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Browns demote Johnny Manziel to third string, consider cutting ties
cbs ^ | November 24, 2015 3:51 pm ET | Sean Wagner-McGough | Staff Writer

Posted on 11/24/2015 9:38:31 PM PST by BenLurkin

The decision to bench Manziel comes just days after a video emerged that seemed to show Manziel partying and holding a bottle of alcohol during the Browns' bye week.

"Josh McCown will be the starting quarterback on Monday night against the Ravens. I informed the quarterbacks of that decision after I sat down and spoke with Johnny, Flip (John DeFilippo) and Kevin (O'Connell) after practice today," Pettine said in a statement. "Johnny will be the third quarterback. I've spoken to Ray (Farmer) and Jimmy (Haslam) to inform them of my decision, and they are in full support."

Just a week ago, Manziel was declared the starter for the remainder of the season. And in Manziel's most recent start two Sundays ago, he showed clear signs of improvement, throwing for 372 yards and completing 73 percent of his passes against the Steelers.

But during the Browns' bye week, Manziel, who spent time in rehab this offseason, was reportedly spotted at a bar, leading Pettine to say that he was disappointed in Manziel. That feeling of disappointment seems to have led to the decision to send Manziel to the bench.

"Everyone in this organization wants what is best for Johnny just like we do for every player in our locker room. I'm especially disappointed in his actions and behavior because he has been working very hard," Pettine said. "The improvements from last year to this year have been tremendous but he still has to consistently demonstrate that he has gained a good understanding of what it takes to be successful at the quarterback position on this level. It goes well beyond the field. We are going to continue to support him in every way possible, but at this point, we've decided it's best to go with Josh as the starter going forward."

(Excerpt) Read more at cbssports.com ...


TOPICS: Sports
KEYWORDS: manziel
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To: blackdog

“Broadway Joe” Namath sure put on a show. But times are different.


41 posted on 11/25/2015 1:48:27 AM PST by VerySadAmerican
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To: VerySadAmerican

Just more dollars and less humor. Times don’t change.


42 posted on 11/25/2015 2:49:00 AM PST by blackdog (There is no such thing as healing, only a balance between destructive and constructive forces.)
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To: ilgipper
Manzeil was given a "pass" on that argument with his girlfriend causing a situation along an interstate a few weeks ago. At that point, it was pretty obvious that he had no inner mechanism to fight his demons. If the Browns were serious about saving his career, he should've been provided with a full-time babysitter.

And a girlfriend who doesn't drink and spends her free time helping in soup kitchens or whatever.

My life experience with those who've had to recover....it's either 100% or 0%. No such thing as controlling it.

43 posted on 11/25/2015 3:00:56 AM PST by grania
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To: napscoordinator

That’s OK. He’ll have a late night TV talk show soon enough.


44 posted on 11/25/2015 3:19:37 AM PST by Mashood
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To: pepsionice

“girlfriend that is the trigger”

You can always find a reason to drink.


45 posted on 11/25/2015 3:26:08 AM PST by dynachrome (We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values.)
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To: blackdog
The difference is that those guys were all good QBs.

When a player gets demoted like Manziel, this often means the team is going to cut him after the season. They don't want to expose him to injury because they have to pay out his contract if he's injured. If he makes it to the end of the season intact, they can cut him loose and terminate his contract.

46 posted on 11/25/2015 3:31:23 AM PST by Alberta's Child ("It doesn't work for me. I gotta have more cowbell!")
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To: BenLurkin

he is an alcoholic who is in a full blown death spiral....get rid of him now. Maybe a hard bottom will get his attention


47 posted on 11/25/2015 3:48:31 AM PST by Nifster (I see puppy dogs in the clouds)
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To: Dawgreg

> . Mr. Hotshot was knocked off his perch of conceit and self-admiration.

He did that by throwing 76%?

It should be like when Lincoln was told that Grant was a drinker -he said “ Find out what whiskey he drinks and send all of my generals a case, if it will get the same results.”


48 posted on 11/25/2015 4:26:54 AM PST by glorgau
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To: mmichaels1970

Meanwhile other players are in fights, domestic attacks, and put in situations where guns are drawn on them in the clubs. I fail to see how a guy who has a drink is a problem. He just had a fairly strong week against Pittsburgh with over 300 yards. That’s what matters.


49 posted on 11/25/2015 4:39:51 AM PST by ilgipper
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To: ilgipper
Let's face it -- I'm sure most professional sports teams (or any organization, for that matter) have much higher expectations of their white players.

There's nothing wrong with that, from my perspective. I couldn't think of a worst insult than to have someone tell me they have higher expectations of someone else than of me.

50 posted on 11/25/2015 4:53:06 AM PST by Alberta's Child ("It doesn't work for me. I gotta have more cowbell!")
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To: Alberta's Child

Probably so. In this case, I don’t understand why this 22 year old is treated like this when he seems to be doing things right on the field and in the practice facility. He’s no lock to be an NFL success, but he’s more likely to be valuable to them with 3-5 games as a starter to see what he can do than to bench him to third string and let a journeyman backup play on the field. Seems stupid.


51 posted on 11/25/2015 5:05:30 AM PST by ilgipper
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To: ilgipper
I fail to see how a guy who has a drink is a problem

He should not have been having that drink the week that he was finally given his shot to lead the team the rest of the way. Word is, he promised them he wouldn't go out partying. He broke that promise. He had the opportunity of a lifetime, but couldn't stay out of the bars for one weekend.Meanwhile other players are in fights, domestic attacks, and put in situations where guns are drawn on them in the clubs.

Four wrongs don't make a right. He also hadn't had a shot to fully prove his talent and worth on the field yet. This was going to be his shot. He couldn't even make it through a bye week.
52 posted on 11/25/2015 6:15:16 AM PST by mmichaels1970
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To: Southack
No one on the Browns should be paid a penny above the League Minimum, and wherever J Manziel lands next cant be worse.

I agree.
53 posted on 11/25/2015 6:21:51 AM PST by mmichaels1970
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To: pepsionice

Which one? He has many.


54 posted on 11/25/2015 6:30:22 AM PST by 38special (For real, y'all.)
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To: ilgipper
He has some good games and some bad - you may have forgotten him missing practice last season and them finding out he had a big party the night before, and that is just one incident we know about. It seems he doesn't respect the authority figures around him and thinks he can get away with anything because they need him. Knowing high school and college football in Texas, he probably has been given a pass on many things during those years.

The NFL is different because they can be sued for too many things to allow a player to blatantly flaunt the rules. I think they are either getting smarter or being shamed into punishing players for bad behavior. They still have a lot to do in that area but their reaction to manzeil this time might save his life one day.

55 posted on 11/25/2015 8:05:44 AM PST by WhyisaTexasgirlinPA
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To: dfwgator

A different time for sure and a better time, all things considered, in America. (Waiting for Sputnik 1 to rain down ‘atomic rays’ on us was no fun tho! lol!!!)


56 posted on 11/25/2015 4:38:47 PM PST by bobby.223 (Retired up in the snowy mountains of the American Redoubt and it's a great life!)
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To: ilgipper

I suspect there’s a lot to this story behind the scenes that isn’t being reported. At this point it is no longer a matter of what works best for the Browns on the field. They’re cutting their ties to this guy, and the only way to make that work is to ensure that he doesn’t get injured. I’m pretty sure he’s never going to play for them again. He’s listed as the third-string QB because they don’t have a 75th-string QB.


57 posted on 11/25/2015 6:41:32 PM PST by Alberta's Child ("It doesn't work for me. I gotta have more cowbell!")
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To: BenLurkin

Being from Baltimore and being a Ravens fan, I still have no shortage of residual guilt when it comes to Cleveland. But man, we’ve been in the same division with them since 1999 and they’re almost always not bad, but pitiful. There isn’t a decision they can make that won’t come back to haunt them. I would love for the Browns to be at least competitive for a stretch of time, but they always (ALWAYS!) implode.


58 posted on 11/25/2015 6:49:39 PM PST by baltiless
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To: baltiless

Yes well, Cleveland built a team that was Superbowl bound. Years of development and consistent improvement were about to take Cleveland’s team to the Superbowl.

But the team went to Baltimore instead.


59 posted on 11/25/2015 9:15:54 PM PST by BenLurkin (The above is not a statement of fact. It is either satire or opinion. Or both.)
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To: BenLurkin

That’s just plain untrue. The team that came to Baltimore was terrible.They were 15-31-1 in their first three seasons.The drafts that took place after the move, the trades for McCrary and Siragusa and the hiring of Billick as coach made the team go from pathetic to SB champs in five years. But there were virtually no old Browns on the SB roster. I think Stover may have been the only one.


60 posted on 11/26/2015 7:29:31 AM PST by baltiless
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