Johnny Manziel went to Las Vegas. So what?

Frank Schwab
Johnny Manziel went to Las Vegas. So what?

This is what I was afraid of.

Johnny Manziel got the reputation in college for showing up at various parties and having that broadcast on social media, and the first chance after the NFL draft to freak out about Manziel showing up anywhere fun was going to cause a faux fury on the Internet and various yelling shows on television.

Manziel, the Cleveland Browns' rookie quarterback, went to Las Vegas this weekend. He took in the UFC pay-per-view fight. He went to a pool party with Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski, according to the Big Lead. Whoopedy doo.

This became a debating point, with terms like "representing the franchise" being brought up. Thank goodness Herm Edwards defended Manziel on ESPN, saying it's not a big deal, because someone had to.

If you've ever been to Las Vegas on a fight weekend in late spring or early summer, you'll find a decent percentage of the NFL there. Manziel wasn't the only player in Las Vegas. He went to a UFC event. He hung out at a pool party. Sounds like a good time. Maybe he gambled some and had a drink or two and OH MY NO, WILL SOMEONE THINK OF THE CHILDREN?!?!?!?

I'm hoping this isn't an ongoing thing with Manziel, turning the ridiculousness of attention he got for going out at Texas A&M into more ridiculousness for him doing so as a NFL player. NFL quarterbacks don't study their playbooks every waking hour, just like people with normal jobs don't go over insurance policies or tax codes on the weekend. He's a normal, single 21-year-old guy who went to Vegas for Memorial Day weekend. So did dozens of other NFL players, I'd bet. You didn't hear about them (didn't even really hear anything about Gronkowski, the Patriots tight end who is rehabbing a major knee injury).

When there's some proof of Manziel doing something wrong or his life off the field getting in the way of his career, let's revisit the situation then. Until that point, creating a debate about a young guy going to Las Vegas over a holiday weekend is pretty dumb.

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Frank Schwab is the editor of Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at shutdowncorner@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!