From the moment Johnny Manziel was selected by the Cleveland Browns, he has been an attraction for Browns fans longing for a change. The team used to be a force to be reckoned with….in the the 1950s-1960s. However, it has been a half of a century since fans have been able to celebrate a title.
Upon his arrival to Cleveland, Manziel was the reasoning behind a hike in ticket sales, team merchandise and sponsorships. Even though the team ended last season with a 4-12 record, the Browns brought in the highest ratings for its preseason games in the history of the franchise.
With Johnny on their side, fans can at least envision a future for the team. Although Hoyer was named the week 1 starting quarterback, Johnny Football is still the chosen one for Browns spectators.
Although we’ve seen some poor decision making on Johnny’s behalf, causing people to question if he’s mature enough to play with the big boys, Browns fan have faith that he will succeed. Fans would be delusional to think everything will change overnight and Johnny agrees.
In a New York Times article, Johnny states that there’s no pressure for him to resurrect the Browns.
I don’t look at it as I was drafted to come in Day 1 and save the franchise,” he said during camp. “For me, there’s no pressure; there’s no timetable. It’s to continue to develop as a football player, get smarter, get better, and whenever that time is, I’ll go out there and play football like I’ve been doing for the past years of my life.
Quarterbacks always entice the limelight, but with Manziel it is on a different level. He has yet to play in a regular season NFL game but has inspired the whole town. King James even took his sons to watch practice this month and James’ marketing company now represents him as well.
Alec Scheiner, the team’s president speaks on season ticket sales and how the franchise now has a reason to be excited.
Manziel “definitely boosts our relevance and visibility,” Scheiner said, adding: “What’s nice for us, is immediately after the draft, people wanted to talk about it. But now people are excited about what we’re building, not any one player.”
Cleveland sports fans should lead with caution but between King James and Johnny Football, hopefully the city can have a turnaround of events and breathe some life into diehard fans.
