Maybe I Was Wrong To Call Johnny Football "Irrelevant". I Should Have Said "Washed Up Loser"

Slow week at Barstool Sports this week with not much to talk about. So like always, I rose to the occasion and gave the people what they want- some good ol’ fashioned controversy. It began because I did a blog about how Johnny Football has no room to chirp the Browns for going 0-16 because he isn’t even good enough to play for the 0-16 Browns. Pretty fair point by me, I don’t think most can argue that. I then had this Tweet about him, which is also true:

Well, Johnny, having lots of free time on his hands, searched his name on Twitter and came across my tweets and passive aggressively replied to both:

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Fair enough. I then wrote a blog making light of the situation, because I had nothing really against Johnny, I hadn’t even thought of him in years, and if he wants to turn his life around and work his way back into the league, that’d be great. I’m a big second chance guy. So I wrote a great blog about the entire situation

and that was that.

Or so I thought.

Enter Dave Portnoy.

Dave Portnoy had me on radio yesterday to discuss my Johnny Football blog. What could have been a fun discussion instead became him doing what he does- trying to humiliate his employees. I mean it’s not really a secret around these parts that when you’re called onto radio you just sit there, let Dave belittle you, and then move on. Instead of building stars he likes to bury everyone, it is what it is what it is, always has been, always will be.

Here is my main point:

During the discussion, I used the word “irrelevant” to describe Johnny Manziel. My thoughts on the word “irrelevant” is he doesn’t matter in the football world. He didn’t even get a sniff from the NFL this season, and the CFL literally didn’t let him in their league. So to me, when I said he is “irrelevant”, I wasn’t thinking about his celebrity status. Johnny Football is relevant in that he moves the needle when he appears on TMZ or posts a picture on Instagram with his hot girlfriend. That’s what makes him relevant, not football. Which probably isn’t ideal for someone who wants to be a football player.

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It is impossible to argue semantics with Dave, so I didn’t try. It would be impossible to win an argument with Dave as he talks about his man crush Johnny Football. Which is the other major factory going on here- Dave LOVES JFF. He literally, not figuratively, but literally chased Johnny around the United States trying to hang out with him for 3 years. Johnny would drunkenly text Dave and he would catch a cab to whatever bar Johnny was at, only to be left hanging. This is when Johnny was the talk of the town. It was only when nobody cared about Johnny anymore, when nobody wanted to hang out with him anymore, when all his enablers who used him for his money moved on, did Johnny decide to give Dave a call. Imagine being 24 years old, former first round draft pick, and going to the club with 40 year old Dave Portnoy and Sales Guy (no offense to Gaz, it’s just funny). That is the definition of a LOSER.

So was I wrong to say he is irrelevant? Yeah, maybe so. So please replace every time I said “irrelevant” with “washed up loser”. And before you say it’s ironic for me to be calling anyone that, the difference is I know what I am. I know I’m just a blogger. I’m not a former Heisman Trophy winner and first round pick, living off mommy and daddy’s money, who is searching his name on Twitter.

I do want to re-iterate this- while I was never really a Manziel guy because I don’t like people who squander opportunities like he did, who act like entitled pretentious douche bags, I do think people can change. So if he has finally kicked his vices and is actually working towards a comeback, I wish him good luck. But Dave Portnoy, that guy is the worst, and always will be.

PS: LOL, maybe these two are just meant for each other.