Afternoon Kickoff 7/6
Two months ago, former Arizona State/Nebraska quarterback Sam Keller filed a lawsuit against EA Sports -- maker of the NCAA Football video games -- for using college players' likenesses without compensation.
NCAA rules prohibit EA from using players' names, but just about everything else in the game is similar. And once the game is released, rosters are free to be edited and player names can be added.
With the release of the newest version of the game next week, The New York Times has done some reporting on the story. They've also put together this graphic to illustrate EA's use of player likenesses.
From the Times:
"We signed a paper at the beginning of college saying we couldn't benefit from our name," said Keller, who is now 24 and living in Scottsdale, Ariz. "So why was the N.C.A.A. turning a blind eye to this and allowing EA Sports to take our likenesses and make big bucks off it?"
The point has some validity, and the same could probably apply to things like all the No. 17, No. 45 and No. 22 jerseys sold at the stores in State College. Then again, I have a hard time believing Keller would care if his NFL career was working out right now.
In a statement, the N.C.A.A. said the complaints were without merit and that the video games did not violate N.C.A.A. rules.
This may be the first instance of the phrase "did not violate NCAA rules" appearing in print this offseason.
It must also be noted that the NCAA makes a lot of money off the licensing of the games.
One of the twists in the debate over video games is that the very players who are supposedly the victims are some of the games' biggest fans. Jason Kelce, an offensive guard for the University of Cincinnati, said he agreed with the spirit of Keller and Hart's lawsuits. "I don't think it's fair for college athletes over all," he said.
Still, Kelce said he and his teammates were counting the days until July 14, when Electronic Arts will release the latest version of NCAA Football. "We end up playing it nonstop for like four months," he said.
This is the part that sticks out to me. I would bet that most college football players are happy just to be "in" the game. Former Michigan State quarterback Drew Stanton apparently agrees.
Finally, I enjoyed some of the thoughts from Nebraska fan site Corn Nation, most notably:
In another related story, several Husker fans who own Electronic Arts college football games are alleged to be considering their own class-action lawsuit.
They are seeking to have a new release issued that will "remove or randomize" Keller's likeness on conditions that he fraudulently represented himself as a real Nebraska quarterback and they have no desire to be reminded of him again.
Ouch.
And not only is Keller apparently unpopular with fans of both schools he played for, but now he probably has all fans of the NCAA Football video games upset with him as well.
Readers, what do you think? Comment below or send us an e-mail at football@psucollegian.com.
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Quick hits:
-Florida president J. Bernard Machen is trying to reduce alcohol sales in Jacksonville during the World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party. Part of his plan is to reduce the number of locations selling alcohol by 50 percent -- which, I assume, would probably double the alcohol sales at outlets still allowed to sell it.
-Former Hawaii quarterback Timmy Chang -- the NCAA's all-time leader in passing yards -- was arrested on suspicion of robbery for allegedly grabbing a camera and throwing it on the roof of a building.
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Link/Video of the Day:
With all the talk of football video games, here's the greatest athlete of all time: Tecmo Super Bowl Bo Jackson.
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