Make the Manziel “Mistake”: How Analysts Are Missing the Next Superstar

Immature. Cocky. Selfish. Lackluster mechanics. That’s how some NFL analysts are talking about Texas A&M quarterback and likely first-round pick Johnny Manziel. “Johnny Football” is a pretty decisive topic among all analysts. The only consensus that seems to exist is the idea that Manziel does not have the potential to be an elite quarterback. To that end, I disagree completely.

Because I’m not necessarily qualified to assess football players as prospects, my analysis won’t be in-depth. But it doesn’t need to be. You don’t have to be a genius to figure out that Johnny Football WILL be among football’s elite quarterbacks at some point in his career.

The one disclaimer I will put on this prediction is the health factor. At Manziel’s stature, his propensity to run physically does not bode well for avoiding big body blows. Injuries are definitely a concern, but then again, injuries are a concern for anyone entering the NFL.

Clearly, when it comes to who is playing in the NFL, the league does not have a great reputation for having outstanding citizens. That’s not to say that the majority of the league isn’t well-behaved, but rather that most NFL teams these days are looking for guys who will not be cancerous in the locker room and will stay out of trouble with the law. So why does the NFL seem to have a problem with Manziel? Yes, he has had run-ins with the law, but that was for possession of a fake ID. Come on, man. First, Johnny, it was stupid of you to even have a fake ID in the first place, because everyone knows who you are, bro. I promise you. Second, as poor as his judgment was, possession of a fake ID does not suggest behavioral issues, it suggests a normalcy that not many draft prospects have.

Those who claim to be “draft experts” supposedly value potential and look for those who have traits that would lead to reaching potential, but the experts spend too much time criticizing Jadeveon Clowney’s supposed lack of motor. Instead, they should realize that Johnny Manziel is a winner and guys who have Manziel’s track record should never have their work ethic questioned.

For the same reasons Johnny Football is polarizing, he will be a star in the NFL and these analysts are missing it. He has a huge chip on his shoulder to want to perform at a high level, and isn’t that what teams look for in their players? Having potential is a dime-a-dozen these days, but having the drive to achieve that potential is rare. That’s why I don’t understand the whole “he won’t be able to do the same things in the NFL” argument. Johnny Manziel will do what he wants, when he wants.

What to Make of Donald Sterling’s Purported Racist Remarks

When TMZ first broke a story that reported Clippers owner Donald Sterling made racist remarks to his girlfriend, V. Stiviano, on an audio recording, two things immediately came to mind: first, TMZ is not the most credible source of news surrounding sports-related news. Then I thought how unsurprising it was that Donald Sterling made racist comments.

I remember reading articles as far back as 2009 that suggested that Sterling was not a good man. Former Clippers point guard Baron Davis claimed that Sterling frequently taunted him and other players from his courtside seat, and that the taunts were racially motivated. Generally speaking, there has never been any news to support Donald Sterling’s case as a good guy. Remember, for thirty years during his tenure as owner, the Clips were the laughingstock of the NBA. The NBA granted him a favor when they blocked the trade that would send Chris Paul to the Lakers and instead allowed him to fall into Sterling’s lap. Sterling was and is regarded as one of the worst owners in professional sports, seeming more interested in his pocketbook than his team’s success, or lack thereof.

As I have researched this issue further, though, there are several layers to this. Forget the remarks themselves. They are offensive and unworthy of repeating. The context in which the recording occurred is somewhat important. The recording is a phone call between Sterling and his girlfriend, V. Stiviano, who is of Black and Mexican descent. Stiviano posted a picture of herself with Magic Johnson earlier in the day. Sterling apparently took issue with that, and then it seems like Stiviano almost baited Sterling into making the comments.

It makes sense for Stiviano to want this to be released to the public. She is in the midst of being sued by Sterling for allegedly embezzling him out of $1.8 million. She is on record saying that she would “make [Sterling] pay” for suing her. This in no way excuses the fact that Sterling is a raving racist, but it does change the view slightly. If the goal was to hurt him, she succeeded.

In terms of how the NBA should deal with this, there is no true precedent. The Clippers’ protest was perfect in degree because, unfortunately, they still have a playoff series to play. This will be a good test for new commissioner Adam Silver. If it were me, the immediate suspension is a no-brainier. He simply cannot be at these games. He does not deserve ownership of an NBA team. The problem is this: he needs to sell the team, but that’s nearly impossible to force. Maybe a repossession of the team by the NBA is possible. If you have any ideas how to handle it, let me know. But so far I’m unsure of an effective way to punish an owner of a team.

Blue Mountain State: The Movie? Yes, if you help make it happen.

I have one question for all of you: who is the most polarizing college football player in the nation? Nope, not Johnny Football, even though he is pretty dope. It’s Blue Mountain state stud Thad Castle. Despite rumors of testing positive for rabies, Castle will still probably go #1 overall in the 2014 NFL Draft.

In all seriousness, though, you might have heard that a Blue Mountain State movie is in the making. There is truth to that rumor. As the video below explains, BMS got cancelled by the network, but the creators (Romanski, who plays Sammy, and Eric Falconer) wanted to finish the series off with a movie. The studio wasn’t having it, but they did give the rights to the show to Falconer. Obviously, the creators themselves don’t have enough money to fund a real movie. They looked to private investors, but apparently they didn’t share the same vision and wouldn’t have made it the funny movie we’d expect.  So, they’re doing what seems to be the trend these days: they’ve created a Kickstarter page. As of now, they’ve raised $230,000 of the stated goal of $1.5 million. As with every Kickstarter project, you get certain benefits if you’ve pledged enough money. For example, if you pledge $40 or more, you get a copy of the movie within days of its release, Sammy’s doorknob sign (the one that says jerking off/not jerking off), a PDF of the full script, as well as a tweet and follow from the official BMS movie twitter.

The page says the movie is slated to begin shooting this summer on a college campus in Montreal. That would put the probable release date sometime in spring 2015.

Iman Shumpert’s Nasty Crossover KOs Paul Pierce, Also Huge Slam

Just like his team the Knicks, Iman Shumpert has had a tough year. Shumpert seemed poised to build on his performance in last year’s playoffs, when his offensive game was on track and his active defense was at its best. Shump still is a defensive ace, but the offense just hasn’t been there. He’s passive, and for all his athleticism, that’s simply not good enough.

The Knicks’ season is already over, but they played their crosstown rivals, the Nets, tonight on TNT, and defeated them easily, 109-98. Shumpert had a pretty good night, scoring 11 points, but four of his points were highlight reel plays that probably will be on the #SCTop10 tomorrow. In the first GIF, Shump takes Paul Pierce off the dribble, and shatters his ankles. If you look up the video, watch Raymond Felton’s reaction. It’s priceless.

In the video below it, Knicks guard Shannon Brown turned the Nets over in the backcourt, and hit ahead to Toure Murry right in front of the rim. Murry tossed it off the glass, and when I was watching it, I thought that it was a pretty embarrassing lob. I should know better than that, because as you’ll see, Shumpert flushes it down pretty authoritatively.

This pass is about as sick as it gets

When you think slick passers in the NBA, you think Chris Paul, Rajon Rondo, and Ricky Rubio. I’m pretty sure Zach Randolph wouldn’t come up in the conversation. He is, though, a pretty good passer for a big man, and he showcased those skills with an insane behind-the-back bounce pass tonight against the Lakers. Check the GIF below.

Shouts to James Dator of SBNation.com for the find by the way.

Car News: Jaguar XE Sports Sedan

Okay, I’ll admit it. I love the cars Jaguar has been putting out the past couple years. I think they are incredibly good-looking, and seem to drive nicely. Thankfully, it seems that they are continuing the trend. Jaguar announced in Geneva last month that they were putting a supercharged 3.0 liter V-6 engine in its new XE compact sports sedan. It should be a pretty nice addition to its already sweet aluminum architecture. I would check out Jaguar’s website, as it has more details on what the car will be like. I should note that Car and Driver seemingly has high expectations for the car, as do I. Pictures below.

BroModern

Hey everybody. BroModern here.

You probably don’t know this, but this blog has been in the works for almost a year. It’s finally here.

It will include everything you want to see and read. Music, girls, news, sports…you name it, we got it. This is all about pop culture. This is about what’s cool RIGHT NOW.

Give it time. Soon, there will be articles all over the place and it will be the best time-waster ever. And if you like it, invite your friends. And they should invite their friends. Because like the great Kenny Powers said, THIS SHIT IS GOING THROUGH THE ROOF.