SSK allegedly possibly maybe illegally works out Manziel

Probably maximum $50 fine plus a stern e-mail from The Commish to Rider’s Chancellor of E-mails & Propaganda. :thup:

Who is going to sue a reporter ? Certainly won’t be a team or the league. Jones wants to sue I guess he can.

What reasons would the Riders waste resources on working out a guy they can't sign? The story doesn't really make any sense to me for that reason alone. They can't sign Manziel, he's Ticat properly as far as his CFL rights are concerned.

If the Riders are saying it didn't happen, Manziel's reps are saying it didn't happen, and there's no logical reason for it to happen, I'm going to side with the "It didn't happen" side for now.

I doubt they set out or organized working him out but we all know that Jones takes the entire organization to the Senior Bowl. I'm pretty sure Murphy or one of his offensive coach got wind Manziel was doing an open workout for Arena teams and he went to it. No question in my mind. The question is did this person do it knowing he was on Hamilton's neg list. That is much less certain.

Obviously someone with present or past ties to the CFL saw someone from the Riders at the workout.

I'm pretty sure there is something to this story. Jones again trying to skirt the rules with the small print. I'm betting Manziel was throwing some balls, some Rider staff were there, and Riders probably hired some unknown entity to run the thing.

I could totally see the club or Jones going after him if it is false. It is a pretty big accusation to put in print. Jones has definitely played hard pushing edges on grey areas but this is a pretty black and white instance if it is true. Dunk has been pushing some buttons for a year now and the league would likely smile if someone went after him after his tweeting thing at last year’s draft…they were pissed and it hurt the relationship with their biggest partner in TSN. They might just throw it out there to get him to tread a little lighter…but look at the instant reaction from most when this broke…it would be pretty cut and dry in court if Dunk couldn’t/wouldn’t back up his report. Liability is a B and could sink Dunk and he doubled down on it by standing 100% behind it. There was no allegation in how he presented his story…he has straight up said it happened.

He probably was tossing some balls around in the week leading up to the Senior Bowl…that is why he was there…to rub elbows with staffers of teams to try to get a shot. That does not equate to a workout no matter who was standing there…even is someone (Jones) said “hey, show me this” and barked a couple requests to him…that is not a workout. Considering Manziel’s side is stating it never happened it sure seems like someone was probably reading way more into the Senior Bowl prep week than was actual reality.

If he actually had a workout for him then the hammer should fall damned hard. If it never happened the Dunk better cover his arse.

So what if he did go to an open workout? That is not the Riders working him out…that is another club working him out and it being open for anyone to check out. If someone is invited to a Dallas Cowboys OTA to check things out or be a guest coach (and this type of thing does happen) it is still not a team workout for said CFL team and there could ba a half dozen neg listed players there.

So Dunk can say this "workout" happened but can't State time, place, or who all attended? What a frickin farce. Sounds to me like a source got smoked out & Dunk got kicked in the junk.

Where did I cast blame.

From Earlier Today:

CFL Headlines: Word is Manziel did workout UNOFFICALLY (after hours) Has JD ever been wrong?

Reply: Where did you get this tidbit?

CFL Headlines: Darrel Davis

Reply: and after the hours for what? Does the football offseason have business hours?

CFL Headlines: Unofficial third party workout to avoid any tampering.

Reply: unless 1) a riders staff member was there or 2) the is proof they have video this is all out of hand

CFL Headlines: Yes, the “proof? is untraceable. That’s why it’s done clandestine.

Where did I say you did?

“The question is did this person do it knowing he was on Hamilton’s neg list. That is much less certain.”

this is what I was replying to. As you said (as have I) it is very likely they saw him work out in some fashion. Why does it matter if they know he is neg listed or not and if they knew about it? It is not their workout. If it was someone affiliate via the Riders who arranged it and it was not actually for another clear party (ie an Arena or NFL team or something) and seems to have been orchestrated by Jones/Riders, then yes, he needs to be made a clear example of and be expunged from the league for at least 1 season (IMO). But otherwise why would it matter? Coaches and staff from CFL teams attend workouts for other teams/leagues often, and I am sure participants in those are at time on a Neg list.

Serious question, because unless they arranged something to specifically watch him work out then I am not seeing the issue here, even if they saw him in some other fashion.

Put it this way. lets say team X in league Y is working out player A. Player A is on a neg list in the CFL. You are a GM/Staffer for CFL team Z. You for whatever reason attend that workout (perhaps you are looking at a dozen players with them that day, perhaps you are sharing tips with evaluation, perhaps you are on good terms with the other staff and they simply invite you to watch in case someone does not interest them but might you, there are a pile of legit reasons for it to happen). You attend. that is not you working out the player, nor is it you working out the player if they have an open workout for all to attend around an event like the Senior Bowl, which is a good place for someone trying a comeback to get a look and talk lots of recruitment people.

but yeah…if they had a hand in orchestrating it (if it even happened)…different story entirely.

Absolutely. One of the best. He has still been wrong before, but he is very good. Reality now is that he is likely to be put into a spot where he is either going to:

  • have to retract and apologize and say it was a bad source…not even saying he is right/wrong but he may not want to reveal his source. likely all is good if he does this. takes a lot to swallow pride like that…but he may have to
  • reveal his source or provide some actual proof. if there is proof…easy enough. revealing his source costs him long term assuming the source is not willing to fess up to it all as well
  • risk charges/being sued…and if people don’t think that is something being considered they are not fooling anyone else. If the Riders truly did nothing this is a pretty damaging black and white case of liable defamation and after some of the other leaks Dunk has put out there on them (ie releasing months old fines and trying to stir the pot on them even though they were commonplace and other teams had the same fines the same week and he said nothing about others) then it would seem that Dunk is intentionally causing harm to their rather big brand. Not saying that is him if true, likely a source, but he is the one liable because he is printing it.

I don’t know if there is truth to it or not…but both sides are stating not and Jones seemed pissed by the tweets that went out there. I understand he pushed grey area way too far last season and deserved what he got…but compare his reaction then to now. He straight up did it last season and he accepted it and was pretty composed when talking to the media leading up to it. pretty much the opposite here no? my speculation leans towards this is someone over blowing seeing a rider staff member observe Manziel work out in some other fashion than them holding it.

lol

was actually wondering the same thing a little bit TBH. there has been speculation of a source from the inside so it could have been a seed planted to test things out. Seems a little tinfoil hatted and all but the thought did cross my mind.

Dunk will feel like a rockstar if he is right and it all washes out though…massive scoop then.

Maybe everyone's telling the truth here? The Riders never worked-out Manziel and he never worked-out for any CFL team. But perhaps he worked out for a pro scout who had connections in both leagues (and was not an employee of the Riders)? Then technically Dunk would be right, C. Jones is right and so is Manziel!

The question now is would the Riders part with a 1st pick for Johnny? Perhaps if he signed a 2 or 3 year CFL contract, with a NFL tryout clause after two years? :o

Yeah, could easily be.

as far as if they wanted him…wouldn’t have to offer anything that deep…JM would simply need to make Hamilton play their cards and ask for a contract offer…they have a week or 10 days or whatever to do that. If he rejects it then it goes to arbitration and is assessed if it is a fair contract or not. We are talking a guy with a pile of upside drafted 22nd in the NFL…I have a hard time believing an arbitrator would see a 60-90k contract as anything close to fair market. I would think a 100k base with at least that in incentives would be a fair assessment. Are the Cats going to pay that? not likely. If JM did not know how all of this neg list stuff worked a couple days ago he sure does now…and his agent would undoubtedly be saying that he is unlikely to beat Zach out in year one so he would be better off on another team…and I would think the Riders would be a front runner at best chance to start sooner.

one can say what they want about the transgressions with extra bodies last year…but they can not say Jones ever denied it…he showed the CFL. pretty clear statement above…so yeah…they do a lot of contract scouting (I mean ffs…Murphy was in on an agency or whatever) so very easily could have been someone checking him out that was not actually working for the club in any fashion

Dunk has two sources, doubled checked the accounts and Drew has not backed away from the story. So there is clearly something behind this. But after getting fired by the CFL, I don't think the Riders have to worry about Dunk having a quiet chat with the fake commish :lol:

He did deny it

Rod Pedersen
?@rodpedersen
Jones: “We’ve broken no CFL rules. Ask Huff & Dave about their players on soc media. This is all surprising to me”

Well if anything this "Did he ? or Didn't he ?" controversial saga has the tongues wagging overtime at the Ridersfan forum .
Yup , 38 pages and counting so far on the topic already. Clearly they have to much free time on their hands on the prairies . I guess it doesn't take very much to keep Rider fans in Jonestown occupied and interested in the off season when they have nothing better to do but waste their time discussing the likes of a no talent clown like a Johnny Manziel. :slight_smile: :cowboy: :lol:

[url=http://www.riderfans.com/forum/showthread.php?137590-Rumour-Riders-workout-Johnny-Manziel-(on-Hamilton-s-Neg-List]http://www.riderfans.com/forum/showthre ... s-Neg-List[/url])

LOL!!! I'm just wondering but who do you think will be the Sliders starting QB in 2017 ? Kevin Glenn ? Vince Young ? or Johnny Manziel ? :lol: :wink: