BAMANEWSBOT
Staff
Poor Johnny Football. The misunderstood superstar.
Lounging in floor seats at an NBA game. Throwing out the first pitch at an MLB game. Going to the NBA Finals. Fanning cash he won at a casino. Going to Mexico on vacation.
Even taking online courses at Texas A&M and avoiding going to class with all the other peons because ā come on, man -- there are just too many distractions on campus.
I was fine with it all before this past weekend, before Johnny Manziel went and told everyone who cared to āwalk a day in my shoes.ā
Ladies and gentlemen, let me reintroduce you to Johnny Look At Me.
The maroon and white supernova who captured the college game last year with his dynamic and carefree game, and the Heisman Trophy winner who canāt get enough attention -- until he does, and then whines about the woefully tough and troubled world of a man who just wants a normal life.
Iām gonna puke.
This all started last weekend when Manziel complained to the world via ā what else? ā Twitter that āBull**** like tonight is a reason why I canāt wait to leave College Station ā¦ whenever it may be.ā
He deleted the tweet, then followed up with this gem: āDonāt ever forget that I love A&M with all of my heart, but please please walk a day in my shoes.ā
What we are witnessing, people, is the social implosion of a man who has played one season of college football ā and already canāt get out of his own way. Weāve seen this before (hello, Maurice Clarett, Mike Williams) and it doesnāt end well.
Thereās no way to sugarcoat this: Johnny Look At Me is acting like a spoiled baby.
Go walk in Marcus Lattimoreās shoes. Lay on a table and have doctors cut open your left knee and completely reconstruct it and tell you good luck with rehab.
Then work your ass off for 11 months, return to the game, play better than you ever have ā then blow out your right knee and lay on a field, your injury so gruesome, players from both teams are crying and praying.
Go walk in Curt Phillipsā shoes: multiple ACL injuries, a coach recruiting behind you and then in front of you with not one but two transfers ā and your final season after all that work to get back and play is spent with a new coach and a new system and a ton of uncertainty.
Go walk in Jordan Wynnās shoes. He injured his shoulder for a fourth time last season, and a once promising career that would have led to the NFL instead has turned back to the college game. Heās now an assistant coach at Hawaii because a coach (Norm Chow) saw in Wynn what we canāt see in Johnny Look At Me: perspective and appreciation.
āIt doesnāt matter who you are, no matter how good you are, it can all go at any time,ā Wynn said. āI always tried to stay humble. My dad ingrained into my head that no matter what happens, keep your head down and want more.ā
The biggest problem ā and most telling, troubling issue -- with Manzielās Summer of Me is he has brought it all on himself with his head clearly in the air. Never once has he been the victim; never once has someone tried to take advantage of him.
He tweeted photos of him sitting courtside. He tweeted the wad of cash. He tweeted about hanging out with Hip-Hop stars. He ā not anyone else ā complained about living in a fishbowl after inviting everyone in.
And now, in the ultimate grab for attention, he wants everyone to walk a day in his shoes.
Manziel has done nothing illegal, and nothing that will endanger his eligibility. But this isnāt about football anymore.
This is about a young man dealing with newfound stardom and struggling to gain control of it. Earlier this offseason, Manziel announced he was taking a break from Twitter to regain focus.
It lasted all of 18 days.
Meanwhile, weāve gone six months with barely a word from AJ McCarron. You know, the Alabama quarterback whose girlfriend became an instant star on the night of the national championship game because she was AJās girlfriend and because Brent Musburger said what every red-blooded male was thinking about the former Miss Alabama.
After the game, during the glow of a second straight national title, McCarron was clearly embarrassed that she became the focal point of talk around his locker ā not his team. Then he was told that LeBron James followed her on Twitter that night.
āFor real?ā McCarron said. āTell me youāre kidding.ā
Six months later, this is the last tweet from McCarron this summer:
āNo, I am not at Miss USA. I am home watching the (NBA) finals! Iām sorry to disappoint but we r practicing in the week to win #16 not Miss USA.ā
Johnny Manziel won the Heisman Trophy last year, and his team finished third in the SEC West. Johnny Football became a household name last year, and his team played three of the four best teams in the SEC ā and lost twice.
Then Johnny Manziel morphed into Johnny Look At Me.
āThe best advice I can give to players these days is stay away from social media,ā Wynn said. āAll itās going to do is trap you.ā
In the very fishbowl youāve created for yourself.
Matt Hayes of the Sporting News
Lounging in floor seats at an NBA game. Throwing out the first pitch at an MLB game. Going to the NBA Finals. Fanning cash he won at a casino. Going to Mexico on vacation.
Even taking online courses at Texas A&M and avoiding going to class with all the other peons because ā come on, man -- there are just too many distractions on campus.
I was fine with it all before this past weekend, before Johnny Manziel went and told everyone who cared to āwalk a day in my shoes.ā
Ladies and gentlemen, let me reintroduce you to Johnny Look At Me.
The maroon and white supernova who captured the college game last year with his dynamic and carefree game, and the Heisman Trophy winner who canāt get enough attention -- until he does, and then whines about the woefully tough and troubled world of a man who just wants a normal life.
Iām gonna puke.
This all started last weekend when Manziel complained to the world via ā what else? ā Twitter that āBull**** like tonight is a reason why I canāt wait to leave College Station ā¦ whenever it may be.ā
He deleted the tweet, then followed up with this gem: āDonāt ever forget that I love A&M with all of my heart, but please please walk a day in my shoes.ā
What we are witnessing, people, is the social implosion of a man who has played one season of college football ā and already canāt get out of his own way. Weāve seen this before (hello, Maurice Clarett, Mike Williams) and it doesnāt end well.
Thereās no way to sugarcoat this: Johnny Look At Me is acting like a spoiled baby.
Go walk in Marcus Lattimoreās shoes. Lay on a table and have doctors cut open your left knee and completely reconstruct it and tell you good luck with rehab.
Then work your ass off for 11 months, return to the game, play better than you ever have ā then blow out your right knee and lay on a field, your injury so gruesome, players from both teams are crying and praying.
Go walk in Curt Phillipsā shoes: multiple ACL injuries, a coach recruiting behind you and then in front of you with not one but two transfers ā and your final season after all that work to get back and play is spent with a new coach and a new system and a ton of uncertainty.
Go walk in Jordan Wynnās shoes. He injured his shoulder for a fourth time last season, and a once promising career that would have led to the NFL instead has turned back to the college game. Heās now an assistant coach at Hawaii because a coach (Norm Chow) saw in Wynn what we canāt see in Johnny Look At Me: perspective and appreciation.
āIt doesnāt matter who you are, no matter how good you are, it can all go at any time,ā Wynn said. āI always tried to stay humble. My dad ingrained into my head that no matter what happens, keep your head down and want more.ā
The biggest problem ā and most telling, troubling issue -- with Manzielās Summer of Me is he has brought it all on himself with his head clearly in the air. Never once has he been the victim; never once has someone tried to take advantage of him.
He tweeted photos of him sitting courtside. He tweeted the wad of cash. He tweeted about hanging out with Hip-Hop stars. He ā not anyone else ā complained about living in a fishbowl after inviting everyone in.
And now, in the ultimate grab for attention, he wants everyone to walk a day in his shoes.
Manziel has done nothing illegal, and nothing that will endanger his eligibility. But this isnāt about football anymore.
This is about a young man dealing with newfound stardom and struggling to gain control of it. Earlier this offseason, Manziel announced he was taking a break from Twitter to regain focus.
It lasted all of 18 days.
Meanwhile, weāve gone six months with barely a word from AJ McCarron. You know, the Alabama quarterback whose girlfriend became an instant star on the night of the national championship game because she was AJās girlfriend and because Brent Musburger said what every red-blooded male was thinking about the former Miss Alabama.
After the game, during the glow of a second straight national title, McCarron was clearly embarrassed that she became the focal point of talk around his locker ā not his team. Then he was told that LeBron James followed her on Twitter that night.
āFor real?ā McCarron said. āTell me youāre kidding.ā
Six months later, this is the last tweet from McCarron this summer:
āNo, I am not at Miss USA. I am home watching the (NBA) finals! Iām sorry to disappoint but we r practicing in the week to win #16 not Miss USA.ā
Johnny Manziel won the Heisman Trophy last year, and his team finished third in the SEC West. Johnny Football became a household name last year, and his team played three of the four best teams in the SEC ā and lost twice.
Then Johnny Manziel morphed into Johnny Look At Me.
āThe best advice I can give to players these days is stay away from social media,ā Wynn said. āAll itās going to do is trap you.ā
In the very fishbowl youāve created for yourself.
Matt Hayes of the Sporting News
