Johnny Manziel enters treatment

Modern crisis management; McMahon and Stabler built dynasties half in the bag, even they also weren't the highest paid players in the league before playing a down. Still, serious anger or confidence issues like Leaf or Marinovich notwithstanding, just look at their numbers, attitude and conditioning.

 

Johnny is sitting at his computer reading Clutchfans. Take a joke bud

 

Browns were probably like "go into rehab/treatment or you'll never play another game ever"

 

Didn't Bones Jones do this within a day or 2 after his last fight in January?
After it came out he tested positive for yeyo before the fight?
When he bailed within 24 hrs it became obvious this was just a PR stunt to counteract the drug image

This is a pretty common go-to move for celebrities with drug-related image problems, so I give someone with the profile of Johnny zero credit for merely asking for help

We'll know he's for real about finally growing up if some combination of the following happens over the next 6 months:

- If he sticks with Rehab for a month or 2 and completes the program
- If he comes back a rededicated participant and team leader in the Browns' offseason program this spring/summer
- If the Browns ignore QB in the draft and FA because they know they have their QB for the present and future already
- If he stops sending out pics and tweets from parties all around the world
- If in training camp his teammates/coaches/management start unanimously praising his new-found professionalism and dedication, as they unanimously slammed him at the end of this past season

... if all that happens, then maybe I'll give him credit for turning his life around

Until then, I'm chalking this up to a media-savvy punk resorting to the 1 last desperate Gypsy trick up his sleeve to extend those NFL paychecks as long as he possibly can before he parties his way out of the league

Hope I'm wrong, but only time will tell

As Yoda said:
"There is no try ... there is only do, or do not"
Adults don't get credit for 'trying' ... that's for children

 

What?? Have you dealt with alcoholism or drug abuse? It's not something that you just "realize." For some people, it's something they NEVER overcome, even WITH treatment. The fact that he's doing this means he's come to conclusions about himself that NOBODY would find easy to deal with. Instead of encouraging, or at least acknowledging that this is a major step in the right direction, some of you can't even get over your own hateful attitudes of somebody you don't even know personally. That's sad and kind of deplorable.

 

He's not an addict, he likes to drink and party like most 20 year olds, big deal

 

Hateful attitude towards him? So not buying into it like it's some life changing thing is being hateful. Stop acting like this is some serious issue that someone has grown up with and is seriously affecting him. He established in college that he loved to party, and multiple people knew that it was going to be a problem in the NFL. It's why it was constantly brought up pre-draft. So now he can't handle himself in the NFL (which is what many people figured would happen) and now he decides to go to Rehab and everyone should be thankful and give him the benefit of the doubt.

This to me is with the Tiger Woods sex addiction and Bones Jones "treatment" from a couple of weeks ago.

He's just a kid that loves to party and doesn't take things seriously. The NFL isn't for him, and he will be fine without it. Now all you aggies take a deep breath it's gonna be ok.

 

Yep

Until positive changes are shown in his behavior, just like his CLE HC said, words mean nothing coming from Johnny ... he's lost all benefit of the doubt

Again, 'trying' is for kids ... not professionals

 

I've heard stories from people who hung with Johnny that he's definitely addicted to cocaine.

 

Benefit of the doubt from who? You? Do you think your completely uninformed opinion is relevant to his addiction (or lack thereof)? People seem to have a bizarre need to pass judgment on people they know nothing about. Josh Gordon's open letter seems particularly relevant here.

Actually, trying is for lots of people. Virtually everyone who has an addiction has battles that involve a lot of failure, setbacks, etc. If they didn't, it wouldn't be an addiction. Trying to overcome them is generally a permanent part of life for them. That applies, to kids, professionals, and everyone in between.

 

Glad he's getting help... but considering I didn't think he would make it based simply on his athletic ability/"talent", excluding his extra-curricular stuff, this doesn't help me get more optimistic about his future success as a pro.

At least Cleveland got Buffalo's first round pick this year... even if Manziel bottoms out, they should still be able to fill other spots on the roster to put themselves in a better position once they eventually do get a QB that has his head on straight.

 

I'm just not into giving adults too much credit or praise for making a decision to no longer be a POS and just behave properly, like everyone else has been doing daily all along

It's like that old Chris Rock routine about bums (my words, not Rock's) always wanting credit for doing what is expected (I'm summarizing here, so not an exact quote):

"I take care of my kids."
- You're supposed to, you dumb *! What kind of ignorant sh!t is that?

"I ain't never been to jail!"
- What do you want, a cookie?! You're not supposed to go to jail, you low-expectation-having ...

Same thing here ...
We're supposed to praise JM because he no longer wants to be a drug addict?
Congrats dude ... welcome to responsible adulthood
The same thing billions of other people accomplish every day without any praise or commendation of any kind from anyone

What an amazing, uplifting achievement from a 22 year old multi-millionaire who received a free college education

 

that's kind of messed up.

 

you obviously dont have much experience with addicts... it is much more than just deciding you don't want to not be one, addiction is caused by a chemical imbalance in your body and it isnt a choice

 

Nope

Front row seat to my dad spending the entire summer of '88 at Charter Hospital doing 3 month rehab program for alcohol

Nearly tore my entire family apart as he was a violent, very nasty and abusive drunk
Went to all the family meeting stuff with him, and saw the entire process from start to finish

Luckily, it worked, and he has been sober over 25 years now
Unfortunately, didn't get help soon enough as he is currently wasting away due to liver failure as a result of cirrhosis and other drinking-related problems

In the end, it gave me nothing but disdain and contempt for anyone who ever gets to that point
My family and I never viewed my dad as a 'hero' for getting help, and never treated him as such, even though we were glad he finally did get better

And he never wanted any kind of praise from anyone for no longer being a drunk
If anything, it was probably his greatest shame in life, not a badge of honor and courage, and something he abhors bringing up even now

My uncle, on the other hand, is still a completely worthless POS junkie who has been in and out of rehab/programs/jail his entire adult life and will probably die alone and high on something

Either way, I've seen the rehab routine as both a success (my dad) and a failure (uncle)
In the end, my opinion (and that of the majority of my family) is that it is an unacceptable weakness to ever let any dependency become so bad that you need professional help just to become 'normal' again

If it does, the absolute bare minimum acceptable decision is to get and stay clean
There is nothing heroic about deciding to no longer live your life as human garbage ... that's just what is expected of everyone, regardless of circumstance

And my father, a recovering alcoholic, would tell you the exact same thing in much stronger wording if he were involved in this conversation

 

well im glad to hear your dad got better but maybe you should consider your dad a hero for choosing to change his life... you look at addiction as a weakness like many people do but you just don't seem to realize there is much more to it than that.

there are two people in this world, those who can have a drink responsibly and those who cant stop. Most people think it is a choice for the second guy, the guy that doesn't know when or how to stop but it is not a choice it is part of his being that he is an addict. he will always be an addict and there is nothing you can do to stop that.

your father is still an addict and if you don't think he fights everyday to stay sober than you are taking what he has done and is doing for granted.

I grew up with the same thinking you did, my mom was addicted to crack and i always had a disdain in my heart for her because i thought "well she can just stop anytime", and "she chooses to go out and smoke every night" but when she went to rehab i tried to learn as much about it so I could kind of be her rock and I learned that for an addict it isnt a choice it is just who they are.

now this whole JFF thing who knows if his heart is really in it or not but when someone is 22 and they are already showing the signs of addiction it is a serious issue, it isn't just him deciding "I want to be a POS."

 

Sorry to hear about your mom and hope she is better now

No doubt the first step is hardest, and the struggle and addiction never dies, and I do respect my dad for at least having the guts and conviction to not end up like my uncle

I was already in high school by the time my dad recovered, so I have a feeling my parents sheltered my brother and I from the worst parts of what they went through, but I saw enough that it made a very lasting, permanent imprint on me with regards to addicts

I know he didn't decide to have an uncontrollable love of alcohol
I know it is a chemical imbalance, and to compound his problems, my dad is also a diagnosed manic depressive, so I'm sure you can imagine the horrible cocktail of chemicals interacting in his head when he drank

Luckily his first attempt at rehab stuck, and he has not relapsed once in 25 years (to my knowledge)

But I also remember the day my entire family had to collectively, physically remove my uncle from my grandmother's house on Thanksgiving because, despite his recent 112th failed attempt at rehab, my brother caught him stealing jewelry and pills from his own mother's bedroom

He had once again lied to all of us and managed to use his latest rehab stint as collateral for an invite to Thanksgiving dinner ... with the sole purpose of stealing whatever he could from the house to go get high asap

In light of that, and many many other instances with my uncle, I will forever be skeptical of praising someone for just going to rehab or asking for help

In my personal experience, the first step (asking for help) of that process is often the easiest for a true addict, and a useful means to buy themselves some time and/or good will that they can later exploit to feed their habit

That's why I'm not prone to praising some like JM just for going into treatment
Maybe 50 years ago the stigma associated with addiction made this difficult, but these days, there seems to be a never-ending stream of people and programs ready and willing to provide help to anyone who asks
IMO, that's the easy part

Like you mentioned, the hard part is getting totally clean and staying that way for years and decades to follow
That takes courage and is commendable
Johnny is nowhere near that stage in his treatment, and as such, I am skeptical as to his motivations and conviction to see it through

When all those things I listed in my first post today happen, and 6 months from now in Training Camp we're all reading how the Browns are convinced JM is their guy with the way he's been leading the team, showing up on time for meetings, answering his phone ...
THEN I'll be impressed and give him the credit he has earned

Today all I can think about is my uncle, and the big pile of nothing that came as a result of the countless times he 'asked for help'
Maybe that makes me a cold and heartless person, but if so, the addiction I have seen up-close in my own family is what has made me that way
From afar, everything about Johnny looks a lot more like my uncle than my dad, but I hope I'm wrong

 

It also explains why Vegas will never get major league sports, and why most major cities will never, ever allow casino gambling in their limits.

 

You can criticize him, but I can't offer a rebuttal? How fair.

I'm sorry - partying in college and partying in the NFL after signing a gigantic contract are the same thing? It can be inferred that Manziel's actions would somewhat carry over to the NFL, but I don't think it's fair to say that it would escalated to become this bad, as people invest way more into you as a person and a player, at this stage. But it has.

All I'm saying is, I'm gonna give this guy one more chance. If he enters treatment and slips up again, it's over.

Professional or not, the dude is 22 - the age of a senior in college. Not everyone is in the same mindset of a JJ Watt or a Kobe Bryant.

Why is it a weakness to you for someone to get help? Not taking medication for something serious, and just letting the disease run its course, for example - is that a weakness to you, too?

Your opinion is too prideful. You say that you can't praise someone for only undergoing treatment - that they have to stay clean for years to be truly clean. Well, if you disagree with the first step, how are you going to accept the last step?

Lastly, I'm not sure if you're referring to Manziel as "human garbage," but if he's trying to take steps to not become human garbage, that's great.