Whatever actually is going on in this story, here's the one thing we know beyond a shadow of a doubt: you do not want to be a Cleveland Browns fan. What you see above is a picture Johnny Manziel posted to Instagram last night as reports spread that he was out dining and gambling in Las Vegas. The location is tagged as Avon, Ohio. Notwithstanding his Instagramming, according to USA Today several employees and customers of Las Vegas' Planet Hollywood casino spotted the Cleveland quarterback eating at Heart Bar and later playing blackjack.
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The facts in the reporting are incredibly convenient to the point of feeling almost too on the nose—he paid cash, no paper trail; someone literally said out loud for at least one other person to hear "We've got Johnny Manziel with us tonight," after confirming with his ID—but this is also totally something Johnny Manziel would do.There's obviously nothing wrong with eating and gambling in Las Vegas, that is, like, the sole purpose that place exists. But it is a little weird—and it is at least a few more arrows in haters' quivers—to be out in Sin City when you've got a game in Cleveland the following day. Manziel won't play, naturally, because he's being held out under the concussion protocol, but that won't stop the cries of "immature" and "irresponsible."USA Today also claims that Manziel "later added 'Avon, Ohio' as the photo's location," which is something you can do and would be just a delightful move on Manziel's part if he was in fact out in Vegas and later tried to cover his tracks. Uh-uh, I've been snuggling with my new puppy at home…[five minutes pass]…IN AVON, OHIO AS YOU CAN CLEARLY SEE.Adding to the Amazing Potential Travels of Johnny Manziel, is an Ian Rapoport report that Browns head coach Mike Pettine is on his way out of Cleveland. According to several sources who spoke to Rapoport, Browns owner Jimmy Haslam has already made the decision to fire Pettine "immediately after the regular season ends," and general manager Ray Farmer is likely out, too. Here's a lovely bit of info on the Farmer regime: he will be fired without ever hiring his own head coach and having only selected two of the four first-round picks available during his tenure.So, we're back at the beginning again: consider yourself lucky not to be a fan of this franchise.Manziel, who Browns coach Mike Pettine said still must address off-field problems that resulted in a stint in rehab last year, paid cash for a meal at a restaurant in the casino, according to Tina Samira, a waitress who served Manziel and his guests at Heart Bar at Planet Hollywood. Manziel also sat down at a blackjack table and a casino employee examining his photo ID exclaimed, "We've got Johnny Manziel with us tonight," according to John Hornacek, a 43-year-old casino patron who witnessed the exchange.