Johnny Manziel set off a fresh round of backlash today after lashing out online at Cleveland radio host Tony Rizzo in response to an old clip that resurfaced.
ESPN Cleveland posted a throwback podcast moment in which Manziel spoke poorly about the Browns and made clear he still held onto his resentment toward the team. Rizzo pushed back on the air, asking, “Bro, what did . . . anyone do for you, except root for you to win?”
He kept pressing the point, adding, “And when it went south, OK, that’s how it goes, as [with] Baker [Mayfield]. But, but - did someone hurt him?
Is he a jilted lover? Is there some - did I miss - was there an incident where somebody attacked him? . . .
Why the hate? Why in the hate for the team that drafted you?”
Manziel answered with a harsh slur directed at Rizzo, a message so offensive that it drew immediate attention from media members. He deleted the post soon after, but by then the damage was done. The exchange quickly became another ugly reminder of the lingering friction between Manziel and the franchise that drafted him.
The Browns took Manziel in the first round in 2014, but his NFL run unraveled because of off-field distractions and what the source described as a total lack of film study. No other team gave him another shot in the league. He later tried to revive his career in Canada, but that stint never stabilized.
In the CFL, Manziel spent time with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and Alouettes, where he threw for 1,290 passing yards, 5 touchdowns, and 7 interceptions before the league permanently banned him.
His NFL career with Cleveland lasted two seasons and 15 games. In that span, he completed 147 of 258 passes for 1,675 yards, 7 touchdowns, and 7 interceptions, while also rushing for 259 yards and a touchdown.
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