Manziel gonna Manziel
So after missing half a game Manziel decided to do his thing and had some fun with that powerhouse Rice. He mouthed off one time too many and got an unsportsmanlike penalty. Coach tried talking to him and Johnny just walked away from him.
Don't worry that leadership didn't affect TA&M as only two players were ejected. One was for targetting and one was for throwing a punch.
Not sure if Mark RIcht has lost control of Manziel or if Sumlin should now be in that meme.
http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/9620691/johnny-manziel-p…
August 31st, 2013 at 10:16 PM ^
At first, his off-field stuff seemed like a matter of maturity. Now that he knows what's at stake, he continues to do dickish things and shows it's not immaturity, it's a lack of character. No one's going to root for this guy, except A & M fans, and then, only if he keeps winning.
August 31st, 2013 at 10:37 PM ^
September 1st, 2013 at 9:46 AM ^
I love him. I don't need a saint.
August 31st, 2013 at 10:23 PM ^
I remember a number of people in the media being absolutely aghast at Pryor, Chris Fowler being one of them. Fowler and others apparently think Manziel, in contrast, is a lovable scamp. The obvious difference is that Pryor is black and Maziel is white. It's really as simple as that.
August 31st, 2013 at 10:28 PM ^
I hate both of them. Just sayin.
August 31st, 2013 at 10:37 PM ^
August 31st, 2013 at 11:02 PM ^
But even a broken clock...
August 31st, 2013 at 10:43 PM ^
You broke the code!
August 31st, 2013 at 11:11 PM ^
Difference is, for most people, that Pryor was making money (or getting tats and cars) off of stuff he was given (or earned). By selling his Ohio State stuff (namely his "we beat michigan" gold pants) people saw it as Pryor not caring about Ohio State or college football and just wanting to get tattoos (which he kinda did).
Manziel was making money off of stuff he signed (i.e. entirely his name). I think there would be more of an uproar if his signed heisman had turned up on ebay or we actually found out what he spent his money on. I'm guessing booze.
Regardless, he made his money off of his name. Pryor made it off of selling awards and other stuff that people think (right or wrong) are invaluable.
The difference may seem miniscule, but it's not. And either way, I've seen plenty of people who hate Manziel AND Pryor for their arrogance.
August 31st, 2013 at 11:33 PM ^
I never saw that angle played up in the media re: Pryor.
August 31st, 2013 at 11:36 PM ^
Both were making money from their association with major college sports. I doubt many members of the national sports media even know what OSU's gold pants are. They have good reason, though, to know that Manziel punched a guy after his friend yelled a racial slur at him. http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/8112673/texas-aggies-freshman-qb-johnny-manziel-arrested Yet Pryor was somehow a thug or a debaser of college football, while Manziel, the lovable rogue, just gets mixed up in wacky monkey shines.
As far as people who dislike both, fair enough. I'm only pointing to media members whose reaction to the Pryor news was very different from their reaction to the Manziel news.
August 31st, 2013 at 11:47 PM ^
I have seen no one portray Manziel as a lovable scamp. What I have seen are people scorning his lack of maturity. The kid is routintely pilloried in the media.
The fans are the ones who are assholes. They hate Tebow for his squeak cleanness and they hate Manziel for being a dick. It seems that fans love to hate people no matter how they behave. The issue here is every bit as much with the dickhead fans as it is with the dickhead players. There simply are too many dickheads in this world.
September 1st, 2013 at 12:54 AM ^
September 1st, 2013 at 2:49 AM ^
September 1st, 2013 at 1:26 AM ^
September 1st, 2013 at 2:05 AM ^
September 1st, 2013 at 7:59 AM ^
Imaginary upvote to Erik_in_Dayton.
September 1st, 2013 at 2:19 AM ^
Its a well known fact that Fowler loves him spoiled rich white kids...while despising poor black ones. Keep on strutten JM...
September 1st, 2013 at 8:52 AM ^
cast murder in a casual light - even as an not well thought out misstatement - I can see that Pryor and Manziel are of a very similar character. With all the media focus on Manziel now, and his apparent sense of priviledge and invulnerability, it is only a matter of time.
September 1st, 2013 at 11:09 AM ^
Now there was something of a circus when Pryor decided to go to the supplemental draft, but to me that's different from criticizing his actual NCAA transgressions. So far at least there's not a parallel to that with Manziel.
And rightly or wrongly (probably wrongly) the much harsher punishment faced by OSU colors opinions on Pryor.
August 31st, 2013 at 10:26 PM ^
August 31st, 2013 at 10:27 PM ^
August 31st, 2013 at 10:42 PM ^
August 31st, 2013 at 10:35 PM ^
August 31st, 2013 at 10:36 PM ^
Where's a Tom Gholston neck twist when you need one?
August 31st, 2013 at 10:39 PM ^
August 31st, 2013 at 10:56 PM ^
I am not saying that Manziel doesn't come off as entitled but I heard my dad say this same thing 20 yrs. ago. There are spoiled a-hole athletes in every generation. This is nothing new.
August 31st, 2013 at 11:04 PM ^
August 31st, 2013 at 10:42 PM ^
"That wasn't very smart and that's why he didn't go back in the game," A&M coach Kevin Sumlin told ESPN after the game. "I hoped that at this point he'd have learned something."
There is more to this in the USA Today story, something that provides another dimension to this quote. They go on to mention that Sumlin basically told Manziel that he's going to face the ribbing all season and that he has to find a way to just handle it without crossing lines. Even if Rice was nudging him in the direction of losing his cool, it seems to me that Johnny Manziel is a self-absorbed narcissist on many levels. It will be interesting to see if it gets the better of him this season.
August 31st, 2013 at 10:47 PM ^
As long as his team inflicts a loss on Alabama I will be happy. Today is a wash since half their starting D was suspended.
September 1st, 2013 at 8:55 AM ^
August 31st, 2013 at 11:06 PM ^
August 31st, 2013 at 11:19 PM ^
August 31st, 2013 at 11:29 PM ^
Give 321goBLUE a break.
This is by far the best contribution to the blog he has ever made.
August 31st, 2013 at 11:12 PM ^
He's good, but a total d-bag.
August 31st, 2013 at 11:50 PM ^
of humility in two weeks.
September 1st, 2013 at 12:11 AM ^
Kid is a straight up douche. The autograph thing was classeless and the show me the money thing was the icing.
September 1st, 2013 at 1:07 AM ^
Collin Klein should've won the Heisman last year. Manziel is a blatant affront to class.
September 1st, 2013 at 1:40 AM ^
I can't stand his spoiled "me against the world" mentality. Dude, you won the fucking HEISMAN trophy. You should hold yourself above that bullshit. Act like you've been there. When you get taunted at and criticized (and you will, because you're a target now), your response should be...NOTHING. A big fat nothing. Because you shouldn't care. Why bother with the Rice guys? You just scored, you're running away with it. Scoreboard says all that needs to be said. If you don't want that negative attention, stop inflicting it upon yourself with shit like this.
September 1st, 2013 at 2:16 AM ^
Im all in favor of good sportmnship and just going back to the huddle, but why is it okay for Mayweather, Kobe and guys richard sherman to do the exact same thing and its considered compettive spirit?
September 1st, 2013 at 2:21 AM ^
They're all dicks too...so whats your point?
September 1st, 2013 at 2:26 AM ^
my point is, ESPN doesnt go bat shit crazy when any other high profile athlete does the same thing..whats the difference?
September 1st, 2013 at 4:45 AM ^
September 1st, 2013 at 10:02 AM ^
Danwillhor and others claim the exact opposite of what you claim: they say at least 60% of the espn coverage of manzell is overly positive.
You guys making claims about ESPN bias need to get your stories straight.
September 1st, 2013 at 11:01 AM ^
September 1st, 2013 at 4:30 AM ^
Meanwhile that next Sunday, unicorns will be discovered roaming the now defunct Detroit zoo, and Betty White will be announced the new lead singer of the Foo Fighters.
September 1st, 2013 at 7:39 AM ^
Betty White/Foo Fighters? I would have to watch that.