By: Carter Howard
As most of you have heard in the past week, Johnny Manziel has been under scrutiny again for allegedly signing autographs for brokers and charging them for them. Is it right for NCAA to let these brokers pay thousands of dollars to the student athletes for their signature? Is it right for the brokers to turn around and sell these items for hundreds of dollars without the players recieving some kind of profit? That is the conversation that is going on the sports world.
As most of you have heard in the past week, Johnny Manziel has been under scrutiny again for allegedly signing autographs for brokers and charging them for them. Is it right for NCAA to let these brokers pay thousands of dollars to the student athletes for their signature? Is it right for the brokers to turn around and sell these items for hundreds of dollars without the players recieving some kind of profit? That is the conversation that is going on the sports world.
I think personally the players should be compensated in someway for these autographs because it is there name that is being sold. In the picture above is an Autographed Football by Johnny Manziel. This item is going right now for $299 on Ebay. Now lets break this down how the person that is selling this item paid:
$40 for the football,
$5 for the pen
$100 for authentication.
=$145 total spent
_____________________________
Item Sells for $300.00
_________________________
total compensation: $155.00
And when it sells it will go for atleast $300. That means that this person is going to make a $155 profit off of this item. Now if this person only had one item up for sale it mght be different but this person has 31 items up for sale that is other athletes memorabilia. Is it right for this person to sell these items? Yes, I beleive that there is nothing wrong with colllecting memorabilia and selling it, and if they go to an free autograph signing and get it the more power to them as well.
$40 for the football,
$5 for the pen
$100 for authentication.
=$145 total spent
_____________________________
Item Sells for $300.00
_________________________
total compensation: $155.00
And when it sells it will go for atleast $300. That means that this person is going to make a $155 profit off of this item. Now if this person only had one item up for sale it mght be different but this person has 31 items up for sale that is other athletes memorabilia. Is it right for this person to sell these items? Yes, I beleive that there is nothing wrong with colllecting memorabilia and selling it, and if they go to an free autograph signing and get it the more power to them as well.
Now as you are reading this you are probably thinking... am I making the brokers out to be bad people for doing this.. NO, that is not the case. Let me assure you I think anyone should make money how ever they find suitable. I myself collect autographs. Now I dont reach out to players and offer them money. I go to sporting events, pay for my ticket, and if they player offers to sign something I get it signed.
The thing that im trying to get at is that if a student athlete, whether they play football, basketball, baseball, or whatever should be allowed to accept compensation if one of these big brokers reach out to them to get stuff autographed, especially if they are signing over a single item outside of the sporting event or an organized signing and there are more student athletes out there getting stuff signed by people. Above is an autographed Jadeveon Clowney helmet, and below you will see a an Autographed Teddy Bridgewater helmet. Whether or not these players where compensated for these autographs, no one knows. Johnny Manziel will be the lead figure on this due to his popularity and I belive the NCAA should let it go and let the players make the money if they can. Take our poll below and tell us what you think.
The thing that im trying to get at is that if a student athlete, whether they play football, basketball, baseball, or whatever should be allowed to accept compensation if one of these big brokers reach out to them to get stuff autographed, especially if they are signing over a single item outside of the sporting event or an organized signing and there are more student athletes out there getting stuff signed by people. Above is an autographed Jadeveon Clowney helmet, and below you will see a an Autographed Teddy Bridgewater helmet. Whether or not these players where compensated for these autographs, no one knows. Johnny Manziel will be the lead figure on this due to his popularity and I belive the NCAA should let it go and let the players make the money if they can. Take our poll below and tell us what you think.