Johnny Manziel Catches NCAA With Pants Down, Exposes Money-Earning Loophole

Everyone’s favorite quarterback, Texas A&M signal caller Johnny Manziel, is potentially about to become even more popular, but for off the field reasons. Well, off the field reasons not regarding late night casino runs or his smoking hot girlfriend. The self-proclaimed TFTC quarterback is currently filing a lawsuit against a company that had been selling “Johnny Football” t-shirts, a phrase copyrighted by Manziel’s corporation, JMan2 Enterprises (I’m not crazy about that name, either).

The NCAA has ruled that Manziel can profit off of the suit, stating in a recent notification to Texas A&M that “a student-athlete can keep financial earnings as a result of legal action.” This rule is a result of the ongoing legal battle between the NCAA, EA Sports and current and former college athletes for profiting off of student-athletes likeness in college video games, despite the athletes’ names not being used. The NCAA is covering their own ass here, or trying to at least, in case they lose the multi-million dollar suit.

So essentially, Manziel, or any college athlete for that matter, could realistically sue anyone who uses their name to promote or profit off of something, opening the door for boosters, wealthy alums and others to intentionally infringe on copyrighted material and shell out millions of dollars to said player without facing any repercussions from the NCAA, seeing as they created this massive loophole in the system.

So that’s that. This could potentially be a game-changer in college sports. It’d take some creativity from boosters, but there really isn’t much the NCAA could do about it, if anything. There are no limits to what can be done with this loophole.

For me, this speaks to the worthlessness of the NCAA in the modern college game. With the University of Miami investigation debacle, Penn State child abuse scandal and now potentially this, a once noble and necessary institution may be on its last legs. The NCAA is one of, if not the most corrupt system in sports. College sports has turned into a multi-billion dollar industry and the leaders of the NCAA have not adapted to the changes, but they have profited off of them. With conference re-alignment, the money in college sports is just too big. The game needs to change.

I’m not saying athletes need to be paid for their services, but a detailed look at how the system works needs to happen. College athletics is a time-honored, sacred tradition in America. The NCAA has failed to protect it.

[via Outkick The Coverage]

Image via Deadspin

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    1. Concerned American

      Actually the crap organization you are speaking of these days that would be the government itself.

      12 years ago at 12:28 pm
  1. Frat Golf

    I don’t get people like Chris Webber justifying taking money by saying others are making millions off you. These kids are on scholarship and are getting the opportunity to play on a bigger scale to hopefully make millions in the pros. Universities are giving these kids an unbelievable chance they otherwise wouldn’t get and don’t owe them a cent.

    12 years ago at 11:49 am
    1. Tommy Gufano

      Do you honestly think these kids give a shit about a college degree? They’re allowing the school to make between 10 and 100 times worth what the scholarship is worth. The NFL could just as easily make a farm league program, like baseball, and destroy NCAA football.

      12 years ago at 3:58 pm
    2. five_fratpples

      ^^ They’re black, not white. Most don’t give a shit about getting their degree…they just want to go to the pros and start making money for themselves.

      12 years ago at 4:25 pm
    3. SackMaster

      I read some statistics somewhere (can’t remember where exactly) but somewhere around 10% of black ‘stoo-dent atholetes’ actually get their college degrees. The degree is meant to be the ‘payment’ these guys recieve. Just saying, it’s a pretty fucked up system

      12 years ago at 7:12 pm
    4. Frat Golf

      Reread what I wrote. Not once did I mention anything about a degree I said that being on scholarship and getting the chance to play in the pro’s is the big payoff you degenerates. Clearly these bush-boogies don’t know the importance of a degree.

      12 years ago at 10:09 pm
  2. Seal Team Six

    The NCAA has been the most corrupt sports league in the country since their inception in the early 1900s.

    12 years ago at 12:31 pm
  3. RAW DOG ASSASSIN

    If I was a college athlete I would make an under hand deal with a company, “allow” them to produce shit with my name/likeness for a couple years and then prior to graduation sue them for a previously agreed upon amount so both the sportswear manufacturing company and I profit. Fuck Bitches Get Money. NCAA is a bitch

    12 years ago at 1:02 pm
    1. FratMuscle

      This is exactly what the article was saying could happen. Thanks for repeating it.

      12 years ago at 1:44 pm
    2. Lil_Fratty

      The posted article has already stated the same. Thanks for your enlightening comment, though.

      12 years ago at 3:59 pm
    3. Southern Frat 69

      I believe the main point of his post was that he would let the company sell the items for a couple years so they would make money too, not the general idea itself.

      12 years ago at 5:34 pm
    4. FrattKuchar

      There’s some feeling of deja vu I’m getting here. I don’t think I can quite place it though.

      12 years ago at 11:03 pm