It all started when ESPN’s Jay Bilas tweeted this out:
Official NCAA store set up to profit off player names
This seems fair.
Go to http://t.co/qpH4tNnIpH, type in "Manziel" in upper right search box, hit enter. This comes up. pic.twitter.com/N7KNvXIu24
— Jay Bilas (@JayBilas) August 6, 2013
Ahh yes, so Johnny Manziel isn't allowed to profit from his name or likeness, but his protectors at the NCAA can funnel player name searches to the appropriate "student-athlete" merchandise. Thank goodness for the pillars of amateurism.
It’s not just Manziel though. Here’s what happens when you type in “Clowney”:
And “McCarron”:
Look up your favorite college football star, and I bet you his jersey is in there. It’s not just current players though:
And hey, you search for a player’s nickname and it still seems to work!
@Adam_Jacobi Nicknames are also a little "coincidental" pic.twitter.com/UN54KxbJJU
— Steve Taseski (@stevetaseski) August 6, 2013
Like their commercial says, the NCAA likes to think of itself as student-athletes’ biggest cheerleader. Thank goodness somebody is looking out for these kids’ best interests!
A challenge to you, fair commenter: Try to find the least noteworthy college football player whose name will still bring up the appropriate jersey.
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