Tim Tebow is one reason why people need to stop scrutinizing Johnny Manziel

The in thing leading up to the NFL Draft is to pick apart quarterback Johnny Manziel. From analyst Ron Jaworski saying he wouldn't pick Manziel in the first three rounds to former college and pro coach Barry Switzer labeling Manziel as an 'arrogant little prick'. Manziel bashing is in full swing.

While I do question his off field activities, Manziel can play and is a winner on the field. I wouldn't trust the guy with the family dog but I'd certainly put my trust in him to win football games. I'm sure there are plenty that will question my judgement, but to those who do, I'll bring up one name. Tim Tebow.

Yes, Saint Tebow could do no wrong off the field and was a proven winner. But he wasn't a conventional quarterback and couldn't throw, yet he parlayed his on field faults into being selected in the first round by the Denver Broncos. He eventually was named the starting quarterback and led the Broncos to a playoff win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. In my opinion if a team can put trust in Tebow, who was a flawed product, then skeptics shouldn't pick on Manziel so much.

While it's true that he's a hard driving individual off the field, there is no doubt about his abilities on the field. I believe Manziel can succeed if he's put in the right team environment. Right now Manziel is more sizzle than steak and if he can't be reined in off the field then he'll have a short career.

Barry Switzer criticizes Johnny Manziel

Texas A&M Heisman winning quarterback Johnny Manziel has been under fire for his on field antics against Rice on Saturday.  His smack talk against Rice defenders and money flashing gestures stole the show in college football last week.

Former Oklahoma Sooners and Dallas Cowboys head coach Barry Switzer became the latest to put in his two cents about Manziel's actions.

In an interview on ESPN radio Switzer voiced his displeasure with Manziel.

“I’m certainly disappointed in his actions,” Switzer said. “For him to act so arrogant,€“ I wanted to jerk his face mask and I wanted to grab him,” Switzer went on to say. “Of course you get fired for that now; in the old days you could get away with that. It’s the world we live in. It’s a misplaced value system. When I see this happen I wonder where the core value system comes from, if he has a core value system. This young man needs a damn hell of a lot of development.” 

That's a mouthful coming from Switzer. The man who used to brag about putting up "half a hundred" on inferior opponents before halftime. Toward the end of his reign at Oklahoma you couldn't help but think of Switzer anytime you heard the words "renegade program". Switzer or his players weren't exactly known for their sportsmanship.

I won't lie, I was a fan of it. But it was a moment of the pot calling the kettle black that's all.

Hopefully for Johnny Football, he'll let his play do the talking for the rest of the season.

Barry Switzer's Insight On The Penn State Scandal

Once he saw the footage of the Penn State coach standing on his lawn, talking to reporters and admitting to the world that he should've done more, the former Oklahoma coach realized his fate was sealed. He would be forced out. He would be fired.

“I knew that it would come to this,” Switzer said.

“They did the right thing at the university,” he said. “The university had to do this, and it was the right thing to do.”

He paused and sighed.

“It's a tragic, sad story. There are no winners here.”

He paused again.

“There are no winners at all.”

“Having been in this profession a long time and knowing how close coaching staffs are, I knew that this was a secret that was kept secret,” Switzer said. “Everyone on that staff had to have known, the ones that had been around a long time.”

“You think that a 13-year assistant … hasn't told someone else?” Switzer said. “His wife? His father? People knew. The community knew.”

“There are more people culpable than just Joe Paterno and the athletic director,” Switzer said via telephone while traveling in Texas. “There are so many other people that have thought, ‘I could've done something about this, too' that didn't come forward. That's the tragedy of it.”

That is the tragedy. The adults who had the power to protect kids from a monster. The adults who passed the buck and expected someone else to take care of the problem. The adults who could've saved at least eight little boys from carrying the scars of sexual abuse for the rest of their lives.

“There's no university immune to this,” Switzer said. “No one is immune to what happened at Penn State or what happened at Oklahoma. It happened years ago, and it'll happen years in the future.

“People make poor decisions, poor choices, and this is what can occur.”

“I'll tell you how it happens — it's the American sports phenomenon,” Switzer said. “I've seen it happen all my life; we've made coaches and players and athletes more than what we are. It's what happens in American sports. Because of that, they've gotten away with more than they should have.

“These students the other night, I watched ‘em occupy State College, and I thought, ‘They don't understand.' If they stopped and thought about … how many people were involved and knew this and did nothing, they just haven't lived long enough.

“And what they've done is try to support somebody the university can't support.”

Words from former Oklahoma coach Barry Switzer. And you know what, he's dead on.

Switzer presided over the Oklahoma crime spree that ended up with quarterback Charles Thompson on the cover of Sports Illustrated being led away in handcuffs in an orange prison jumpsuit for conspiracy to traffic cocaine. The wild west days of Norman. Switzer knew it was best for him to walk away from the school he loved so much.

Just like how Penn State had to rid themselves of Joe Paterno after the child sexual abuse scandal involving long time assistant Jerry Sandusky. And it's not over by a longshot. There is another layer or two to this story that has yet to come out.

There was no way that Paterno could survive this assault of mounting evidence of a possible cover up for Sandusky. The best thing for Penn State to do was to fire Paterno. Paterno said he would resign at the end of the season, but I think that was nothing more than to keep the wolves at bay. If Paterno wouldnt've felt any heat from this scandal, he'd be defiant about retiring and would be talking about coming back next year. I'm not here to blast Paterno, but this was for the greater good of the university and bigger than football.

I kind of feel sorry for Paterno. After all the years of loyalty to Penn State he goes out under a dark cloud. And it wasn't like the players being paid or an academic scandal that forced him out.

I know Paterno thought he was doing the right thing by following a chain of command and going through typical university protocol. But once he realized something was amiss he should've checked in with the athletic director again and then went to the authorities. It's not like they wouldnt've doubted him. He's Joe Paterno, the lord of State College, Pennsylvania.

He once said that he wouldn't retire to leave the game to the Barry Switzers and Jackie Sherrills of the world. At least they went out cheating the game or on their own terms, rather than trying to cover up a crime against children.