Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel isn’t the only one tired of the questions about Johnny Manziel.
His teammates are already sick of them too.
“Yes, because it’s a distraction,’' rookie running back Terrance West said, via Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. “We’re here to play football and it’s all about all of his off-the-field stuff, so it’s a distraction.’'
West admitted he’d love for the attention to stop, but didn’t begrudge Manziel enjoying himself.
“He’s enjoying life,’' West said. “He’s not doing anything negative. He’s not getting arrested or getting DUIs or anything like that. I don’t think it’s a big deal. Everyone’s supposed to enjoy life and have fun.’'
To his credit, Manziel gets it (not that he’s going to change his behavior to modify it).
“My teammates are getting tired of being asked about me because a low man on the totem pole,’' Manziel said. “I’m just like any other rookie out here that they haven’t been asked about a thousand times. More than anything, I think they’re tired of that. They’re tired of the hype, which I am as well. So I’m sitting there seeing these things and I’m tired of it as well.
“I want to wake up one week and not have my name going though something and I’m working on getting better at that, but if I want to go home and spend time with my friends or go out on my weekends, I absolutely have the right to do that. We’re going to get a little bit of a break here and I’m going to still continue to work out and do the things I need to do and hopefully not let that come between me and my teammates.”
At this point, they all have his back. And if he wins the starting job and leads the Browns to win, it will be charming and colorful.
But if the attention doesn’t come with results, players will grow more and more weary of the “distraction.”