Rep 1, Reality 0

So here's the bed Johnny Manziel has made for himself:  Even when he does nothing that should be a thing, it's still a thing.

This after Manziel had an altercation with an obnoxious fan at a charity golf tournament in Texas that wasn't actually an altercation. And that Manziel could have prevented by ... well, I don't know. I guess by summoning his magical powers and becoming invisible.

Here's what happened at poolside at the AT&T Byron Nelson tournament. Manziel was hanging out with friends at the event when some industrial-strength tool began bugging him for a photo. At least 10 times, according to witnesses, Manziel politely begged off, saying he was with his girlfriend and friends he hadn't seen in a while.

Let me repeat that: At least 10 times. 

Most normal people would have finally given up and left him alone. But Industrial-Strength Tool was not having any truck with normal this day. So he put his hands on Manziel.

To which Manziel replied, politely: "Could you please not do that?"

To which Industrial-Strength Tool responded by lobbing a stream of insults at Manziel.

To which Manziel finally responded (unwisely, but not at all without cause) by throwing a water bottle in the general direction of Industrial-Strength Tool. And by "general direction," I mean "at the ground."

A friend of Manziel's then stepped between them and shoved IST. Then, and only then, did hotel security and the police step in. And that was the end of it.

Or not, of course. Because it's Manziel, and because he's already established his bonafides as an NFL quarterback in desperate need of maturity (if not his bonafides as an NFL quarterback, period), it was all over social media before you could say "selfie."

I dare say that doesn't happen if it's anyone else. But, as noted, Manziel has made his bed. He'll lie in it probably forever now.

That's a shame, in a way, because this time he appears to have been largely blameless. I suppose he could have left the premises -- he eventually did -- or called security over before security finally (and much belatedly) responded on its own. Other than that, Manziel showed what I would consider to be remarkable restraint -- given, of course, that the bar for restraint is set remarkably low where Manziel is concerned.

So what's the lesson here?

I guess the lesson for Manziel is to hire his own security to deal with Industrial-Strength Tools. But of course, if and when they do, that will become a thing, too.

He can't win. And if that's his own fault, it still seems a little unfair.