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  • Westboro Baptist Church Gets a Showdown from Aggies in Texas

    Texas A&M has been doing this for over 100 years. This is just the first time they’ve brought their mighty boom to bear against a hate group like Westboro Baptist.

    Back in 1913, when A&M — which stands for Agricultural and Mechanical — was still an all-male military school, they held their first Yell Practice. Think of it as a pep rally, if A&M students could be cast as regular folk. But A&M students are not regular folk. They are Aggies. And Aggies can yell down anybody.

    On the night before each home football game, an event called Midnight Yell takes place at the A&M football stadium. But it’s when the Aggies take that show on the road that things get fun. At midnight on the night before an away game, a Midnight Yell is held in or near the opponent’s city. Midnight Yells have been going on since 1932.

    The yells that the Aggies throw down are pre-set roars. They are chosen and rehearsed beforehand. There are Five Students elected each year to serve as Yell Leaders. These Leaders put together new yells and organize the all-important Yell Practices.

    One of these Yell Practices is what the Westboro Hate Group ran afoul of when they visited the A&M campus to spread their vitriol.

    “Their moral compasses have been broken by their parents, their teachers and their preachers,” said a Westboro spokesman of the Aggies. “From the time they were born, they were taught lies such as God loves everybody, and it’s okay to be gay, and it’s okay to divorce your wife and remarry another one.”

    So Westboro came to wave their signs and show these kids the error of their ways. But when the Aggies decided to hold an impromptu Yell Practice, the Haters got an earful. About 100 students showed up a short distance from the picketers and held their prectice. Dozens of others marched near the Westboro folks with signs of their own:

    Peace, Love and Gig em’ (a popular Aggie fight phrase)

    God Hates No One

    All You Need Is Love

    “I’m in love with my Aggies, that we brought love and peace, and are doing this in a nice way,” said A&M Senior Meg Hale. “Love is the answer.”

    Yell Practice Organizer Elyssa De Caprio said, “Their message is just one of pure hate, and it’s not something we want people to listen to.”

    This is what a typical Aggie Yell Practice is like:

  • Johnny Manziel Visits Youngsters; Struggles in OTAs

    On Wednesday, Cleveland Browns backup quarterback, former Heisman Trophy winner, and media juggernaut Johnny Manziel ventured into a different arena – an elementary school.

    Manziel and other first-year Browns players kicked-off the team’s new charity program, First and Ten, at Grindstone Elementary in Berea, Ohio yesterday. The aim of the program is to get every Browns employee, player, and fan to volunteer their services at an organization for at least 10 hours per year. By making such a small contribution on a wide-scale, the Browns are hoping to drastically impact the Cleveland community.

    “First and Ten will strengthen our community involvement in Northeast Ohio and around the country, uniting our team and tremendous fans through volunteerism. Browns fans are passionate, loyal and supportive, and those traits will further allow us to positively influence our respective communities with this unique initiative,”stated Browns owner Dee Haslam.

    While the aim of the First and Ten program visiting Grindstone Elementary was most likely to recruit volunteers to their mission, all of the attention was on Johnny Football.

    As Manziel walked into the school’s gymnasium, the students burst into a raucous frenzy, screaming out for Manziel and rubbing their fingers together in Manziel’s famous money gesture. While one may have expected Manziel to be put-off by the outpour of attention from so many people at once, he has gotten used to the attention: “I don’t think much catches me off guard anymore. It was warm and very welcome and I’m very grateful they gave me an ovation.”

    Unfortunately for Manziel, he received anything but an ovation following the Browns third series of Organized Team Activities (OTAs) on Tuesday.

    Running the first-team offense, Manziel managed to commit three turnovers – all by interception – during skill drills and full-squad scrimmage. While many may be disparaged concerning Manziel’s lack of improvement thus far, Browns coach Mike Pettine has yet to come to any conclusion.

    “It’s difficult when he’s got the red (non-contact jersey) on and the defensive guys know they can’t tackle him. It’s hard to get glimpses of that, but we did some designed rollouts with him, and he’s shown when he can get in the open field he can run through an angle and he can eat up some ground pretty quickly.”

    Manziel’s best play of the OTAs came on a roll-out to the right, with Manziel firing back across the field to hit tight-end Jordan Cameron who was covered by two defenders – one of which was the nose tackle.

    “The first thing I wondered was what the hell coverage we were we in. I think he just sensed the play coming because we’ve been burned on it a couple times in practice, so he just latched on to him and started running. It was actually pretty funny,” recalled Pettine.

    For some Browns fans, however, it doesn’t matter how well Manziel does in pre-season scrimmages as they have already cast their ballot for quarterback.

    Manziel has a little over three months to change such sentiments before the 2014-15 NFL season begins.

    Image via Twitter

  • 2014 NFL Mock Draft: Johnny Manziel Approaches No.1 Pick Again

    Another round of the 2014 NFL mock draft has been released, and this time quarterback Johnny Manziel is placed at the top. A number of players have been discussed as a possible No.1 pick, but Manziel may be emerging as the favorite as the draft comes closer.

    He was a Hesiman winner in 2012, and one of the runners up for the 2013 season, as he passed the torch to the young quarterback at Florida State, Jameis Winston.

    Johnny Manziel has been hailed for his skills in being able to throw and pass the ball efficiently, although some people think that he may not be NFL material. He could simply have the college style of play, which would not translate well to the NFL, a problem that has happened to various quarterbacks.

    However, due to the way that the Texas A&M quarterback performed at the pro day workout, he is being considered as a possible No.1 pick in the draft. Famous quarterbacks such as Brett Favre and Fran Tarkenton have both said that they can see aspects of themselves being emulated by the young player.

    It can sometimes be risky to take a quarterback as the No.1 pick, and some people have also heavily discussed the idea of Jadeveon Clowney being selected with the No.1 pick, although in the latest mock draft, he has slipped to the No.5 slot. Clowney is one of the top players at his position, and played as a defensive end at South Carolina.

    The connection to these picks being somewhat switched around could also relate to the fact that the Raiders and Texans recently made a deal that sent quarterback Matt Schaub to the Raiders, giving the Texans a more urgent need for a quarterback.

    The 2014 NFL mock draft has the Texans with the No.1 pick of course after their awful season in 2013, followed by the Rams, Jaguars, Browns, and Raiders. The Rams received their No.2 pick in a trade with the Redskins, who recently acquired free agent DeSean Jackson.

    The Rams are currently predicted to take Jake Matthews, an offensive tackle who has spent his college years blocking for Johnny Manziel at Texas A&M, while the next two picks are slated to go to quarterback Blake Bortles from Central Florida, and Greg Robinson, an offensive tackle from Auburn.

    A couple of other star-caliber players such as quarterback Teddy Bridgewater and wide receiver Mike Evans, who were both originally predicted in the top ten, are now set to go with the 8th and 12th picks, being drafted by the Vikings and Giants, respectively.

    The 2014 NFL mock draft will continually be updated leading up to the big draft day, which will begin with round 1 on May 8th. Will Johnny Manziel end up going to the Texans with the No.1 pick, or would someone else fit better with Houston’s roster?

    Image via Youtube

  • Johnny Manziel Lives Up To Hype In Pro Day Workout

    College football player Johnny Manziel recently had his official workout for the annual drafts of the NFL teams, and it drew attention from former president George H.W. Bush and his wife Barbara, and Texas governor Rick Perry.

    During the workout held Thursday, the Texas A&M University quarterback threw for 75 officials representing 30 teams.

    Manziel, known to students and fans as “Johnny Football,” entered the facility with his receivers and a Drake soundtrack that blared over the building. In true flashy Manziel form, the quarterback arrived in full gear, wearing a black jersey with his number 2 on the back, camouflage shorts, shoulder pads, and a helmet.

    Evaluating Johnny Manziel’s performance in Pro Day workout

    The shoulder pads and helmet caused quite a stir, but Manziel said that it was a no-brainer. According to him, players wear the shoulder pads in Sundays games, so “why not come out and do it?” Manziel said that he was “going for perfection” when he threw 65 passes to six receivers. Only two were not caught. Sixteen NFL general managers and head coaches watched the workout. General manager Rick Smith and coach Bill O’Brien liked what they saw, but admitted that the workout was just one step in the long process of drafting.

    New York Jets’ Michael Vick and Miami Heat’s LeBron James also complimented Manziel on his skills.

    George Whitfield, who runs a quarterback training academy, ran the workout and was impressed with Manziel’s competitiveness. Manziel and Whitfield have worked together through Manziel’s career and have spent the last two months training in California.

    Manziel worked under center and did throws of varying distances, both in the pocket and on the run. Whitfield added some challenges to prove that “we didn’t have anything to hide.”

    Whitfield on Manziel

    After the workout, Manziel called all the NFL officials and personally thanked them for coming. That afternoon, he met several teams to discuss future plans.

    Image via YouTube

  • GameStop Partners With IBM And Texas A&M, Launches GameStop Technology Institute

    GameStop is the Starbucks of gaming. There’s one on every corner and they at least pretend to serve your every need. Unlike Starbucks, however, GameStop’s bread and butter – video games – are increasingly moving to the digital space where GameStop is cut out of the profit loop. Now the retailer is partnering with some of the best tech minds in the country to find a solution.

    GameStop announced today that it’s partnering with IBM and Texas A&M University to launch the GameStop Technology Institute. With this new endeavor, GameStop will attempt “to discover and deliver business innovation and technology solutions to better address the needs of today’s empowered consumer.” In other words, physical game sales aren’t going to cut it anymore and GameStop needs to find other revenue streams to stay afloat.

    “Now more than ever, GameStop’s internal rate of change must continue to exceed the rate of change occurring within the retail environments in which we compete,” said Paul Raines, chief executive officer for GameStop. “The launch of GTI represents GameStop’s commitment to cultivate innovation within the retail industry, as well as lead the charge in discovering new technology advancements to drive positive customer experiences.”

    GameStop will be utilizing IBM’s Design Lab and BlueMix to “build new mobile and cloud applications that integrate with GameStop’s existing systems.” These new applications will link a customer’s online and in-store activities to remove any barriers that may get in the way of a smooth customer experience.

    “We are excited to collaborate with GameStop to bring the power of our cloud development platforms and design teams to the greater GameStop community,” said Steve Robinson, General Manager of IBM Cloud Platform Services. “This cloud partnership will integrate existing systems into a new class of applications to build even deeper relationships for GameStop with their clients and will help GameStop lead the next phase of retailing by restoring the balance between physical and digital commerce platforms.”

    As for Texas A&M’s contribution, GameStop will be partnering with the university’s Center for Retailing Studies to “focus on retail research, consumer technology and the evolving consumer experience at the intersection of the two.”

    The GameStop Technology Institute will be led by GameStop CIO Jeff Donaldson who will serve as senior vice president of GTI.

    “As GameStop continues to transform its business beyond video gaming and into the technology space, we formed GTI to address our growing need for new innovation as a specialty retailer,” said Donaldson. “As we begin our partnership with IBM and Texas A&M University, GTI’s initial focus will be on the digitization of the physical retail space which would allow customers to interact with the brick-n-mortar store environment in ways that mimic interaction with digital platforms.”

    The establishment of the GameStop Technology Institute is a pretty good move on the part of GameStop. The retailer is facing increased pressure from consumers and its retail partners in the face of increasing digital game sales. Through these new partnerships, GameStop might be able to keep consumers engaged with their retail environment, and more importantly, keep publishers happy.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Fran Tarkenton: Manziel Has Franchise Qualities, But Has Questionable Character

    Former NFL quarterback Fran Tarkenton sees himself in Johnny Manziel, and has no doubt that the former Texas A&M quarterback can make plays in the league. Whether Manziel has the qualities to become a leader is a different story.

    Manziel is being considered as one of the NFL’s top three quarterback prospects, together with Louisville’s Teddy Bridgewater and Central Florida’s Blake Bortles.

    Some say that Manziel’s small frame isn’t ideal for the big league, but Tarkenton, himself slightly smaller than other players during his heyday, thinks size isn’t a problem, as long as one knows how to play the game. And being a prime quarterback is something Manziel can definitely do.

    Tarkenton considers Manziel to be a quarterback savant, but he knows that on-field talent is not enough, especially now that the NFL clubs are evaluating probable new players. “You look at your great players, they have to be leaders in the clubhouse and off the field,” Tarkenton said. They don’t necessarily need to be pious churchgoers, but “They have to have character.”

    Manziel stands to be a high-reward, but also a high-risk draft pick because of his questionable character. Last summer, he had to prematurely leave the Manning Passing Academy because he overslept, making him miss a morning meeting. Manziel has also been known to have a bad-boy image, if the “exploits” he posted on social media were any indication.

    Tarkenton commented that he would have to spend more time with the young player so that he could understand him better. He had already seen what Manziel can do on the field, but character is another matter. Manziel’s off-field behavior could be a problem, Tarkenton said, if Manziel would be drafted in the league. “There’s never been a great quarterback I know of who was a rodent,” Tarkenton added.

    During his prime, Tarkenton played 18 seasons, leading the Minnesota Vikings to three appearances at the Super Bowl. When he retired, he owned every major quarterback record.

    Johnny Manziel’s Character May Be Questionable But His Game Isn’t!

    Image via YouTube

  • Fran Tarkenton Sees Doppelganger in Johnny Manziel

    Perhaps no college football has been scrutinized more than Johnny Manziel. The former Texas A&M quarterback dazzled in the spotlight during his two years in college, providing college football fans enough excitement to last them through at least one off-season. While Manziel has earned the nickname “Johnny Football” due to this unusual athletic feats on the field, many NFL experts and executives still doubt whether or not the former Aggie will be able to make it at the next level. There is one former NFL great who has no doubts, however – Fran Tarkenton.

    In a recent interview with USA Today, Tarkenton states, “Nobody really played like I played. This kid plays like I did more than anybody else.”

    Such a statement coming from Tarkenton is not one to be laughed at. Tarkenton played 18 seasons in the NFL for both the Minnesota Vikings and New York Giants. By the time Tarkenton retired in 1978, he owned almost every important quarterback record on the books. In his stellar career, Tarkenton racked up 3,686 completions for 47,003 yards and 342 touchdowns through the air, adding another 3,674 yards rushing to combine for over 50,000 total career yards.

    And he did so facing almost all the same criticisms currently plaguing Manziel.

    The biggest beef NFL scouts have against Manziel’s game is potentially his size. At the NFL combine, Manziel measured in at 5-foot-11 and 3/4 inches tall and 207 pounds – a mere 1/4 inch shorter than Tarkenton but 17 pounds heavier.

    “People are going to say, ‘Well, he’s only 5-11¾ tall. I wasn’t as big, strong and fast as all these other players. But I knew how to play,” states Tarkenton.

    From his career college stat line, one cannot deny that Manziel knows how to play as well. In his two years at Texas A&M, Manziel threw for 7,820 yards with 63 touchdowns and 22 interceptions. These numbers helped Manziel to destroy Alabama’s No. 1 defense in two consecutive years and led to the Aggie winning the Heisman Trophy in his freshman season.

    Despite all of the skill and accolades Manziel has received, there are still those who hold many doubts as to whether Manziel will be a successful NFL quarterback. While some question if Manziel will be big enough to compete at a more physically demanding level, most question if Manziel is mature enough to handle the responsibility of being an NFL quarterback.

    “The things that went on last year with him leaving the Manning camp and other activities, I just want to understand that a little better. Everything I’ve seen of the kid, I love… But you’ve got to make sure. Because there’s never been a great quarterback I know of who was a rodent,” opined Tarkenton.

    The discrepancies in the analysis of “Johnny Football” have led to an insanely diverse set of opinions as to when Manziel will be selected in this year’s NFL Draft; Some scouts have Manziel being chosen by the Houston Texans as the first overall pick, while others have college football’s most dynamic quarterback slipping all the way to the third round.

    Whatever the result of the 2014 NFL Draft, one thing is for certain – the ever-constant analysis of Johnny Manziel is not going to cease anytime soon.

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  • Johnny Manziel Has Been Compared To Brett Favre, And Even Favre Can See Why

    Johnny Manziel has been continually praised throughout his college career for the way in which he is able to pass and run effectively as a quarterback. As a star for Texas A&M, he impressed fans as one of the best passers in the league, while also leading his team in rushing.

    He is one of the best, if not the best college player in this class, as he prepares to head into the 2014 NFL draft, and has even been compared to Brett Favre. Favre recently took notice of this comparison, and was able to give his take on the situation.

    Through a recent interview with USA Today, Brett Favre revealed that he also felt that the play of Johnny Manziel was reminiscent of his early days. As with Manziel, Favre had a strong arm, and was able to run, utilizing a skill that many quarterbacks have not been able to master.

    Johnny Football was impressive for Favre to watch, and speaking on a particular game that he had seen, the former NFL star said “I almost thought I was watching film of a young Brett Favre. I didn’t think I did a lot of things well (in college at Southern Miss), but he did. And and I liked the attitude of ‘whatever it takes’ — from that standpoint, I liked him.”

    Johnny Manziel will be one of the key players to keep an eye on in the draft, in addition to the upcoming NFL scouting combine, which is taking place this week. However, he doesn’t plan to throw for scouts and personnel executives until March 27th.

    He had great success in college, and has almost gained a celebrity status with his nickname of “Johnny Football,” along with the way that he has attracted such a large amount of fans, especially as a college player. Manziel won the Heisman Trophy last season, and while he made it to the final six this year, it was Jameis Wisnton who ended up winning the award.

    With a 6’0, 210 pound figure, he is also small for a quarterback. He has significant similarities to Russell Wilson in terms of their build, and playing style, and the young player has also credited Wilson, a recent Super Bowl winner, for giving shorter quarterbacks a chance in the NFL.

    After an outstanding career with the Texas A&M Aggies, Johnny Manziel is ready to transition into the NFL. The two most likely destinations for him to end up seem to be with the Houston Texans or the Cleveland Browns. Who should get him? Is he able to become a star in the NFL in the same way that Russell Wilson has?

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Speedy Noil, The Nation’s No. 1 WR Recruit, Signs With Texas A&M

    Speedy Noil has been labeled as the top wide receiver prospect going into the 2014 season of college football. Although Texas A&M may be losing some strong weapons in their offense, they are looking to even that out with a strong addition at the wide receiver position.

    Texas A&M came into the 2013 with high expectations, having the 2012 Heisman Trophy winner, and a successful 2012 season that saw them give the Alabama Crimson Tide their only loss.

    Although Johnny Manziel put up an incredible performance and almost beat Alabama this season, they were not able to get the job done, and with some key losses at the end of the season, they were bumped down to the Chick-Fil-A bowl.

    In the game, they fought a fierce battle with Duke, and came away with a win, 52-48.

    Speedy Noil had received interest from several top-notch schools for college football including LSU, Alabama, and Auburn, but Texas A&M was the team that made the offer, and he made the announcement that he would be an Aggie on Thursday.

    Earlier this year, SB Nation stated that Speedy Noil is a consensus four-star prospect in the 247Sports Composite rankings, although 247Sports has Noil as a five-star prospect. He’s the No. 55 player nationally in the former rankings, as well as the No. 5 wide receiver and No. 6 player in state of Louisiana.

    Speedy Noil is a wide receiver from Edna Karr high school in New Orleans, Louisiana. He has decided to make the switch to wide receiver upon entering the NCAA, however, he spent his high school career playing quarterback.

    In 2012, Devante “Speedy” Noil totaled 2,235 passing yards and 1,345 rushing yards as a quarterback, as he showed off his dual-threat ability. This may sound familiar to anyone who has followed the Texas A&M program in the past few years, with Johnny Manziel being one of the best players at the position who is able to pass and run.

    He is a smaller player at 5’10.5″, 176-pounds, but makes up for it with his speed and elusiveness. His overall ability and strengths as a player have placed him as the 11th-best overall prospect in 2014, and No.1 wide receiver, according to 247Sports’ composite rankings.

    Speedy Noil is set to be a strong addition to the Texas A&M offense. Unfortunately for fans of the Aggies, with Johnny Manziel and Mike Evans both being likely candidates to go high in the 2014 NFL draft, they will not be able to see the star players together.

    Image via Youtube

  • Texas A&M Football: Last Minute Rally to Beat Duke

    No. 20 Texas A&M rallied late in at the Chick-fil-A Bowl in Atlanta on Tuesday to beat Duke after trailing 38-17 at halftime.

    Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel finished his college career with a bang by throwing four touchdown passes, scoring a touchdown, running 73 yards and completing 30 of 38 passes for 382 yards.

    When asked if this was the best way to end his career, he said: “I don’t know. It’s an unreal feeling, I know that. The way these guys fought, it was unreal. I’m proud of them.”

    Toney Hurd Jr returned an interception 55 yards, giving them their first lead with 3:33 remaining and the game ended 52-48, making it the highest-scoring game in the bowl’s history.

    “I was in a zone I haven’t been in before,” Manziel said. “Ever. I just wanted this game.”

    Heading into the fourth quarter, No. 22 Duke (10-4) had a 41-31. With this loss, the Blue Devils are still looking for their first bowl win since beating Arkansas 7-6 in the 1961 Cotton Bowl.

    Hurd stepped in front of receiver Johnell Barnes for the interception, the first turnover for either team. Texas A&M linebacker Nate Askew ended Duke’s next possession with another interception.

    Duke quarterback Anthony Boone passed for 427 yards and three touchdowns, but the two interceptions certainly played into the loss.

    “It hurt,” Boone said. “It was a very unfortunate play on my part.”

    Manziel, a third-year sophomore won the Heisman Trophy as a freshman last season and is likely he will be a first-round pick if he decides to enter the NFL draft.

    “I can’t even talk about anything other than this game,” Manziel said. “This was unreal. … I haven’t made (the decision) yet. I’m in the moment right now.”

    Image via Wikimedia

  • Johnny Manziel Humbly Passes Heisman Trophy Torch To Jameis Winston, Gives Advice To Young Star

    Johnny Manziel won the Heisman Trophy last year, and while he made it as one of the top 6 finalists, Jameis Winston won this year’s award in one of the biggest landslides in the history of the award.

    Winston had a commanding lead, and as the quarterback of the No.1 team in the nation, he was predicted by everyone to win the award.

    While he has been criticized for some of his off-the-field antics throughout his career, while at the same time being viewed as a celebrity in some ways.

    In this year’s presentation of the Heisman Trophy, Johnny Manziel had to sit and watch as Jameis Winston accepted the much-deserved award.

    It has been a couple of historic years in Heisman history, as Manziel became the first freshman to win the award, and now Winston has become the second. Jameis Winston is the quarterback of the top-ranked Florida State Seminoles

    As someone who knows what it is like to win the award, and how it can have an effect on a player, Johnny Football had some words of advice for the young quarterback, and other young stars as they begin to enter the spotlight.

    Speaking toward the future generation of college football stars, he said “Live it up. Enjoy it. Continue to be yourself, and don’t let anybody change you. You’re going to have to adapt to how life is going to be after this.”

    In addition to Johnny Manziel and Jameis Winston, Andre Williams, Jordan Lynch, Tre Mason, and AJ McCarron were all among the top 6 players competing for the award.

    The man who has become known as simply “Johnny Football” by fans all over the country did not have the success with the Texas A&M Aggies that he would have liked, and as a result they are stuck playing against Duke in the Chick-fil-A Bowl in Atlanta, Georgia on December 31. A list of the full college bowl schedule can be seen here.

    Like Johnny Manziel and a few others that have come before him, Jameis Winston also faced some troubles that were not football related when he was accused of raping another student in an incident that occurred in December of 2012. The investigation was brought to the attention of the media recently, although he was not charged with the crime.

    As a third-year junior, Johnny Manziel can declare for the draft after this season, and it would be a huge surprise if he doesn’t. He will be one of the most scrutinized players going into the draft, and whether his wild style of play is able to translate into the professional league will also be put into question.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ngCOQb_5COw

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Johnny Manziel Is Among Finalists For Heisman Trophy

    Once again, Johnny Manziel has secured himself a trip to New York, and is listed among the top finalists for the Heisman Trophy. He is an outstanding player that he is quick on his feet, and has a strong arm, a very threatening quarterback for any defense to face.

    One of the best quarterbacks in the league, and in the SEC, Manziel elevates himself on another level during some games, reminding fans of quarterbacks such as Cam Newton or Russell Wilson.

    He is certainly not the favorite to win the award this year, but there is always the chance of him pulling a major upset. The man who has become known as simply “Johnny Football,” joins Jameis Winston, AJ McCarron, Tre Mason, Andre Williams and Jordan Lynch as the six Heisman finalists. It is only the second time in history that the committee has been unable to eliminate the number of finalists down to five, showing how competitive the league has been this year.

    Yesterday was a big day for the post-season of college football, as the schedule of the college bowls was announced as well, telling everyone where their favorite teams would be heading including Johnny Manziel’s Texas A&M Aggies. Texas A&M will be plaiyng against Duke in the Chick-fil-A bowl on December 31st at 8 p.m.

    Jameis Winston is certainly the favorite to win the award, however Johnny Manziel has had a wildly succcesful season as well. He won the Heisman Trophy last season, and has actually been putting up more impressive numbers this season surprisingly.

    Over the 2013 season, Manziel has thrown for 3,732 yards, 33 touchdowns and 13 interceptions, while completing 69 percent of his passes. He also ran for 7 touchdowns throughout the season, and provided impressive rushing yards in each game.

    Johnny Manziel may not have beaten Alabama this year as he was able to last year, but he came very close in an incredibly exciting game that went down to the final minutes, and went in favor of the Tide, 49-42. Weeks later, he led a blowout of Vanderbilt, but in the last few games of the season they struggled to win, and hurt the team’s chances of going to a better bowl.

    Johnny Manziel won the Heisman Trophy last year, and while it is not won by the same player two years in a row often, it has been done before. It is not likely that he will win, but he has certainly made the case for himself as one of the top quarterbacks in the league, and put up even more impressive statistics than when he won the award in 2012.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Heisman Finalists: The Final Six Candidates Have Been Announced

    Typically at this stage of the Heisman race, the amount of players eligible to win the award is narrowed down to five. However, this year, for the second time in history, there are six Heisman finalists to close out a very exciting year in college football.

    The Heisman Trophy is awarded to the most impressive player in college football, and there are several players attempting to make the case that they are the best this year.

    As a result, it was too hard for the committee to narrow the finalists down to five, and the top 6 are filled with top players from the SEC, and two players that will be seen in the national championship. It is the second time in history that there are six finalists, and the first time since it happened in 1994.

    The six finalists for the Heisman Trophy are Jameis Winston, AJ McCarron, Johnny Manziel, Andre Williams, Tre Mason, and Jordan Lynch. As usual, the Heisman finalists have been narrowed down to primarily quarterbacks, along with two running backs.

    The college bowl schedule was also released today, letting all of the teams and fans know where the teams would be heading during the off-season, and when the games would be played.

    Andre Williams, who is talked about less than any of the others, plays for Boston College. He ran for 2,102 yards, and 17 touchdowns, including racking up 200 or more yards five times during this season.

    Northern Illinois continued to make their case for a BCS bowl behind the play of Jordan Lynch, but fell short and was not able to defeat Bowling Green. However, Lynch has been impressive throughout the season and threw for 2,676 yards and 23 touchdowns, and ran for another 1,881 yards and 22 touchdowns. He also finished seventh in the Heisman voting last year.

    Tre Mason has been able to make his case for the Heisman over the past couple of games especially, helping his Auburn Tigers defeat Alabama in the Iron Bowl, and then gave a very impressive performance against Missouri in the SEC Championship Game, running for 304 yards, and scoring 3 touchdowns.

    Mason has not had the attention on him as much as some of the others this season, and was somewhat in disbelief when he heard the news. Upon hearing he was invited, he said “For me to be invited to the Heisman ceremony, I am honored and blessed. I couldn’t have done it without my teammates. This is an honor for all of them also.”

    Jameis Winston is the leading contender for the Heisman Trophy, as the quarterback of a Florida State team that has demolished their competition throughout the season. He is also heading to the BCS National Championship with a record of 13-0, easily handling their opponents throughout the entire sesaon.

    Winston ranks first in the NCAA in passing efficiency, passing yards per attempt and set the NCAA record for passing touchdowns by a freshman. He was also investigated for sexual assault recently for an incident that occurred almost a year go, and while he was not charged with anything, it has been a case that has been getting him a lot of attention recently. Of course, off the field drama is no stranger to Heisman hopefuls, with Reggie Bush and Cam Newton both experiencing similar situations in recent years.

    Joining Winston are two of the top quarterbacks in the SEC, AJ McCarron of Alabama, and Johnny Manziel from Texas A&M, who won the award last year. Johnny Manziel was very impressive during the first part of the season, including almost beating Alabama, and leading a blowout against Vanderbilt. However, his Aggies lost the last few games of the season, hurting his chances of winning the award.

    AJ McCarron has 2 national championships already in the past three years, and much of the country is well aware of what has been done at Alabama already in the past 3 years. However, after their loss to Auburn, they will not be heading to the national championship this year. Despite his success with the team, this is the first time that McCarron has been invited as one of the Heisman finalists.

    After the six Heisman finalists have been announced, it is hard to know who will come away with the award for sure, although Jameis Winston has certainly been the favorite recently. His Florida State Seminoles will be playing against the Auburn Tigers in the BCS National Championship on January 6th in Pasadena, California.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Johnny Manziel Leads Texas A&M In Rout Of Vanderbilt

    Johnny Manziel, like most weeks this season, has led the Texas A&M Aggies to another impressive victory. This week, they faced off against Vanderbilt, in the first match-up for the two schools. The man known to many as simply “Johnny Football” for his excellent skills, led the Aggies to a 56-24 victory on Saturday.

    Texas A&M defeated #1 ranked Alabama last season, and almost did it again this season, in a tough battle that went down to the final minutes. Manziel is one of the top players in college football, and already won the Hesiman Trophy after last season. He is only a sophomore, but will likely be drafted after another successful season with the team.

    There was also a small amount of doubt that Manziel would even play in their game yesterday, due to a recent injury that he had suffered. The coach had expressed doubts about his playing ability, but it seemed as if Johnny had always intended to play. He said that he was always planning to play and said, “It would take a lot to keep me off the field and away from these guys. They count on me and they expect me to be there.”

    Not only is Manziel an outstanding player on the field, but he has become well-known for his actions off the field as well. He was featured on the jumbotron during their rout of Vanderbilt in a segment that had him stating that he would most like to party with the now infamous actor Charlie Sheen and New England Patriots tight end, Rob Gronkowski.

    He also added Tiger Woods to the mix, in a video that was later uploaded to Youtube. At only 20-years-old, Manziel was making headlines during the off-season, due to the way in which he spent his off hours, enjoying the night life with celebs such as Lebron James and Drake.

    After a surprising loss to Auburn last week, Johnny Manziel was able to bounce back and throw for 305 yards and four touchdowns in less than three quarters. They jumped to an explosive 28-0 lead, before allowing Vanderbilt to come back, but their comeback was simply much too late, and the Aggies continued to add on more points.

    Johnny Manziel became the first freshman to win the Heisman Trophy, and after a great start to the 2013 season, he is looking to earn that honor once again.

    Image via Youtube

  • Alabama at Texas A&M: Highest TV Ratings in 23 years

    Saturday afternoon, No. 1 Alabama and No. 6 Texas A&M made history, not on the field, but based on the TV ratings. The broadcast of Saturday afternoon’s game has earned the highest ratings for a CBS regular season college football game in over 23 years announced on Sunday by the Network. And it was a great game to watch.

    The game earned an overnight household ratings/share of 9.0/21, that’s up 200% from 2012’s SEC season opener on CBS, Alabama Crimson Tide v. Arkansas Razorbacks. The previous highest rating for an afternoon regular-season game was Miami v. Nome Dame played Oct. 20, 1990. The ratings apparently were highest during the fourth quarter of the game as Manziel was leading Texas A&M for an outrageous comeback about 7:00-7:15 p.m. ET.

    But, looks like Alabama will keep their number one spot after a 49-42 victory over Texas A&M, despite Johnny Manziel finishing the game with emaculate stats. This is why they call him, “Johnny Football.” Manziel completed 28 of 39 passing for a career-high 464 yards, five touchdown passes and 98 yards rushing. Two interceptions hurt the Aggies, especially the second one giving the Crimson Tide a commanding lead of three-touchdowns.

    If you break the game down, Alabama had a fantastic first half after they scored seven points in the first quarter, and 21 points in the second quarter. Texas scored 14 points in the first quarter and was shut down by Alabama defense in the second quarter. By the second half, Alabama defense felt a little intimidated by Manziel, after making a bit of a comeback. Alabama offense continued to successfully score and hoped they pulled this one out. Alabama managed a victory, starting Texas A&M out with a 0-1 record in the SEC.

    This victory was fueled by vengeance after their most recent match up last November, where A&M won 29-24. Though it wasn’t an easy win today for Alabama.

    “We needed everybody all in today,” Alabama Head Coach Nick Saban explained. “Even though it got ugly at times, they competed and it was a great win for us.”

    With Manziel still in the spotlight after off-the-field drama in the off season after he allegedly accepted payments from autographs that he had signed in January 2013, he was only suspended half a game. Everyone was a little eager to watch him go down.

    Main Article Image from Wikimedia Commons.

  • Johnny Manziel Shines Against Alabama, Despite Loss

    Johnny Manziel has become quite the elite player in college football and is one of the best according to some people. Yesterday, the ultimate showdown took place between SEC offenses when the Texas A&M Aggies took on the Alabama Crimson Tide. Manziel, Texas A&M’s quarterback is able to get it done in the air and on the ground, and in yesterday’s game, he threw for 464 yards and ran for 98 yards. The Aggies ultimately lost the game in the end, but put up an incredible fight from start to finish. The final score was 49-42 in favor of Alabama.

    Alabama seemed to have no answer for Manziel throughout the game, and the only thing that they could do was retaliate with touchdowns of their own. The defense of both teams was almost not present, while both quarterbacks are also very elite players and like to rack up as many touchdowns as possible. This game was a rematch of the game that they played last year in which A&M pulled off the victory. In last year’s match A&M jumped ahead 20-0, and delivered Alabama their only loss of the season. This year was much of the same, although Alabama was able to hang on and win this one. They were finally safe from the unstoppable play of Manziel when Alabama’s quarterback AJ McCarron took a knee to end the game, leaving Manziel with nothing more to do, according to ABC News.

    The tough play of Johnny Manziel has even earned himself the nickname of Johnny Football. He has been known to get a bit too cocky at times too though, and received a penalty for excessive celebration earlier this season against Rice. He was also one of the leading candidates for the Heisman Trophy last year.

    Alabama soon found that the only solution to stopping Manziel was to keep him off the field and keep their offense on the field for as long as possible. They were executing the strategy of “best defense is a good offense” in this case, hoping to see the aggressive play of Manziel as little as possible. AJ McCarron was quoted saying that “With the type of offense A&M has, you have to eat up some clock and pound the ball.” This seemed to be the only thing that Alabama could do in order to stop him, and it eventually worked. McCarron passed for 334 yards in Alabama’s win.

    Manziel was virtually unstoppable for much of the game, setting records for passing yards and total offensive yards. He set the single-game school record for passing yards and put up the second-most total offensive yards in a game (562), second only to his own total (576) against Louisiana Tech last year, states ESPN.

    Image via Youtube

  • Johnny Piñata: Bama Fans Ready for Manziel

    Ever felt like swinging at Texas A&M’s Johnny Manziel? One bar in Mountain Brook, Alabama lets you do just that with a piñata.

    Fans of the University of Alabama are known for their confidence–which some may consider cockiness–and the attitude for the upcoming game against Texas A&M is no different. Crimson Tide fans are expecting their team to retain their AP Poll No. 1 ranking this week and are having a little fun getting ready for the game. A bar in Mountain Brook, Alabama has taken things to another level with their piñata of Heisman winner Johnny Manziel.

    Otey’s Tavern owner Will Haver has watched his bar make national headlines after posting a picture of a 30-inch piñata called “Johnny Piñata” on Facebook. Haver is using the piñata as part of a trivia night promotion. The piñata is a likeness of Johnny Football and is complete with cash in one hand and a Sharpie marker in the other. In a post on Facebook acknowledging all of the media attention, Otey’s Tavern said, “Our concern is, will all this attention go to Johnny’s head?”

    So far, Haver doesn’t have any plans for the piñata set in stone. “We don’t know what we are going to do with it besides hang it up in the tavern and see if we can’t get some people to come by and take pictures,” Haver told AL.com. “Maybe we will have a bashing on Wednesday night, or, if he can make it all the way to the football game on Saturday, then after the game, we may do it some more.”

    Judging from the pictures posted to Otey’s Tavern Facebook page, Alabama fans are having a lot of fun with Johnny Piñata. Considering Manziel has been criticized over the past week for taunting Rice players, many are ready to see the Aggies quarterback taken down a notch. Bama opened as 7 point favorites earlier in the week in the game that will be played in College Station on Saturday.

    Some college football fans on Twitter think the bar is taking things too far with Johnny Piñata since they are mocking a 20-year-old student athlete, while others are enjoying the trash talk leading up to one of the biggest games of the season. What do you think? Add your comments about the piñata gimmick and game predictions below.

    Image via Facebook

  • Johnny Manziel Receives Half-Game Suspension

    When the NCAA announced that it was investigating Texas A&M star and defending Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel there were a lot of Aggies fans that were left to sweat it out, even though the player’s attorney’s claimed that he would see the field this season. Well, today those fans can breath a huge sigh of relief and look forward to the season they were anticipating all along.

    The NCAA announced today that they have concluded their investigation of Manziel and while he will face a suspension, it is not one that will see a lot of A&M fans up in arms. Manziel has been suspended for one half. The unorthodox suspension will be served during the first half of A&M’s season opener against the Rice Owls on Saturday.

    In the end Manziel was only found guilty of allowing his likeness to be used for monetary gain, which is only a minor violation of NCAA policy regarding players receiving compensation. Jim Darnell, Manziel’s attorney that claimed his client did nothing wrong, reportedly agreed to the short suspension in order to get Manziel back on the field and out of the NCAA’s sights.

    With the investigation behind them A&M can no focus on their national championship hopes and Manziel can work on defending his Heisman; he’ll just have to do it with one half less than the rest.

    [Photo via Fox Sports on YouTube]

  • Johnny Manziel Under Investigation By NCAA

    Since leading his Texas A&M team to an 11-2 record in their first season in the South Eastern Conference and winning the Heisman Trophy in the process, college football sensation Johnny Manziel has repeatedly found himself in the center of controversial events that have called his judgement into question. He has become a lightning rod for media and fan scrutiny for his partying and was even booted from the prestigious Manning Passing Academy last month for reporting late to practice.

    While these minor indiscretions could be chalked up to his youth and recently gained social status as the face of college football, recent allegations from the NCAA could not only add to his bad boy image, it could also cost him precious time on the field.

    The NCAA recently opened an investigation into whether or not Manziel received compensation for signing autographs. The allegations stem from an encounter between Manziel and a Florida autograph dealer named Drew Tieman. Manziel reportedly signed hundreds of items at the behest of Tieman, including everything from photographs to mini souvenir helmets.

    The NCAA grew suspicious when the items began to appear of auction website Ebay. While no hard evidence of Manziel profiting from this home operation has been presented, it seems incredibly suspicious that Tieman would make thousands of dollars off of the autographs without kicking any back to Manziel. It is possible that Manziel is just that nice of a guy, but that is hard to accept in today’s era of the multi-millionaire athlete.

    If found guilty of violating NCAA rules regarding receiving compensation Manziel could face suspension or even being ruled ineligible for play. Similar situations have come up in the recent past, including an incident at Ohio State University in which several players, including then star quarterback Tyrrelle Pryor, were found to have received free tattoos from a Columbus parlor. The players were slapped with multi-game suspensions, but Pryor declared for the NFL before serving his.

    The public’s view of the investigation will likely fall on either side of the pay for play argument of whether or not student-athletes should be compensated by the NCAA. Texas head football coach Mack Brown recently came out in favor, but the debate rages on. If Manziel is found guilty, and that is still up in the air at this point, he could viewed either as a devious kid who is subverting the NCAA’s authority or a kid who only wants to profit in the same way everyone around him is.

    Texas A&M has refused to discuss the investigation with the media.

  • Texas A&M Freshman Killed in Car Accident

    Texas A&M redshirt freshman and defensive lineman Polo Manukainiu, age 19, was killed in a single car accident Monday afternoon just north of Cuba, New Mexico. Unfortunately, Manukainiu was not the only victim of the accident. Two other teens, Andrew “Lolo” Uhatafe (Polo’s 13 year old brother) and Gaius Vaenuku, an incoming freshman for the Utah Utes football team, were also killed. Aside from these three teens, there were two survivors of the wreck: Salesi Uhatafe, another incoming freshman for the Utah Utes, and Salesi Uhatafe Sr.

    According to a report from KRQE News in Albuquerque, New Mexico police are still investigating as to the cause of the crash. It is suspected that the driver of the vehicle veered off-road and then over-corrected the vehicle, resulting in the vehicle rolling over. There is no evidence thus far that alcohol is involved in causing the accident. However, a tweet made by Polo two hours prior to the accident may shed some light as to one factor of the accident. According to said tweet, the passengers of the vehicle were traveling on little to no sleep:

    (image)

    The news of Manukainiu’s death has deeply affected the campus of Texas A&M, a school that saw the death of two cadets earlier this year from an automobile accident, as well as the deaths of a football and basketball player in 2011 and 2010, respectively. Texas A&M football coach Kevin Sumlin released the following statement concerning Manukainiu’s death: “We lost a terrific young man. Polo was loved by his teammates and coaches. Anyone who came in contact with him was struck by his sense of humor and smile. My heart aches for his mom and family members.”

    Polo’s teammate and 2012-13 Heisman trophy winner Johnny Manziel, subject of recent controversy surrounding a frat party,  also spoke out about the accident through his Twitter account:

    (image)

    Despite this loss, Texas A&M is anticipating another successful season after going 11-2 last year and defeating Alabama, the only team to defeat the National Champions last year. The team is expected to report to training camp on Sunday, with practices beginning on Monday.

     

  • Drunk Airport Fight Caught On Video

    Drunk Airport Fight Caught On Video

    One Texas A&M fan had to let it be known that his team won over Alabama last weekend, no matter how silly it made him look.

    The fan, wearing a “Johnny Football” tee-shirt, started a brawl with another man in an airport, and the entire thing was captured on video (of course it was). Watch as these two go at it…sort of. One site said the A&M fan was “moving around with the grace of a ballerina swimming in Quaaludes”. That about covers it.