The camera pans over to Johnny during a preseason game in 2014. After being chided and barked at by numerous Redskins players, he momentarily loses his cool and flips his middle finger behind his head. After throwing an interception in a game against the 49ers this year, the camera goes to the Browns sideline where we see Johnny smashing a Microsoft Surface tablet against his head repeatedly. After a failed attempt at a come-from-behind victory against the Kansas City Chiefs, we see Johnny angrily rip off his helmet and spike it into the turf. This last moment effectively sums up the Cleveland Browns’ season.
Johnny Manziel’s brief existence in the NFL has consisted of an amalgamation of bizarre stories, sound bites, controversial video clips and pictures and quotable statements from the quarterback himself. As an observer and a fan of the league and the Browns, I’ve experienced a plethora of contradictory emotions about the polarizing quarterback.
In the beginning, I felt a combination of excitement and hope which unfortunately turned into frustration, confusion and tired resignation. This is an all too familiar narrative for Browns fans who, in the past decade, have consistently supported a team with double digit losses, poor decisions on draft day and failures in filling head coaching vacancies and free agent acquisitions. In fact, the narrative specific to this story, of a young, talented player suffering from substance abuse problems, is something all too familiar for the Browns.
Josh Gordon, a talented wide receiver from Baylor whom the Browns acquired in the supplemental draft a few years ago, quickly spiraled into legal trouble surrounding drinking and drug related incidents, which led to several suspension handed down by the NFL. Two years ago, when I was living in Cleveland, I was dropping my older brother off at the airport when I saw a black Escalade come up to the curb and a tall, imposing figure get out of the front seat. He had gold Beats headphones draped around his neck and was followed by a small entourage of friends wearing dark sunglasses and carrying Louis Vuitton luggage. It was Josh Gordon, according to later reports, off to a Vegas party the day after the season had ended.
“I don’t have a drinking problem, the team has a problem with me drinking,” Manziel later said in an interview broadcast on the Faux NFL network.
After Johnny Manziel was drafted, there was a merchandise explosion and a wave of people clamoring to purchase season tickets. Fans in Cleveland were energized, excited and genuinely felt that life had been breathed into the franchise. But Johnny Manziel’s reputation as a partier has transcended his abilities on the field as well as all other aspects of his personality, including his fiery competitiveness and potential to be a leader. In the NFL, we’ve seen flashes of what made him the most exciting player in college football during his time at Texas A&M. The wild scramblings for first downs, shaking off defensive ends and scampering around in the backfield inspired glimmers of hope in perpetually disappointed Browns’ fans.
But what has dominated the narrative surrounding his time in the NFL has been the videos of him partying on off days and bye weeks, and the numerous missed meetings, treatments and practices. Just this year alone, there has been a dizzying number of incidents ranging from speeding tickets to domestic disputes to reports of him wearing a disguise in order to party in Vegas anonymously. Allegations have even spread that clalim the Browns covered for Manziel when he was hungover by saying he got a concussion.
With over 20 different starting quarterbacks in as many years, drafting a young, promising and charismatic player who has the potential to be the leader of the franchise is a cause for celebration. But it pretty much feels like Groundhog Day for Browns fans. More importantly, the story of Johnny Manziel isn’t about football anymore. It has become a story about someone who appears to be a danger to himself and to others around him, and someone who needs help. How, when and in what form that help will come remains to be seen.•
