MLB notes: Johnny Manziel fined $12,000 for middle finger flip

Johnny Manziel has been slapped on the finger.

The NFL fined the Browns rookie quarterback $12,000 on Friday for flipping his middle finger at Washington’s sideline, a person familiar with the penalty told the Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the ruling has not been made public.

Manziel said he was reacting to incessant taunting by the Redskins during Monday night’s nationally televised game when he made the gesture while running back to Cleveland’s huddle.

“I had words exchanged with me throughout the entirety of the game, every game, week after week,” Manziel said. “I should have been smarter. It was a Monday Night Football game and the cameras were probably solidly on me, and I need to be smarter about that.”

Manziel has never shied away from other gestures on the field, notably the finger-rubbing “money” sign he made famous while winning the Heisman Trophy at Texas A&M.

Manziel expects the trash talk to keep heading his way.

“Since my name has grown bigger and people have known who I am, it just continues to go as the games continue to go on,” he said following Cleveland’s 24-23 loss to the Redskins. “I don’t know if there is a single level of severity each game, but I know it’s there and it’s present every game. I just need to let it slide off my back and go to the next play.”

Preseason roundup

Patriots 30, Panthers 7: Tom Brady threw for 204 yards and two touchdowns, Stephen Gostkowski kicked a 60-yard field goal and New England shut down Cam Newton and Carolina in Foxborough, Massachusetts. The third preseason game for both teams was no contest as the Patriots outgained the Panthers 405-271. Brady led the Patriots to scores on three of his five series and completed 17 of 21 passes. Newton was 8 for 12 for 88 yards.

Giants 35, Jets 24: Geno Smith and Michael Vick each threw touchdown passes with the Jets’ starting offense, and the defense mostly shut down Eli Manning before the Giants’ backups rallied to win in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Smith was 9 of 14 for 137 yards, including a 1-yard scoring toss. Vick replaced Smith to start the second half and led an 11-play, 76-yard drive capped by a 3-yard TD to Eric Decker. Manning was 12 of 21 for 139 yards and a touchdown for the Giants.

Lions 13, Jaguars 12: Reggie Bush broke free for an 86-yard touchdown run in the first quarter, one of only a few offensive highlights as Detroit edged Jacksonville in a penalty-filled game in Allen Park, Michigan. Blake Bortles threw for 158 yards and a touchdown for the Jaguars. Jacksonville started Chad Henne, but Bortles was impressive in relief.

Packers 31, Raiders 21: Aaron Rodgers threw for two touchdowns and Eddie Lacy ran for a first-quarter score in Green Bay’s victory over Oakland in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The game was stopped for several minutes in the second quarter after Raiders linebacker Sio Moore was taken off the field with a neck injury. He gave a thumbs-up sign as he was wheeled off to a standing ovation and taken to a hospital.

Around the league

The Minnesota Vikings are spending another $19.7 million for their new stadium to make sure it has the features they want. The team said the new money will guarantee “crucial” features such as massive pivoting glass doors. The Vikings say their contribution now stands at $525.6 million, a little more than half of the roughly billion-dollar project. Rising steel costs have pushed the overall price tag to $1.023 billion. … The Washington Post says it will stop calling Washington’s football team the “Redskins” on its editorial page. The paper’s editorial board said the term “unquestionably offends not only many Native Americans but many other Americans, too.”