Media taunts Browns over Hoyer farce
Orlando Sentinel columnist George Diaz believes Johnny Manziel will start at quarterback in Week 1 for the Cleveland Browns.
Manziel, drafted 22nd overall by the Browns in May from Texas A&M, is currently the backup to Brian Hoyer, first-year Coach Mike Pettine said.
"There is no use in trying to tame the wild beast we commonly refer to as Johnny Football," Diaz wrote.
"Set Johnny Manziel free, unshackled and not bound by watered-down expectations and the preposterous notion that he is just another Jason Campbell or Brandon Weeden.
"For those of you into trivial pursuits, they are the two guys who started 13 of the 16 games at quarterback for the Cleveland Browns last season. They are also the same two guys the Browns released in March.
"We'll play along with the fact that Brian Hoyer will enter summer training camp as the Browns' starter, but the grip is tenuous. Pettine even said Hoyer's lead was not "insurmountable."
"Translation: Hoyer will be the one wearing the backward baseball cap cheering from the sideline in September.
"The Browns are Manziel's team now. They can't officially anoint him the starter just yet, but the team didn't invest a first-round pick in May on the 2012 Heisman Trophy winner from Texas A&M just to amp up its Google juice.
"Manziel brings that noise on his resume too, making him the "funnest" man to watch in the 2014 NFL season.
"Will he be The Bomb? Or will he simply blow up in a very bad away?
"Neither you nor I nor any of the 298,986 talking heads who have weighed in on Manziel really have the answer, but the speculation game is entertaining to play."
Overload
Syndicated columnist Norman Chad on ESPN's World Cup coverage:
"ESPN has the World Cup cornered -- heck, ESPN has the whole world cornered," wrote Chad. "Every second of every game will be on ABC, ESPN or ESPN2, plus WatchESPN or ESPN3 online, and you can even tune in to all 64 matches on your smartphone or ESPN FC app.
"In my home, I also can access ESPN game coverage through my microwave oven and master-bath showerhead."
He said it
From columnist Brad Dickson of the Omaha World-Herald:
"Oregon State hired new basketball coach Wayne Tinkle, who's battle-tested after having developed a thicker skin than most coaches ever have by the second grade."
"A replica of Memorial Stadium in Lincoln made from Legos is for sale for $400. It's so authentic, the worst seats are the student section."
"The Kansas City Royals ball boy fielded a fair ball and threw it to a fan. The next day, he became the first ball boy ever optioned to Omaha."
They said it
Dwight Perry of the Seattle Times: "The Jacksonville Jaguars have installed two pools and cabana-style seating in one section of EverBank Field. Hey, if teams can tank it, why shouldn't fans?"
Talk show host Craig Ferguson on President Obama and German Chancellor Angela Merkel's wager on the teams' World Cup match later this month: "The loser keeps [David] Hasselhoff."
From the satirical news website TheOnion.com: "Bribery suspected after 2022 World Cup moved to Richard Branson's backyard."
SPORTS QUIZ
What Big Sky Conference school did men's basketball coach Wayne Tinkle coach at before being hired at Oregon State?
ANSWER
Montana
Sports on 06/16/2014