Does The Johnny Manziel Madness Ever End?
When the Cleveland Browns picked Johnny Manziel in the 2014 draft, many thought it was the start of a great relationship. Now, a mere two years later, they’re itching to get rid of him. What started out as a promising career for the talented quarterback has spiraled into a death-dive of lies and deceit. Even Manziel’s father has said he needs help. The Manziel madness keeps getting worse and seems to never end.
The latest accusation to rock the crumbling world of Johnny Football is from his past. Manziel is now getting the blame for the struggles of Texas A&M. The whispers are turning into shouts more than two years since his departure.
Per information provided by CBS Sports, Kyle Allen says a frustrating “culture” left over from the Johnny Manziel era is partly to blame for his recent departure from Texas A&M. Allen and Kyler Murray, two top quarterback prospects from the college, transferred within a week of each other in December.
The abrupt moves, which still haven’t been completely addressed, ignited questions that ultimately pointed to Manziel. Allen explained that part of his decision was due to the atmosphere. It has become a poisonous and unsupervised culture on the brink of total destruction.
“I think the culture was a big part of it, and I think that stems from Johnny’s era there – the way that they let Johnny and others act there. They could do that and still win games because they had Johnny and five offensive linemen playing in the NFL right now.”
Manziel and the talent around him were allowed to do whatever they wanted. The dirt was covered up as long as the program was successful.
“A lot of people were riding off that, ‘I can do whatever the h*** I want and win on Saturday.’ Everyone wasn’t in a straight line,” Allen recounted. “Everyone was going this way, this way, this way. We had a ton of talent there.”
Manziel’s off-field issues and discipline problems have been well-documented. In that 2012 Heisman Trophy-winning season, Manziel was known as much for his partying as his play.
Those same issues have plagued him since coming into the NFL. The latest is an alleged domestic violence case with ex-girlfriend Colleen Crowley, who says he threatened to kill her and himself. Crowley has stated, per ESPN, that Manziel hit her and ruptured her eardrum.
“He hit me with his open hand on my left ear for jumping out of the car,” Crowley said. “I realized immediately that I could not hear out of that ear, and I cannot today. I continue to be extremely concerned for my health and well-being.”
Crowley’s sworn statement was part of her petition to obtain a protection order from Manziel. Under its terms, he has to stay away from her for two years. Police in Dallas and Fort Worth are still investigating the matter.
Recent developments have also led to reports that Manziel showed up drunk for practice. The incident was just days before the Browns season finale against the Steelers. Instead of outing the problem immediately, the Browns reported that Manziel was in concussion protocol. The organization inadvertently enabled a troubled and irresponsible young man.
After a video surfaced of Manziel partying during a bye week in late November, the Heisman Trophy winner lied to the organization about when the footage had been filmed. USA Today reported he fled to Las Vegas under the alias Billy Manziel, working the Strip in a blond wig and a fake mustache.
Manziel is spiraling out of control with no end in sight. The Browns are assumed to be cutting ties with the former first-round pick. But will that cause the madness to end? Manziel was in rehab last season but refused when his family tried to get him to return.
[Photo by Andrew Weber/Getty Images]
