Initially, the world couldn’t wait to see what Johnny Manziel would bring to the field, but the glimmer of hope they had that he’d become a dynamic force to be reckoned with quickly dissipated. Sports fans became fed up with his arrogance and cockiness, especially since they believed his sub-par football talents didn’t warrant all of his showboating.
When Manziel injured his hamstring during a matchup against the Carolina Panthers, the crowd at the Panthers’ stadium actually cheered in response to seeing him get hurt. Cam Newton, the quarterback for the rival team, even went on the record to say it was “sad” to see the crowd’s response, according to ESPN. “I just think it was classless at that time. Anytime a person is hurt, you don’t celebrate,” Newton said. “I’ve had that done in my career. It takes the integrity out of the game.”
In April 2014, Manziel soon realized it wasn’t just NFL fans who were fed up with his antics. While attending the Final Four in Dallas, Manziel’s face was plastered on the jumbotron screen in the arena, and, according to Bleacher Report, fans booed both him and his companion, rapper Drake. In January 2015, TMZ reported that partygoers at a Houston nightclub heckled the quarterback and shouted at him aggressively. Manziel and his crew were even doused with drinks.
Sports fans were letting it be known: Manziel had definitely become one of the sport’s most despised athletes.