Saddest Cleveland Sports Moments Of 2014
Dec 14, 2014; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel (2) runs away from Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Carlos Dunlap (96) at FirstEnergy Stadium. The Bengals won 30-0. Mandatory Credit: Joe Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports
Another year of Cleveland sports moments has come and gone, with one truth remaining unchanged: The city still hasn’t won a major sports championship since 1964. With that in mind, and since this is the Factory of Sadness, it’s time to wallow in the misery that was another championship-less year in Cleveland sports, with the saddest moments of 2014.
1. Johnny Manziel Stinks
Johnny Manziel might be the most hyped player in all of sport, let alone football, despite the fact he fell all the way down to No. 22 on draft day.
That’s right. If he was so good, 21 other teams, including the Browns, passed on him.
It wasn’t until quarterback’s coach Dowell Loggains engaged in a text messaging love affair later on draft night that the Browns decided it was time to “Wreck This League,” and bank their future hopes on the 21-year-old from Texas A & M.
And his pro career couldn’t have gotten off to a worse start.
With the playoffs still on the line, coach Mike Pettine turned to Manziel to ignite a spark. Johnny Football ended up falling flat on his face, in the Week 15 home game against the Bengals. A contest that Fox broadcasted national to about half of the country.
Expectations were high, considering the Browns beat the tar out of the Bengals in Cincinnati just a month earlier.
But with the Browns being the Browns, the team just didn’t play poorly, they imploded with Manziel taking the snaps. The offense managed just 38 plays, which seems like you’d really have to go out of your way to accomplish such an embarrassing fete.
Manziel barely led the offense over the century mark in total yardage, as he only accounted for 80 passing yards and two interceptions.
The jury’s still out on his NFL career, but the early going has been forgettable.