After a simmering, season-long quarterback controversy in Cleveland, the Browns finally started rookie Johnny Manziel on Sunday against their divisional rival Cincinnati Bengals.
It did not go well, much to Browns fans' dismay -- but to the Internet's derisive delight. As Johnny Football struggled to a 10-18 performance for just 80 yards, two interceptions and three sacks in a 30-0 blowout, wiseacres reveled in concocting disparaging new nicknames for Manziel and crafting memes celebrating his struggles.
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Because it's Monday and your early-workweek misery deserves company, here's a morning-after roundup of the Manziel-hating Interwebs' top cheap shots.
The hashtag #NewJohnnyNickname trended nationally on Twitter Monday morning after ESPN's SportsNation account asked its 2.5 million followers for submissions. Some highlights:
#NewJohnnyNickname Johnny sideline pic.twitter.com/YdpRzgxuv5— Darren Edward Ewing (@Darebear41) December 15, 2014
#NewJohnnyNickname Johnny Goose Egg. @SportsNation— The Big Lubelski (@SpectacuLarge) December 15, 2014
#NewJohnnyNicknameJohnny Canadian Football— Joe 'Monk' Pardavila (@joepardavila) December 15, 2014
#NewJohnnyNickname Johnny Insert Sad Trombone Sound Here— Mitch Wertlieb (@mwertlieb) December 15, 2014
#NewJohnnyNickname - Johnny Little Person (midget is offensive and Cleveland has no offense) @SportsNation— Cody Marshall (@therealcody_OSU) December 15, 2014
Meanwhile, Photoshop wizards (and hacks) fired up their meme machines. There was this fake Snickers commercial, all laid out in storyboard form:
Johnny Football set to star in new Snickers commercial pic.twitter.com/yHfHgfh5WP— NFL Memes (@NFL_Memes) December 14, 2014
Multiple people mocked a botched handoff in which Manziel turned around to give the ball to -- well, it's not exactly clear but makes for a funny image:
Ghost option @ADRIAN_KAL_EL: @wyche89 thanks to @JamieSportsTalk for this pic. Johnny "can't zone read" Manziel pic.twitter.com/uDonYeBonE"— Steve Wyche (@wyche89) December 14, 2014
Just got this sent to me about @JManziel2 and Manti Te'o girlfriend pic.twitter.com/2parDOQqNN— Brian Foley (@BFoley82) December 14, 2014
And nearly everyone reveled in the predictable-yet-still-mildly-humorous sight of Bengals defenders taunting Manziel after bad plays with his signature "money" gesture:
Johnny Manziel got sacked, so Johnny Manziel’s money hands got mocked: http://t.co/viEZ8LJCeM pic.twitter.com/FnU4pMdi6q— SB Nation (@SBNation) December 14, 2014
Manziel, for his part, faced the music after the game, calling the shutout loss "a fail on my part." Browns coach Mike Pettine says Manziel will start again next week against the Carolina Panthers.
In a preseason game against Washington in August, Manziel famously flipped off the opposing bench:
Hopefully he can turn in a better performance this Sunday and effectively recreate the gesture toward his legion of Internet critics.