If you even pay the slightest bit of attention to college football, or even happen to tune into ESPN every so often, you know who Johnny Manziel is.
The star Heisman-trophy winning quarterback from Texas A&M University has filled headlines for the past year, from the time he rolled over eventual national champion University of Alabama to when he skated through NCAA hearings and received a surprisingly small punishment for what could have been a major scandal.
But what Manziel really has created will carry on long past the final snap he’ll play in an Aggies’ uniform. Whether he and the NCAA realize it or not, Johnny Football has had a negative impact on the sport’s fan base and the organization as a whole.
People are sick of Manziel stories everywhere they look, and you could say I’m contributing to the problem just by writing this and calling attention to it. Amid an autograph scandal and stories of partying and illegal alcohol consumption, the media has created a heightened level of the huge ego that Manziel had already built up.
Just look at the USA Today on Tuesday, Sept. 11. Manziel’s picture is in the top header on the front page of the sports section, and virtually all of page two — the collegiate section — is devoted to coverage of him.
Manziel gained notoriety last season with an improbable 29-24 victory over invincible Alabama, the team that would then cruise to the National Championship against Notre Dame in January. Many believe that win propelled Manziel to become the first freshman to ever win the coveted Heisman trophy, annually awarded to the game’s most outstanding player.
This weekend, Texas A&M and Alabama meet again with both teams ranked in the Top 10 in the country. CBS has coverage at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday Sept. 14, and the network will be experimenting with something new during the broadcast – ‘Johnny Cam.’
CBS will keep one camera on Manziel at all times to capture his every move for us fans to see. As if we haven’t seen enough of the guy in the last few weeks.
Sure, he’s a big story. Otherwise, the media wouldn’t be going berserk over him. But this is taking it just a little too far, especially with his profile.
The only thing that Manziel has done right recently is avoiding interviews. It’s smart for him to stay away from answering questions that could trigger more response to the recent investigation, but head coach Kevin Sumlin could have mandated the media lockout. Regardless, he has a whole season, a Heisman campaign and a career in the NFL ahead of him. He doesn’t need any more negative news.
But while he does that, he still manages to make matters worse. Manziel couldn’t have had much more negative publicity this past summer with stories of his alcohol use, anger management issues and an autograph scandal leaking to the public eye. After serving his tiny one-half suspension in the season opener against Rice University, Manziel proceeded to receive an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty in the game and fought back to taunting by the defense. So much for keeping his mouth shut.
Fans see a talented athlete on the field, but one who can’t keep his act together off of it. I get the idea that he’s having a difficult time adjusting to the fame, but this has been an ongoing struggle that is becoming progressively worse.
So when we turn on the television this Saturday and see one camera dedicated totally dedicated to Manziel, what should we think? It’s someone’s job to monitor him throughout the entire game just so millions can see his face even more.
This is giving the message to thousands of young athletes that it doesn’t matter who you are or what you do off the field. As long as you’re successful on it, the media will be all over you and the entire nation will know your name.
The NCAA, already corrupt in its enforcement department, shouldn’t complain about a case like this. They’re doing it to themselves.