A college kid, wearing a throwback hat, eating Chinese food on a Monday, had an opinion about a civil-rights issue. What's so weird about that?
Well, it happened to be Johnny Manziel, who was chased down by TMZ Sports while leaving Mr Chow in Beverly Hills. Sporting a Los Angeles Rams cap, Manziel responded to a paparazzi question on Colin Kaepernick's national anthem protest.
"I think Colin Kaepernick's standing up for what he believes in," Manziel says. "And he has a right to do that. So, you know, it'll sort itself out."
After two seasons playing for the Cleveland Browns, Manziel is a free agent. He was released in March, and in June, the NFL suspended Manziel for four games for violating its substance-abuse policy. If an NFL team were to pick up Manziel, it would have to deal with that suspension, along with an ongoing police investigation of a domestic-violence charge made against Manziel by ex-girlfriend Colleen Crowley last February.
This fall, Manziel has been taking classes at his alma mater, Texas A&M, where he did not graduate before jumping to the NFL. "I'm an Aggie forever, brother," he told TMZ.
Meanwhile, the Browns are already down two quarterbacks, losing Robert Griffin III in Week 1 to a fractured coracoid bone in his left shoulder. In Week 2, Josh McCown went down with a left shoulder injury. That leaves Cody Kessler a third round pick in last April's NFL Draft to start for the Browns.
Johnny, how about a return to Cleveland?
"I wish them the best," Manziel says.
What if the Browns gave you the call?
"I doubt that'll happen, but I wish Mr. [Jimmy] Haslem the best."
If Johnny Manziel doesn't come back to the NFL, maybe he can be a politician.
-- Follow Jeffrey Eisenband on Twitter @JeffEisenband.
