*FAN SUBMISSION by David Cabrera of Silver Spring, MD. Follow him on Twitter @CabreraaaaaD.*
The NCAA is out to get Johnny Manziel.
Courtesy: Sports Illustrated/CNN
After a record setting freshman campaign in 2012, which resulted in him winning the Heisman; his celebrity has reached unforeseeable heights. You can’t go anywhere on television or on the Internet and not see stories about his offseason activities. From a wild night he had in Vegas or more recently, getting thrown out of a Texas University frat party, all of his life events that might have gone unnoticed a year ago are now chronicled for the whole world to see.
With this past weekend’s news that he is being investigated by the NCAA for being paid to sign autographs at January’s BCS Championship game, my only question is: does the NCAA really own Johnny Football?
With all this talk about how he is getting money to sit courtside at NBA playoff games or getting money to get into to these lavish clubs, the NCAA was looking for something to get this story, this person, out of their sport.
The young man is a student-athlete and has to abide by the NCAA’s rules and if he breaks them, the punishment by the NCAA should fit the crime. Profiting off autographs being a major offense? I just don’t see it.
As I have talked to countless amounts of people about the latest news surrounding Johnny Manziel, one point stood out and really takes precedence over all the rest; Johnny Manziel owns his name and should do whatever he pleases with that name.
Football is one of the most violent sports on the planet. College athletes are getting bigger, stronger, and faster. Therefore collisions and hits between players are going to be more forceful and more impactful on their bodies. Knees are going to be banged up, arms, legs, and even brains. By the time they get to the NFL, if they get there, their bodies are starting to show some signs of wear and tear. Keep in mind that the average NFL career is almost 7 years (6.86 according to NFL.com) and the average NFL salary is $2 million (according to work.chorn.com). After they are done playing, the amount of money it takes to take care of their bodies is as much as they made in their whole entire careers; Bankruptcy city.
For those who don’t make it to the NFL, they are going to have to lean on their Bachelor’s degree to make a living, but recent (non-student-athlete) college graduates know even that doesn’t guarantee making a solid living.
Let’s keep in mind that Manziel is a COLLEGE STUDENT. Texas A&M, for an in-state resident like Manziel, costs $21,581 to attend (information courtesy of the TAMU website). Relatively expensive, but manageable. Being a college student myself, you might need money for some food or to get new clothes or whatever a situation calls for. Luckily, I have a job during the school year, but for somebody in Manziel’s position where you have practice, class, games, and a persona to live up to, all while the NCAA does not allow you to have a job.
One might not blame him for taking the money to provide for himself. But he comes from a family that was financially secure thanks to their involvement in the oil business. One might say he could have asked his dad for some money if he needed it. Maybe he felt like he shouldn’t have to rely on his family money all the time.
With all the negative stories that have come out about him: his underage drinking to his momentary, but very public discord with Texas A&M, the NCAA was trying to have something pop up on their radar that would stick out as a major violation. They want to distance themselves from this guy.
Manziel is the face of college football, albeit a face that engages in activities that don’t make him the prototypical role model for young kids to look at. He is a young guy who is living his life and is going to make mistakes as he grows up and discerns from right and wrong. That is what going to college does for young people, it helps them grow. The NCAA should thank themselves for a guy like Manziel.
Signing autographs and profiting off them is not a major crime. Heck the amount of money that Hillary Clinton charges for one appearance at some charity event is what some Americans accumulate in 10 years. She is not a college student, but still, is IT wrong for her to profit off her name?
The NCAA is a multi-million dollar business which already profits heavily from TV deals, promotions, and by selling their athletes’ likenesses on memorabilia. What is $7,500 going to do to their business in the long run? NOTHING! The NCAA should understand that it is not always about them. They should let this autograph fiasco end and end quickly.
