"Johnny Football" Fights for His Name (w/video)

Johnny Manziel of Texas A&M is looking
to secure the trademark for "Johnny
Football," his better known nickname.
This could stop those who have profited from
his collegiate success and start a new trend
for college athletes

In a move that could change the face of college sports as we know it, Johnny Manziel, the most recent winner of college football’s Heisman Trophy, has started the process of trademarking his “Johnny Football” nickname, a maneuver which would allow him the right to sue others who wish to make money off of his wildly popular moniker.

And according to a recent ESPN article by Rick Reilly, this is not something to be taken lightly. Reilly cites a study by Joyce Julius and Associates which shows that Texas A&M earned $37 million in free publicity last year from their redshirt freshman quarterback. This doesn’t count profit from increased ticket sales and the millions in new alumni donations which suddenly appear as soon as the home team makes it deep into the postseason and earns its first Heisman in over 50 years.

It’s about time somebody figured out how to attack the leeches.

One of the worst kept secrets in sports is the allowance of the NCAA and free enterprise system to fleece the college athlete. In college sports, the T-shirt hucksters, EBay mongers and knick knack collectors are free to earn a living selling items representing their favorite college players and teams. Coaches and administrators enjoy six and seven figure contracts (even the top assistants are pulling half a mil!), use of country club privileges and school jets to work their recruiting magic. Each August, the video game makers come out with the newest college football games, designed to include the most current players. These games will net tens of millions of dollars for the folks at EA, and other gaming companies. Universities also rake in millions of dollars from these endeavors.

The players – eh, don’t do quite as well. Perhaps it doesn’t bother the blue chippers who will end up becoming first round draft picks, as they will make their millions of dollars. But a guy like Manziel is generously listed at 6-foot-1 and appears more likely to follow the professional paths of other Heisman winners such as Eric Crouch, Jason White and Troy Smith, more so than an RG3, Cam Newton or Roger Staubach.

But most starters on major college football (and every other) teams earn their scholarship, room and board, and enough spending money to cover laundry expenses and not much else. Some say it's enough, and in most cases are correct. But the star attractions deserve more.

First of all, I don’t blame the universities for making every cent they can. In fact, only less than twenty percent of the Division I BCS football teams turn a profit. That money, plus the billions earned from college basketball usually finds its way to also supporting the other sports in each NCAA program, such as my beloved cross-country and track.

I have written on this subject in the past, and tried to forward the idea that student athletes deserve a larger stipend as part of their scholarship – meaning somewhere in the $500 per month range. The only problem is that instituting such a rule would drive a deeper wedge between the haves and the have nots. And then, who gets the increased stipend? With 100 players on the football team, the tab already becomes about $500,000 per year. Granted, that’s one offensive coordinator, but it’s also one sport. Do the basketball players get denied? How about the fencers and the gymnasts?

Months ago, I heard of the idea of letting college athletes earn the opportunity to market themselves, and think it’s brilliant. A booming tenor at Texas A&M has the right to go out and make a record to sell, so why is a guy like Manziel supposed to sit back while almost 2,000 items with his likeness and name attached are up for sale by others on EBay?

The free enterprise system has to work on both ends. If the college athletic fans can make money, why shouldn’t the athletes? Perhaps the starting tailback at U. Mass has fewer earning opportunities than the one at USC, but that’s what free enterprise is all about. And who knows, maybe the guy at U.Mass breaks a 99-yard touchdown and enjoys his 15 minutes of fame on the “Today” show. For the sake of reference, this morning, “Today” highlighted a 55-foot buzzer beater which helped New Rochelle (NY) HS win a basketball playoff game.

This could be the fairest idea because it doesn’t pay college athletes per se. It pays college celebrities. There is a difference.

Good luck to Manziel. I hope this starts a trend.