A very many quick and not-so-quick thoughts on Kellen Winslow:
–Nobody has been a bigger supporter of Winslow than me, to the point that people asked me why. Here's why: He has rare heart and desire and competitiveness, qualities that win. He played through pain that would have sidelined 98 percent of NFL players.
–His coach knew that. Coaches know the guys who show up.
–I have no problem whatsoever with Winslow complaining about staph. None.
–As for not getting a call from Phil Savage … he's right on that as well. LeCharles Bentley said the same thing; word is Joe Jurevicius didn't hear from Savage either. How difficult is a five-minute phone call?
–Winslow's problem was his timing. It came at a very odd time. After a loss, and two days after he had pointedly told the media they didn't have the right to know what was wrong. What changed in those two days?
–Ask people at the team and they will wonder what he would have said had he caught eight passes in a Browns win. Their answer is predictable.
–Here's what I think: He would have had the exact same feelings about staph, but he might not have voiced them. Doing so at that time put himself above the team.
–And, no matter how right he was on his points, there's a right way and a wrong way to address things. Confronting the GM outside the locker room the way he did was not the right way.
–Too, Winslow didn't just speak to the entire media gathering on Sunday. He sought out one reporter and spilled the key detail that it was staph. He has that right, but it's kind of odd. Players do that sometimes, and as a reporter I'd never complain if I were the one being spilled to. But it's just odd to do that, after spilling your heart and guts to an entire group to save one thing for one person.
–Hasn't been reported much, but Winslow sought out Crennel on the team plane and the two chatted for a while. At that point, the presumption is that Crennel told Winslow he understood his feelings, but to keep quiet.
–Winslow followed that discussion by being more vociferous with ESPN.com. That didn't help his cause. Think about it – he's asked to be quiet, told he has support, then he gets more vocal. From the team standpoint, that went too far. And it didn't help his coach's position.
–The feeling during Crennel's news conference on Monday was that Crennel was taking a very large bullet for Winslow. Just an impression, but it was an impression a lot of folks felt.
–This is why I defend Crennel and people get mad at me. His doing that shows the quality of the man, and men like that deserve support and make you wish they'd succeed. Of course that has nothing to do with who starts at quarterback or whether to kick or go for it on fourth down, but it's fact.
–Savage's statement clearly stated that the team talked to Winslow and his "representation" and decided to keep things private. Who instigated the privacy thing is not clear, but the team clearly implied all were in agreement.
–So from the team's standpoint it makes little sense for Winslow to agree to that, then blast them for it.
–Winslow tells a different tale about who wanted things private.
–Which comes down to the classic he said, she said story.
–Get the impression there are missing pieces in this puzzle?
–But again, if I'm Winslow and I get staph again, I'm beyond angry.
–The team's side on the staph issue can not be ignored, though. There is no reason whatsoever for a team to try to ignore the staph issue. The Browns don't want their players to get staph any more than they want them to tear up a knee. Implying otherwise, implying they're not trying … that's just preposterous.
–Never underestimate a player's desire to get a new contract. Never. It is the driving force in their lives – and when a guy has a knee like Winslow's, it's more of a driving force. Because he just might not have that much time left in his career.
–Given all this, is there a way the team and player can co-exist after this season?
–It sure seems like the Browns were planning for this eventuality when they drafted Martin Rucker. The writing on the field is clear that Winslow is headed out.
–He probably would welcome that as well, because it means he'll get a new contract. With the CBA in doubt and an uncapped year ahead, agents are trying to get their clients their money now. See Roy Williams in Dallas, who had his deal re-done after a trade. The Browns did the same with Shaun Rogers. If Winslow plays hard and well the rest of the year and is traded, he'll get a new deal and he'll be happy.
–It's hard to think anyone handled things perfectly in this tale.
–The odds of Winslow being a Brown in 2009? I think we all know the answer to that one.
–Comparatively speaking, Hines Ward of Pittsburgh probably deserves a longer suspension. I love Ward as a player, but it sure looked like he led with his helmet when he broke the jaw of a Cincinnati player and ended his season. What's worse, Ward's offense or Winslow's?
{ 13 comments… read them below or add one }
If that's the case about Winslow being gone, why wasn't he moved before the trade deadline? Is it because he was hurt and wouldn't pass a physical?
The team certainly had to know he'd have a blow up about things like this. It's what he does. It's not like Winslow's trade value will go up at all this year, especially with Anderson throwing the ball.
Pat, I disagree about Ward. That block was ridiculous, but clean.
As for Winslow…another distraction in a franchise filled with them.
Unless I skipped over something, I didn't see whether you agree or disagree with the suspension. Naturally, a front-office smooching columnist like Terry Pluto says it was all about the contract and Savage is the greatest thing since sliced bread, air conditioning and Danny Ferry. No doubt the contract has something to do with it, but certainly not everything. But is a very public suspension, *without pay*, warranted?
If the Browns had 52 other guys like Winslow, they wouldn't be in the position they're in now, no way. He wasn't lying in college, when he screamed he was a soldier. Sure, he's a raving egomaniac, but I think Savage is that times 10. Now everybody knows who wears the pants in the Browns family, but it doesn't mean they're better off for it.
I don't think Lerner has the guts to fire Savage at the end of the season. The coach will be gone, but the GM is staying.
I will agree with everything Pat says…as soon as someone shows that Winslow addressed his concerns with the team and wasn't happy with the outcome. Exactly how was talking to the media supposed to convince Phil Savage to call Winslow in the hospital? There's no reason to for the comments, no logic to it, and so you have to assume it was motivated by other factors. I agree entirely with Terry Pluto on this: Winslow's actions were all about his contract.
"But again, if I'm Winslow and I get staph again, I'm beyond angry." There's no doubt that it is a major concern and would make anyone angry. That being said, it wasn't the staph infection that was the source of his initial "piece of meat" rant, it was the lack of a phone call. Now we're supposed to believe that Winslow was just looking out for his teammates. But if that's the case, why tell just one reporter? If he was just trying to expose the Browns coverup, why not do it in front of the entire media contingent?
Winslow can't even get his story straight when he tries to explain his outburst. Maybe it was just emotional, though he sure sounded cool-headed at the time. But there's no doubt that he handled this the wrong way, choosing to complain to the media rather than speak to the man he had a problem with directly. Maybe Savage didn't pick up the phone and call when he should have. But if Winslow is expecting that kind of attention and respect, maybe he should start by offering it himself.
As per your article…if your opinion on the KW2 matter does come to fruition…it would be the best thing for Winslow…he may actually get to play on a Super Bowl team one day…because he sure won’t playing on one in “Non-Believe-Land”…I have been a diehard loyal life long fan of the Browns since Jim Brown carried the mail…and I have never been so disgusted with the owner ship, management and coaching as this season. An absentee owner who has no clue what he owns…a GM who is nothing but a glorified scout…and a Head Coach that was just in the right place with the right teams with the right Coaches when he won all of his bling! I would just like to have seen these brain dead idiots get this steamed up once over the horrendous play of a 3rd string QB who will never amount to anything because of his gross inconsistency…or the horrendous on field management by Crennel who couldn’t manage a time clock if he had 2 minuets left to live or die!
This team is in a tailspin of incompetence unlike anything in their history…and my opinion is the only hope now is for new ownership and a complete cleaning of management and coaching…and some players who have been total busts brought in by Savage.
But not KW2! The heart of a Lion and Champion! He doesn’t belong in “Clown-Land”…!
Actually if they do get rid of KW2…Brady Quinn should demand to go with him…because the way these clowns operate…they are ruining his career as we speak also!
i don't understand what romeo being a good guy has to do with romeo being a good coach? i'm a good guitar player but a terrible drummer. he is a lousy coach. it's o.k. to say that pat. you are not disparaging the man calling out his job performance.
i can wish to be showered by gold coins and 20 dollar bills. never gonna happen. wishing romeo is something that he clearly isn't is illogical. the guy isn't adriana lima, he's a good hearted person doing a bad job at coaching the browns.
fire romeo now!
about k2-savage and k2 deserve each other. they are both just as phony.
Come on, Mike C. What's giving one single reporter the story as opposed to the whole Browns beat and/or national crew have to do with anything? Maybe it's because Winslow simply has come to trust her. It's not like he's gotten a totally fair shake from everybody in the media, has he? In a front-office kissing community like the Northeast Ohio sports media traditionally is, and the fact that Winslow has to tendency to bring controversy upon himself, warranted or not, it's certainly understandable that he might put his guard up. Hell, Kobe Bryant now normally only talks to Ric Bucher, because after all the crap he's put up with, warranted or not, he now only trusts Ric Bucher. So what?
And who says Winslow didn't talk to Savage? Maybe Winslow finally did get to talk to Savage after he got out of the hospital, and Savage told Winslow to blow the remaining staph out his ass. Anything is possible in this dysfunctional organization.
Anyway, what type of meat is Winslow being treated like? He never said. It could be this.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tofurkey
This dysfunctional organization is led by Savage, look at his drafts. He's had very few hits before last year. Because of a very weak schedule last year the Browns had a respectable record. Now that the Browns are playing quality opponents, the second highest team in penalities, and 31 out of 32 on offense and no site of winning in site. This is coaching and the GM. I think GM Savage has got his training from Matt Millen not Ozzie, Look the the rival Steelers, stable and always having players to fill in when one goes down and most importantly 5-1. Bye the way Anderson lacks the accuracy to be an NFL quarterback. There's no consistency in his game except under/miss and over throws. I don't know if Brady is the guy but Anderson surely isn't. See you next year!!! Dr Pain
Also, I agree with the guy who said that Ward block was clean. Very, very lousy comparison, comparing this Winslow thing to that Hines block. I pushed the "high-quality" button on the bottom of this video and watched it over and over and over and over and over and over again. Clean. Hines doesn't deserve a suspension, he deserves his own wing in the Dick Butkus Hall of Fame. Hines crushed the guy and sent him to Kingdom Come, but it was totally clean old-fashioned football.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hvJyvVT0×5E&feature=related
Pat……this doesn NOT address in any way Phil Savage's accountability as a GM or rather his pathetic impersonation of such. There is a much bigger issue (and story here), and that is Phil Savage. What do we have with a supposed GM who manages by BlackBerry and won't publicly show his face? What do we have with a GM who's abysmal four year drafting and free-agent signing record (and I'd be happy to debate on those details) is never questioned?
Please start addressing and asking the questions that need to be asked pertaining to Phil Savage (aka Oz, the man behind the curtain).
i think the ward hit was clean too.
Does this chatter from Winslow sound like T.O., is this the way of Drew Rosenhaus for pushing teams to renegoiate contracts, always after someone is not traded as he cries for. Always it seems that this agent is behind these crybabies, so they(Browns or PhillY) will give new contract or release him. Its time for NFL to suspend or challege Rosenhause on his practices
wonder why rosenhause is not more vocal about the health care of his client. can they prove it was from the browns camp, or not self inflicted from a tatoo or french kissing his motorcycle.