It's a very long read, but if you've got the time...

The Long Con: How the Manziels Conquered America.

http://deadspin.com/the-long-con-how-the...1040593220

Quote:It turns out the Manziels are a much more colorful and interesting bunch than any of the profiles thus far have indicated. Their fortune was indeed made in oil—wildcatting, specifically—but there were also family sidelines in cockfighting, small-time grifting, match-fixing, and, if you believe the federal indictments, cocaine-trafficking and murder. In fact, the first great sporting success under the family name wasn't Johnny Football; it was the Manziel grey gamefowl, bred by Johnny's great-grandfather. The Manziels arrived in Texas after cockfighting was outlawed, but they wound up with a breed named after them anyway.

That's the story of the Manziels in America. It's the story of making money just this side (and occasionally that side) of the rules.

Are these the type of people that are idolized by Ayn Rand enthusiasts for living out their twisted version of the American Dream? The source material for some of "There Will Be Blood?"

I hope this guy makes it to a pro team. I won't be able to stop grinning like an idiot watching him getting destroyed by real defenses.

(08-13-2013 09:18 AM)The Cutter of Bish Wrote:  Are these the type of people that are idolized by Ayn Rand enthusiasts for living out their twisted version of the American Dream? The source material for some of "There Will Be Blood?"

I hope this guy makes it to a pro team. I won't be able to stop grinning like an idiot watching him getting destroyed by real defenses.

What does that have to with anything in this article?

This article is straight up GUTTER journalism.....to start out in the late 1800's and lead up to today (great grandfather, great grandfather, grandfather, oh and what about the great uncle)...also like how when parts of the story doesn't fit the narrative the writer mentions or alludes the friendly judge arguments (without poof) or hints at double dealing in other parts (without proof) while at the same time saying nothing could be uncovered in archives or press reports.

Then to finish up the piece by basically calling Manziel and his parents straight up CROOKS.....BASED ON WHAT? NOTHING WHATSOEVER.

Basically this is nothing more than CHARACTER ASSINATION plain and simple. Now, to me it doesn’t matter one way or the other, LIKE THE KID OR NOT. He is a freaking college kid that won the hiesman and happens to play in the best FB conference, things go to his head and he does some stupid things.....BINGO, THAT IS MUCH MORE LIKEY TO BE THE REAL STORY.....NOT ALL THE BS THAT THIS STORY IMPLES, YOU KNOW LIKE JOHHNY FOOTBALLS CHARACTER FLAWS CAN BE TRACED BACK TO OVER 120 YEARS AGO......THIS IS JUST TOTAL BS.


DEADSPIN AS DONE SOME GOOD STUFF AND SOME NOT SO GOOD STUFF. AFTER THIS, DEADSPIN NO LONGER HAS A LEG TO STAND ON WHEN BEING CRITICAL OF OTHERS, WHICH IS BASICALLY ALL THE SITE IS ABOUT.


Wonder what it would be like if the writer and everyone who contributed to this story roots were traced back to over 120 years....heck, lets go back even farther, some of these peoples ancestors were probably slave owners, wonder what they were doing in the roaring twenties...........point is Who Cares...this is 2013 and to go back that far and paint a narrative that makes this kid and his immediate family to be nothing more that double dealing back stabbing crooks.


Just for the record I'm not a fan one way or the other of the kid.

(08-13-2013 09:18 AM)The Cutter of Bish Wrote:  Are these the type of people that are idolized by Ayn Rand enthusiasts for living out their twisted version of the American Dream?

Haha. How stupid! = )

(08-13-2013 09:18 AM)The Cutter of Bish Wrote:  Are these the type of people that are idolized by Ayn Rand enthusiasts for living out their twisted version of the American Dream? The source material for some of "There Will Be Blood?"

I hope this guy makes it to a pro team. I won't be able to stop grinning like an idiot watching him getting destroyed by real defenses.

(1) your attempt at political humor is a MAJOR FAIL

(2) How would you like for your family history and background exposed to the world, dating back 120 years? you know, where every little shady thing and every skeleton comes out of the closet for the world to see...all the way back to great great gandpa, great uncles, and even maybe a cousin, all the way from back then until now.....oh and then you get to be tainted with all the bad stuff.

"There are two novels that can change a bookish fourteen-year old’s life: The Lord of the Rings and Atlas Shrugged. One is a childish fantasy that often engenders a lifelong obsession with its unbelievable heroes, leading to an emotionally stunted, socially crippled adulthood, unable to deal with the real world. The other, of course, involves orcs."

I'm not a fan of his but the obsession with this kid and his family has gotten down right weird.

(08-13-2013 09:43 AM)SuperFlyBCat Wrote:  

(08-13-2013 09:18 AM)The Cutter of Bish Wrote:  Are these the type of people that are idolized by Ayn Rand enthusiasts for living out their twisted version of the American Dream? The source material for some of "There Will Be Blood?"

I hope this guy makes it to a pro team. I won't be able to stop grinning like an idiot watching him getting destroyed by real defenses.

What does that have to with anything in this article?

Agreed. What in the world would Ayn Rand have to do with the Manziel family?

(08-13-2013 02:15 PM)Ned Low Wrote:  

(08-13-2013 09:43 AM)SuperFlyBCat Wrote:  

(08-13-2013 09:18 AM)The Cutter of Bish Wrote:  Are these the type of people that are idolized by Ayn Rand enthusiasts for living out their twisted version of the American Dream? The source material for some of "There Will Be Blood?"

I hope this guy makes it to a pro team. I won't be able to stop grinning like an idiot watching him getting destroyed by real defenses.

What does that have to with anything in this article?

Agreed. What in the world would Ayn Rand have to do with the Manziel family?

I don't know, but this does bring up the questions..... who IS John Galt!

Cutter, I see your point about Ayn Rand. Believe me when I tell you as someone who has read some of her rubbish while I was in college, I almost fainted when I first heard Paul Ryan citing her as his intellectual mentor. Honestly, it was so batschitt crazy for a GOP VP candidate to cite as his mentor a woman who openly and vehemently hated Ronald Reagan and considered all forms of organized religion, "cults," that my first thought was that he was a Democrat plant or something.

As I realized that he was serious and authentic in his views, it straight up scared the hell out of me and made what I had anticipated being a fairly tough decision a relatively easy one. I loathe political and/or financial activism and it doesn't get much more radical than Ms. Rand and her overly simplistic and idealistic views. And for Ryan to champion her cause was 100% cray cray to this indie.

That said, that has nothing to do with the Manziels and should not have been a part of this dialogue.

(08-13-2013 02:12 PM)blunderbuss Wrote:  I'm not a fan of his but the obsession with this kid and his family has gotten down right weird.

I said the same thing weeks ago and its only getting worse day by day.

(08-13-2013 09:18 AM)The Cutter of Bish Wrote:  Are these the type of people that are idolized by Ayn Rand enthusiasts for living out their twisted version of the American Dream? The source material for some of "There Will Be Blood?"

I hope this guy makes it to a pro team. I won't be able to stop grinning like an idiot watching him getting destroyed by real defenses.

Huh? me thinks you missed the mark on your wikipedia read of Ayn Rand.

(08-13-2013 04:04 PM)Dr. Isaly von Yinzer Wrote:  Cutter, I see your point about Ayn Rand. Believe me when I tell you as someone who has read some of her rubbish while I was in college, I almost fainted when I first heard Paul Ryan citing her as his intellectual mentor. Honestly, it was so batschitt crazy for a GOP VP candidate to cite as his mentor a woman who openly and vehemently hated Ronald Reagan and considered all forms of organized religion, "cults," that my first thought was that he was a Democrat plant or something.

As I realized that he was serious and authentic in his views, it straight up scared the hell out of me and made what I had anticipated being a fairly tough decision a relatively easy one. I loathe political and/or financial activism and it doesn't get much more radical than Ms. Rand and her overly simplistic and idealistic views. And for Ryan to champion her cause was 100% cray cray to this indie.

That said, that has nothing to do with the Manziels and should not have been a part of this dialogue.

Wesley Mouch is that you?