Buckeyes get upset by Sparty: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly
November 24, 2015Cleveland Indians interested in free agent reliever Tommy Hunter
November 24, 2015Hold the phone on those Johnny-centric Monday Night Football promos. Johnny Manziel may not be the Cleveland Browns starting quarterback when they take on the Baltimore Ravens in prime time.
From ESPN, whose story included reporting from Pat McManamon:
Cleveland Browns coach Mike Pettine said Tuesday he is “not in a position yet” to say whether Johnny Manziel will start Monday night against the Baltimore Ravens as planned after social media posts showed Manziel allegedly partying last weekend in Texas.
Pettine said he is gathering information but called the latest incident around his quarterback “disappointing. Very.”
“I want to sit down and discuss it before I do a knee jerk and go off on a tangent,” Pettine said.
Pettine said backup Josh McCown (ribs) has been cleared and is “good to go” should he need to start.
Manziel went home to Texas during the Browns bye week and images and videos of him partying popped up on an Austin DJ’s Instagram account. Said DJ — DJ LX — has since made his account private. Manziel suggested that the footage may have been old, but didn’t exactly put forth a rock-solid alibi.
Manziel’s take on the matter, per NEOMG’s Mary Kay Cabot:
“You know there’s all kinds of people that come out,” he said. “Videos can be old. Videos can be all kinds of different things. So like I said, I’m not in a state to be able to speak on it because my focus has been on this today and what really matters in this game on Monday. So that’s where my focus has been. I did get a chance to relax. So I haven’t seen anything like that, and I’m not going to be able to speculate on it right now.”
Manziel has played reasonably well during his limited time, throwing for 372 yards in the Browns last game, a 30-9 loss to the Steelers. Mike Pettine doesn’t seem taken with Johnny’s social life, and it may cost the young quarterback his starting spot. If Manziel doesn’t start, Josh McCown and his injured ribs will be thrown back into action.
The Browns are the best soap opera around. Or is it a sitcom?
100 Comments
The issue is that it sounds like the organization and Pettine specifically have been pushing on him to quit his partying ways. Likely more dressing down after the road incident in October. Now, they hand him the starting job and the first thing he does is get filmed drinking up in a club? Obviously, it is not a good look.
Also, let us not forget Manziel cancelled a SuperBowl party in Vegas and checked himself into rehab directly after a 3-day Browns front office retreat (it might have been completely arbitrary but the optics spell out that they at least suggested it).
There are low bars to entry, but there are bars and, once again, the starting quarterback of the Browns cannot clear it.
And the old starting QB of the Browns should probably never enter one.
To clarify on my point of view, if we’re strictly arguing about whether Manziel should start or not, I totally agree that it’s crazy not to start him because of this. The point I was trying to make is that I totally understand Pettine’s frustration with Manziel.
If the team gave Johnny clear mandates (no drinking, no partying, etc.) then Pettine should have made it explicit in the interview.
Also: why have a presser BEFORE the team makes a decision? Gas on the fire!!!
. . .
Sure, especially if this has been a topic of their ongoing relationship, as many speculate.
Or not say anything about it at all.
This rings true. Farmer wasn’t even in on the interview for Pettine.
I saw/heard the horrible referees blow a whistle in the middle of what could have been a Patriots TD! Goodell must be so proud.
Sounds like elementary school when the teacher told us not to eat the paste. And almost every kid tried the paste. C’mon man!
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Browns press conference imminent!
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I’m not a big Pettine fan anymore. I think he is in over his head and i think he is letting his selfishness take precedence over the right thing to do, which is publicly support a player who really hasn’t done anything wrong.
For Frack’s sake, Jerry Jones goes to bat for a Greg Hardy. The Ravens stood behind Ray Rice until the fire got too hot. But Pettine never had Manziel’s back, from Day 1. It can’t be easy to play for a coach who has such open disdain for you.
ahh, true. I was reading your point wrong.
Manziel demoted to third string! Cya John!
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“flawed savant” … that’s a good one.
and the current (and soon to be past) starting QB may eventually be behind a row of them.
Gronk at the club = cheeky shenanigans
Johnny at the club = CUT HIM NOW
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Gronk has a ring. Manziel has ring around the collar. Gronk has never required a rehab program. Manziel’s life is a rehab program.
hi NJO … the difference is orchard didn’t spend 10 weeks in rehab. anyone & everyone is going to make a big deal about manziel putting alcohol to his lips from now on.
But anyone and everyone should stop to ask themselves why the kid was in rehab before making conclusory jumps. Alcohol may not have had anything, or much, to do with it.
I just hope the people at his next party don’t have any of them on their phones.
Convince me he was even in rehab to start!
Clearly, he didn’t go to rehab for alcohol. If he had, he’d be suspended by the league.
If people don’t like his drinking, fine. Complain.
If the team doesn’t want him drinking, fine. Cut him.
And so marks the end of Manziel and Pettine’s career in Cleveland.
LMAO !!
It’s impossible to convince people of the opposite of what they’re already convinced of, and I don’t carry that burden.
I’m starting to think that Pettine’s nincompoopery will help Farmer keep his job.
But in his favor: he’s giving the world McCown v. Schaub.
I am almost convinced of it at this point. At a certain point, if Farmer is drafting you bad players, you have to SHOW PEOPLE that said players are bad. Pettine has lost the benefit of the doubt when he does things like healthy-scratch Gilbert for Bademosi.
I’d argue that, outside of Haslam, Pettine has done the most harm to this team.
You said it.
good post SAGGY …
I was convinced he was a detriment before he was ever drafted and so far Manziel hasn’t let me down.
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Those are some great situations you hold up as examples for Manziel. I think that speaks for itself.
Take Ray Ray with them!
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hi TRS … can he win football games in the nfl ? that’s all i want to know. there’s only 1 way to find out … play him.
now you’re going too far !!!!!!!! … remember : “in ray we trust” & all that good stuff.
Hey I stopped short of saying burn down the Berea HQ!
only way he wins in the nfl is if he plays on a team that has everything else and doesn’t need him to run around like a chicken without it’s head. short of that no he himself can’t win in the nfl.
i’m sorry , i need to see more … that’s why he should be playing the rest of the way.
True, but I’d kind of prefer Jerry Jones since he can be counted on to overpay.
well like all those other ex-qbs who have played in Cleveland that will most likely be somewhere else because even if Pettine’s fired I guarantee a new head coach won’t want Manziel dictated to him as his QB. GUARANTEE!
Gronk is also only at “the club” during the offseason.
Bill would have none of this during a season attempting to reach another Super Bowl.