While ESPN and the NCAA dig into the numerous - and possibly illegal - pay-for-sign events involving reigning Heisman Trophy winner and Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel, we've uncovered some evidence that the suspicious saga might have commenced right here in Dallas.
In November 2012.
After A&M's epic upset of Alabama.
That's right,
during the Aggies' season.
Let me begin by saying I don't think Johnny Goofball will be suspended. Short of a video or paper trail directly tracking cash changing hands, he's got an alibi. And it's name is Nathan Fitch, or "Uncle Nate." My best guess is that Uncle Nate, Manziel's 20-year-old personal assistant, will take the bullet for his buddy. He'll tell NCAA investigators - who lack subpoena power - that he acted alone, went rogue and betrayed, deceived and exploited Manziel by having the quarterback sign items for "charity", then going behind Manziel's back and personally profiting off the sales. The NCAA will find that Manziel was an oblivious victim, guilty of nothing more than being both naive and duped. Manziel will feign hurt. At least publicly - wink - he'll sever ties with Fitch. And we'll all be treated to another season of his riveting on-field entertainment starting Aug. 31 against Rice.
I also have reason to believe it's the biggest college football scam since Manti Teo fell in love with a ghost.
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Dallas-based
Heritage Auctions has in 2013 sold 19 Manziel-autographed items for almost $10,000, highlighted by a pair of signed, game-worn cleats from the Alabama game that certainly pre-date the scope of the current, known investigation.
As of
its latest story, ESPN's
Outside The Lines alleges Manziel engaged in six signings for three brokers in three states in less than a month, starting with a South Florida session in early January while attending the Alabama-Notre Dame BCS National Championship Game. ESPN estimates Manziel signed over 4,400 items.
The NCAA, of course, is investigating whether Manziel was paid for any of the autographs, which would be a violation of Bylaws and would subject the quarterback to possible suspension.
But turns out the red flags go back to November 10, in the wake of Manziel's stunning, spectacular performance in which he propelled himself into the Heisman race with 350 total yards and two touchdowns in the
29-24 upset of the No. 1 Crimson Tide. In
this Sports Illustrated article, Manziel details an incident he says happened the night before the 'Bama game at the Birmingham Hilton Hotel. He claims a broker forced himself into the room as he and roommate Ryan Swope checked in, and asked the quarterback to sign a backpack full of memorabilia.
The broker later sent ESPN a photo of the unpaid, impromptu signing, but added that he was told by Uncle Nate that he would have to pay Manziel for future sessions.
That was supposedly before the 'Bama game.
But what happened after?
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Think of Heritage Auctions as a rich man's eBay.
The company has approximately 850,000 members and over the past 12 months has generated over $900 million from auctions and sales. One of the perks of being on the company's exclusive mailing list is periodically being sent a catalog in advance of primo auctions. Those books, of course, take time to produce. Photographs of items. Authentication of items. Detailed write-ups of items. Categorizing items. All sometimes spread over 300 high-quality, higher-gloss pages.
That exhausting process is where Johnny Football comes in.
Heritage Director of Sports Auctions Chris Ivy hasn't returned our calls but in talking to an autograph broker and a couple more folks who know the auction business, it's clear that the Johnny Goofball cleats in question were somehow - by
someone - fast-tracked from field to for-sale.
The normal turnaround time for an autographed item to be signed and eventually go to auction is about three months. Hence, in step with ESPN's reporting of multiple January signings by Manziel were items sold by Heritage in April, May and some as recently as June 16. (There are currently no Manziel items on Heritage's web site, but a history of 19 items - including photographs, footballs, baseballs and helmets - sold for a total of $9,979.35.) Manziel often accessorized his signature with "#2", "Johnny Football", "Heisman '12", and "Gig 'Em" "#2".
The item that doesn't fit into ESPN's mold are the autographed cleats, which Manziel wore against Alabama on Nov. 10.
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They, along with a No. 15 jersey Manziel was issued as a true freshman in 2011, were included in Heritage's "Platinum Night" auction Feb. 23-24 in New York that featured multiple keepsakes from former U.S. Olympic hockey hero Mike Eruzione. The item - #80086 - also made it into the pre-auction catalog, which was mailed to customers in early January. According to a person familiar with the auction catalog production timeline, for the item to have been authenticated, photographed, written up and included in the layout, it would have had to have been in Heritage's hands the week of Dec. 3-10.
An almot impossible turnaround, in other words, for a broker. Then ... who?
I think we both know the answer. It rhymes with Uncle Nate, the guy who allegedly a month earlier told a broker in Alabama that he'd have to pay for future Manziel signings.
The math is a little tricky, but it does indeed add up.
The cleats were sold Feb. 23 at the
Ukranian Institute of America at The Fletcher-Sinclair Mansion in New York auction for $7,767.50. After a "Buyer Premium" of around 15%, the sale netted the seller a cool $6,600.
According to Heritage's web site, the item's owner is "
proactively entertaining offers."
Who is the owner? And where exactly did those proceeds go? And does
Manziel's thorny family tree have anything to do with anything? We may never know.
While Cowboys' receiver Dez Bryant is pulling against -
or is it for? - Manziel, ESPN's
Kirk Herbstreit says Manziel might be historically dumb and Florida State coins "
Manziel disease," we are sure of a couple things:
The earliest piece of Manziel memorabilia was sold right under our noses.
And this might be the wackiest, unlikeliest mad scramble out of trouble in the career of Johnny Goofball.
