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The circus arrived in town more than a week ago after the Alouettes announced that they had traded for Johnny Manziel, former winner of the Heisman Trophy and first draft pick of the Cleveland Browns. of the National Football League. kicked off immediately and will only intensify after head coach Mike Sherman announces Tuesday that Manziel will start Friday's home game against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, his former team.
On Tuesday, there were four television cameras at the Alouettes. virtually every day since Manziel took the lead with his new team on July 23rd. And these cameras have been there exclusively for Manziel, not for a Canadian Football League team that has missed the playoffs these past three seasons, lost five years, and continues to struggle for a piece of a sports landscape of Montreal which is dominated by 24/7 news from Canadians.
It's been amazing to see his celebrity status deteriorate I've rubbed a team that did not usually be so popular – not even during the fine days of d & # 39; Anthony Calvillo, when Montreal played eight Gray Cups over a period of 11 years. Canadians have had a multitude of stars like P.K. Subban and Guy Lafleur. The Expos had names such as Tim Raines and Gary Carter. Didier Drogba was loved when he played for the Impact. But it's an unexplored territory for the Als. Even Manziel's wife, model Bre Tiesi, watched the stadium practice on Tuesday.
"I feel blessed to be in this position, to be back in a situation where I am starting over again.I am excited for the opportunity," said Manziel, no stranger to doing in front of a media crowd since his college years at Texas A & M. "I'm adapting and trying to manage it as best as possible.Sometimes I can see how I am in some places .. it can be a bit of a distraction and cause some chaos.
"I appreciate the support I get, being in a new and different place; the support and the messages and the number of people who m & rsquo; Have encouraged me all the way through life to come back to this point, it was really nice, I appreciate it. "
Distraction and chaos may soon become Als' slogans. Last Thursday against Edmonton, Manziel did not go on the field for one play, Vernon Adams played the entire match and, well that he was not embarrbaded, had to listen to the fans chanting the name of Manziel halfway through the second quarter. After the game, Adams, briefly Manziel's teammate in Hamilton, announced that he would not answer any questions about the guy. Then, on Monday, he criticized the fans who wanted to see Manziel play. Tuesday, Adams apologized for letting his emotions prevail
For fans of the Montreal Alouettes:
I'm really sorry to let my emotions take over on me in this moment. I am a competitor and I have not responded well. I understand that you wanted to see JM2, and I wish him the best and the best of the Alouettes' winning games. The love of this team
– Vernon Adams Jr. (@bigplay_va) July 31, 2018
"Our relationship has been extremely positive," said Manziel of the potentially troubling situation. "We have not had a hiccup, a scraping, an argument, it 's a super dude, a talented quarterback.It has been a great support and I know it does not. is not easy because I've been on the other side many times. "
The Alouettes have won games with Adams – three at the end of the 2016 season. Will Manziel has not played a significant match since 2015 with the Browns, can he make a similar claim? His only experience in the CFL dates back to June, during a pair of games of the exhibition Ticats
The Alouettes, as an organization, have repeatedly stated that Manziel should not be the savior of the franchise.But if the fortunes of the team in the field s'. improve significantly, it will undoubtedly be the catalyst.The key is to make sure that it is not perceived as bigger than the team, as was Subban, who was "Last week was a whirlwind." South of the 49th parallel, it was really a big thing, for our team it was important that we try to isolate our players and our team so that they Focus on football
"We talked about how we were going to get by, if it was there."
And that's the other equation de Manziel
He arrives in Montreal with his baggage allowance, Manziel revealed this year he is bipolar and undergoing treatment, he has been involved in numerous out-of-scope incidents involving alcohol, for which he has In 2016, he was charged with allegedly beating and threatening a former girlfriend, but reached an agreement with prosecutors to dismiss the case.
Manziel does not hide his past and worked The Als will also take care to surround it with through their player engagement service, infrastructure and appropriate mentors.
"He admitted his mistakes. This is the first step and it is probably the most important step, "said Reed." He understands the seriousness of this situation. He controls his destiny. He controls where he goes with that. We need to put the right infrastructure around him. Montreal can consume anybody if we allow it.
"We are constantly talking to our guys to make good decisions. We make suggestions as to where to go, which will allow them to relax and enjoy the culture of Montreal. We do not want to shelter it. He and all other players should be aware that our decisions … good or bad, regardless of what we decide, there will be a reaction to that. "
A week ago, after the trade was announced, the Als saw an increase at their box office for the middle of the summer, usually a slow period." And yet, with Manziel dressed, the Edmonton match still attracted only 16,654 spectators at Molson Stadium (capacity: 23,420) .Now that the departure of Manziel – and Sherman said that it's a football decision, no marketing – we'll see if it has a palpable effect.
"We saw a definite interest. That it's going to turn into a sale, this remains to be seen, "said Louis-Antoine Paquin, Vice President (Communications and Community Relations). "As head of communications, I welcome the interest this brings to our organization, but the purpose of this is not to sell sweaters."
hzurkowsky @ postmedia.com
twitter.com/HerbZurkowsky1
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