Which is worse? Manziel or Hill?

[Townhallsavoy]

Johnny Manziel's 'crimes' are apparently worse than those committed by Jeremy Hill

In the court of college football, an athlete profiting off his autograph is a far worse crime than merely beating the hell out of his fellow man or having sex with a minor.

This is the dirty truth of the game we zealously love.

Johnny Manziel, the Texas A&M quarterback known by most as Johnny Football, may lose his NCAA eligibility because he allegedly had the gall to profit off his name following last season's Heisman Trophy-winning campaign. NCAA investigators are combing the wasteland known as A&M's campus looking for evidence that Manziel earned $7,500 for signing autographs. The university has hired lawyers, who assuredly will earn far more than $7,500, to also look into the allegations. And ESPN's reporters are trampling every blade of sacred, Aggie-dedicated grass, breathlessly reporting the quarterback's every movement.

Some 370 miles to the southeast, in Baton Rouge, Jeremy Hill, the much-touted sophomore tailback, faces no such scrutiny, despite pleading guilty to his second crime in three years. Hill, as we all know by now, viciously cold-cocked some 20-year-old kid outside a campus bar in April. There was a brief suspension, but that ended the instant Hill -- already on probation for a sex crime committed during his senior year in high school -- got a stern lecture from the judge, but avoided jail time. Since orange didn't become the new purple for Hill, the talented runner is back at practice, pounding out punishment to would-be tacklers, his eligibility intact. There's no NCAA investigation. The only lawyer belongs to Hill. And ESPN is nowhere in sight.

Welcome to the hypocritical, yet lucrative world of big-time college football. A world in which charging for your John Hancock can cost you your career, but tossing haymakers on unsuspecting victims earns but a trip to timeout.

We may romantically bleed purple and live gold, but the cold-hearted reality is that college football, at its core, is a multi-billion-dollar industry in which everyone involved gets filthy rich -- except, of course, the athletes, who earn nothing.

In the Augustine halls of NCAA headquarters, the only cardinal sin is an athlete trying to nudge his way in on the money game.

Defenders of this system of indentured servitude will piously suggest athletes are given the right to earn a free college degree and that playing live on Saturday nights is a privilege. In truth, playing on Saturdays is a necessity so that a whole lot of people without the ability to fill Kyle Field or Tiger Stadium and draw millions of television views can become multimillionaires.

Does Texas A&M coach Kevin Sumlin earn a $2 million salary increase after the 2012 season if Manziel isn't scampering around? Do you think intellect is why Les Miles earns $4.3 million annually? A&M Athletic Director Eric Hyman has a contract that will pay him as much as $1 million this year, while LSU's Joe Alleva will have to get by with just over $500,000.

As for the guys who oversee the collegiate plantations, NCAA President Mark Emmert earns around $1.7 million, a tad more than the $1.6 million that SEC Commissioner Mike Slive will take home.

Schools like A&M and LSU profit handsomely as well, hawking player jerseys, selling parking passes and auctioning off the right to rub elbows with players. Even the NCAA gets in on the action, selling player jerseys and player autographed photos on its website. Think about this: The NCAA says it's illegal for Manziel to earn a penny selling his autograph, yet you can purchase an autographed picture of Reggie Bush -- yes, the same Reggie Bush that was exiled by college football for taking illegal benefits -- from his days at USC for $129.  I believe this fact is outdated now that the NCAA is taking their merchandise down.

It's a sanctimonious system that survives only if chiseled "student-athletes" in white jerseys continue slamming at full speed into chiseled "student-athletes" in maroon jerseys.

Which is exactly why Hill, despite his repeated criminal behavior, is allowed to remain enrolled at LSU and amaze us with his football skills. I suspect if Hill were buried on the depth chart and unable to put fans in the stands then his LSU career would be over, with university officials declaring the sanctity of donning the purple and gold is reserved for men of higher character.

Since Hill is important to LSU's football and financial success, his career is back on track, with university officials declaring that the sophomore is a really a great kid who deserves a third chance.

The same was said about a tight end named Aaron Hernandez during his troubled time in Gainesville, which included being questioned by police after a 2007 shooting and again after a fight at a restaurant.

Perhaps if Hernandez had been brazen enough to charge someone for his autograph then someone in authority would have been forced to take action.

http://www.nola.com/news/baton-rouge/index.ssf/2013/08/johnny_manziels_crimes_are_app.html#incart_m-rpt-2

[Token]

Hill's is far worse. 

But here is a better question, since every answer seems to be dismantling the NCAA.  Do we really want to get in a situation where college football players are allowed to receive money for playing?  I know I said the other day, a kid getting paid for his signature should be legal, but where would it stop?  If I'm a million dollar member of the REC, could I just pay $500,000 for 10 autographs from the next best running back in high school, as long as he promises to attend Alabama? 

Furthermore, do you believe it would be healthy for Alabama to be able to legally buy players to attend Alabama?  Alabama apparently has some of the wealthiest donors, would that really level the playing field?

[Snaggletiger]

Hill's is far worse. 

But here is a better question, since every answer seems to be dismantling the NCAA.  Do we really want to get in a situation where college football players are allowed to receive money for playing?  I know I said the other day, a kid getting paid for his signature should be legal, but where would it stop?  If I'm a million dollar member of the REC, could I just pay $500,000 for 10 autographs from the next best running back in high school, as long as he promises to attend Alabama? 

Furthermore, do you believe it would be healthy for Alabama to be able to legally buy players to attend Alabama?  Alabama apparently has some of the wealthiest donors, would that really level the playing field?

This is where I'm at.  The NCAA has become so hippo-critical that I'm starting to not give a shit if players get some $$$.  If the NCAA can profit from me bursting on the scene and becoming the face of college football, why can't I?  But, I heard the same take on the radio the other day as ^^This guy^^ when the host asked, "What's to stop the big money booster from paying $10,000.00 for that autograph?  Who puts a price on that?"

Then, college football really does become all about who has the most paper.

[Townhallsavoy]

Hill's is far worse. 

But here is a better question, since every answer seems to be dismantling the NCAA.  Do we really want to get in a situation where college football players are allowed to receive money for playing?  I know I said the other day, a kid getting paid for his signature should be legal, but where would it stop?  If I'm a million dollar member of the REC, could I just pay $500,000 for 10 autographs from the next best running back in high school, as long as he promises to attend Alabama? 

Furthermore, do you believe it would be healthy for Alabama to be able to legally buy players to attend Alabama?  Alabama apparently has some of the wealthiest donors, would that really level the playing field?

I'm still on the fairness issue here.  I don't think giving college players money will solve anything.

I underlined the ESPN part because that's my beef.  Jeremy Hill got a little blurb and then he's back on the practice field. 

Johnny Manziel is still headline news. 

I know it's a story.  I know it's all about money and ratings.  But there's our problem.  It's not just sports media. It's all media.

The media uses sensational stories to skew shit their way that gets dumbasses following along and buying products from dumbass commercials. 

Jeremy Hill was on probation for a sex crime and then punched a person in the head, and it's scooted along like it's typical. 

Johnny Manziel signed a few autographs.  Riley Cooper said the "n" word.  Those are being hammered to death. 

[Token]

I'm still on the fairness issue here.  I don't think giving college players money will solve anything.

I underlined the ESPN part because that's my beef.  Jeremy Hill got a little blurb and then he's back on the practice field. 

Johnny Manziel is still headline news. 

I know it's a story.  I know it's all about money and ratings.  But there's our problem.  It's not just sports media. It's all media.

The media uses sensational stories to skew shit their way that gets dumbasses following along and buying products from dumbass commercials. 

Jeremy Hill was on probation for a sex crime and then punched a person in the head, and it's scooted along like it's typical. 

Johnny Manziel signed a few autographs.  Riley Cooper said the "n" word.  Those are being hammered to death.

The problem is society. I don't care about the latter. Neither do you. Nor do many people I socialize with. But there HAS to be a reason the media runs with the story. Which HAS to mean the majority of society cares about those bullshit stories.

I thought about this a lot. Examined a lot of cultures over vast periods of time. Gathered as much information on social issues and why we are failing as a nation as I could find. Every answer I could come up with arrives at the conclusion.  White flight. It's the only chance we have, and it might be too late.

[Ranger12]

It is the fascination of trying to bring anybody successful down. Do I like Manziel? Meh. I don't know him to like him or hate him. However, as we all learned back in 2010, if anybody has any sudden success, the media and other haters will do anything they can to bring that person or program down. Our society frowns on success as we are all supposed to share and be equal. That is why we pay more attention to the guy making money from his autographs than the guy breaking the law.

[The Six]

Cam...ask any butt hurt Bammer.

[Godfather]

Paying players will be the end of college football.


You want to see Pandora's box...you will, if it happens. 

[WiregrassTiger]

Paying players will be the end of college football.


You want to see Pandora's box...you will, if it happens.

Just look at what it's done in the NFL.

[JR4AU]

This is where I'm at.  The NCAA has become so hippo-critical that I'm starting to not give a shit if players get some $$$.  If the NCAA can profit from me bursting on the scene and becoming the face of college football, why can't I?  But, I heard the same take on the radio the other day as ^^This guy^^ when the host asked, "What's to stop the big money booster from paying $10,000.00 for that autograph?  Who puts a price on that?"

Then, college football really does become all about who has the most paper.

It's my opinion that most of the kids at big time BCS level programs are getting some form of "extra benefit".  I know for a fact that there is/are grade changes that go on, or are requested, and this happens even at the lower levels, ie FCS schools do this.  Steroids are pervasive (and have been for a LONG time).  IOW, all the things fans bitch about and want "cleaned up" when they hear about it are rampant all through big time college football.  The bottom line is this: the media, along with the NCAA decide who pays for their indiscretions, and who gets a pass, and these days it seems to be directly tied to your success, or how much of a threat you are to a powerful rival that has the ear of the media or Mark Emmert.  We all know it's fun to take down the star of the day.  We all believe that if Nick thinks you need to be bitch slapped by the NCAA, they're going to at least open a file to let the media drag you through the mud even if there's nothing they can prove. 

And then in this case there's a kid that has off the field troubles with the law.  The NCAA wasn't conceived, or put in place to deal with such matters.  It's not there jurisdiction, and never has been.  Do we want the NCAA involved in another area outside their 'normal' jurisdiction cherry picking who pays a price, and who gets a pass?

[JR4AU]

Paying players will be the end of college football.


You want to see Pandora's box...you will, if it happens.

They're getting paid, it's just done the dirty, illegal way now, and there's no scale or ceiling on how much or how little a player can get. 

[wesfau2]

You want to see Pandora's box

I do. 

23 dick pics and nothing reciprocated thus far...bitch.

[GH2001]

Paying players will be the end of college football.


You want to see Pandora's box...you will, if it happens.

Not so much paying them but letting them make money off their name and in other ways if they wish.

It's jut hypocritical to me that the NCAA can make money off their name but they can't.

[Godfather]

I do. 

23 dick pics and nothing reciprocated thus far...bitch.

You are the only one that gets me...

[AUChizad]

Not so much paying them but letting them make money off their name and in other ways if they wish.

It's jut hypocritical to me that the NCAA can make money off their name but they can't.

Agree with Godfather. You open that floodgate, there's no getting that Genie back into that bottle.

The NCAA should stop selling gear that is clearly promoting individual players. That's where the hypocrisy needs to be gutted. Not at the opposite end of the candle.

[AU_Tiger_2000]

Not so much paying them but letting them make money off their name and in other ways if they wish.

It's jut hypocritical to me that the NCAA can make money off their name but they can't.

What would be your thought on using this as a recruiting tool?

"Hey kid, come to Auburn and I promise you that the #2 jersey is yours.  You can claim the max allowable NCAA percentage off every jersey sold.  If you want we can unretire the #34."  Ca-ching!

[GH2001]

What would be your thought on using this as a recruiting tool?

"Hey kid, come to Auburn and I promise you that the #2 jersey is yours.  You can claim the max allowable NCAA percentage off every jersey sold.  If you want we can unretire the #34."  Ca-ching!

No idea. It's a complicated issue. I've yet to come up with any simple solution.  Neither has anyone else. Balancing the federal budget would probably be easier.

[The Prowler]

Manziel is worse, we was paid to sign autographs....The NERVE!!! Who does he think he is Justin Beiber????