ESPN’s Skip Bayless has unleashed a tirade of complaints against 22-year-old Cleveland Browns Quarterback Johnny Manziel, including complaints about Johnny being an alcoholic and a liar. Skip Bayless told First Take that he spoke to many people close to Johnny Manziel, and all of them are convinced that Johnny is secretly chugging alcohol like there’s no tomorrow and lying about it. Obviously, a professional football player – and a quarterback, no less – can’t be an alcoholic without it becoming a major controversy, and if these claims turn out to be true, then Manziel faces a lot more than increased media scrutiny. His entire career is at risk, but before we start making our own assumptions, let’s take a closer look at Bayless’s accusations.
According to TMZ, Bayless spoke to many people associated with the Cleveland Browns, and he also claims that Johnny missed a major team session on Saturday after raging all night on Friday. He even added, “I believe that even [Johnny’s] parents are fed up to the point that they believe he needs to get some help.” Plus, Bayless adds that teammates, coaches, and executives are all ‘fed up’ with Johnny’s behavior and drinking, and it’s become too big of a problem to ignore.
You know, I wouldn’t be surprised if Johnny Manziel was an alcohol, but let’s not forget that he’s also 22 years old – and will party like a 22-year-old, especially one that’s a celebrity. Partying until the wee hours on a Friday night? Typical 22-year-old behavior. Now, it’s not professional to let that affect your work, and Johnny clearly needs to learn how to draw the line there. But I don’t know if calling him an alcoholic based on that one incident is enough, and Skip Bayless isn’t giving us much more than his word to go on.