A&M Regent proposes: "Kyle Field, the House that Johnny Built."

Submitted by Cold War on

Jim Schwertner, a member of the Texas A&M Board of Regents, said Monday that he'd like to revise the name of Kyle Field.

His preference: "Kyle Field, the House that Johnny Built." Johnny, in this case, is now former quarterback Johnny Manziel, who won the 2012 Heisman as the Aggies were raising money for an overhaul of the stadium. He was the 22nd pick of the NFL draft, selected by the Cleveland Browns.

http://www.statesman.com/weblogs/12th-word-tamu/2014/may/12/regents-wan…

Sac Fly

May 16th, 2014 at 8:29 PM ^

 

Manziel already has filed to get the trademark for "The House that Johnny Built." So he'd be in line to receive money whether or not the Aggies tweak the name of Kyle Field.

 

FreddieMercuryHayes

May 16th, 2014 at 8:32 PM ^

Because the guy that lead A&M to zero championships in the two years he played "built" the stadium that is home to the 12th man, and has been in existence since the 1920s?

Mr. Yost

May 17th, 2014 at 3:58 PM ^

...it was something that was said 6-7 days ago.

Did you all hear that Michael Sam is getting a reality show?

...edit for 3 days from now: Michael Sam's reality show is postponed.

gwkrlghl

May 16th, 2014 at 8:55 PM ^

"We will always remember Johnny for that time he beat #1 Alabama and that other big game....er the one time we beat Tex....err...that one time we saw him with those pretty ladies on TMZ.

Also, we retroactively claim the 2013 national title."

BloomingtonBlue

May 16th, 2014 at 8:56 PM ^

While I agree that it's dumb. They raised the money they needed in two years, what previously would have taken decades. Winning isn't everything, it's about brand image. He took Texas A&M past Texas and put them on an elite level.

gwkrlghl

May 16th, 2014 at 9:08 PM ^

but little in the way of wins or championships. It'll be interesting now to see if they can keep their head above water in the SEC without Manziel - they were barely able to do it with him. I suspect they'll fall back to the middle of the pack and stay there except for great teams every 5-10 years

WolvinLA2

May 17th, 2014 at 1:02 AM ^

Sure, they didn't win any championships while he was there, but at least one year they were very very close and I can't remember a time where that has been the case with Texas A&M.  Who cared about TAMU before he got there?  Outside of their fans, I mean.  I didn't see them as anything different than Texas Tech or Oklahoma State - a second fiddle team in their own state who had decent seasons every now and then but never made any real noise.  He put them on the map.  

 

MichiganITtoWINit

May 17th, 2014 at 4:19 PM ^

To be fair.. I'd still place what Texas A&M did the past couple years in the category of "decent seasons every now and then." They go to the middle of the pack In the SEC the next couple years and you make your previous point. He put them on the map.. For now. What happens if he continues the legacy of bad QBs in Cleveland? If Texas was relevant right now too, we wouldn't make a big deal of it.

LSAClassOf2000

May 16th, 2014 at 9:28 PM ^

As I recall, the price tag on these renovations was something on the order $450 million, half of which was to be funded by seat licensing and some 20% more (I forget the exact numbers) by donations. It seems more appropriate to call it "Kyle Field - The Proof That Johnny Was A Marketable Entity". 

MaizeAndBlueWahoo

May 17th, 2014 at 8:20 AM ^

The argument also sucks that Manziel is worth $450 million to A&M, which is the implication you're making.  Was A&M playing to empty stadiums before him?  No.  Sold-out ones, in fact.  Were they worth a lot before him?  Yes.  What's more valuable to that program, two years of Johnny fever or indefinite SEC membership?

Sure, there are several other programs where "Johnny Football" could've been born.  There are also hundreds more where he would not have.  That means that A&M gave their value to Johnny Manziel.  By your own admission that's the case.

Princetonwolverine

May 16th, 2014 at 10:06 PM ^

When he donates half of his salary back to them they can call it whatever he wants.

Bo Nederlander

May 17th, 2014 at 1:08 AM ^

And this is the kind of thing you wish High School kids had the foresight to see. A team ends up with a good player...maybe the best they ever had...and they end up wanting to name a stadium after him. OK. However, you've got another team filled to the BRIM with tradition that they don't even name their stadium after ANY player because they have to enough history to simply scoff at the notion. I wish that fact carried more weight than it actually does. 

GoBlueSimon

May 17th, 2014 at 8:12 AM ^

As a Browns fan I am really hoping his leg gets torn off and he never sets foot on the field.  He might bring life to the franchise or some such crap like that, but I've never been impressed with him as a NFL-style QB.  Frankly, I liked what Brian Hoyer did last year and I'd rather have him under center until a suitable replacement can be found, but I don't think it's Manziel.

As for the house that johnny built.  Must be an odd feeling finally having a player you can name your stadium after.  Michigan could have done that 60 years ago.

Unicycle Firefly

May 17th, 2014 at 11:17 PM ^

That's how it always is. Every few years a super athletic gunslinger comes in and gets off to a quick start when no one has any film on him or experience playing him. Because he can run, he is dubbed a 'game changer' and anointed as the new greatest of all time. Five years later, he has played for multiple teams and is getting ready to move north to the CFL.

Naked Bootlegger

May 17th, 2014 at 10:39 AM ^

I call this a fail.  It's not like Kyle Field was a hollow, soulless place before JM arrived.  It's been a den of screaming Aggie lunatics for decades ('12th man' and all).   Sure, the A&M stadium reno financing was helped by JM's on-field performance.   But Kyle Field has been around since the early 1900's!    Just name the new press box or a top-notch luxury suite after him and move on.   Kyle Field is larger than Johnny Manziel.  Much larger.