Johnny Football the white Prime Time?
Heisman trophy quarterback Johnny Manziel is one of the most polarizing prospects in this year’s NFL draft, leaving some to wonder why so many question marks surround him with his performance at Texas A&M.
In an interview with the Tom Joyner Morning Show, NFL Hall of Famer Deion Sanders blames the negative attention Manziel gets on his ¨ghetto tendencies.¨
SYBIL WILKES: So before you go, Deion, what do you think about all of this talk about Roland’s boy, Johnny Football, Johnny Manzel in all of the conversation about him?
DEION SANDERS: Oh, please. I love Johnny Football. See, the reason people won’t accept Johnny Football is because Johnny Football has ghetto tendencies. I love Johnny Football.
TOM JOYNER: He’s got ghetto tendencies?
ROLAND MARTIN: He’s got ghetto tendencies? What are ghetto tendencies, Prime Time?
DEION SANDERS: Because he was successful, he made it, and he let you all know he made it, and he was cocky, he was flamboyant, and he let you know.
ROLAND MARTIN: So he was a white Prime Time coming out of college.
DEION SANDERS: Thank you. And I love him. (Laughter) I love him. They had the music playing when he came in. Put his whole equipment up, who go out there all do your pro day with all your equipment on? (Laughter) That’s some hula stuff, I love Johnny Football.
As he usually does with his candor, I think Sanders hit the nail on the head. There are some who don’t like his brashness, his cockiness and the fact that Manziel goes to clubs and hangs out with rappers. I don’t like the phrase ¨ghetto tendencies¨ because it implies there’s something negative about the lifestyle he chooses. However, Manziel is no different than a Rob Gronkowski, he just hangs with a different sect – which like the Eagles cutting DeSean Jackson yet signing Riley Cooper to an extension, reveals the sad hypocrisy in professional sports and in this country.