Colin Cowherd is a talking head. Talking heads need people to listen.
In this, the slow time of year for NFL content, Cowherd has gone from talking head to a rambling wreck. Listen for yourself.
“This is why I am tough on Baker Mayfield, Johnny Manziel and Jameis Winston. It’s why I was tough on John Wall. I don’t have time for you to grow up.”@ColinCowherd on Ezekiel Elliott's immaturity pic.twitter.com/aohBtqYDZB
— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) July 17, 2019
Yes, you heard it correctly, Colin Cowherd compared Jameis Winston to Johnny Manziel. Now certainly he wasn’t drawing the comparison through the stat line, there is no comparison. Which means he was comparing their maturity or the perception that they both lack maturity. Ok, that might be a little easier to swallow, but even that comparison has holes in it.
Winston had several brushes with the law while in college. There’s the BB Gun fight, the free soda from a fast food restaurant, the free crab legs, the yelling of a profane viral phrase, but the most serious was the rape allegations.
Aside from the rape allegations the other brushes with the law are just minor college kid stuff, but the rape allegation was serious. It was investigated 3 different times with all of the investigations finding not enough evidence to pursue charges. Still a bad look for a young man with so much going for him.
Then shortly after his rookie year Winston was embroiled in another allegation involving sexual assault. This time by an Uber driver. Again, not enough evidence to pursue pressing charges, but the NFL decided they would inact a punishment in the form of a three game suspension. That incident happened over three years ago.
Johnny Manziel, Johnny Football, call him what you want, but “mature” was never part of the equation. Manziel has always been boisterous, always looking to be in the limelight. From holding bricks of money up acting like it was a phone, getting intoxicated and riding an inflatable swan to his signature “money sign”. The difference between Manziel and Winston comes from an actual legal perspective.
In June of 2012 Manziel was arrested and charged by police for carrying fake identification and fighting. Manziel plead guilty for failing to identify himself, the other charges were dropped as part of a plea deal. Manziel paid a maximum fine of $2,000, and $232 in court costs. He was sentenced to two days in jail, but given time served.
In April of 2016 a Dallas grand jury indicted Manziel over allegations that he assaulted his then girlfriend. Manziel was able to strike a plea deal again. That deal stipulated that Manziel take part in an anger management course, and a domestic violence impact panel over a 12 month period. This also required him to participate in the NFL’s substance abuse program or attend a court approved rehab facility.
While some would try to argue Winston just had better legal counsel than Manziel, it is just a bit far-fetched. In all honesty I’d say Manziel had better representation legally speaking than Winston.
So as you are reading this you probably thought “hey you posted Manziel’s mugshots but not Winston, that isn’t fair” and you would be right except Winston doesn’t have any mugshots, not a one.
So yes, it is fair, unlike Colin Cowherd’s comparison. Further more, Cowherd might want to consider some of his own controversies before lashing out. Whether it was, His Beef With Dan Patrick, His Deeply Disrespectful Take on the Late Sean Taylor, His Completely Bullsh*t Rant Against Single-Mother Families, His Borderline Racist Hatred For John Wall and of course his Love for the “Mostly White” State of Oregon. But hey, talking heads need to talk right?
Sources: espn.com, nfl.com, CNN, AP, Mugshots.com, FS1, Getty Images
