Sports
Johnny Manziel praises Shedeur Sanders’ Browns approach after stellar preseason debut: ‘Continue to grind’
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Johnny Manziel was once in Shedeur Sanders‘ shoes – a Cleveland Browns quarterback with high expectations and a national spotlight.
Manziel was a Browns first-round pick in 2014 with the entire city of Cleveland hoping “Johnny Football” could spring life into a franchise desperate for consistency at the quarterback position.
NFL fans know how that ultimately played out for the Browns and Manziel, but the 2012 Heisman Trophy winner has loads of optimism for Sanders, a fifth-round pick, as he embarks on his first season in the league.
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Former Texas A&M and Cleveland Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel looks on prior to the game against the Texas Longhorns. (Maria Lysaker/Imagn Images)
“I think everything he’s done since he’s gotten to Cleveland has been exactly what he should be doing,” Manziel told Fox News Digital about Sanders, while also discussing his partnership with Sling TV.
“Obviously, a crowded quarterback room. I think a lot of people, at least for me, enjoyed watching Shedeur play in college. I also really liked watching [Browns third-round pick] Dillon Gabriel play in college. I think the guy has a lot of talent, a great arm. So, I think for [Sanders], continue to go through this preseason. Try to get better week in and week out, and if they name you the starter, amazing. If you’re the [No.] 2, amazing. If you’re the [No.] 3, whatever. Sit there and continue to grind, learn the offense, and continue to try to get more comfortable, and good things will happen.”
EX-NBA PLAYER MAKES SHEDEUR SANDERS-LEBRON JAMES COMPARISON AFTER QB’S PRESEASON DEBUT
While Manziel and others have said before the start of training camp that Sanders could win the job, it’s expected that Joe Flacco, the longtime veteran quarterback, will begin the season as the Browns’ starter under center.
But all the talk around the Browns after their first preseason game last week was about Sanders, as he was named the starter by head coach Kevin Stefanski and played well into the third quarter.
Sanders went 14-for-23 passing for 138 yards and two touchdowns, flashing his signature touchdown celebration along the way to a 30-10 victory against the Carolina Panthers.
It’s a performance like this that has Manziel reminiscing about the NFL Draft back in April, and how Sanders fell into Day 3 and the fifth round before Cleveland scooped him up.
Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders (12) throws against the Carolina Panthers during the second quarter at Bank of America Stadium. (Scott Kinser/USA Today Network via Imagn Images)
“I didn’t think there was any way he was getting past Day 2. You’re just sitting there and this guy’s getting billed as somebody who’s getting taken in the first round and this and that. Wild to see, but you get into a position that is in need of a quarterback, right? You have a vet in Joe Flacco, you got two rookies that are in there, and Kenny Pickett. I’m sure they’re going into that quarterback room and being like, ‘Listen, you guys go out every day and battle for this. We’re going to mix up reps, we’re going to give somebody something this day and that day.’”
Manziel added how he thinks it’s funny to see fans clamoring over reports from the Cleveland media about which quarterback threw the most touchdowns or had the best day on the practice field.
“In the grand scheme of things, it’s all bulls— until you get to the real game, and real bullets are flying,” Manziel said. “I’ve been having a good laugh seeing the practice statistics pop up.”
But once again, Manziel knows how much the media can play a part in the perception of a player and a team. While many think about New York, Los Angeles or Boston media when it comes to sports, Manziel explained why he thinks Cleveland is also a tough place to impress.
Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders (12) at the line of scrimmage in the third quarter at Bank of America Stadium. (Bob Donnan/Imagn Images)
“I think people who have covered that team for years and years and years have dealt with the highs of having high expectations going into a season, and seeing them crumble,” he said. “There hasn’t been the success there that they want, so of course, it’s been extremely frustrating. Of course, it’s a tough media place to be in when you’re not winning games when you feel like you should be, especially when you have good pieces on the team.
“The one thing that I do know about [Sanders], and Deion, knowing him through the years, he’s going to be prepared for that. He’s going to have the right answers for it. He’s going to be able to weather the storm. It’s one of those things where you go out and have a nine-, 10-, 11-win season, those questions will start to feel more warm and fuzzy for sure.”
Sanders is unlikely to follow up his first taste of the NFL with any great performance after suffering an oblique injury at Browns practice this week. Cleveland takes on the Philadelphia Eagles for their second preseason game on Saturday night.
As someone who was once in his shoes, Johnny Manziel believes Shedeur Sanders is doing all the right things as a Cleveland Browns QB. (Getty)
A DIFFERENT WAY TO WATCH FOOTBALL
Manziel partnered with Sling TV, a subsidiary of DISH Network Corporation, to promote a different way to watch football this season – one that truly taks the consumer into consideration.
Sling TV is offering three new streaming subscription packages: Day Pass for instant 24-hour access, Weekend Pass, which grants Friday-through-Sunday access, and Week Pass for a full seven-days worth of access.
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When it comes to football, especially on the college level, not all fans want to pay a premium for games they won’t watch. Manziel loves that he can pick and choose the right streaming subscription with Sling TV to satisfy his watching needs.
“I get these notifications on my phone that say, ‘You get charged X amount for this or that.’ I’m like, ‘Man, I’m just trying to watch ball.’ To have something start at $4.99, and you pick which one you want – you want a day, a week, a weekend. Being an SEC guy through and through, I think for me, it makes it easy for me to watch whatever I want whenever I want and it’s really easy. You don’t have to sit there with overhead or anything else going on. For me, I don’t think it can be any better.”
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FORT WORTH, Texas — The first semifinal session of the NCAA gymnastics championships included LSU, Florida, Georgia and Stanford — with Florida and LSU advancing to Saturday’s final (4 p.m. ET; ABC).
Next up, Oklahoma, UCLA, Arkansas and Minnesota will compete in Semifinal II, beginning at 9 pm ET (ESPN2). Once again, the top two teams will move on.
Individual event titles and an all-around winner will also be awarded today — but not until both semifinal sessions are complete.
Who will make it to the next round? Will an upset surprise us all? We’ll have you covered with all the action here.
New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill on Wednesday joined U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer in calling on FIFA to contribute toward World Cup transit security costs.
MetLife Stadium will host eight World Cup games, including the tournament final. The Athletic reported earlier this week that NJ Transit is considering charging $100 for train tickets to shuttle fans between New York Penn Station and the stadium. Standard fare is $12.90.
Parking will be restricted at the Meadowlands stadium complex compared to NFL games — making public transport one of the only options to attend World Cup matches, which get underway June 11.
“We inherited an agreement where FIFA is providing $0 for transportation to the World Cup,” Sherrill said on X. “And while NJ TRANSIT is stuck with a $48 million bill to safely get fans to and from games, FIFA is making $11 billion. I’m not going to stick New Jersey commuters with that tab for years to come.
“FIFA should pay for the rides. But if they don’t — I’m not going to let New Jersey get taken for one.”
Speaking on WNYC on Wednesday, Sherrill said she would approve the fare increase if FIFA doesn’t step in.
“I will, if that’s what it takes, because I’m not putting this on the back of New Jerseyans,” she said.
On Wednesday, NJ Transit’s board of directors unanimously approved a resolution to set transport prices to “cover any and all costs” to transport fans and comply with Sherrill’s directive.
NJ Transit CEO Kris Kolluri on Wednesday said he supported Sherrill’s plea to FIFA and confirmed that commuters would not pay extra costs, according to NJ.com.
“The governor said whatever the fare will be, it will not be cross subsidized by our regular commuters. I’d think every NJ Transit customer would stand behind that,” Kolluri told NJ.com. “It will cost us $48 million. We will charge FIFA fans for those tickets, and it will not be subsidized by our commuters.”
Schumer on Monday said FIFA should be helping pay for World Cup transit security costs.
“FIFA is set to reap nearly $11 billion from this summer’s World Cup, yet New York area commuters and residents are being handed the bill,” Schumer wrote on X. “The least FIFA can do is ensure New York residents can go to the stadium without being gouged at the turnstile. I am demanding FIFA step up.”
We inherited an agreement where FIFA is providing $0 for transportation to the World Cup.
And while NJ TRANSIT is stuck with a $48 million bill to safely get fans to and from games, FIFA is making $11 billion.
I’m not going to stick New Jersey commuters with that tab for years… pic.twitter.com/pugU8davkW
— Governor Mikie Sherrill (@GovSherrillNJ) April 15, 2026
Earlier this month, New Jersey’s host travel committee released a detailed plan for transport and parking during the matches, outlining a park-and-ride plan with specific parking lots and shuttle buses that will run to and from the stadium.
“While rideshare and limited premium parking options will be available, the FIFA World Cup at NYNJ Stadium will be a public transportation first event, largely relying on NJ Transit rail and Host Committee bus shuttles,” Natalie Hamilton, a host committee spokesperson, told NJ.com.
“We are strongly encouraging all ticket holders to utilize expanded NJ Transit rail service and the Host Committee’s Stadium Shuttle.”
A FIFA spokesperson insisted the host city had previously agreed to provide free or at-cost transportation to fans at all matches.
“We are quite surprised by the NJ governor’s approach on fan transportation,” FIFA said in a statement Wednesday.
“The original FIFA World Cup 2026 host city agreements signed in 2018 required free transportation for fans to all matches. Recognizing the financial strain this placed on the host cities, back in 2023 FIFA adjusted the host agreement requirements across all host cities as follows: All match ticket holders and accredited individuals shall be able to access transport [public or additionally planned transport] at cost to allow travel to stadiums on match days.
“Moreover, FIFA has worked for years with host cities on their transportation and mobility plans, including advocating for millions of dollars in federal funding to support host cities for transportation.
“The FIFA World Cup will bring millions of fans to North America along with the related economic impact. Many of these fans will travel to NYNJ to enjoy the eight matches scheduled, including the FIFA World Cup final.
“FIFA is not aware of any other major event previously held at NYNJ Stadium, including other major sports, global concert tours, etc, where organizers were required to pay for fan transportation.”
During the last World Cup in Qatar in 2022, ticket holders enjoyed free transport on the city’s Metro system, funded by the country’s government.
UEFA bore the cost of ticket holders using German public transport in host cities on match days during Euro 2024.
Kansas City, where England’s training camp will be based, will offer free bus travel for fans from the airport close to the Fan Festival in the city center, and daily, weekly and tournament passes for unlimited regional travel costing $5.25 and $50, respectively.
Ticket holders will also be able to use a Stadium Direct service, which connects four park and ride locations as well as the Fan Festival to the Arrowhead Stadium for $15 per person, the host city committee said.
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) said that there will be no fare increases connected to the staging of World Cup matches in Philadelphia.
The spokesperson said most if not all of the added operating costs of running the services during the World Cup would be covered by a recently awarded federal grant.
Information from Press Association and The Associated Press was used in this report.
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The Baltimore Orioles fell victim to an accidental challenge.
In the second inning of the Orioles’ 8-5 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday, third baseman Coby Mayo was forced to challenge a pitch he didn’t want to.
Mayo took a 3-0 pitch from Diamondbacks starter Eduardo Rodríguez on the outside and began walking toward first base, thinking he had a walk. Instead home plate umpire John Tumpane called it a strike.
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Baltimore Orioles’ Coby Mayo talks with umpire John Tumpane during the second inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks in Baltimore, Maryland. April 15, 2026. (Stephanie Scarbrough/AP Photo)
Mayo expressed his displeasure with the call and raised his right hand toward his helmet, but did not tap his head, as he did not want to challenge the pitch. Tumpane thought he did indeed challenge the pitch and initiated a review.
The call was confirmed to be a strike as Mayo argued he did not challenge the call. The Orioles ended up losing the challenge, one of their two on the day. A replay confirmed that Mayo never actually touched his head.
ASTROS’ $54M PITCHER BLAMES ARM FATIGUE ON STRUGGLE TO ADJUST TO AMERICAN LIFESTYLE
Baltimore Orioles’ Coby Mayo celebrates hitting a double during the second inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks in Baltimore, Maryland. April 15, 2026. (Stephanie Scarbrough/AP Photo)
Mayo, however, still had a successful at-bat. On the ensuing 3-1 pitch, Mayo ripped a 91-mph fastball down the left-field line for a double and ended up scoring the game’s first run.
Mayo’s unintentional challenge is one of a few that have occurred so far this season. Last week, Pittsburgh Pirates infielder Nick Gonzales challenged a pitch but immediately tried to reverse his decision, as the team only had one challenge left.
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Baltimore Orioles’ Coby Mayo celebrates with Blaze Alexander after scoring on an RBI hit by Sam Huff during the second inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks in Baltimore, Maryland. April 15, 2026. (Stephanie Scarbrough/AP Photo)
Gonzales ended up winning the challenge, and the Pirates retained their last challenge.
Mayo and the Orioles (9-9) will hope they don’t have any more ABS snafus when they play the Cleveland Guardians (10-9) on Thursday at 6:10 p.m. ET.
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