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ESPN's Fascination With Johnny Manziel

1985fan1985fan Posts: 1,952 ✭✭
in Sports Talk
After a summer in which they had non-stop coverage of his so-called 'bad behavior', in which they led a witch hunt in trying to tear down the guy they spent all of last year building up, they continue their hit parade today. With all the college football stories yesterday, what continues to be their top link on espn.com?

"Manziel penalized after taunting"

It's been there, in number one spot, since it happened yesterday. Forget the number of upsets. Ignore Alabama. Let's focus on a guy getting an unsportsmanlike penalty because it feeds into the story that you've been building all summer. The same nonsense they've been spouting about Puig of the Dodgers. Hype the guy into the stratosphere, then start tearing him down and calling him 'unprofessional' and 'immature'.

Ridiculous.

Comments

  • estangestang Posts: 1,322 ✭✭✭
    So you think he's mature & professional?
    Enjoy your collection!
    Erik
  • stownstown Posts: 11,321 ✭✭✭


    << <i>So you think he's mature & professional? >>



    All mature and professional athletes mock inferior opponents with a 'show me the money' gesture and air signatures after being investigated by the NCAA for potentially violating their amateur status by selling their autographs.
    So basically my kid won't be able to go to college, but at least I'll have a set where the three most expensive cards are of a player I despise ~ CDsNuts
  • 1985fan1985fan Posts: 1,952 ✭✭


    << <i>So you think he's mature & professional? >>



    That wasn't the question, but I think he's a 20 year old kid. ESPN is in the habit of building these guys up, hyping them to the moon, then tearing them down. The fact that this has been the lead story since yesterday is more proof of this. There isn't a bigger sports story out there right now?


  • edmundfitzgeraldedmundfitzgerald Posts: 4,306 ✭✭
    Let's not assume that the team playing against Manziel was innocent with their trash talking either.
    I don't like to see it. I didn't like the Miami Hurricanes of the 90's, but many people did.
  • kingnascarkingnascar Posts: 636 ✭✭✭
    Anybody see the story on ESPN about AJ McCarron? What a stark contrast in character between him and Manziel !!!

    Kingnascar's PSA Sets
    Kingnascar's PSADNA Sets
  • edmundfitzgeraldedmundfitzgerald Posts: 4,306 ✭✭
    AJ is all class.

    If you think back to tennis in the 70's, some loved Borg, and some loved McEnroe.
    I'm sure Johnny Football is very popular with the youth, and AJ is more popular with the mature viewers. Just a guess.
  • 3BoyzTrading3BoyzTrading Posts: 798 ✭✭
    Did anyone notice that he looks up into the sky and does the money pinching thing?
  • 1985fan1985fan Posts: 1,952 ✭✭


    << <i>Did anyone notice that he looks up into the sky and does the money pinching thing? >>



    Yes and it's amazing. The way he trolls espn is fantastic.
  • stownstown Posts: 11,321 ✭✭✭


    << <i>Did anyone notice that he looks up into the sky and does the money pinching thing? >>



    That's why he got an unsportsman like conduct penalty and benched for rest of the game.
    So basically my kid won't be able to go to college, but at least I'll have a set where the three most expensive cards are of a player I despise ~ CDsNuts
  • 1985fan1985fan Posts: 1,952 ✭✭


    << <i>

    << <i>Did anyone notice that he looks up into the sky and does the money pinching thing? >>



    That's why he got an unsportsman like conduct penalty and benched for rest of the game. >>



    You mean the final drive when they were already blowing out the other team? Lol
  • markj111markj111 Posts: 2,921 ✭✭✭

    That's why he got an unsportsman like conduct penalty and benched for rest of the game. >>



    You mean the final drive when they were already blowing out the other team? Lol >>





    You are implying that there was a connection between the score and the unsportsmanlike penalty. Please clarify-what was it.
  • 1985fan1985fan Posts: 1,952 ✭✭
    No, that wasn't it. Stown made a point of mentioning Manziel getting pulled from the game without mentioning (a) that his team was already blowing out their opponent, and (b) the QB who went in for him only played one more series. It was a show by the coach to try to show he was wielding discipline, but I can tell you with certainty if the score was still close there's no way Manziel comes out of that game.
  • stownstown Posts: 11,321 ✭✭✭
    FACT: Manziel was benched with 9:48 left in the game and then Rice had an 8 minute drive.
    So basically my kid won't be able to go to college, but at least I'll have a set where the three most expensive cards are of a player I despise ~ CDsNuts
  • 1985fan1985fan Posts: 1,952 ✭✭
    Fact: the score was 52-28 at that point with nine minutes left. Rice used 8 for a fg drive. He was 'yanked' with about a minute of playing time remaining. If the coach didn't yank him for doing the autograph/money in the air thing he surely didn't care about the penalty that much.
  • stownstown Posts: 11,321 ✭✭✭
    There were two separate incidents, both in the 4th quarter. Sumlin didn't know about the first one until after the game.

    Spewing... Oh, forget it.
    So basically my kid won't be able to go to college, but at least I'll have a set where the three most expensive cards are of a player I despise ~ CDsNuts
  • 1985fan1985fan Posts: 1,952 ✭✭


    << <i>There were two separate incidents, both in the 4th quarter. Sumlin didn't know about the first one until after the game.

    Spewing... Oh, forget it. >>



    Right, we're to believe with the game still tight, the head coach didn't see his QB throw a TD, and do the flash money and fake autograph sign? We're to believe nobody on the coaching staff caught it either? It's comical to suggest that the head coach wasn't on high alert with Manziel the entire game. Only after the game was in the bag, with a 24 point lead with 9 minutes to play, did he 'yank' Manziel. If that game were still close, there's no way in hell Manziel comes off the field. Period.

  • stownstown Posts: 11,321 ✭✭✭
    The ignorance was once comical but when one resorts to calling Coach Sumlin a liar, due to the fact his statements blow a hole through their spew, it becomes sad and pathetic.

    For those that obviously didn't watch the game, I found some gifs and will provide some context:

    image

    Here we see Manziel doing the 'show me the money', which is something they did last season. Difference being, he was under NCAA investigation, so the optics are *completely* different. It would be totally understandable that for the Aggies that did see it, didn't think much of it. After all, we are talking about Aggies. Heh.

    image

    And here is the signing gesture. Note both are subtle, which would explain why (1) the refs didn't throw a flag for taunting and (2) the coaching staff missed it.

    On the other hand, the second incident was a lot more obvious:

    image

    Flag thrown for unsportsman like conduct and then Manziel got chewed out on the sidelines by Coach Sumlin.

    Let's see what Coach had to say about that (Link):



    << <i>"That wasn't very smart. That's why he didn't go back in the game either," Sumlin said. "You would hope at this point, you'd learn something from that. We're still working on that. He wasn't going back in the game no matter what was happening." >>



    And this (Link)



    << <i>Sumlin said he didn't see the autograph gesture, and apparently officials on the field didn't, either. We don't know what the Rice player said to Manziel because school officials didn't make Manziel available to media after the game.

    "I did not see that, no," Sumlin said. "If I had seen it, I would have done something about it. I'll see it on video and if that did happen, I'll address it." >>



    There's plenty of local coverage about it but since they're subscription based, I only provided links that were accessible to everyone for free.
    So basically my kid won't be able to go to college, but at least I'll have a set where the three most expensive cards are of a player I despise ~ CDsNuts
  • 1985fan1985fan Posts: 1,952 ✭✭
    It sure is easy to discipline a kid once you're up 24 points and the game is in hand. If the coach was serious about disciplining Manziel then the kid would have sat the whole game. Sitting and suggesting this coach is full of integrity is comically naive.

    For the record: I don't think Manziel should have missed any part of the game. He's hilarious in how he trolls the media who have done all they can to tear this kid down. What I disagree with is anyone thinking the coach was implementing any sort of discipline because that simply did not happen.

    Edit: he wouldn't have gone back in the game anyways, even if he weren't being 'punished'. Up 24 with 90 seconds to play? Only a naive fool thinks the coach wouldn't have put Manziel back in if the game were in doubt.
  • stownstown Posts: 11,321 ✭✭✭
    It gets to a point where you would hope someone is being deliberately obtuse rather than *that* ignorant and oblivious to real life events. Actually, and I say this not being a religious person (like at all), I really pray it's the former.
    So basically my kid won't be able to go to college, but at least I'll have a set where the three most expensive cards are of a player I despise ~ CDsNuts
  • 1985fan1985fan Posts: 1,952 ✭✭
    If the coach was interested in sending a message instead of being cosmetic he would have sat Manziel for the whole game. But his sitting there suggesting he punished the kid by supposedly yanking him and not letting him play the final minute of a blowout is woefully naive.

    These coaches will win at any cost as we've seen over and over again. The decision to yank Manziel was purely cosmetic.
  • jeffcbayjeffcbay Posts: 8,949 ✭✭✭✭
    FACT: If Manziel played for Ohio State, he wouldn't even be playing this season.
  • 1985fan1985fan Posts: 1,952 ✭✭


    << <i>FACT: If Manziel played for Ohio State, he wouldn't even be playing this season. >>



    Based on what? Are you talking about the lack of evidence the NCAA had in their case against Manziel, which was not the case with Pryor and the others? You can't compare the cases, despite them both revolving around high profile college players. The NCAA had solid, concrete evidence against Pryor and the others, they had nothing but hearsay and rumor in the case of Manziel. That's why his 'punishment' was so slight. It has nothing to do with what school or conference they play for.
  • jeffcbayjeffcbay Posts: 8,949 ✭✭✭✭
    Whatever you say...

    image
  • stownstown Posts: 11,321 ✭✭✭


    << <i>FACT: If Manziel played for Ohio State, he wouldn't even be playing this season. >>



    Oh, absolutely. Since the alleged violation would have happened during their probation, the NCAA has a different set of standards and would have implemented additional punishments.
    So basically my kid won't be able to go to college, but at least I'll have a set where the three most expensive cards are of a player I despise ~ CDsNuts
  • jeffcbayjeffcbay Posts: 8,949 ✭✭✭✭


    << <i>

    << <i>FACT: If Manziel played for Ohio State, he wouldn't even be playing this season. >>



    Oh, absolutely. Since the alleged violation would have happened during their probation, the NCAA has a different set of standards and would have implemented additional punishments. >>



    Not quite what I was getting at, but I think you know that. image
  • stownstown Posts: 11,321 ✭✭✭
    Yuppers, just took the liberty to expand your point without going down your intended path.

    image
    So basically my kid won't be able to go to college, but at least I'll have a set where the three most expensive cards are of a player I despise ~ CDsNuts
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