“This is so much bigger than football. Can we please stop talking about football with this guy?”

Commentators on nfl.com were referring to Johnny Manziel, the young quarterback who burst out of the gate with so much promise but who now is searching for a new team after being let go by the Cleveland Browns.

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Manziel was released because of his penchant for partying and after a series of incidents, including showing up drunk to practice and being charged with a misdemeanor assault. Many people are now saying there should be no more focus on his football career — instead, he should be getting help for his issues. (He was also just in a car accident on Wednesday night on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles — a friend of his was the driver of the car that struck a light pole, a police spokesperson said. There were no injuries and no other cars involved.)

Unfortunately, reckless and risky behavior by star athletes seems all too commonplace — Manziel certainly isn’t the only one in this sad position. Scroll through the gallery to see which “hits” hurt athletes the worst.

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