Johnny Manziel had Heat-Mavs courtside tickets ... so what?

Hey those are courtside seats! Those seats are pretty expensive! And would you look at that, the announcers are making jokes about improper benefits and the SEC! I, for one, am shocked.

This one short clip set off a bit of a firestorm. Those comments were quickly blown out of proportion, and the shot of Manziel triggered a wave of commentary about how in the world Manziel could’ve afforded courtside seats. He’s a very talented quarterback who won college football’s top award, so surely those seats were either comped or paid for by an agent trying to lure him.

All of this is ignoring that it’s fairly apparent Manziel comes from money. For example, check out this New York Times article about his family. They lived on a golf course before moving to Tyler, Texas, and the article is filled with tales of Manziel’s father’s golf outings. The elder Manziel carrot-dangled the Texas A&M quarterback with cars in an effort to keep him on the right path. The Manziel family business is oil and gas, and this bears the family name. There’s quite a few signs that point towards a family with plenty of disposable income.

For his part, Manziel broke out his best haters-to-the-left in response to the uproar on Twitter about his courtside seats.

TNT came back later and also said Manziel paid for his seats. Surely this was in response to the reaction that was triggered by the initial shot of Manziel in the crowd and the jokes that came along with it.

There’s a lot of evidence that he, or his parents, have the means to pay for them. Besides that, could he really be so brazen as to show up at a nationally televised game, as one of the game’s most recognizable players, if he didn’t pay for those seats?

The larger issue at play, though, is why this even matters. Why does it matter if Manziel, or any college athlete, is sitting in some nice seats at a game, or wearing nice clothes, or not driving a busted old Ford Pinto? Why is it an issue for the common fan, or anyone else?

NCAA rules create a gotcha culture, and it was on full display Thursday night. The cycle with these things is simple: A college player gets shown in a situation that’s perceived to be above their pay grade, fans cry foul and the issue lingers. College athletes are stereotyped as being broke 18- to 22-year olds, so they certainly couldn’t afford something nice without a little help. That help is bound to get a college athlete ruled ineligible -- the NCAA frowns upon improper benefits and handouts.

But it shouldn’t matter if Manziel or any other athlete is able to enjoy the finer things in life. We’re talking about young men and women who lay their bodies on the line under the guise of amateurism. Manziel, for instance, is going to bring millions of dollars into the coffers of the Texas A&M athletic department by way of the recognition that comes along with a Heisman and the Aggies’ success on a national stage this season. He’ll get his education and a spot in a future NFL Draft, but in the meantime none of that money is going into his pocket -- and it won’t ever end up in his pocket. Same goes for countless other athletes across all sports.

Manziel paid for his seat, but if athletes were able to score free tickets because of their stature, why would it matter to you (setting aside what the NCAA tells you)? Why should you, or I, or anyone else care? It’s none of our business, really. Courtside seats, a car or clothes aren’t hurting us.

Because of the rules of amateurism -- which aren’t laws and don’t separate legal from illegal in real life -- we immediately draw upon the stereotype of a broke college athlete, jump to the conclusion that something nefarious is going on, and start telling on folks. But we’re not telling on someone who committed a real crime -- something that affects society. We’re telling on someone that may or may not have broken a rule that exists within a bubble; the NCAA is its own world, and a somewhat ridiculous one at that.

In all likelihood, Manziel obtained those seats in a legitimate way, no matter what rival fans looking for a way to put Texas A&M’s biggest weapon on ice by any means necessary tell you. The rush to judgment upon spotting the Heisman winner sitting courtside, however, is telling and, honestly, sad. Manziel isn’t the first player to be spotted out in the open with something nice, and the cycle will repeat itself the next time a star athlete is spotted somewhere, or with something, that’s perceived to be above their means. But none of it matters one damn bit.

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