Johnny Manziel beats Jim Brown in Cleveland sports bracket

Scott Eklund/AP

Cleveland.com blamed the upset on social media.

Maybe everyone voted after a night on the town with Johnny Football.

Johnny Manziel, who was run out of the league after substance abuse and legal issues, upset Hall of Famer Jim Brown in an Ohio sports-style, march madness bracket on Cleveland.com.

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AP

Like most Cleveland sports teams, Brown, a 1-seed in the bracket, didn’t come close to winning.

Like most Cleveland sports teams, Brown, a 1-seed in the bracket, didn’t come close to winning.

Manziel, the beleaguered quarterback who was a 16 seed, received 68% of the 11,006 votes in the bracket that has four regions — Indians, Browns, Buckeyes and Cavaliers.

To put things in perspective, Manziel, a former-first round draft pick, saw action in just 15 games under center for Cleveland, finishing with seven touchdowns, seven interceptions and a 57% completion percentage.

Brown, on the other hand, gained an average of 5.22-yards-per-carry over his career, more than any other running back in league history, and led the NFL in rushing for a record five seasons.

Cleveland.com blamed the upset on social media, in particular Coach Chris McNeil, better known as Twitter user @Reflog_18.

“The opportunity for a sixteen seed to upset a one seed is a once-in-a-lifetime type of thing,” McNeil told the site. “I used that message to get people pumped to do something great.”

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Ed Zurga/AP

In the round of 32, Manziel will face fellow (but non-disgraced) former Browns quarterback Brian Sipe.

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And even though Cleveland.com is up front about how meaningless the bracket is (“What are you voting on? Nothing and everything. Whatever you want it to be”), McNeil thinks this is on the top shelf of Manziel’s achievements.

“I would expect Johnny to put this above his Heisman on his list of life achievements,” he said. “Certainly the crowning achievement for Johnny Manziel in Cleveland.”

In the round of 32 Manziel will face fellow (but non-disgraced) former Browns quarterback Brian Sipe.

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