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February 3, 2015NFL suspends Josh Gordon for at least one year
February 3, 2015Dear Johnny Manziel,
Hey there, Johnny Football. My name is Chad Zumock. I am comedian from Cleveland who travels the country telling jokes to complete strangers while having said strangers judge me in return. It’s a pretty cool gig, but putting yourself out there with something you love to do can be tough times. I also used to be a fairly popular radio personality in this town, but we’ll get to that in a second.
I wanted to write you as Browns fan but more as someone with complete empathy for you and your situation. I have empathy because we actually have a lot in common and because of that, I wanted to reach out to you and discuss your mature decision to seek much needed treatment.
First of all, no one can deny your talent. Anyone that can make it to the NFL and be a first round draft selection when they’re supposed to be a junior in college is remarkable in and of itself. You have a Heisman trophy and you were ridiculously fun to watch each and every Saturday. Because of this you came into the league with a lot of hype. Not just because you were a great college player, but because you had built a nice reputation for being a social figure in the public eye. I know what it’s like to build a reputation for yourself not for your hard work and talent, but for your extracurricular actives off of the field—or, in my case, stage. It wasn’t all that long ago when I was going out every night, doing up the velvet ropes and VIP sections, drinking, taking pictures with everyone… In fact, you should check out my Facebook from two years ago. Half the pictures I’m tagged in I don’t even remember them being taken.
I know what it’s like to build a reputation for yourself not for your hard work and talent, but for your extracurricular actives off of the field—or, in my case, stage.
Because of this, people will try to hurt you at any chance you get. The superficial side of life and being in the public eye seems to give people a free license to unload whatever bullshit agendas they have on you. A lot of its jealousy fueled by their own anger—people believing you don’t deserve what you have. My situation similar to yours was on a much, much more smaller scale but working in radio in Cleveland. I can somewhat relate to some of the nonsense you have to deal with in town. All of those people filling up your Instagram comments and Twitter replies with names like “punk” and “douche” and “gay”… I’ve heard the same thing about myself a half million times over the course of three-plus years. There’s nothing like walking through a grocery store making eye contact with someone and nodding your head to say hello only for him to yell, “DOUCHE BAG!” from the distance when you already passed him. Isn’t that fun? Just going to grocery store to get bread and paper towels so you can live and some random guy you never met decides this is his time to spew his hate for you? Isn’t that what everyone wants when they head out to Giant Eagle—though you probably can afford Whole Foods.
The people you are running with, keep an eye on them. These people really like hanging with Johnny Football because Johnny is the man in the world of emptiness. They brag about it to their friends and might even take the liberty to embellish the story for their own personal gain—just think of the guy who took that money phone video a few years ago and waited until this summer to post it for the world to see. It doesn’t matter how it makes you look in the end, it’s about them and their own personal gain. It’s cool to hang out with celebrities because for some reason it elevates their stature in the public eye. That what’s funny about life: People will judge you differently because of who you hang out with. With that being said, you have quite the stable of celebrity friends. Your boys Drake and Beibs seem to be pretty popular with the kids these days, and that right there just elevates your status. I can’t say that I’m jealous that your famous friends are a little bit more famous than mine, but I do have Chuck D’s number stored in my phone and Chuck D is just way cooler—in my opinion, of course.
I guess I’m missing my point? Hanging with these people doesn’t make you cooler. In fact, that will all go away when you make that one misstep everyone is dying for you to make. I really enjoyed my former profession at times while in the Cleveland area because that’s all I ever wanted to do. I wanted to do stand-up from home and broadcast on the legendary Cleveland radio station WMMS for the rest of my life. That was my Plan A and Plan B. Unfortunately, much like you, I got caught up with an image and reputation I couldn’t shake. I brought a lot of it on myself at times, but the general public didn’t see my work ethic and passion for what I did on the other end. The hours I put in writing and producing bits, jokes and memorable moments that eventually elevate my other status into the Cleveland public eye. The life we are living will sometimes make us feel like a man alone. Nobody wants to report or talk about the times you staying in watching a movie on Netflix while eating a pizza. (Angelos of course) They want to just think you’re the drunk guy on an inflatable swan in a pool drinking a bottle of Grey Goose. (One side note: I’ve done that, but it was a plastic raft in a pool in Willoughby, Ohio.)
The point to everything I am writing: I know there’s a side of Johnny Manziel no one sees and as soon as something goes wrong, you will never be judged for that side again. As soon as something goes wrong you will see “so-called” friends and teammates leave your side and people will begin distancing themselves from you. You will see the opportunists turn their back on you, ironically during a time when you need them the most. You will see your famous friends lose your number. If you felt like a man alone before, you will really feel like a man alone after you fall.
People are waiting for you to fail and some of those people cannot wait to kick you when you’re down. You did something I wish I would have did that before I fell, and that’s seek help you need before it’s too late. It’s not too late for you and seeking treatment is the coolest thing you could do for the situation you’re in. Let all the hangers on, haters, and awful media members fall to the side why you refocus on what got you here: Working hard and doing something you love. Not being on the front page of TMZ or court-side at the Cavs game isn’t all that bad. Go rediscover the true meanings in friendship and appreciation for the little things in life. I know you don’t know me from anything but I’m rooting for you off the field just as much as I am when you’re on it.
See you on the other side,
Chad Zumock
36 Comments
Don’t want to be one of the “haters”, but I have no idea who this guy is. I mean, he’s offering good advice, and I guess in the end that’s what matters. But he’s quite pontificatory about himself and his legions of followers and level of fame. Slow down there, fella. If all we needed was a microcosm of Johnny’s world, I could have done that. My Mom thinks I’m pretty awesome and I don’t remember a lot of the pictures I’m in on Facebook, either.
Open Letter 2.0
JFF, please prove that you deserve a roster spot on our beloved Browns, and that you’re not just the spoiled, entitled, overdrafted hack, that many fans and scouts thought you were to begin with, and that you so eagerly lived up to.
We patiently, but enthusiastically await your response.
Good luck.
Fantastic testimony Chad.
I am guilty of it myself, but it is amazing how easy it is to separate the actual person from the figure of what that person is assumed to be. I think that is likely the biggest challenge that our digital society has to overcome. How do we keep ourselves empathetic to humanity while on the digital platform?
Anyways, that is a secondary point here. I truly hope that you, Johnny, and anyone that has had to deal with these machinations of our society on any level are able to find their way out of it, able to overcome any personal demons, and find a good balance for their life moving forward. Life doesn’t have to be a struggle, but it sure seems like it is at times.
Have a great week Chad.
Works for me he definitely needs to start proving and not talking!
http://lmgtfy.com/?q=Chad+Zumock
I still don’t feel the slightest bit of sorrow for Mr. Manziel at all. I know plenty of people who have never had the opportunities this guy has who have struggled and battled far more devastating things then he has or ever will. The case is simple: Mr. Manziel chose his path he chose to create what he has created and because of it he has to go to rehab. Rehab? Are you kidding me? Wow, that’s tough. Come talk to me when you know someone who has died in the military or a child who has died from an illness then we can talk. Until then good luck in your rehab Johnny Drama!
Ah… yeah. Chad is most famous for being the guy on CNN who burned a Lebron James jersey on the night of the decision. Locally, he sometimes opens for Mike Polk and was on the Alan Cox show year one and two. For some reason he has been running around in the local sports scene lately, I suspect it has something to do with Anthony Lima.
I AM Johnny Manziel too!
Life is suffering.
Thankfully, I’m not Buddhist 🙂
Meh. No time for all that.
Someone who checks into rehab to be a better teammate, friend, and family member is a ruse. You don’t have to go to rehab to Act YOUR AGE. Grow up and mature, it’s called LIFE.
So wait, former local radio dude who opens for other people on a comics stage is comparing his “late nights” at the Velvet Dog to Manziel partying with Drake, Justin Bieber, LeBron and Gronk?
Awkward.
I never really got Chad’s jokes so there is a very real possibility that this is very unfunny/poorly timed satire.
Funny how the author addresses haters and then they do exactly what he’s talking about. Good piece, sorry for the assholes in the comments
You do not have to. But, some find that it is an easier path to get there. Hopefully, he is taking it seriously.
Perspective here is that this is a guy who turned 22 towards the end of the season and has been in the national spotlight since he was a teenager. Are there paragons of maturity at the age of 22 who are fighting wars or raising families? Sure. (Most guys aren’t. I wasn’t) But come on, he didn’t kill someone in drunk driving accident, or rape a girl in a club restroom, or knock his girl friend out in an elevator. He partied too much and didn’t work hard enough during his rookie season. He wasn’t even supposed to play this year.
The hype and expectation level before that first start was ridiculous, as was the instant backlash after his disastrous opening performance. I can understand the disappointment and disillusion, but the visceral hatred Manziel gets on comment boards, Twitter, and in the media says more about the people who engage in it than it does about Johnny Football.
The kid messed up, but he’ll have the chance to come into camp this year, a year older at 22, with an attitude adjusted by a billion insults. Let him get his life together and show what he can or can’t do on the field. It’s six months till camp.
Go Browns.
Why do celebrities, or even in this case, local pseudo celebrities, think they’re life is tough because some people make it known they dont like them? Is this such a devastating realization to people who literally put themselves and their opinions out there to be judged in the arena of public opinion? I fully realize this comment might get a snarky remark from someone reading it on WFNY. I dont care. If I wasnt open to that criticism, I wouldnt say it. Much less, I wouldnt write for WFNY, or host a radio show, or act like the biggest prima donna in the history of NFL rookies.
Every job has different struggles and everyone weighs the pros and the cons before they decide what they want to do and who they want to be. I dont understand this weird empathetic piece for poor Johnny Football who somehow built his ego before his most basic football accumen (like learning a playbook in 9 months), and SHOCKING, things didnt work out.
But Haters like gonna me gonna hate, right? Its clearly somehow my fault Johnny cant call a play in the huddle of a very vanilla offense built around his limited knowledge. Not like hanging with celebrities, trademarking his name, dating every model he can find, doing commercials endlessly, and promoting his “brand” had anything to do with it.
So we saw this story years ago as Cleveland fans didn’t we?
At the end of that story, Joey Belle got rid of his nickname after counseling and went with his true first name of Albert.
Albert Belle went on the set offensive records in Cleveland.
So, shouldn’t Johnny change his name after counseling too? Maybe go with his middle name of Paul…
Perhaps, Paul Manziel could go on to set offensive records in Cleveland.
I don’t remember, was he going by Joey or Albert when he chased those kids off his lawn on Halloween?
Do the pros outweigh the cons? If they don’t, do something else. I couldn’t agree more, no sympathy from me.
“the visceral hatred Manziel gets on comment boards, Twitter, and in the media says more about the people who engage in it than it does about Johnny Football.”
Nailed it.
I like the cut of your jib
Just because one gets past some personal demons does not mean they get past all of them.
You are NOT a douchebag and you have never been one.. screw those jerks at WMMS .. they don’t deserve you.. they fed you to the friggin wolves.. it wasn’t fair for them to kick you when you’re down.. and I don’t mind saying this.. Rover is the real WMMS douchebag .. yet he still has his job.. you’re the bigger man.. ps.. I wouldn’t piss on Alan Cox if he was on fire.. screw them all :p
Maybe. Hopefully.
But truthfully, anybody…raise you hand if you think JFF is going to set any offensive records in Cleveland.
http://simpleandnaturallife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/tumblr_m2z6gzUIPG1r89683o1_500.gif
This in no way excuses Johnny’s behavior, but I think what happens to a lot of the high performing college players is that they invest so much into the goal of being drafted into the NFL, that when it happens, they think they’ve reached the summit and can stop and enjoy the view.
In some small way, I hope that Johnny entering rehab was equivalent to him turning around, seeing he was only dangling on a ledge halfway up the mountain and realizing he needed a sherpa to get him to the true summit, a place he desperately desires to reach.
So the situations have to be exactly similar to provide any sort of empathy? Got it.
Your screen name should be “Schopenhauer_Dawg”
I couldn’t agree more. Its all about risk vs. benefit analysis. If only NFL teams were allowed to have some sort of interview process or a way of performing background checks. Maybe waisting a first round pick on a kid with obvious unresolved issues could’ve been avoided. Just saying I think we can set the bar a little higher when discussing character.
In all seriousness, I hope the kid gets it figured out. Not for the Browns sake, cause I don’t think he can win in this league even when sober. I hope he does it for his loved ones and himself.
LOL. Siddhartha Schopenhauer.
Doesn’t anybody proofread before posting their bs for the masses? Also, as far as an open letter to Johnny Rehab, here’s mine…short and sweet…Johnny, The Browns wasted a valuable draft pick on you. Hit the road, permanently. Sincerely, A Lifelong Browns Fan
I wouldn’t necessarily go that far, but I would submit that empathy should be sans narcissism.
Talent as a college kid. Rehab won’t make him a man. There are things you are raised with. Humility and humbleness for starters. It takes a lifetime. There are plenty of kids drafted in the 1st round. You hope the one you drafted has some dignity. The real kind. Not smoke and mirrors. Lots of people can talk the talk or tell a good story. It just depends on how honest it is. People that are humble don’t have to.
Empathy by definition means that you are able to relate to someone because you’ve had the same experience.
In this case, the experiences are about as comparable as hitting a baseball off a tee versus a 102 fastball from Chapman.
The author says he had a guy mutter something aloud in a grocery store which is more comparable to someone exclaiming out loud they don’t like your shirt.
It’s nowhere near the experience of Manziel having millions of people adore him and then suddenly turn on him.
The author states he had velvet rope experiences.
Now, their are velvet rope experiences and then there is hanging out with the largest celebrities in America and even the planet.
There is nothing I read in the open letter that puts the author and Johnny Freaking Football in the same stratosphere.