Posted by AlCheez on 8/29/2013 2:23:00 PM (view original):
That close to the game, it's probably not going to dramatically impact ticket sales, people traveling to the game, etc, but it does make the match-up a lot less attractive, which impacts tv ratings, which drive future contracts, etc.  I mean, it's not like TV revenue is the #1 driving force behind everything in major college athletics...

And ultimately, my answer to your question is that the people who are paid to know/figure these things out thought it would impact the bottom line enough to not suspend the players for the game.

I think you're kidding yourself if you don't think suspending those players for the game puts a dent in the pocketbooks of at least a few key players.  I go back to what I said - the people who paid to know about this stuff thought it was enough of a concern to not suspend them for the game.  

I've said it many times before - if an NCAA decision regarding football/basketball doesn't make sense on the surface, follow the money.  This is one of those times.
 

Fox Sports 1 analyst and ex-Chicago Bear Brian Urlacher cut right to the point earlier this week, when he was asked about Johnny Manziel’s actions during Texas A&M’s season opener against Rice.

“I’m not saying he’s a punk, but he acted like a punk in that game,” Urlacher said. “[He's] such a good football player. You saw in the second half, what he did — three touchdown passes and ran it pretty well. It’s just too bad he had to act like that. I’m pulling for the guy. I want him to do well.”

The folks at CNBC’s Squawk Box tried to draw a similar reaction out of Patriots QB Tom Brady on Thursday. Brady joined the show via video, as part of a segment that also included an in-studio interview with Patriots owner Robert Kraft.

The show’s host, Joe Kernan, turned his discussion with Brady toward Manziel by saying, “You’re probably going to play against Johnny Football one day,” and then asking Brady, “What’s the biggest thing you’ve ever done in terms of flaunting? I think I’ve maybe seen a fist pump. That’s about it, isn’t it?”

Brady responded with a rather indirect comment about Manziel’s behavior.

“I get pretty emotional,” Brady said. ” I have a lot of respect for … my teammates, for my organization and certainly for other guys in the NFL. There’s not a guy playing in the NFL who hasn’t earned the right to be here, and who isn’t supremely talented.

“He’s [Manziel] probably been the best athlete in his high school class, in his elementary school class. So when you look across the ball, you have respect for those guys and treat them with respect. Football’s a physical game … and as [Kraft] would say, ‘If you’re a turd, it’s going to come back to you.’”

It’s hardly an out-of-bounds dig at Manziel’s character, but it does add yet another log to the Johnny Football fire.

Defending Super Bowl MVP Joe Flacco took the Manziel controversy in the other direction over the weekend, commenting: “I don’t know if I’ll be too popular for this … But I don’t know how I really felt about Johnny Manziel, but I feel like now everyone hates him. He’s quickly becoming my favorite player in college football.”

Oh, just a reminder: Even if Manziel turns pro following this college season, there still are eight months until next May’s draft. So this likely is just the beginning of all the Manziel frenzy.

People only hate Johnny Manziel because ESPN told them to.

What has he really done that's so bad?
He talked trash during the football game.  Well so did 100% of all the other players.  That's what you do on a football field.  When he was flagged for his unsportsmanlike penalty, he was walking (backwards) to his sideline while being pursued by 2 opposing players.  All 3 were all trash-talking.  Two refs came over to stop them so Manziel stopped talking trash, turned around, and started walking over to his sideline.  The other 2 guys continued to pursue him and talk more trash.  Manziel then pointed to the scoreboard.  Pointing to the scoreboard was likely the most tame thing said or done on that field that day by any player, yet he was flagged solely because he was Johnny Manziel.

He did not ignore Sumlin as he walked back to the sideline.  Sumlin basically told him to shut up and sit down (in a more aggressive manner I'm sure).  As Sumlin said, stopping to reply to those comments was the worst thing Manziel could've done at that moment.  Putting his head down and walking over to the sidelines was the proper response.

In a world where PC bullshit has taken over every aspect of our lives, it's a breath of fresh air to have someone be himself.  He may not do everything right, but it's not like he spent the off-season selling drugs, shooting people, getting in gang fights, or raping women.  He went to a few basketball games and concerts.  The worst thing he did was oversleep one day.  While that is irresponsible and doesn't deserve to be defended, it's not like he killed a hooker or something.

As far as the signing of stuff goes, I really don't care.  What I would care about, however, is punishing someone for something when the only evidence you have that it ever even happened is the word of a drug addicted felon.  And if you think Manziel is the only person signing hundreds of items for memorabilia dealers, feel free to do a quick search for Clowney, Braxton, Boyd, and McCarron memorabilia.  They each have about as much signed stuff out there as Manziel does.

And if you think the NCAA has any desire to sit high profile players like Manziel, you are a moron.  He's everybody's cash cow along with all those guys I listed in the previous paragraph.  Half the reason they only benched him for a half is that they know it's very possible that those other guys could be found guilty of the same stuff if the NCAA gets pressed, so the set the precedent as low as possible. 

Posted by MikeT23 on 9/13/2013 7:16:00 PM (view original):
Athletes are built up so we can tear them down.


That said, Manziel has behaved like an arrogant ***** since winning the Heisman.  He started it with his tweet of "Can't wait to get out of College Station" after getting a parking ticket.   That does turn people off.