Johnny Manziel storm about to hit city full force
Hyped Als quarterback will make CFL regular-season debut Friday
The circus first came to town more than a week ago, after the Alouettes announced they had traded for Johnny Manziel, the former Heisman Trophy winner and first-round draft choice of the National Football League’s Cleveland Browns.
The hype began immediately and will only intensify after Tuesday’s announcement by head coach Mike Sherman that Manziel will start Friday’s home game against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, his former team.
On Tuesday, there were four television cameras at the Alouettes practice, as there have been virtually every day since Manziel took the field with his new team on July 23. And those cameras have been there exclusively for Manziel, not for a Canadian Football League team that has missed the playoffs the last three seasons, has lost five of six games this year, and continues to struggle for a piece of a Montreal sports landscape that is dominated by Canadiens news 24/7.
It has been incredible watching his celebrity status unfold around a team not used to being this popular — not even during the halcyon days of Anthony Calvillo, when Montreal played in eight Grey Cups during an 11-year period. The Canadiens have had a multitude of headlinegrabbing stars like P.K. Subban and Guy Lafleur. The Expos have had such names as Tim Raines and Gary Carter. Didier Drogba was beloved when he played for the Impact. But this is uncharted territory for the Als. Even Manziel’s wife, model Bre Tiesi, watched Tuesday’s Olympic Stadium practice.
“I feel blessed to be in this position, to be back in a situation where I’m starting again. I’m excited for the opportunity,” said Manziel, no stranger to facing a media throng since his college days at Texas A&M. “I just adapt and try to handle it as best as possible. Sometimes, I can see how me being in certain places … it can be a little bit of a distraction and cause a bit of chaos.
“I appreciate the support I get, being in a new and different place; the support and messages and the amount of people that have been encouraging throughout my journey in life to get back to this point. It’s been really nice. I do appreciate it.”
Distraction and chaos might soon become the Als’ slogans. Last Thursday against Edmonton, Manziel didn’t get on the field for a single play. Vernon Adams played the entire game and, although he didn’t embarrass himself, had to listen to fans chanting Manziel’s name from midway through second quarter. Post-game, Adams, briefly Manziel’s teammate with Hamilton, announced he wouldn’t answer any questions about the guy.
Then, on Monday, he criticized the fans who wanted to see Manziel play.
On Tuesday, Adams apologized for letting his emotions get the better of him.
“Our relationship has been extremely positive,” Manziel said of the potentially unsettling situation. “We haven’t had a hiccup, a hangup, an argument. He’s a great dude, a really talented quarterback. He’s been supportive and I know that’s not easy because I’ve been on the other side of it multiple times.”
The Als have won games with Adams — three at the end of the 2016 season. Will Manziel, who hasn’t played a meaningful game since 2015 with the Browns, be able to lay a similar claim? His only CFL experience came in June, during a pair of Ticats exhibition games.
The Als, as an organization, have repeatedly stated Manziel is not expected to be the saviour of the franchise. But should the team’s on-field fortunes dramatically improve, he will undoubtedly be the catalyst. The key is to ensure he isn’t perceived as bigger than the team, as was Subban, who was traded to Nashville.
“A lot of media in the U.S. are talking about (Manziel),” general manager Kavis Reed acknowledged. “Last week was a whirlwind. South of the 49th parallel, it was really a big thing. For our team, it was important that we try to insulate our players and team to focus on playing football.
“We talked about how we were going to manage, if he’s here.”
And that’s the other part of the Manziel equation.
BAGGAGE
He arrives in Montreal with his share of baggage. Manziel revealed this year he’s bipolar and is undergoing treatment. He’s been embroiled in numerous offfield incidents involving alcohol, for which he has sought treatment. In 2016, he was charged after allegedly hitting and threatening a former girlfriend, but reached an agreement with prosecutors to dismiss the case.
Manziel doesn’t hide from his past and has worked hard to cultivate his image. The Als will also be careful to surround him, through their playerengagement department, with the proper infrastructure and mentors.
“He’s admitted to his mistakes. That’s step one and that’s probably the most-important step,” Reed said. “He understands the gravity of this situation. He controls his destiny. He controls where he’s going with this. We need to put the right infrastructure around him. Montreal can consume anyone if we allow it.
“We’re constantly talking to our guys about making good decisions. We’re making suggestions as to places where to go that will allow them to relax and enjoy the culture of Montreal. We don’t want to shelter him. He and all the other players need to be cognizant of the fact our decisions … good or bad, regardless of what we decide, there’s going to be a reaction to it.”
One week ago, after the trade was announced, the Als saw an increase at their ticket office for the middle of summer, generally a slow period. And yet, with Manziel dressed, the Edmonton game still attracted only 16,654 spectators to Molson Stadium (capacity: 23,420). Now that Manziel’s starting — and Sherman said this is a football, not a marketing decision — we’ll see whether this has a palpable effect.
“We’ve seen a definite interest. Whether it’s going to morph into sales, that’s still to be seen,” said Louis-Antoine Paquin, vice-president (communications and community relations). “As a communications guy, I welcome the interest it triggers for our organization. But the goal of this is not to sell jerseys.”