The Manziel Cottage Industry

One of the worst aspects of sports media is the cottage industry that arises on subjects that no one in the general public really cares about.  Specifically speaking, a cottage industry is a homegrown business in which families use their own equipment and labor to do business.  The third definition in the dictionary lists a cottage industry as “a limited but enthusiastically pursued activity or subject.”  That is way more appropriate for the stories we had to listen to at the beginning of this week.

I am, of course, referring to the hoopla and unnecessary yammering that surrounded the in-game antics of Johnny Manziel.  During the second half against Rice, Manziel repeatedly made gesticulations at opposing players, at one point faking like he signed an autograph.  Towards the end of the game, Manziel received a taunting penalty after a post-touchdown exchange, prompting coach Kevin Sumlin to get in his player’s face on the sideline.  On the subsequent Texas A&M series, Manziel was not put into the game.  The TV images seem to imply Manziel ignored his coach, but Sumlin maintained after the game that he had not been ignored, but that the penalty did motivate him to sit Manziel late in the game.

Before too long, the sports media kicked into gear.  Labels started flying, with plenty of pundits spending lots of time discussing what Manziel’s attitude on the field meant for his future.  Many saw a lack of remorse in Manziel’s behavior as he chirped right back at opponents who undoubtedly made comments to his face.  Barry Switzer, the most ineffective Super Bowl champion coach of the past 20 years, ripped Manziel as being arrogant, and he isn’t alone.

My problem with the media coverage of this episode is that none of this should surprise anyone.  We knew weeks and weeks ago that Manziel has a brash streak in him and, based on his public behavior, displays plenty of arrogance in his private life.  His tweets about College Station are an excellent example of a kid who hit it big and has a superiority complex.  To presume that would go away once he stepped onto the field makes no sense.  I maintain that we would all cringe if a player took the field not thinking he was the best at his position.  Any fan would hate that, so I’m not buying this newfound disgust when sports by definition requires some on-field arrogance.  As for the taunting and such, not nearly enough people are discussing how much flak Manziel will receive while on the field.  He’s nineteen years old, so yeah, he will react in kind.  Don’t get me wrong, it’s bad sportsmanship.  But, trash talking represents an inevitable part of football and it strikes me as unfair for the media to crucify Manziel simply because he complemented his trash talk with a few gestures. 

Folks can certainly criticize his attitude and there’s plenty of reason for that based on this past summer.  But, let’s be real…on the field is very different from off the field.  That Johnny Football made signing motions or pointed towards a scoreboard does not make him a terrible person.  In the heat of the moment, we all make those mistakes.  I saw no evidence that Manziel intentionally disrespected his coach or his school during Saturday’s game…it’s the previous six months that created that impression of him.  Admittedly, he’s hot-headed, but let’s focus on his bad tweets, crazy pictures, and mistakes off-the-field.  Those say more about him as a person.  That’s not to say those behaviors aren’t related to his on-field stuff, but what he does with his own time says more about him than a taunting penalty.  Piling onto a guy for a penalty that cost his team absolutely nothing is a classic case of misguided emphasis.

Bit #1: NFL Playoff Predictions

Based on my preview, here’s what I got for the playoffs, separated by round:

Seahawks over Cowboys

Falcons over Giants

Patriots over Bengals

Ravens over Steelers

 

Patriots over Texans

Broncos over Ravens

Packers over Falcons

49ers over Seahawks

 

Broncos over Patriots

49ers over Packers

 

Broncos over 49ers

 

I know these whole predictions look fairly run of the mill and you’ve probably seen the same matchups somewhere else, but given the ease of Denver’s schedule and their talent, I think they’ve got this in the bag.  If their pass secondary collapses like it did in the 2012 postseason, then there certainly is a chance they don’t make it to the big game.  But, at this stage, I have to stick with them.

 

On a related note, tons of people have picked the Bengals to go far in the playoffs.  I get that sorta, but when was the last time a defense won a championship?  At this point, barring a Dalton revival, Cincy can only bring some excellent defenders to the table, but their offense needs to heat up at the right time for a chance.  That hasn’t happened in a while for this team, and won’t happen this year.

 

Bit #2: Aaron Rodgers Criticisms

 

Greg Jennings and Donald Driver, both former Green Bay wide receivers, came out in recent weeks to criticize quarterback Aaron Rodgers for his leadership style.  Jennings and Driver both accuse Rodgers of perhaps holding his receivers too accountable for mistakes and being unwilling to let them off the hook.

 

I’m no sports psychologist, but this stinks like sour grapes to me.  Both guys saw their roles diminish as their careers progressed and, what’s more, perhaps feel one more Super Bowl could have come to Green Bay.  Well, I think taking these criticisms at full face value is a mistake.  Jennings is now with the Vikings and there certainly is a question as to whether he’s trying to create bulletin-board material to ready his new team.  That said, neither of them had much to lose by speaking their mind, so there might be something to it.  We won’t know in the end, but generally speaking airing your past issues to the media strikes me as dishonorable.