CLEVELAND (AP) — Some Browns fans are sacking Johnny Manziel for a month — and maybe longer.
Tired of the quarterback’s off-field transgressions, the fans have started a “Johnny Free February” movement on Twitter. Longtime Browns fan Chris McNeil says his 8-year-old daughter came up with the idea after hearing about more bad news involving Manziel.
As of Monday morning, McNeil says 750 people have signed up for his campaign “not to tweet, retweet, or mention Johnny Manziel on Twitter in February or until he is no longer a Cleveland Brown.”
The tipping point for many fans was the latest news concerning the quarterback. Manziel is being investigated for a possible assault of his ex-girlfriend in Texas, where police used a helicopter to find him.
Fort Worth police issued a statement saying officers went to an apartment complex at about 2:00 a.m. Saturday to investigate a report of a possible assault. The officers didn’t find the person who called, but they spoke to a 23-year-old woman who said she was “involved in a disturbance with her ex-boyfriend” earlier that night in Dallas.
Sgt. Steve Enright later identified him as Manziel. There have been no arrests.
Police didn’t identify the woman, but said in a report she was the victim. They did not say if she was hurt. She was uncooperative with officers and raised concerns about her ex-boyfriend’s well-being. Police tried calling Manziel and later determined he was safe.
The Browns had no immediate comment Saturday. An NFL spokesman says the league is looking into the matter.