I wish Sam Keller was more like Helen Keller

College Stars Sue Over Likenesses in Video Games
By KATIE THOMAS/N.Y. Times

One of the best parts about being the quarterback for Arizona State was the thrill that Sam Keller got whenever he played NCAA Football, the popular video game from Electronic Arts.

Although Keller’s name did not appear in the game, there was little doubt that he was the inspiration for the Arizona State quarterback in its 2005 edition. The virtual player shared Keller’s jersey number, 9, as well as his height, weight, skin tone, hair color and home state. The virtual quarterback even had the same playing style, as a pocket passer. “That was what made it so cool,” said Keller, who transferred to Nebraska in 2006. “It was so blatant.”

Keller has since come to view his appearance in the video game in a different light: as exploitation. He filed a class-action lawsuit this spring against Electronic Arts and the National Collegiate Athletic Association, arguing that they illegally profit from the images of college football and basketball players. Ryan Hart, a former Rutgers quarterback, filed a similar lawsuit against Electronic Arts earlier this week in a New Jersey state court.

“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?”

Rest of story here.

I have to stop Ms. Katie Thomas here. She seems like a great writer but she made a mistake. The headline, "College Stars Sue Over Likenesses in Video Games" is wrong. Sam Keller wasn't a star, although he is a large gassy object. If being a star means alienating everyone on a top-Pac 10 team and helping to ruin a legendary program while in a cocaine filled stupor then a star he was. I just choose to call him a d-bag. Say what you want about Sam but his girlfriend is 10 shades of hot.

Also, I love how suing EA Sports is all the rage now. How about suing the NCAA and its institutions for selling jerseys, t-shirts a koozies that highlight individual players?