Johnny Manziel Lawsuit May Have Inadvertently Opened The Door For Cheating In College Football

A corporation formed by Johnny Manziel has filed a lawsuit in Texas over the use of his trademarked nickname, "Johnny Football," by a person selling t-shirts according to The Southeast Texas Record. But, in a move that could lead the way for more lawsuits, Darren Rovell of ESPN is reporting the NCAA has ruled that Manziel can keep any money he wins in the lawsuit.

While any athlete, amateur or professional, should be able to protect their own name, the ruling by the NCAA also opens the door for situations where a booster could intentionally infringe on a player's trademark as way of being able to give money to the player.

Of course, the greatest irony here is how much money the NCAA and Texas A&M have made using Manziel's name and likeness. Unfortunately he'll never see a dime of that revenue.