5 Reasons Why NCAA Made The Wrong Decision In Johnny Manziel Case

NCAA made the wrong decision in the Johnny Football case

Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel had an amazing season en route to winning the Heisman Trophy last season. He passed for 3,706 yards, threw 26 touchdowns, and rushed for 21 touchdowns.

Redshirt freshman Manziel led the Aggies to their first 10-win season since 1998. He was so dominant last season that it led to him earning the nickname Johnny Football.

The year ended on a bright note when he helped the 10th-ranked Aggies defeat the 13th-ranked Oklahoma Sooners in the 2013 AT&T Cotton Bowl. Everything was going well for Johnny Football -- until July 13. Since then, Manziel was in the national spotlight for the wrong reasons. He pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge from his 2012 arrest, was caught on video getting kicked out of a University of Texas fraternity party, and the NCAA accused him on selling autographs.

On August 4, ESPN’s Outside the Lines first reported the NCAA allegations against Johnny Football.

The NCAA launched an investigation to figure out if Johnny Football had violated the bylaw. If the NCAA had found evidence that he violated the bylaw, then he would have been suspended for the 2013 season. On Wednesday, the NCAA announced that there was no proof Manziel accepted money for the autographs. Despite this announcement, the NCAA announced that he will be suspended for the first half of Saturday’s game against Rice.

This decision shows the incompetence the NCAA. In this slideshow, we'll go through five different reasons why the NCAA made a terrible decision.

5. NCAA statement proved his innocence

The NCAA released a joint statement on Wednesday that stated that Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel was innocent of profiting on the autograph accusations.

The NCAA found Johnny Football innocent, yet they still announced that he will be suspended for half of Saturday’s game against Rice. The reason why the NCAA issued the suspension has to deal with NCAA bylaw 12.5.2.1.

That bylaw states, “… student-athletes cannot permit their names or likenesses to be used for commercial purposes, including to advertise, recommend or promote sales of commercial products, or accept payment for the use of their names or likenesses.”

Some of the apparel that the NCAA accused Manziel of signing were photographs. Whether he signs them or not, the people in attendance could have used the photographs for a financial gain.

4. The NCAA has made a profit off the players

Until Aug. 8, the NCAA had an online store where the public could purchase players jerseys and team-related memorabilia, according to Mark Schlabach of ESPN.com. Among the jerseys listed on the website were Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel jerseys.

ESPN College Basketball Analyst Jay Bilas posted a picture on his Twitter handle of the four Johnny Football jersey listings on the website. The most expensive jersey on the website was an “Adidas Texas A&M Aggies no. 2 Replica Football Jersey-Maroon, which was listed at $64.95.”

Manziel was not the only player with jerseys listed on the website. The NCAA also had jerseys of South Carolina defensive end Jadeveon Clowney and Alabama quarterback A.J. McCarron listed on the website, according to Peter Berkes of SBNation.com.

Following Bilas’ public criticism of the NCAA for their online store, NCAA President announced that he was shutting down the online store. According to the NCAA.org website, 96 percent of the revenue generated by the NCAA is distributed to the Division I members. However, NCAA keeps four percent of the revenue, and some of it have been used toward salaries “not related to any particular programs.”

3. Johnny Manziel is only 20-years old

Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel is only 20-years-old, so he is bound to make some mistakes. Everyone makes at least one mistake in his or her lifetime, so the NCAA should not have been critical for Manziel making the alleged autograph mistake.

The NCAA will have Johnny Football talk to his teammates about what he learned from this ordeal, according to ESPN.com. This is a great public relations move by the NCAA because it makes them appear to be interested in helping other athletes avoid being in the same predicament as he was in.

2. Every game matters for Texas A&M

The Associate Press poll’s Top 25 released on Aug. 17 ranked Texas A&M at no. 7. With the playoff system not starting until next season, the Aggies can only make it to the BCS Championship Game by finishing the season ranked no. 1 or 2.

The Aggies play in arguably the toughest conference in college football, the Southeastern Conference. In the Aug. 17 AP poll; there were six SEC teams that were ranked in the top 12.

Of those six teams, the Aggies play top-ranked Alabama and 12th-ranked LSU.

The Aggies play unranked Rice in their first game on Saturday. History has shown that any team could lose any given game. Anything can happen on any given Saturday, and life would be much easier if the Aggies have Johnny Football for the entire game. One loss could be the difference between a really good season and a chance to play in the BCS Championship Game.

1. It could hurt Johnny Manziel's Heisman Trophy chances

Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel won last season’s Heisman Trophy by 424 votes over Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te’o. Manziel is attempting to be the first player since Ohio State running back Archie Griffin to win consecutive Heisman Trophies.

It is tough for any player to win the Heisman Trophy when they are not playing nearly every snap for their team. Manziel is facing immense pressure to improve on his terrific season, and it will be tougher for him to do that when he will not play in a regular season game until the second half of Saturday’s game against Rice.

Related:

Will Johnny Manziels offseason scare away heisman voters?

Johnny Manziel receive nothing more than slap on the wrist from NCAA.

Johnny Manziel suspension continues to show NCAA's lack of integrity.

Noah Weintraub is a contributing writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @NoahWeintraub, join his Facebook group, or add him to your network on Google.