DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Pure Football Forum A Johnny Manziel Chronology with the Browns

You guys are trashing a 22 year old kid, who some believe has an actual problem, it's frankly disrespectful. Anyone who has lived through addiction, drugs or alcohol or other, knows this isn't really something thats a joke.

Either way if he was forced into this or checked in on his own he has a problem.

All football aside, anyone who thinks addiction is a joke or funny, doesn't deserve my respect or anyone elses.

Relax, my man.

Here is some advice. Ignore PDR. He has an insecurity problem that can only be deescalated by belittling others.

The guy who constantly throws temper tantrums claiming that he's being victimized by the board is accusing me of being insecure?

Cute.

Victimized?

Crawl back to your hole.

The thing you do where you whine when you feel everyone is ganging up on you. You usually ramble on about agenda and hypocrisy and then threaten to stop posting here.

Happens every few weeks.

Usually I just ignore it, since it's nonsense and drivel, but this one hit kinda close to home.

*shrugs* it is just the internet, stupidity is to be expected, and it does have a block button.

He's a rich, spoiled brat who has lied through his teeth, and disrespected the organization and its fans by sleepwalking through his first year.

That's going to earn you scorn, especially on a message board revolving around said organization.

I think on a human level, everyone hopes the guy gets his life together, but I wouldn't hold your breath for a tearful candlelight vigil in Public Square. People are going to make cracks and question his sincerity.

I hear you. I understand. But, just look at his last several posts. LOL...........seriously....look at them.

Maybe he is the one you should feel sorry for????

This thread is pathetic


That just needed said again...

Interested to hear your opinion on why?

I know you liked Manziel.

Is it pathetic because of how some of us are bad-mouthing him or is it pathetic because you don't trust Johnny?

After 10 minutes of reflection, I agree with you. My heart is sad for him too.

NRTU.

I am not surprised by some of the comments, disappointed, not really, ambivalent, yes. It is the internet however, and people write things that they would never say to another, anonymity has its benefits.

The same probably is true of Manziel. Maybe this is the first step to figuring everything out. The circumstantial evidence was there, to be viewed. by everyone.

I hope he uses the time to sort himself out. His challenges may be deeper than a substance abuse issue, and I am hopeful that he benefits from the treatment. These challenges are often life long, but a beginning is necessary.

How Johnny Manziel raised his hand and volunteered to go to rehab | cleveland.com
http://www.cleveland.com/browns/index.ssf/2015/02/how_johnny_manziel_raised_his.html#incart_2box

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel finally raised his hand last week and admitted to his family and to the Browns that he needed help, that it was time to go to inpatient rehab for his possible dependence on alcohol.

On Tuesday, he flew out of Cleveland and informed those close to him of his intentions. On Wednesday, Manziel checked himself into an undisclosed facility somewhere within driving distance of Cleveland, a place that the Browns knew about and felt comfortable with.

According to multiple sources, those close to Manziel were proud of him for taking such a big and difficult step. Not many 22-year-olds volunteer for inpatient rehab, but Manziel was ready, which is why his friends and family members are optimistic that he'll take it seriously and do the work needed to get well.

Experts in the field say that rehab might not stick, especially for a young adult, if they're not willing to go on their own.

Manziel's close and friend and quarterback guru George Whitfield, the Massillon native who's worked closely with Manziel for the past three years, expressed in a tweet that it was the right move, and he knows Manziel's situation as well as anyone.

"Best possible thing for Johnny Manziel. Take your time ... Praying for you, cousin,'' Whitfield tweeted.

George Whitfield Jr. ✔ @georgewhitfield
Follow
Best possible thing for Johnny Manziel. Take your time... Praying for you, cousin.
2:46 PM - 2 Feb 2015 Solana Beach, CA, United States

The news was released by Manziel's camp and later by the Browns.

"Brad Beckworth, a friend and advisor to Manziel and his family, has confirmed that Johnny entered treatment on Wednesday," the statement read. "Johnny knows there are areas in which he needs to improve in order to be a better family member, friend and teammate and he thought the off-season was the right time to take this step. On behalf of Johnny and his family, we're asking for privacy until he rejoins the team in Cleveland."

The Browns, in a statement from general manager Ray Farmer, corroborated that Manziel stepped forward to ask for help.

"We respect Johnny's initiative in this decision and will fully support him throughout this process," the statement read. "Our players' health and well-being will always be of the utmost importance to the Cleveland Browns. We continually strive to create a supportive environment and provide the appropriate resources, with our foremost focus being on the individual and not just the football player. Johnny's privacy will be respected by us during this very important period and we hope that others will do the same.''

Generally, inpatient treatment begins with a 28-30 day program, but it's individualized and can last two or three times that long depending on the nature of the addiction or other issues being addressed. Some patients are treated for a dual diagnosis of substance abuse and psychological issues, which normally requires a longer stay.

As for whether or not Manziel lands in the NFL's substance abuse program, it's up to the medical professionals in charge, and it's confidential, according to NFL spokesman Greg Aielllo.

Manziel's decision comes after five or six years of alcohol-related incidents and a few run-ins with the law that have had those close to him concerned about his well-being for some time.

In a New York Times article in 2012, Manziel's father, Paul, revealed that he made a deal with Manziel when he was in high school: he'd buy him a new car if he abstained from alcohol during his junior and senior years. But one summer night, a store security guard smelled alcohol on Manziel's breath and called the police. Manziel was taken to jail, and his father picked him up the next day.

Paul made Manziel pay the fine, and told the judge to double Manziel's community service from 10 hours to 20. He also replaced the new car with an old pickup truck that often broke down on the way to school.

When Manziel was at Texas A&M, his parents went back to the car well again, buying him a shiny, red Camaro if he promised to be a model citizen, according to the New York Times article.

"We have to keep him focused; Johnny needs incentives," Michelle Manziel said. Paul added, "Johnny needs structure all the time, because down time for Johnny is the worst time."

But Manziel had another brush with the law when he was arrested at Texas A&M in the summer of 2012 for a bar fight during which he came to the defense of a friend. Manziel, who was too intoxicated to answer questions according to the police report, spent the night in jail and ultimately pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor. He was also ordered by first-year Texas A&M coach Kevin Sumlin to undergo random drug testing and drug and alcohol counseling.

Manziel met with the counselor about six or seven times, according an ESPN the Magazine article last summer by Wright Thompson. At the NFL Combine last February, Manziel was asked about those sessions.

"I was more than willing to learn whatever I could from him and sit down and have meetings with him,'' he said. "Those continued throughout the next couple years. Had a great relationship with him. It was really nothing more than that.''

Paul, who along with his wife have declined to talk to the media since Manziel turned pro, also vowed back then to do whatever he could to help keep Manziel in line.

"I'm going to hold him accountable; I'm going to make a man out of him," Paul told the NY Times. "He wasn't going to get (to the NFL) the way he was walking."

Manziel's dad also alluded to the Heisman Trophy winner's temper and surmised it might contribute to the drinking.

"I don't know where the anger comes from," Paul told ESPN the Magazine. "I don't think he knows. If it comes from his drinking, or if he's mad at himself for not being a better person when he fails, when he fails God and his mom and me. If it makes him angry that he's got demons in him. You can only speculate because you can't go in there."

In the summer of 2013, Manziel was sent home from the Manning Quarterback camp by patriarch Archie Manning after he stayed out afterhours and showed up late on a Saturday -- another red flag.

But while preparing for the NFL draft, Manziel was on his best behavior, in part because he was out in San Diego working tirelessly with Whitfield and Browns new quarterbacks coach Kevin O'Connell on his mechanics and measurables.

O'Connell accompanied Manziel on trips and helped him stay focused. He also kept him in the film room studying the pro game.

Manziel's team of handlers wisely kept him away from the Super Bowl last year and out of the limelight in the months leading up to the draft. He said all the right things in lengthy in pre-draft interviews with the Houston Chronicle and Ft. Worth-Star Telegram about how he'd grown up and abandoned the frat-boy lifestyle.

The Browns, who did their due diligence on Manziel, were satisfied that he was worth moving up from No. 26 to No. 22 to draft, surrendering a third-round pick to the Eagles in the process.

But the moment he was drafted, the dam broke and he reverted back to Johnny Football, party animal. The night of the draft, he was photographed swigging from a magnum of champagne, and the party was on. From there, he caroused from coast-to-coast with no regard for the negative attention it brought the Browns.

At the NFL rookie symposium in Los Angeles in May, just weeks after the draft, Manziel crawled under a skirted table and took a nap during an autograph session with potential sponsors -- after a night out with rapper Drake and friends. Fellow rookies jokingly tried to interview him under the table with a fake microphone.

From there, the progressive party traveled to Las Vegas, Austin, Tex. and back to Los Angeles. It included the infamous float on the inflatable swan, makin' it rain in the club, shouting an f-bomb into his money phone with bleary eyes, a visit to the Biebs' house with Floyd Mayweather and friends, and more.

But the photo the Browns found most alarming, a source told Northeast Ohio Media Group, was the one in which he was rolling up a bill in the bathroom of a bar on July 7th. That set the alarm bells off in Berea, and the Browns feared their first-round quarterback might need some intervention.

They jumped on it right away, but Manziel never felt he was doing anything wrong. In fact, he insisted he was going to live life the way he wanted -- while all the while dedicating himself to the game.

As the season wore on, Manziel was involved in another late-night fight when a fan tried to hug him at his downtown apartment building. No charges were filed, but Manziel was reprimanded by the Browns for being out at 2:38 in the morning, just hours before the team was to board their flight for Atlanta.

In the midst of all this, Manziel was thrown into the fire for two starts, and flopped miserably. Although teammates such as Karlos Dansby and Donte Whitner said Manziel gave them great looks as the scout team quarterback, the pro game proved to be too much for him last season, and he looked woeful en route to his 0-2 mark.

Manziel, placed on injured reserve for the season finale, hit a new low when he overslept for his hamstring treatment the day before the game, and was fined.

Browns security went to his apartment, where they found him asleep. Manziel admitted he partied too hard the night before.

The day after the finale, Manziel admitted that he often struggles to do the right thing.

"There's nothing I can sit here and tell you (that will make this go away),'' he said. "I can't sit here and talk to these mics or these cameras or anything that's going to do any good. It's about actions, it's about being accountable and doing what I'm going to say instead of looking like a jackass."

He acknowledged, "I brought this on myself ....So I'm sorry to these guys that are veterans in this locker room and know what it takes, that I'm having to learn the hard way. At the same time, I'm either going to learn or I'm going to be finding something else to do."

Manziel, who had vowed just days earlier to dedicate himself to the game and swore he had grown up, asked the Browns not to lose faith in him.

"There have been some good things and bad things,'' he said. "I know what is important to me and now it is time to come in here, look at myself in the mirror and hold myself accountable and start making some deals with myself.

"I need to start doing every single thing and everything the right way and if I don't I'm going to be exposed....I'm upset with how I have handled things at times. I did grow up and then I took a step back. It is the same story with me. We're taking one step forward and then two steps back.''

He added, "Now it is really in my court. What do I want to do and what do I want to be known as? Do I want to be known as a guy who has been in this league two years and now doing something different with his life or come in here and compete, give this thing a fair chance and work my ass off to be the quarterback and person I know I am?''

The battle in his brain continued as he left the interview and headed straight to Miami's South Beach, playground for the young and rich. From there, he lived it up in Houston and in Aspen, Colo. with Browns receiver Josh Gordon, who was recently suspended indefinitely for violating the substance abuse policy again.

But something finally kicked in last week, and Manziel realized it was time to deflate the swan, put the cork back in the bottle, hang up on the money phone and try to become the quarterback the Browns drafted, and the fine young man that Paul and Michelle raised him to be.

True... but I feel that it also reveals a person's character, as well.

I've seen some seriously effed-up stuff on the net, and I've often thought, "Damn... this person could be someone you work with every day."

Now THAT's a chilling thought..,

________________

For now, I'm choosing to see this as only a positive. Until I see otherwise, I'd much rather hold out some hope that he can learn to control his life and exorcise his demons, than automatically default to 'cynic' mode. Hell, if Chris Carter can turn his life around, why can't somebody else?

Besides, my glass house ain't stone-proof. Given my sketchy-ass past, I have no moral high ground to stand on, when it comes to judging a 21 year-old kid.

I hope he puts it all together, finds a way to use his gifts, and wrecks the league. It would make for a GREAT human interest story.

"A Football Life: Johnny Manziel"

That would be cool to witness.

It's either ganna be that, or a 30 for 30: "The Rise and Fall of Johnny Football"

Hopefully it's the former..

yup.

With this young man, I fear that there will be no middle ground. He just doesn't seem wired for it.

Fascinating case study.

I sincerely hope that the young man gets his life turned around. If he is in treatment for 45 or more days, I will take that as a hugely positive sign that he is getting things under control. If he is there for 2 weeks, it will look like he went in, and gave up. Hopefully he stays the course, and gets his life back under control. It is obvious that he needs help, and it is likely to be longer term life.

After he does that, then I'll hope that he becomes a great QB for the Browns.

There's no way this is not a positive step. If he didn't change he was never going to be our QB. We'll see if he is serious about getting better, but he wasn't going to pick up the playbook, go to camp and be a leader and take over the huddle if was still a drunk. Fingers crossed.
And we all should remember he's a 22 year-old kid who has had an immense amount of pressure on him. This could be the beginning of him growing up. If so, we MIGHT have our QB.

It's pathetic because so many people automatically assumes it's a "publicity stunt" or that he's "about to be busted by the league" or whatever else.

Whatever the reasoning, the kid recognized he has a problem and VOLUNTEERED to get help. This goes beyond football -- I hope he gets the help he needs, and if he becomes a better football player because of it, that's just icing on the cake.

Yeah, I liked Johnny -- I was disappointed in his play in his limited action.

But someone in this thread even said "Part of me hopes he just gets busted so we can move on"

Comments like that make this threat pathetic.

There is way more evidence to support this being a PR stunt than legit.

Johnny created that. He supplied the evidence. He has not done one right thing since he's been here. And his words do not match his actions.

Being skeptical of this is not only justified but should be expected, and there is nothing pathetic around anyone feeling that way.

On a human level, if it is legit, I'm sure most hope he gets the help he needs. But calling this thread pathetic and thereby implying those who are skeptical of this as also being pathetic is just another extreme take along the lines of hoping Johnny gets busted "so we can move on." I'd be careful to lump everyone together into your pathetic category.

There's 0 evidence to point to this being legit.

There's also 0 evidence of it being a publicity stunt.

The only fact is that he willingly entered rehab.


He turned down six figures to host a Las Vegas Super Bowl party, instead spending it in rehab.

If it was a publicity stunt and nothing more, why wouldn't he have waited?

There's no evidence either way, so to say there's evidence of this being a publicity stunt is absurd.

I disagree. There is plenty of evidence that Manziel loves attention. There is also plenty of evidence that he says one thing and does another.

Is there concrete evidence that this is a publicity stunt? Of course not. We won't know if this is legit or not for some time. But you're acting like he's earned the benefit of the doubt. What has he done to earn the benefit of the doubt? Nothing.

Marla Ridenour: If treatment an epiphany for Johnny Manziel, Browns’ support must not wane

By Marla Ridenour
Beacon Journal sports columnist

Updated: February 3, 2015 - 08:30 AM


We don’t know why Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel entered treatment last week.
We don’t know if it was an ultimatum from the Browns, another incident that has yet to come to light or a personal revelation by a 22-year-old that his hard-partying ways were going to cost him his NFL career.
But it does appear that a franchise that has never supported its starting quarterback in an expansion era that spans 16 years might finally be doing just that.
The Browns are in the process of hiring quarterbacks coach Kevin O’Connell, who helped prepare Manziel for the NFL Combine last year at Massillon native George Whitfield Jr.’s Whitfield Athletix in San Diego.
Two-time Pro Bowl cornerback Joe Haden seems ready to take on the role of mentor for Manziel, bridging the gap in a locker room devoid of leadership on the offensive side.
In a statement issued by the team on Monday, Browns General Manager Ray Farmer showed personal concern for Manziel that seemed more befitting the team’s Inner Circle days under ex-coach Sam Rutligiano than the organization with a penchant for chewing up and spitting out quarterbacks for the past decade and a half. While praising Manziel for his “initiative in this decision,” Farmer said the Browns’ “foremost focus” was “on the individual and not just the football player.” Hopefully Farmer means every word, no matter who crafted the team’s news release.
No guarantees
There are no guarantees that Manziel, even if he embraces treatment, can be the cornerstone of the Browns franchise for years to come. Manziel, the 2012 Heisman Trophy winner, must still overcome the fact that he’s small and not fast enough to outrun defenders like he did at Texas A&M. He needs to play in a system that thinks outside the box and maximizes his skills, a task now charged to new offensive coordinator John DeFilippo.
But it appears Manziel has taken the first step in getting his life on track, a huge leap in what has been a train wreck of champagne sipping on swans and rolled up bills and Instagram snapshots from clubs across the country. An epiphany — no matter the reason — must be lauded.
On Twitter, the question was raised about the fact that Manziel entered treatment Wednesday, as Manziel family friend and adviser Brad Beckworth confirmed. That was just a day after the conclusion of a three-day Browns summit attended by owner Jimmy Haslam, coach Mike Pettine, general counsel and salary cap specialist Sashi Brown and President Alec Scheiner. At the Greater Cleveland Sports Awards on Jan. 22, Haslam called it a “strategic planning session.”
It’s possible that the Browns emerged with the conclusion that in a weak draft for quarterbacks and with other holes to fill, they could not use their 12th and 19th overall picks on the position this year. It’s possible they realized they must do everything in their power to help Manziel.
Improvement needed
Beckworth’s statement said Manziel has “areas he needs to improve on to help him be a better family member, friend and teammate.” Besides an alcohol issue, narcissism and a sense of entitlement quickly come to mind.
But there might be more. An ESPN The Magazine story by Wright Thompson in July 2013 said Manziel’s father, Paul, believed Manziel drank to deal with stress. A New York Times story from 2012 said Paul Manziel told his son he would buy him a new car if he stayed away from alcohol as a junior and senior in high school.
Whether it’s stress, family or something else at the root of Manziel’s alcohol problems, it makes sense that the Browns might have asked Haden to become more vocal in his support of the quarterback. Before he got married in June 2013, Haden was the social animal, constantly spotted posing for pictures with fans around town. The seventh overall pick in 2010, Haden also served a four-game suspension in 2012 for using Adderall, a violation of the league’s substance abuse policy, which gives him another direction from which to approach.
Haden’s friendship would seem valuable to Manziel, who seems incapable of staying home. Even as he prepared for his first NFL start against the Cincinnati Bengals, Manziel said he didn’t go to a Cavs game, but watched it on TV. Perhaps Haden can convince Manziel of the study and dedication required to succeed in the NFL, a lesson that went unlearned in 2014 under Pettine and former offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan.
With a few more people on his side than he had when the season ended, Manziel hopefully will tackle treatment with the same competitiveness he showed on the field in college. If he does, the Browns need to remain steadfast in their support, propping him up every chance they get.
In the past, that has been a foreign concept in Berea. Perhaps the Browns can borrow a phrase from Ohio State football coach Urban Meyer, who said the Buckeyes adopted “It’s never too late to change” as their theme around the Woody Hayes Athletic Center.
The Browns don’t know how Manziel will come out on the other side of treatment. But if he is to be their champion, they must remain his.
Marla Ridenour can be reached at mridenour@thebeaconjournal.com. Read the her blog at www.ohio.com/marla. Follow her on Twitter at www.twitter.com/MRidenourABJ and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/abj.sports.

link

Just sad. Some bookies might bet this. Needs to succeed in rehab. Stop interviewing him. Good luck.

I wish Manziel nothing but the best in wrestling with his demons. We all have them. But that doesn't mean I feel a burning desire to support him at all costs and want to hand him the keys to the team for 2015. We might as well keep him around for his rookie contract and see what develops but I'm really done with the drama. If he can recover and produce, that's just great. But the team needs to move forward with one eye on him never making it. It's all on Manziel now, and that pressure is part of what I suspect turned him to the bottle long before he became a Brown.

The final chapter is not written on Johnny Manziel. I don't know that the Cleveland Browns can afford to wait around for him. That's a shame.

JC these posts are ... disappointing.

So many on here said they felt JM needed help, that he was obvioulsy in trouble wiyh alcohol and possibly other things.... so he gets help and those same people who clamored for hom to get help are the first to respond that it's all a PR stunt.

Geez, he needs help, goes and gets it and still it's bag on JM.

Guess many would have been happier if he didnt seek help and failed completely... I wonder how many shoulders would have been dislocated by people patting themselves on the back on how they were right about JM all along.

BTTB - agree 100 % reading this thread ... I guess I am about the only one that liked the reach at 22.

Good luck JM... I hope you are able to get the help you need, I hope it solves your personal demons and allows you live a good life. If that means as a NFL qb for the Browns so be it.. if it means something else ..ok... find the answers.... as a recovering addict I know where you come from and I know where you need to end up... I pray you find that directionm, whatever it is for you.

Well said TopDawg... Well said.

I don't know what the deal is. I don't know if he was forced or if there was an intervention by family or the team or friends or Teammates for that matter. Or if he just woke up one morning and said, this isn't right, I gotta fix this.

It honestly doesn't matter. He's in rehab. I hope he works through whatever issues he's facing and I hope he turns into the next Drew Brees or Russell Wilson.

I wouldn't give up on Johnny Manziel just yet. Let's wait until he plays a full season first.

Here is the problem. On one hand, yes I agree, he played 6 quarters of football against two playoffs teams while our team was falling apart.

On the other hand. We've seen this act before with Josh Gordon....apologize....lie....repeat. If Manziel sticks it out in rehab, comes out and we don't hear anything more about it, fine, let's give him another shot.


If he leaves rehab or comes out of rehab and we see him in Vegas or on instagram partying. I, at that point will be done with Johnny Manziel. He has one more chance. No more, no less. One more incident, one more party shot, one more money phone and I am writing him off.

That's fair enough and I'm on board with that...

I agree, if he is not serious about turning his life around and leaves rehab and continues partying and the inmature behavior then yes, let him go. He has to realize that not only will he no longer be a Brown, he will be out of the NFL if he doesn't change.

Your post made me think of something and how probably most of what we post on here is colored with our own personal experiences. I hope I don't have this wrong, but I believe you have openly talked about your own personal demons with substance abuse and how you were able to make it out of it. I think that plays into your post that I quoted above and you or others inability to understand why some would question whether this is a PR stunt or not.

I am not going to go continue to defend this, but it is 100% justified to think this may be a PR stunt. It doesn't mean we are right or that it is true. But based on what we know of Manziel, not only is it justified, it should be expected.

Having said that, I seriously doubt anyone who believes it might be a PR stunt is hoping that it is true. I certainly am not hoping it is true because that just means more bad things for the Browns. Still, until I know more, I have it in the back of my mind. And based on Manziel's actions to date, I am completely justified in that thought. No two ways about it.

You guys need to check your emotions at the door, seriously. Do not bag on others for having a reasonable thought and certainly don't confuse and blur the lines between believing it is insincere and somehow thinking that means people don't care or are somehow hoping he doesn't get the help he needs if he is sincere.

You forgot to mention with a OC that forced a read option offense down his throat that he was not comfortable with and the Oline was ill prepared for. Shanny had a pretty good idea he'd fail just to prove his point on the Haslem/Farmer draft day decision. Shanny knew he was not going to be back in 2015 when they picked Manziel against his advice.



Two different people. It's not apples to apples here. Josh was on his third and 1/2 strike this year and JM hasn't had strike one with league rules. And besides nobody can say what the actual issue is with JM just yet. All we've seen is the surface problem of parting too much.



Holding NFL players to that standard would mean No Joe Namath, Reggie Bush, Big Ben, Colin Kaep, Matthew Stafford, Rob Gronkowski, Kyle Orton, Casey Hampton, Adam Jones, Aldon Smith, Matt Lienhart....the list is endless.

Again unless you know what the exact issues is, you're just ranting over a player you obviously hate and are assuming he has a substance addiction. Prejudice at it's finest.

I understand and you are saying and it truly has merit.

However what bugs me are those posters that have wanted for weeks, months for JM to get help are the first to discredit him doing just that... get help.

sincere or not they seem to want to relish in his failures and post as such, ... such is their choice and their right.

Perhaps my wording was incorrect, but the messaage remains the same....I have been there, I have done that, i remind myself everyday where I was and where I am... emotional about it? Damn right.... such is my right and such is my choice.

I will not dismiss any person out of hand who is showing he is seeking help, until which time I am sure it was not sincere, and until that time I wil afford them that benefit of a doubt.

As noted this is beyond JM as a football player and is all about him as a person.

Perhaps I should just avoid this particular thread, Ican feel my angst growing.

But that is not stipulated in the Board's Rules and Regs...

texas, I want to add that I understand where you are coming from and I commend and applaud you for your victories against substance abuse. I enjoy reading your posts on here. You are one of my favorites.

I just think the reaction to people who have doubts about his sincerity was over the top.

I won't deny that.

If I offended anyone.. I apologize, that was not my intent.

One thing I've wondered - and this is more about his handlers than Manziel - is why not just keep this private?

It's not like the manner of this announcement in any way got in front of the story, or rewrote the narrative.

Why announce it?