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Posté le: 6/11/2019 03:10 | Sujet du message: BEREA, Ohio -- Johnny Football fell and | |
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BEREA, Ohio -- Johnny Football fell and landed in the Dawg Pound. Nike NFL Jerseys Outlet . Johnny Manziel, college footballs most entertaining player with the reputation for pulling off magical plays, was selected with the No. 22 overall pick in the NFL draft on Thursday night by the Cleveland Browns, who hope they have finally found their franchise quarterback. Manziel sat patiently in the wings at Radio City Music Hall, waiting nearly three hours for his name to be called as everyone from Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers to the leagues official Twitter account tweeted about him squirming in his chair backstage. Then the Browns, who made two earlier trades, made another one with Philadelphia and selected the polarizing and electrifying 6-footer. Manziel walked onto the stage to meet Commissioner Roger Goodell and rubbed his fingers together, a signature "money" gesture that endeared him to some fans and annoyed others. In Cleveland, some Browns backers celebrated Manziels selection like the team had just won the Super Bowl. Of course, the Browns have never even made it to the NFLs showcase event and havent won a title since 1964 -- a golden anniversary that will arrive in December. But Manziel brings hope to a city that has witnessed little but losing since the Browns returned as an expansion team in 1999. Manziel now must back up the hype around him. "The team obviously wants to win and wants to win now," Manziel said on a conference call. "Ive been a winner everywhere Ive been. Im ready to work extremely hard. " Manziels size scared away some teams, but he believes his playmaking skills translate to the pro game. "Im used to that by now," Manziel said. "Ive been scrutinized and nitpicked. Ive proven it from my first year to my next and I always get better." Manziel is expected to compete with starter Brian Hoyer, who showed promise last season before suffering a knee injury. Manziel brings an instantaneous buzz and national relevance to the Browns, who have made the playoffs just once since 1999 and have lost at least 11 games in each of the past six seasons. Cleveland is on its third coach in three years, but Mike Pettine is inheriting a team with potential and five Pro Bowlers on its roster. And now, hes got Manziel -- and the circus that will come along with him. The Browns have to hope the No. 22 pick doesnt haunt them again. Thats the pick they also used on quarterback Brady Quinn, whose first-round slide in 2007 was similar to Manziels drop, and they also drafted Brandon Weeden two years ago. He was released in March. Theres no doubt Manziel will help sell tickets and his jersey will be coveted by every young Cleveland fan. But what remains to be seen is if he can win. Earlier, as Manziel waited, the Browns made two trades and selected Oklahoma State cornerback Justin Gilbert with the No. 8 pick. With the first deal of the draft, the Browns moved down five spots and acquired Buffalos No. 9 pick and first- and fourth-round picks next year. Cleveland then swapped picks with Minnesota, acquiring a fifth-rounder before taking Gilbert, who they plan to play on the opposite side of Pro Bowler Joe Haden. "Hes long. Hes fast. Hes explosive. Hes a playmaker," general manager Ray Farmer said of Gilbert. "Hes got great arm length. Hes got the speed. Hes got the ball skills. I know some people have questioned his tackling. We cover like Browns, tackling was good, but it doesnt necessarily need to be great." Gilbert scoffed at critics who say hes a weak tackler. "Ive heard it before," he said. "Its something that doesnt bother me at all because I know I can tackle." Gilbert wasnt sure the Browns were that interested in him until he was getting ready to head to New York. "Its a dream come true," Gilbert said in a conference call. "I became friends with him (Haden) not too long ago and hes a great guy and Im looking forward to playing with him." The 6-foot, 202-pound Gilbert had seven interceptions last season, returning two for touchdowns. "I pretty much can do it all," Gilbert said. "Im an all-around cornerback." Cleveland entered the most important draft in its expansion era with 10 picks, ample ammunition for Farmer, promoted when president Joe Banner and GM Michael Lombardi were fired in February, to add talent and depth to a team that went 4-12 last season and fired coach Rob Chudzinski. During the winter, the Browns, who entered the draft with five of the first 83 picks, did an exhaustive study on quarterbacks with Louisvilles Teddy Bridgewater reportedly emerging as the top candidate. In the end, Manziel was their man. Wholesale NFL Jerseys China .ca presents its latest weekly power rankings for the 2013-14 Barclays Premier League season. Fake Nike NFL Jerseys . A larger-than-life personality known for his intimidating style in the 18-yard box, Schmeichels career spanned some 20 years -- including a memorable tenure at Manchester United. https://www.chinajerseysnfl.us/ .com) - Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson lost an appeal to have his indefinite suspension overturned, the NFL announced Friday.The 2014 FIFA World Cup is nearly behind us, a tournament thats been repeatedly called the best of all time. And Canadians have bought in, consuming the games on radio and television, mounting flags to their cars and following the news from Brazil with great anticipation throughout. Theres only been one thing missing for fans in this country – Canada. No matter how big a soccer fan you are, theres just no doubt the tournament would take on a different kind of appeal if Canada had a stake in the game. The diversity of teams being followed across the country over the past month is a reflection of the mosaic that is Canada, which is fine. But wouldnt it be a heck of a lot more fun if we all had a common rallying point, from one coast to another? Our struggles in mens soccer are well documented, with just one World Cup appearance in 1986, despite the fact that participation levels for soccer players in Canada surpassed hockey during the late stages of the last century. The national mens team is currently tied with Bahrain for 110th in the world. Fortunately, the state of things in the womens game couldnt be more different. Which is why there will be a much different dynamic surrounding the 2015 FIFA Womens World Cup which will take place next summer in Canada. For while this will be a tournament about hosting the world in a global game at venues in Vancouver, Ottawa, Montreal, Moncton, Winnipeg and Edmonton next June and July, it will also be about showcasing and getting behind Canadians in the sport of soccer. Team sports tend to get overshadowed at the Olympics. But there is no doubt the most compelling story of the 2012 Summer Games in London was Canada winning bronze in womens soccer. The Canadian women losing in dramatic -- and controversial -- fashion against the United States, and subsequently defeating France to win a medal were two of the most memorable international sporting moments in recent Canadian history. Throw in the fact Canada possesses a world-class star player in Christine Sinclair and you have the kind of dynamics behind which an entire country can rally. Canada currently ranks seventh in womenss soccer worldwide, ahead of such traditional soccer nations as England, Italy and the Netherlands, countries our men couldnt touch on their best days. Cheap Nike NFL Jerseys Free Shipping. So the optimism about what Canada might accomplish is based on more than just the 2012 Olympic result and the fact that the tournament will be played here. At the top of the heap in womens soccer is the United States which, besides being the tournament favourite, also represents Canadas greatest rival. What will it be like when Canada and the U.S. play next summer? What kind of television audience will it draw? Well consider the factors that could make this one of the marquee events on the Canadian sporting calendar next season. First, the proximity of the U.S.to Canada means the U.S. will have a strong contingent of supporters along with them. Then there is the recent history, the bitterness of the Canadians and the raw feelings over the manner in which they were defeated by the U.S in London. Throw in the fact that the Canadian team is comprised almost exclusively of players who got their training in the U.S. and you can understand why the familiarity of this rivalry makes it so intense. But the real payoff to having the Womens World Cup is what it may mean to the sport of womens soccer in Canada in general. Weve seen the effect that the womens national hockey team has had on the growth of the sport among young girls and women. By its very nature, soccer is a more accessible sport than hockey, which means the potential to seed future generations of womens soccer players is immense. Its one thing to present the worlds game to Canadians and tell them to pick a country to get behind. Its something completely different, and far, far more compelling to tell them they can get behind their own. Soccer isnt a new game in Canada, and from widespread participation to the emergence of Major League Soccer in Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal to the technology that allows fans to follow it around the globe, its become a significant part of the sporting fabric of Canada. But safe to say we have never experienced the sport like we will next summer. ' ' ' |
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