposition.

Why would Lake want to “dodge,” you ask? Some speculate that he’d rather give his deposition after Bush, and that whomever is the first to present his version of events has a distinct advantage. But given that each party can be cross-examined, both at the deposition and later on at trial–this seems dubious. However, there is also some question over the veracity of whatever evidence Lake has against Bush (he recently admitted in an HBO Sports interview, for example, that he has no signed papers from Bush in his possession), not to mention the fact that the infamous recorded conversations on which much of Tarnished Heisman is based are likely inadmissible, per the state’s penal code. To that end, much of Lake’s case will likely rest on his own credibility, which is easily impeachable.

Some speculate, thus, that Lake is purposefully drawing out the proceedings not only in order to increase the chance of a settlement offer by Bush (a la the one he gave Lake’s partner, Michael Michaels), but also to increase book sales and milk whatever money he can get (he is broke, after all) from this ordeal. That said, those recorded conversations didn’t just tape themselves. Moreover, what did USC officials know or not know during all of this? Was Bush just one less player USC boosters had to, ahem, boost? And why does ESPN never report on this story? Is the internet rumor that Cornwell is just an ABC/ESPN lackey legitimate?

“They know the day of reckoning is coming,” Watkins said in regards to Bush’s Feb. 25 date. “They are panicking. They’re resorting to this.”

Dick Wolf couldn’t write a better script.