Manziel's Autograph Scandal lacks Photo Evidence & Comes with NCAA Hypocrisy

The college football preseason should be filled with season previews (Coming maybe today, probably tomorrow), games to watch and other trivial things, but this year, it is Johnny Manziel all the time.  The Texas A&M quarterback cannot keep his name out of the headlines and honestly, it is not his fault entirely. Sports Illustrated and ESPN both did massive features on him with different angles in the same week and then news came out Sunday from ESPN's Outside The Lines, Manziel took money in exchange for autographs.

The most common question is why would Manziel need the money? People see the oil money, the golf courses and the lavish lifestyle, how could Johnny Football possibly need more money?   The answer should be he is a capitalist trying to make some extra money for himself, and he sees Texas A&M making a boatload of money off him thus he cashes some extra beer money which as Kip Moore will tell you, is a good thing.

While there are autograph brokers (This has to be one of the worst jobs in America, right? Grown men or women begging famous people for autographs) saying Manziel taking money, there is absolutely zero evidence Manziel took money for autographs. There is not a bank statement saying Manziel took the money. No pictures of checks made out to Manziel.  Nothing that directly connects Manziel to these supposed autograph brokers.

Many are aware Johnny Football does sign autographs after making mention to ESPN's Wright Thompson, Tiger Woods shafted him and he will not do the same.  Even with ESPN's newest report of Manziel taking $7,500 for signing helmets, there is still no concrete proof.  If the NCAA does not get photo evidence, they probably do not have a case on Johnny Football. This would mean the whole investigation is truly a frivolous one meaning absolutely nothing, just another story to keep Manziel's name in the sports media cycle. 

Because the NCAA is the NCAA, a player cannot take money for autographs. Former Georgia wide receiver A.J. Green received a two-game suspension for selling his jersey for 1,000 dollars.  Former Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor received a five-game suspension for trading memorabilia for tattoos. Why players cannot get a little profit on their own name?

Especially when as ESPN college basketball analyst Jay Bilas and noted NCAA basher pointed out on Twitter today if you use 'Manziel' as a keyword, it directs you to all of his jerseys.... WEIRD. Bilas points out this is the case with Alabama quarterback A.J. McCarron, Oregon running back De'Anthony Thomas and others. How can the NCAA profit off a man's name, but the man who owns the name, cannot?  It seems like yet another classic NCAA double standard currently denting their overall credibility which is not much at this point.  

Manziel proves to be the one player to make the NCAA cringe.  He can challenge the system better than anyone in the last five to ten years. They see everything as his Twitter and Instagram are public as they can be, and Manziel continues to give zero f---s about what anyone thinks of him. People fret Manziel is too much in the public eye, but really he is just a kid taking advantage of what is given to him.The Manziel college experience is an HBO or Showtime show waiting to happen with different names and characters. 

If anything happens to Manziel, he might get dinged for the first game and be back for Alabama, creating an even bigger hype to probably the most watched September college football game. Even with more evidence coming out, there is not the smoking gun to knock Manziel out for the year. Nothing has come out yet actually showing Manziel accepting cash or check. Until then, it seems unlikey there is enough to suspended Manziel for the entire year or multiple games. Let's hope it stays that way because the college football season without Manziel will be definitely diluted. 

-Charlie.