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An eager Cleveland Browns fan sparked a massive fight at The 9 when he approached Johnny Manziel and his “entourage” late Friday night, according to a police report obtained today by Scene.

Cleveland police were called to the apartment’s lobby at 2:36 a.m. for a report of a “riot” involving 20 men and two security guards.

The alleged victim, 33-year-old Sandusky resident Chris Gonos, reported to police that he and his girlfriend spotted Manziel while waiting for an elevator at the high-end apartment complex, where many Cleveland professional athletes live, and professed his love to the rookie quarterback.

Gonos told police he pointed Manziel out to his girlfriend: “That’s Johnny Manziel.” Then he approached him.

According to the report, “at this time victim stated to the unidentified male, ‘I’m the biggest Browns fan ever, I love you, I want to give you a hug.'”

Gonos stepped towards Manziel and was promptly punched in the face, the alleged victim’s account to police says, followed by a beat down by Manziel’s crew, giving the man a “swollen lip, right eye swollen, red face.” A security guard intervened and also was hurt.

Kenny Didier, general manager of The 9, told Scene “We have no comment on any of that.”

We reached out to the Browns for comment and will update with the team’s response.

UPDATE: Comments from the alleged victim, Chris Gonos, about the fight.

“Yeah, it actually all started through me. We had a room — it was my brother’s birthday — so we were staying at the Metropolitan at the 9. We partied there, and at the end of the night I was going back up to my room, and I noticed the guy. I was like, ‘Man, that’s Johnny Manziel.’ They were trying to keep it quiet, keep it low, and I was like ‘Johnny Football!’ I was just excited. But anyways, I went to give him like a handshake, or dap or whatever you want to call it, one of his buddies like tackled me. It was going down, a whole bunch of people started fighting. It ended pretty quick.”

“I got a bruised hip and a bruised elbow, and somebody hit me in the back of the head, too. My brother saw what was going on and he ran he tackled Johhny Manziel — I guess he got the sack and the fumble. He tackled him, yeah, I’m talking about he speared him all the way to the back wall. I was cornered; I was by myself and Johnny Manziel and like three or four of his buddies were all coming at me. (My brother) just came to help me out, and I guess Johnny sucker punched him while the security guard was holding him. It should be all on video.”

“No [one was arrested], like 20 officers came and I was sitting in the lobby because I did not do anything wrong but be a fan. All these cops run into the lobby, and they’re like, “Who was fighting, who was fighting?” and I just raised my hand, and was like, listen, watch the camera, and stuff like that. I may be guilty of being a fan, but that’s about it. I even showed them the guy that sucker punched me and the cops walked right up to him, talking to him for a while, and they let us all go. They just told me I had to leave the hotel, and me and my ride, we left. Manziel never punched me, but he got a sucker punch on my brother.”

“I know somebody else in the group smashed Johnny right in the face. Smashed him, smashed him. I watched the whole game to see if we could spot him on the sidelines.”

Update II:
STATEMENT FROM CLEVELAND BROWNS GENERAL MANAGER RAY FARMER:

“We are aware of the incident and are in the process of gathering additional information in order to gain a complete understanding of what occurred. Nonetheless, the time of the incident is concerning to us. We continually stress to all of our players the importance of sound decision making in an effort to avoid putting themselves in these types of situations. We have addressed this appropriately with the player and will have no further comment at this time.”

Update III:

Chris Gonos, the Browns fan in the middle of it all, pleaded guilty last year in federal court to charges of “conspiracy to structure financial transactions to evade filing currency transaction reports,” the Sandusky Register reported at the time.

This article appears in Nov 19-25, 2014.

Doug Brown is a staff writer at Scene with a passion for public records laws and investigative reporting. A native of Ann Arbor, Mich., he has an M.A. in journalism from the Kent State University School of Journalism and Mass Communication and a B.A. in political science from Hiram College. Prior to joining Scene, Doug was a contributing writer for Deadspin.com, reporting behind-the-scenes stories about college sports through public records and developing sources. Doug's work as an enterprise reporter for the Daily Kent Stater was recognized by the Cleveland Press Club (2013 Ohio Excellence in Journalism Awards), Society of Professional Journalists (regional and national Mark of Excellence Awards), and the Associated Collegiate Press. He spent the summer of 2012 working for the Metro desk of the Cleveland Plain Dealer and spent previous summers working for Outside Bozeman Magazine and Crain's Detroit Business. His website is dougbrown8.com.

83 replies on “Police Report: Johnny Manziel Involved In Massive Fight Late Friday Night at The 9 in Downtown Cleveland”

  1. if he seriously punched the guy in the face because he said he was his biggest fan, then that fucker can go. if. he can join other hot shot doucebags that never were like tebow.

  3. A grown man went to give a hug to a famous athlete? Come on, I hope people don’t actually believe that lol.

  10. We just played in Atlanta yesterday. Why would he be in Cleveland Friday night? Who knows how much of this story is true, if anything is, I hope it’s that jackass got a real beat down.

  13. I guess the main point here would be whether or not that was even Manziel, or if this guy was just so drunk he walked up to a random stranger and got popped.

  15. Yeah…google this guy. He and his whole family plead guilty to cash skimming up to 1.8 million from their restaurants. So I bet he’s really honest

  18. I bet he wishes he would have finished his BA because his football career is going nowhere. Funny enough, the photo of him above looks just like Billy Madison. All I can say is this guy has a lot of growing up to do and needs to mature, FAST. If he can’t handle a fan wanting to hug him or approach him then it’s just another reason why another pro team won’t pick him up as a 1st string. You have to handle yourself well ON and OFF the field Johnny Madison..hah.

  19. I haven’t a clue what actually happened but the security tape is not refutable. Lets see what the NFL can do to quash it! Manzel showed his lack of maturity and class when he responded to the other fan previously. The alternate views are drunk guy wanted to hug a guy he didn’t know and got knocked on his ass versus a fan wanting to shake the hand of an athlete he sees and truly admires. The thing about an unrelated prior act is propaganda BS, either he assaulted or was assaulted. No excuse either way for that Puke Manzel. The ultimate BUST!!!

  20. dguy901 Manzile is a Bust? lol. You must be watching a different team than me. I haven’t seen him play yet. So what do you base your comment on? Do you have some special powers?

  21. I agree that they guy shouldn’t have wanted to hug Manziel but Manziel could have told him, hey dude no hug how about a hand shake. Manziel seems like a punk to me!

  22. And now he wants $10 million dollars, for pain and suffering. You know these athletes celebrity or not just want to be left alone. Dude with his girlfriend pointing out another dude for her to look at, in my book is a bitch move. What man tells his girl to look at another man? That’s something women do.

  24. He bases his comment off of butthurt and wishful thinking. Give me a break with this stupid ass story. A drunk asshole bum rushes an entourage of body guards and gets slapped around. Pretty sure they are hired for that exact reason. If anything, it sounds like Manzel and his crew were assaulted. Good for them for handling their business instead of being the nut-less pansies the world wants men to be these days.

  25. Hey moron, if you’re going to try to grope an NFL Football player, maybe you should consider groping one who has actually played in the NFL…..consider yourself lucky you were only bitch slapped around.

  26. Oh comeon, it was alcohol, the browns shouldn’t have gotten involved in a fight, but talk about the story that guy has. He doesn’t seem to upset, more proud that Johnny got tackled by his brother lol. Welcome to Ohio.

  28. READ the entire article. It said someone in his entourage punched the fan in the face.
    Stupid people lol

  29. In the middle of the night some strange man wants to hug you.
    Any reasonable person would punch the weirdo.

  30. Well completely lost any respect I had for Manziel. He has a Tebow like future anyways. Hope he gets fined for it as well.

  31. The “victim” is a nut and JM is a bit light in the britches…either way, God bless you Cleveland…better you than us.

  32. Most of these professional athletes that get paid Millions can usually get away with anything..Mr. Johnny Football was probably in a bad mood when he realized the current quarterback for the Browns is doing a great job and Johnny would be warming the bench this year and next. As per his own team, Johnny should not have been out that time of the evening ! I don’t think he will do so good in the Pro’s anyway and the Pro defensive linebackers will probably break him in 200 pieces anyway. I don’t think he will keep his name ” Johnny Football ” it will be changed to ” Johnny Bench warmer Spoiled Bratt “…LMAO

  35. I’m really sorry this professional football player has to put up with idiot fans. Doesn’t he have enough on his plate? I’ve worked for some of his family in Tyler, Tx. Great people! I would have knocked the fan out cold. Back up off Johnny, he did nothing wrong.

  36. Other than being out partying way too late… seems like Manziel actually did nothing wrong. If anything HE was assaulted when this guy’s brother “tackled him, yeah, I’m talking about he speared him all the way to the back wall.”

    By his own account that was an unprovoked act, as it was Manziel’s bodyguards that got physical. Wait for the civil suit to come out. Sounds like a money grab to me.

  37. you can take the bumkin out of the country, but you can’t take country out of the bumkin. Everybody knew the baggage Manziel was coming with, no one should be surprised. Stay tuned there will be more.

  39. Yeah … let’s all blame the fan because Johnny Football has proven to be so mature that he would never be in the wrong. Unlike Quin, Colt, Weeden, Garcia and others, when management finally gets smart and dumps Manziel, nobody in the NFL will be dumb enough to pick him up.

  40. When you are an actual bodyguard, as opposed to a hanger-on, your job is to defuse trouble. Throwing punches gets your client in the newspapers.

  42. DogMeat, I’m not saying he’s not a punk. However, in this situation, as described by Mr Gonos, Manziel didn’t instigate this. Manziel didn’t even take action, physical or verbal, until he was assaulted via Gonos’ brother “tackled him, yeah, I’m talking about he speared him all the way to the back wall.”

    For once Manziel did nothing wrong. Oh wait, it was what time? Ok, well don’t tell Farmer I said ‘nothing’.

  43. johnny is a egotistical little prick you cleveland fans better wake the fuck up ..do you actually believe in your hearts that this little prick is your future, cmon you guys are so much wiser than that. forget the useless little jerk, send him packin, shit like him is never considered here
    ingreenbay and we never have to deal with the crap that disrupts our football team. once a little prick always gonna b a little prick!!!!!!!!!! merry christmas to cleveland you got him now deal with him….

  45. Like he hit my brother, like really hard, like I don’t know, like I was in the lobby, like I got the like sack, like, like, like, like.

  46. What does ANY guilty plea of financial wrong doing the fan may have had a year ago have to do with this incident – and why even mention it?! Why don’t you go back and see if he ever spit on the sidewalk – and print THAT too!!

  48. My god….some people in this thread are jumping to conclusion all over the place. Fine Johnny Football…throw him out….one suggestion after another about how to destroy somebody’s life. Nobody even bothers to find out what really happened these days. To me it sounds like the other guy(Chris Gonos) is up to his old habits again. Trying to create an incident for his own monetary profits. I am pretty sure a lawsuit is coming soon. In this country, everybody can sue everybody for petty causes, sometimes even false propaganda lawsuits just to be in news. Everybody needs to cut Johnny Football some slack…the guy is waiting patiently for his turn to play football. Every hater is trying to make it sound like he is some kind of a demon sucking the life out of everything that is good when he is doing nothing of that sort. Leave the guy alone. What is more hilarious is that Johnny Football cannot even fart in peace because every hater will turn it into an international incident and I am sure it doesn’t even take a minute for the haters to take out their devices and write about him being a bust and comparing him to Tebow. Tebow was thrust into the playing field and we found out that he only excelled in Tebowing and sucked at playing football for which he was drafted in the first round. Johnny Football is still waiting for his chance to prove himself. Until then no bigmouth idiot in this world has the right to call him a bust. People in this country have the right to free speech and free speech should be exercised to create responsible outcomes not spreading hate. So all in all leave him alone until he is able to prove himself on the field….until then stfu.

  49. why did I click this trash of a site I am not even a manziel fan and I know this is bogus. that was a waste of time reading that

    thanks for nothing

  50. It doesn’t matter what happened in this man’s past, regardless of his family legal issues, Manziel and his posse are to blame. YOU DON’T HIT YOUR FANS and if they bother you, simply tell them to stay away and move on. Or call security.
    Last I heard it was pretty LEGAL to ask for a hug/handshake.

  51. Let’s see, run at the professional athlete in an over zealous manner, or, from a distance ask permission to approach in a calm collected way. Wasn’t “TOMMY BOY” from Sandusky?

  52. Can’t we be done with over privileged, over paid athletes behaving as if they are somehow better than anyone else? In five years no one will remember this man for anything he did on the field because of who he is off of it. It’s boring and so tired….someone put him in rehab or counseling or both and stop giving him anymore attention. He is clearly unworthy of it.

  53. Dear Ryan, you are retarded. I have more bad news, so the whole fat ass state of Ohio. Lol at the idiots comparing Johnny to Telbow, they are polar opposites. Here is a fun fact though, Tebow has as many playoff wins as your entire hilariously bad football program since you came back.

  55. Sad, I keep defending this young rookie and I shouldn’t, stupid me….I give up! He does not belong in Cleveland and The Brown’s got it right….

  56. Hopefully the pants shitting Browns eventually trade Johnny to a real organization like the Cowboys and he gets a chance to play with other pros.

  57. The picture attached to this story……who is that, why is he riding a swan and what is he drinking?

  61. You Manziel defenders crack me up. Gono’s character can be bashed because of his past, but Manziel can’t be? Can’t have it both ways.

  62. This breaks my heart…on all accounts…Ray Farmer sounds wise…another example of too much EToH and Testosterone…I’ll bet the girlfriend is horrified…this is something the cops could have lived without.I am passing on that #2 Brown’s jersey I was thinking about buying for Christmas. I am gravely disappointed.

  63. sounds like that guy is GAY, who wants to be hugged by some strange guy. I say that fan has some sugar in his slacks…….

  65. “Chris Gonos, the Browns fan in the middle of it all, pleaded guilty last year in federal court to charges of “conspiracy to structure financial transactions to evade filing currency transaction reports,” the Sandusky Register reported at the time.”

    Wow, what a relevant and insightful update! I’m sure that victim being a white-collar criminal is both relevant and helpful in elucidating a story about how a good-natured fan got assaulted by an egotistical thug and his henchmen. Cleveland Scene, always substandard, biased, and mediocre reporting to your doorstep!

  68. There are lying drunks and lying drunks.. but the lame story that he just wanted a hug and his brother tackled Manziel just doesn’t pass the sniff test. Just some lamo after something.

  69. I’m not sure which Gonos brother is who, but I’ve witnessed one of them grab a young lady’s neck with his hands and chock her at a club on Put-In-Bay (PIB) after she refused his advancement. He continually told her that he wanted to take her to Grease with him. He was thrown out of that club that night because of his behavior toward this lady and I was informed that he was arrested later that night by PIB police. Maybe one of the Gonos brothers broke his probation and should go to prison with his dad.

    People need to understand that if someone feals thretend by another person then they have the right to defend themselve.

  70. johnny football what a joke. you suck ugly little excuse for a man. hell my putrid x wife and you otta go out drinkin. you would come home in a body bag. merry xmas cleveland. what a p o s.

  71. I’m not sure which Gonos brother is who, but I’ve witnessed one of them grab a young lady’s neck with his hands and chock her at a club on Put-In-Bay (PIB) after she refused his advancement. He continually told her that he wanted to take her to Grease with him. He was thrown out of that club that night because of his behavior toward this lady and I was informed that he was arrested later that night by PIB police. Maybe one of the Gonos brothers broke his probation and should go to prison with his dad.

    People need to understand that if someone feels thretend by another person then they have the right to defend themselve.

  74. Why was he out at 2:30 am on A Saturday Morning prior to a game?He will be out the league because he won’t grow up

  75. Isn’t there a curfew inn the code of conduct. This guy is becoming a bigger liability than he is worth. Way to be “johnny not playing much football.”

  76. Ah, Cleveland. Home of the most ignorant, obnoxious, annoying sports fans in the nation, and proud of it. And that’s saying a lot. Will someone please explain the difference between “jock culture” and “thug culture” to me? I’ve never been able to tell the difference.

  77. Seriously how insecure are you people? Yes I get it’s not exactly a normal request but I’m sure celebrities get asked much worse. Dude did not deserved to get punched, if I was famous I’d understand it comes with the territory and it was a hug, not like the guy asked him to go back to his room with him. How insecure are you that you could not hug another guy, I’m not gay and have nothing against them so know regardless if I hugged someone and made their day for it, I’m still straight. You tough guys who claim you do the same thing aren’t apparently that tough if you are afraid of a 33 yr old wash up approaching you for handshake/ hug? Seriously not like manziel couldn’t defend himself I mean I get he plays for the Browns but he’s still an nfl athlete. This is the same sport where guys hug and hold hands after the game, then shower together, all while ass slapping after good plays. But I guess that’s just in the name of football and this guy is just a fan so it’s not cool, I mean what are fans good for anyways besides just bringing in revenue to then just be punched for asking to meet the wash up qb?

  78. My thoughts: I know the Gonos family and they love their football and Im sure they were just trying to be good fans, meaning no harm. BUT Johnny boy and I mean boy hangs with the likes of Beiber, he is a cock roach in my book. Send him back where he came from. For all this trouble he ought to apologize to the Gonos and give them front row seats at a game.

  79. Less and less of a prospect, more and more of a pissant.
    So far, he’s proven to be nothing more than a punk. Professional? Not so much.
    So he needs to be punted the hell out of here and sent packing.

    Johnny Fool, you’ve used up at least 12 or 13 of your fifteen minutes. Bye!

    Chuckles the Clown

  80. So, there is a life lesson here: don’t try to hug strangers, especially strangers with large men guarding them. Bad things happen when you don’t follow this advice.

  81. This situation has nothing to do with football. If some wacko, stalking, loser who feels the rules don’t apply to him, approaches me, where I live, and pulls a stunt like that, he’s leaving the scene under a sheet. End of story.

  82. Hey, wannabee…did you get caught leaning on that bike while posing as the owner, and end up getting your sorry ass kicked by the dude who really owns it? Fess up, Chrissy! Tough talk from behind a keyboard! I bet you’re that big Angel that everybody calls Tiny. Yeah, right…[smirk]

    Chuckles the Clown

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