Johnny 'Football' Manziel shocks Alouettes fans with a disappointing debut
Manziel threw an interception on his first pass, then he threw a few more
There hasn't been a buzz in Percvial Molson Stadium like there was on Friday night in many years.
Before Johnny Manziel even took a snap, he was announced as the starter on the big screen and the crowd of Alouettes faithful, many of whom were sporting freshly purchased #2 jerseys with Manziel's name on the back, burst into cheers.
It felt a little bit like the good ol' days when there was an expectation that the team might surprise them with a big play at any moment.
But that optimistic feeling was flushed away the moment Manziel threw his first pass.
It was an interception right into the hands of a defender.
Then he threw another pick and by the end of the first quarter, the home team was trailing 28-0. In the second half, he threw two more picks and by halftime the scoreboard read a stunning 38 to 3 for the visiting Hamilton Tiger Cats.
Short of an injury, Manziel's first impression could not have gone worse.
Alouettes Fans starving for something to cheer for
From 2000 to 2010 the Alouettes were a hot ticket.
In those days, the team was led by hall of famer Anthony Calvillo and the stadium's seats were often sold out.
The Als routinely scored more than 35 points and it was fun to come to the stadium. There was a buzz in city the about the team. There were championship parades in 2009 and 2010.
But since 2013, after Calvillo played his last game, the occasions for fans to cheer started to dwindle.
Management tried out dozens of quarterbacks, Manziel was the 14th different one to start a game, but none were able to win consistently and exciting plays became as rare as finding a free parking spot in Montreal Plateau-Mont-Royal neighbourhood.
Games at Percival Molson were no longer sell outs and that buzz around town fizzled into a hospital like flat line.
It felt like Manziel's presence would be the defibrillator. But instead of shocking the fan base back to life the crowd perhaps learned that he isn't the saviour they were hoping for.
At least, not yet.
Set up to fail?
In the days leading up to Manziel's debut, his agent voiced concerns that the team was rushing him into action.
Football is a complicated game and he had not had enough time learning the Alouettes playbook to succeed, he argued.
He might have been right because it wasn't all bad.
Manziel moved on the field like no other quarterback to wear the Alouettes colours ever had and as the game went on he completed passes down field thanks to his superior arm strength.
For a team that has won only 1 of its last 18 games, that's at least something you can work with.
Manziel may not have won his first game in the CFL. But he will get another chance and the only way to go is up.