HEISMAN DILEMMA
The Heisman Trophy: symbol of unquestionable superiority among
fellow NCAA division 1-A athletes . . . or is it? This unique honor is
awarded to the player who the Heisman panel believes is the “best” player
in 1-A. The award can be given to a player of “any position,” or so
the Heisman committee says. There has never been a Heisman candidate
who hasn’t been a quarterback, running back, or multi-purpose skill
player (for example: someone who plays wide receiver, defensive back, and
is a situational running back). Does the Heisman Trophy really determine
who the best player (and therefore best NFL prospect) is? I can prove who
will win the Heisman this year, but should that person be the Heisman
winner?
Kirk Herbstreit is currently ESPN’s leading college football journalist,
and I consider him the undeniable authority on all matters associated with
college football. He created his own Website, Heisman Pundit. This
Website contains “The 10 Heismandments,” which I think accurately capture
the unofficial qualifications that the Heisman panel uses to choose the
winner. It is my personal belief that the Heismandments are bogus, but if
you look through the history of Heisman winners, they really do comply
with most (if not all) of the qualifications.
The “Ten Heismandments” are as follows:
1. The winner must be a quarterback, running back, or multi-threat
athlete.
2. The winner must be a Junior or a Senior.
3. The winner must put up good numbers in big games on TV.
4. The winner must have some prior recognition.
5. The Winner must be one of the following three:
a. a top player on a national title contender team;
b. a player who puts up good numbers for a traditional power that
has a good r...
... middle of paper ...
... for money; they don’t have their own clothing lines; hell,
they aren’t even allowed to do endorsements. They play for the love of the
game, for a national title, for a Heisman Trophy, and to get noticed by NFL
coaches. Let’s face it. Every football-loving fan in America is going to watch
all of the top 5 bowls, regardless of who plays them. To take away from the
purity and justice of college football to make a few pennies is an atrocity.
Let’s just hope that NCAA officials can realize what they’re doing, and stop
before it’s too late.
Works Cited
Burns, Marty. “Leinart, Trojans Having a Good Time.” Sports Illustrated. November 2005.
Cincinnati Bengals’ Website. 2005. www.bengals.com.
Heisman Website. 2005. www.heisman.com.
Herbstreit, Kirk. Heisman Pundit. 7 November. 2005. www.heismanpundi.com.
Pasquarelli, Len. ESPN Magazine. November 2005.
The 2012 Heisman Trophy winner, Johnny Manziel, began the 2013 season sitting on the sidelines. Due to a half game suspension handed down by Texas A&M University, Manziel was only allowed to watch as A&M took the field versus the visiting Rice Owls. To “Aggies” fans, this half game suspension came as a huge relief. It had been feared that Manziel may receive a multiple game or year-long ban from the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) for violating NCAA Bylaw 12.5.2.1. The bylaw prohibits athletes from allowing their name or picture to be used in a commercial matter (Berkes, 2013). Luckily for him, a half-game suspension would be his only punishment. Manziel was put into this predicament after reports surfaced that he had accepted money in return for autographs. No proof of this was ever found, but it was proved that someone, probably a memorabilia collector, profited from his signature (Berkes, 2013). So wait, a man can’t receive money for signing his own autograph? The answer is “no”, if he is a student athlete following the strict rules of the NCAA. The only benefits he can accept are those included in a lucrative scholarship given by universities. As more incidents like Johnny Manziel’s have occurred, it has been debated by sports analysts and the news media whether or not these scholarships are a fair payment. Another Heisman Trophy winner, Cam Newton, was accused of trying to sell his services to Mississippi State University after his decision to transfer from a community college following his junior year. While an NCAA investigation would find that his father had indeed tried to shop Cam to prospective schools, Newton was cleared to play (Wojciechowski, 2010). The 2005 Heisman Trophy winner, Reggie Bush, was ...
There are thousands of high school football players across the nation, and a handful of them have what it takes to play at the college level. Those that do have the raw talent normally get reached by college football recruiters and coaches. The NCAA, the National College Athletic Association, has many rules and regulations especially surrounding the rules and conduct of recruiting student athletes. Men's football takes the most notice, as well as basketball, of all collegiate sports in the U.S. today (Smith, 2015). According to Langelett (2003), the NCAA limits each school to 85 football scholarships. With a limited number of scholarships available, schools spend a considerable amount of time and money on recruiting players.
“NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia.Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 18 March 2014. Web. 18 March 2014.
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