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Johnny Manziel To Dallas? Why Cowboys Fans Might Want To Rethink That

By Toni Matthews
Published on: 05:40 PST, Jan 16, 2016

Johnny Manziel may be all but finished in Cleveland, but Cowboys fans have already started making room for him in Dallas. The question is… why?

NFL reports that a few seasons ago — back when you could say “Johnny Football” with a somewhat straight face — that Cowboys owner Jerry Jones was interested in Manziel. It’s true that as a promising quarterback at Texas A&M University he bagged a Heisman Trophy.

However, it’s important to acknowledge that we are on the other side of the looking glass now: A place where hype is either lived up to or not, where promise and potential give way to success or failure. Most importantly, a few seasons into one’s NFL career, we begin to see the character of a player and their professional aspirations.

To put it bluntly: Johnny Manziel is no longer worthy of the benefit of the doubt.

When you visit the Bring Johnny 2 Dallas website, a couple of things become clear. First, it was probably made by people voting for Donald Trump. Take from that what you will.

Second, they may or may not realize that Texas isn’t a country. In fact, I’m seriously beginning to wonder whether or not this is a joke site.

“We need to bring the greatest quarterback to grace God’s country, Texas, back to Texas! Johnny is a quarterback that can bring some spark back to ‘Merica’s Team. The young star hasn’t yet had his chance to shine. As the future leader of the greatest sports franchise in the world, he would get that chance. As true fans, we need to put a star on this man’s helmet and bring him home to the Lone Star State where he belongs. Dallas fans, let’s make Jerry hear our voice by spreading Johnny awareness across our great state!”

As the daughter of a man who’s been a Dallas Cowboys fan since before I was even a gleam in his eye, I feel more than qualified point out a couple of “errors” in the line of thinking above. Again, assuming this isn’t a joke and these people are entirely serious.

First, Dallas has a serious quarterback problem. A serious quarterback problem. I’ll go on record as saying it’s a problem the Cowboys hadn’t come close to solving since Troy Aikman retired. The idea that Johnny “Football” Manziel is going to solve this decades-old problem is purely magical thinking. So I won’t argue against the fact that the Dallas Cowboys need a new quarterback; I will argue against the notion that because Manziel is a local hero, he’s automatically qualified to be a savior.

Speaking of which, I am beyond baffled at the idea that Cowboys fans would ask for Johnny after a blatant demonstration that he lacks the maturity and insight to take his professional football career seriously. He’s a partying frat boy. Not that there’s anything wrong with having fun; plenty of athletes do so. However, the ones destined for longevity in the NFL know how to balance work and play. Johnny doesn’t seem to know how to do that or be honest about it.

With Dallas struggling to climb out of a lengthy slump, why on Earth would their fans put their faith in someone who isn’t proven? Johnny Manziel might (and that’s a tiny might) have some spark deep inside that could make him a great quarterback. It’s just that what Dallas needs right now is proven talent, focus, and leadership. This is not the time for an emotional gamble.

As for whether or not Johnny Manziel will really end up with the Dallas Cowboys, SportsDay weighed in. The consensus among the staff seemed to be that Jones is probably still far more interested in Manziel than he should be, given quarterback’s “baggage,” and problems on and off the field.

At the same time, there doesn’t seem to be much doubt that the Dallas Cowboys could bring Manziel back home to Texas on the cheap. The hope is that he’s once again lined up as a backup quarterback rather than promised a starting position. SportsDay Tim Cowlishaw expressed doubts that Johnny can “run the offense.” Tim also asked, “With Manziel, is he really a backup quarterback just apt to sit here and learn as long as Romo’s playing?”

Good question. What do you think? Would it be wise for the Dallas Cowboys to try to get Johnny Manziel? Share your thoughts below!

[Photo by Peter Aiken/Getty Images]

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