National Football League

So why did Manziel flip the bird? Redskins safety has the answer

Published Aug. 19, 2014 12:04 p.m. ET

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Sid Saraf

Johnny Manziel had quite a Monday night. He played some football. Threw some passes. And, oh yeah, he threw up the middle finger at the Redskins sideline.

But who and what was the target of his finger missile? Manziel said "words were exchanged" in his postgame interview after the Browns lost 24-23 on Monday night, but he didn't elaborate. But Redskins safety Ryan Clark, appearing on ESPN on Tuesday morning, has more insight into what happened.

"I can tell you what the statement was that set him off," Clark said. "The statement was, 'This isn't college anymore and these people are faster than you are.' He didn't like it. That was me cleaning up the statement, but that's pretty close to what it was."

Honestly, that's a fair criticism. Manziel doesn't actually have blazing speed, as he ran a 4.68 in the 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine. Most NFL defensive backs — and even a few linebackers — can run in the 4.4-4.5 range. So, Manziel is going to have to adjust.

But still, who among us would want to hear that? Not to say Manziel should have flipped the bird, but you can see where he's coming from.

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