Sorry, Johnny, but latest incident is a big deal
Sadly, Browns’ Manziel seems to be in denial
“It was embarrassing but not serious.” Johnny Manziel went on Twitter in an attempt at damage control Friday evening as news spread that the Cleveland Browns quarterback has another off-the-field incident on his record.
Chalk up that effort as another incomplete pass for Johnny Football.
Not serious?
Who is Manziel trying to fool? Maybe he has fooled himself into believing that his episode Monday in Avon, Ohio — stemming from an argument with his girlfriend — wasn’t a big deal. But we know better. Fortunately, no one was hurt after Manziel, according to a witness, dangerously passed on the shoulder at high speed on a stretch of Interstate 80.
And his girlfriend, Colleen Crowley, is seemingly willing to forgive and protect after engaging in some form of physical contact with Manziel, according to the police report.
They weren’t arrested, either, after police, according to their report, determined Manizel — who spent 10 weeks in rehab during the offseason — had consumed alcohol earlier Monday but wasn’t intoxicated while driving erratically and arguing with his girlfriend in public.
Shoot, the police made that determination without even administering a breathalyzer test, which makes me wonder
whether Manziel caught a break from the cops because he was a celebrity or had stumbled upon a real-life version of Barney Fife.
No breath test? Some people would be met with excessive force by merely encountering police.
And just think, police were called twice, by two witnesses from different vantage points, one from the highway and one from a neighborhood.
Yet the 2012 Heisman Trophy winner tweets it was not serious. It’s very serious. And it’s a case to test the legitimacy of the NFL’s new personal-conduct policy, with the components including investigations that are run independent of the course that, say, bumbling or biased police might or might not pursue.
Add the possibility of domestic violence to this case — which lacks a Ray Rice video and might seem less of a threat without a woman wearing bruises — and the credibility of the experts the NFL enlisted since last year to deal with this hot-button issue might swing in the balance.
If Manziel, given his history, doesn’t view it as a serious matter, then it’s further proof he needs a reality check in addition to whatever clinical support might be in order to help him deal with his issues.
Another passage from Manziel’s Twitter feed: “I know I would stop and check if I saw a couple arguing on the road.”
Really? Like always? In what part of town?
More Manziel: “It probably looked more serious than it was.”
It looks like someone is in denial.
The Browns put out a statement Friday from general manager Ray Farmer acknowledging that they were aware of the incident. Farmer said he’d have no further comment.
Then again, with Manziel tapping away on Twitter, what could they say?
That Manziel acknowledged, according to police, that he had consumed alcohol is the supersized red flag. Manziel has never publicly said what led him to enter rehab, but it’s fair to question whether drinking alcohol months later (if not sooner) is part of the program.
That the Browns will have tough decisions regarding his future with the team is a given. Even if they think Manziel is on the right path — and for weeks since he got out of rehab, the reports have been glowing about his maturity and focus — there’s another episode to provide the Browns with a reality check.
How can they trust Manziel for the long haul?
Maybe with a long haul of no incidents. But banking on that would be foolish.
Of course, this is somuch bigger than football. It’s about Manziel as a person.
He might not see it, but he still needs help — and presumably the NFL’s program will make a difference, with counseling support even more important than getting suspended.
Perhaps Manziel— who had incidents while at Texas A&M that added risk to the Browns’ decision to invest a firstround pick in him — can put it all together.
But that won’t happen until he realizes there’s a big problem.
If the problem is alcohol, it’s the type of problem that prevents you from having another drink.
Manziel might have indeed bought into that idea while in rehab.
But, no doubt, there’s still work to do.