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February 3, 2016Sports are supposed to be fun, aren’t they? Well, I am not getting enjoyment out of the impending Cleveland Browns cutting ties with Johnny Manziel. It’s a complex issue even given the clarity of being the right one for everyone involved. We’ve just seen so much in Cleveland and with so many different types of characters that it’s difficult not to draw comparisons.
There’s some “what could have been” situations such as when Trent Richardson was traded. Things look different given hindsight, but, at the moment it occurred, trading Richardson was all about wasted opportunity and Trent Richardson not becoming the franchise cornerstone we were promised. It was shocking and gave me a distinct sense of loss. The Browns front office traded up to decisively take him, then another regime put off the reward to a future draft pick. And, ultimately, the pick gained was cashed in on the infamous Brandon Weeden. Much like Richardson, as bad as things might have been, there was always some hope Johnny Manziel could be the franchise cornerstone until it was over.1
There’s also some legitimate worry about the player’s well-being such as what happened after Davone Bess’ tenure in Cleveland was up. While Bess and Manziel’s situations aren’t completely similar, there’s a perceived train-off-the-rails self-destructiveness hanging in the air like a search helicopter. The rumors of Bess lashing out and acting erratically around town filled our email boxes, and there’s a lot of reading between the lines regarding Manziel today as police and the NFL investigate. Beyond the Browns’ still-unfilled need for a franchise quarterback, you don’t want the failed human being to find any harm either from himself or the situations he puts himself in. Johnny Manziel’s current situation feels very much in the same section of the library as the one we saw with Davonne Bess.
While Josh Gordon has plenty to prove going forward, you can’t help but be encouraged by what appears to be a maturation on his part as he is poised to be reinstated to the NFL. If the Browns do go forward with their decision to cut Johnny loose, it’s natural to wonder if that decision will ever come back to haunt the team as even some of the most out-of-control 23-year-olds in NFL history have found a way to get their lives back on track.2 That all seems to be ending soon and there’s no chance for our happy ending in Cleveland, no matter how unlikely.
None of these comparisons is meant to say that the Cleveland Browns, under the direction of Sashi Brown and new head coach Hue Jackson, are making a mistake when they ultimately make the move everyone expects them to make. It’s just to say that there’s really no sense of satisfaction in the outcome. Even those who predicted that things would end up this way can’t feel much pleasure in saying “I told you so.”
Like so many other cases in recent Cleveland Browns history it’s just another sense of expensive opportunity cost. It’s a sense of wasted potential and draft value. It’s a loss of hope that the quarterback position could be filled by someone who was already here. It’s a sense of concern for a guy who should be in a position to live one of the more distinct and statistically improbable American dreams of being a franchise NFL quarterback.
It’s just sad all the way around. Even in making an understandable decision to move on, the Browns cannot erase the sadness that things have ended this way.
Again, sports are supposed to be fun, aren’t they?
42 Comments
Interesting part about Gordon. I wonder if they thought, Gordon may have a shot, but probably won’t if Johnny is around.
I am sad for him as a person, but happy for myself as a fan.
Here’s hoping we never trade up into the mid-20s of the first round for a QB again.
I can personally confirm that the rumors about Bess were not rumors. I done seen it with my own eyes…
Perfectly stated, Craig. Thanks.
Sadly, I think there are, and will be, plenty of people that take great pleasure in the “I told you so.” It’s what we’ve become. Personally, I’m rooting for the guy to get it turned around, both personally and professionally. He’s a rare talent that shook the football world for a brief moment. I hope he figures out how to do it in the future, even if it’s not here. In that way, I hope to take some pleasure in a future “told you so.”
” . . . hanging in the air like a search helicopter.”
Very witty allusion there, Craig. Nice job.
GO, I don’t think that most of us who were fed up with him and wanted him gone are taking any pleasure in this at all. I know I don’t feel good about any of this. But many of us, without malice, felt that it had to be done.
Not pointing any fingers, Mr. C. Not here, anyway. Speaking more broadly.
Okay, but who exactly is taking pleasure? I haven’t heard of anyone.
People may be happy that he’s gone, but that’s not taking pleasure in the fact that he had to go.
I’m actually enthused by the Browns b/c the coaching search went well and we’re going to land a stud QB prospect. Gordon will likely be back. Oneill is gone.
I’m not expecting playoffs or anything but things will be a ton better next year (lols presumably)
Oh, I think of some of the writers/media people that take something of a perverse pleasure in seeing the players they don’t like fail or fall. (Tebow and Manziel, though very different on the spectrum, find themselves in very similar territory in this regard.) They’ll wrap their joy in statements of sympathy, but it’s an obvious cloak. There are others, non media folks, who delight in what they think is schadenfreude, watching the “rich, dbag, party boy get his just desserts.” That’s just crap (probably rooted in envy). But they’re free to hold that position. It’s not like I’m perfect; this particular thing is just extra noticeable to me in the context of Manziel, for whatever reason.
And for what it’s worth, I don’t see how anyone can be happy that he’s gone. Seems like an odd thing to delight in, given what it means for the franchise, yet again – but that’s just me. I’m not saying I’m right; I just don’t see it as anything to be happy about.
It’s gonna be great when we don’t have to talk about him anymore.
Normally, when I don’t want to talk about something, I just don’t.
I especially like how our new FO didn’t send him packing with the standard “We appreciate…blah, blah, blah…wish him the best…blah, blah, blah…” bs statement.
And when you are wrong, man are you wrong!
Now you’re quibbling. When I say that I’m happy that he’s gone, I certainly don’t mean giddy-dancing-laughing happy. I mean glad-that-my-root-canal-is-over happy.
Quibbler.
Pretty much true for everyone, you know. But thanks for piping in.
True but I’m referring to television, radio and other media.
To me, it felt more like simultaneous a root canal and a prostate exam…that none of us even needed.
I’m just glad it’ll be over…even though I know it won’t actually be over in March when we cut him. We will be hearing about it in April for the draft, when the next season starts, and he’ll forever be a name on one of those stupid jerseys with 132 QB names taped on it.
So, alas, like a never ending prostate root canal combo, Johnny will live in infamy.
It takes two to quibble: one to quibble; one to listen.
132 . . . again with the 132 . . .
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It’s a very important number, and that’s all I can tell you. You will understand once you figure out the meaning of the polar bear in the jungle.
I was not in favor of drafting him prior to the draft. When we chose him I got caught up in the excitement like so many others, hoping against hope that the talent would triumph over the behavior so many warned about throughout his collegiate days and leading up to the draft. Two years later and much of what was forewarned has come to pass. The anticipated magic made only the briefest of appearances during his stay. In the end we’re right back where we were two years ago; the only difference is this time feels like there might be adults running the show.
Another storm weathered, bow into the wind, onward we go…
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I’ll admit that when I first heard the Browns were interested in drafting Manziel, I let out an audible groan. Not because of his immaturity or off-field transgressions though… I was concerned because of his slight stature. I thought he’d probably spend his entire NFL career on the IR. I figured that when he was on the field, he’d be pretty exciting with his ability to create something out of nothing. Then as the draft approached, I started reading some things about how good he was on 3rd down in college and how he actually threw very well from the pocket, and of course those big hands of his and how successful NFL QBs all tend to have big hands. Blah blah blah, I started talking myself into the hype. But man, I should have given more weight to those character concerns. And so should’ve Ray Farmer.
You are right about the media but that is pretty much the nature of most media nowadays. They are a bunch of loud mouths trying to prove they can be the most clever with their snarky comments regarding whatever player happens to be in their cross hairs that moment. Sometimes I swear the media believes that the role of sports isn’t to entertain the fans, but to provide the media fodder so they themselves can entertain the fans with their judgements and snark.
As for me, I will admit I am happy about this. Not in a schadenfreude sort of way but more in the sense I’m relieved it’s over and that someone in the Browns organization finally realized this wasn’t working and it’s time to move on.
And I agree that having to start the QB search over once again is nothing to be happy about. But keep in mind that the QB search isn’t restarting because they cut him, rather just the opposite- They are cutting him because they know they need to start the QB search again. And that fact pretty much falls squarely on Johnny.
I don’t know, I can hear myself just fine.
No you do it best!
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JFF is like that girlfriend that treated him like crap, and we kept telling him she’s up to no good, but he just couldn’t dump her.
Sigh.
Reading this article made me think just how socialist the NFL is for the millionaires who own them. It’s amazing we’re allowed to field a team on the same playing field as Piitsburgh and Baltimore. If there was any free market or competition how easy would it be to field another team in Cleveland and compete for fans and dollars against the Browns? Their drafting has been unfathomably horrible. How do you draft so horribly so consistently and still play on the same field with a team such as the Steelers? In other countries soccer teams are grouped into what are called “Leagues” or “Series” based on their competitiveness. They are point-based and teams are promoted or demoted depending on their play on the field. This is partly to encourage competitiveness and partly because their are so many different teams in one town or city that they couldn’t all play each other and because they are not all on the same playing field financially. Where would the Browns be if this was the case in Korporate Socialist Amerika? Lets bring back the Akron Pros, the Canton Bulldogs. How about the Portsmouth Spartans or the Columbus Panhandles for christsake!?
Seriously, that’s it for Manziel? after all the hype and optimism and nope sorry didn’t work but we still get another shot to try again…again? This is a joke! Weeden? T-Rich? Gilbert? Bahahahaha!!!
Bwhahahahah!!!!!
Hey, man, sorry for not toeing the line. I’ll try to conform to groupthink a little better going forward. Just please be clear on what it is that I should be thinking and saying, because I maintain this stubborn and unfortunate independent streak that clearly needs to be beaten out of me.
He’s a bum. That’s been mythink since the day they drafted him.
Am I glad he’s somebody else’s headache now? Yep.
Does that make me bad person? Nope.
I’m sure his next team will appreciate your support when they sign him.
Go Browns.
Ah, hell. At some point this became about me, and I wish it hadn’t. To that end, I’ll be glad when it’s over, too. Jeebus, I hate the internet some(most)times.
See you at the draft. Maybe the next 21-year-old kid will unite us.
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Soooo, you’re advocating we not draft a WR?
No. It’s that Sammy’s just too painful to think about.
But …. now we can’t draft a WR. We have to take a freaking QB!
It was a horrible pick when it was made and the inevitable implosion has occurred. There is no pleasure to take in I told you so, just the opposite. It is doubly sad and frustrating that this type of ending was so obvious, to so many, except the people who count. While Browns fans have become so proficient at surveying the blast radius, just a week ago the owner is saying it is repairable. Whocoodanode?
Great write up Craig. I don’t wish the kid any ‘rot on the roster, get suspended for half the year etc…’ ill will. I hope he finds a way to get it together. The odds are against him.
Craig: I think the most important story of this offseason for the Cleveland Browns (besides the hire of Hue Jackson) will be Josh Gordon. I said most important story. This guy, when focused, and if fully matured, can be a BEAST as we have all seen. If he has matured, to me, he is a guy the Browns can’t lose, cause I would hate to see a mature Josh Gordon anywhere else.
I totally told you so.
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