Phil Savage went on WTAM Thursday and addressed the Kellen Winslow situation.
In a huge way.
I'm going to try to stick to Savage's words as he said them, but if you want to hear the interview it's here. Suffice it to say Savage spoke with great passion and emotion.
First, Savage addressed being confronted by Winslow outside the locker room on Sunday. He said the discussion was not heated and he had no problem with it, though it was awkward.
"I'm available to the players anytime they want to talk," Savage said.
Then he talked about the suspension:
"We talked about this all Monday afternoon, all Tuesday morning, from the owner on down.
"The problem was that without giving us any opportunity to address his concerns, he went public with those remarks, which we felt like were inappropriate and disparaged the team.
"After everything we had been through since 2005, the comments really called into question the integrity of our medical staff and the organization as a whole. To compromise that trust after the Browns had stood by Kellen through the motorcycle episode and knowing without question that we have done everything in our power to combat the staph infection problem, it just showed a lack of professional restraint that every person in that building as a member of the team … And I capitalize that word, team. T-E-A-M.
"The Browns are bigger than one person. They're bigger than Randy Lerner. They're bigger than Romeo Crennel. They're bigger than me. They're bigger than any player on this team
"And that's the bottom line in this situation. We couldn't and won't allow one person to tear down the organization. So we had to do something. …
"I know in some quarters for whatever reason I've been cast as some kind of cold-hearted non-communicative person who's living in some glass tower overlooking the team or is out in the back woods scouting some remote part of the country.
"I went back last night and looked at our 53-man roster, player by player. And I can tell you that I've had some level of dialog with almost every player on this team since the beginning of camp. Now there are a couple of exceptions where it's been just a ‘hey' or ‘how you doing' and that's been about it. But there's probably a dozen players on that list where I've actually sat down and talked to them. They've raised questions and concerns. We talked about it and tried to deal with it one way or the other.
"To be portrayed as not caring about players and how their career is gonna turn out is absolutely wrong.
"And let me say this: That's in addition to being responsible for the player budget, the contracts, our salary cap, directing player personnel, scouting 30 plus colleges so far myself, checking the waiver every day, meeting w Romeo and the coaching staff, evaluating our own team, staying apprised of the health of each player and generally managing the team. Now that's a big job.
"And that's what I do every single day with the help and the support of a great group of people in Berea and an owner who, quite frankly, gave me an opportunity to do this.
"What I want to tell you and what I want to tell your listeners is this: The Browns were here a long time before I was born and they'll be here a long time after we're all one. But they will never, ever, ever have a group of people who are more committed to wining and doing things the right way, with character, with integrity, with dignity, from the group that's over there right now.
"That starts from the owner to Mike Keenan the president. Lew Merletti, former Secret Service Director in security. Romeo, Mel Tucker, Rob Chudzinski, T.J. McCreight, Trip MacCracken, Paul Warfield, who's one of my trusted confidantes over there. Our trainer, Marty Lauzon, one of the best in the NFL, the whole league. Tony Miniaci, world-class surgeon. They've done everything they can do to try to keep our team healthy. The ladies up front. My assistant, Linda Leoni. Jerry Butler, Kevin Mack in player programs. The equipment guy, Brad Melland. Chris Powell.
"All those people are passionate about winning.
"But you know what, more so than that they are people who have been successful in their areas, and they have a moral compass that guides them every single day with their own families and in their dealings with others inside and outside our building. They've dedicated their lives to this team – I'm talking about 365 days a year.
"And I'm proud to work with them and I'm not going to sit here and allow for one second all those people and the many, many others in the organization who love this team, as well as a lot of the players, almost every single man on that team who gives everything they have on the field and off the field for us, to be embarrassed by some unnecessary remarks that occurred earlier this week.
"So for us to be characterized in this way on a national stage is absolutely unacceptable, and that's why we did what we did.
"I have no doubt our success is going to come and it's going to be on a consistent basis and when it happens it's going to be special for us, it's going to be special for you guys, all the Browns fans that have stuck with this team through all the ups and downs. But that's the reality of the situation.
"The team is the most important thing in the entire structure of this, and we cannot allow one person to disrupt that."
Savage also talked more about some of the timing of things, and stated that "Due to the nature of this particular situation it seemed that the people involved wouldn't want it out there."
As time has gone on I've learned more and more about the situation, what Winslow said and what Savage has done. A reporter can't always print everything he or she knows, but I now know enough that I think the best thing the Browns and Winslow can do is cut ties now.
It's just not worth it anymore.
And I'll elaborate more on that point in Friday's Beacon Journal.
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
all this winslow/savage drama is entertaining but largely irrelevant. is anybody really shocked that the browns are looking for an easy-out with winslow? the team with 4 t.e.s on the roster don't want to pay the expensive, injury-prone, immature starter?? i am shocked!
it's like watching this political nonsense on t.v. the talking heads dwell on the minutae of sarah palin's expensive wardrobe while the real problem gets a pricey band-aid.
the problem with the 2008 cleveland browns is standing on the sidelines with a blank look on his face and his arms crossed over his chest. romeo thanks the powers that be everyday that the media chooses to focus on a silly squabble between the g.m. and t.e. instead of the head coach and his terrible quarterback.
winslow is gone after this year. whoopie. not surprised in the least.
anderson starts again this week. amazing. other head coaches lose their jobs yet romeo stays. truly shocking. it's like watching a malignant tumor cover the body while the host is busy popping a zit in the mirror.
This whole thing stinks. Hypocrites galore. If Savage want to assert he has "integrity," then he should get on the radio and admit the only reason Crennel is still around is because Crennel was a staunch ally in Savage's battle to the death against the evil John Collins, and that Crennel would've quit if Savage was sacked instead of Collins.
Furthermore, would Savage "had stood by Kellen through the motorcycle episode" if Winslow wasn't Savage's very own high draft pick with sky-high expectations? Not a chance in hell.
El stinko.
Hey, Alan….
If you recall, Winslow was not Phil's pick….he was the last pick of Butch Davis, who dropped a second round pick with the Lions to swap #1's. So, He really had nothing to protect, because he wasn't "his guy".
Do I love everything Savage has done? No. He's signed some FA's who didn't fit or didn't work out. He's wasted some picks on stiffs.
I didn't particularly care for the Anderson signing, as I would have much preferred two more #1's than Anderson. Anderson showed near the end of last season that his run may be over as defenses caught up to him, so we should have let him go when his value was highest. Still, I understand, with the expectations coming into this year, why he was signed.
But, one thing I will say for Savage…he's cut his stiffs from the draft (unlike Butch Davis, who clung to Joaquin Gonzalas for 3 years even though he proved he couldn't play a lick at this level), he's admitted to bad FA signings. And, he's right about this. It's definitely time that someone smacked Winslow upside the head and gave him a wake up call. He thought he was underpaid before…well, let's see how his underpaid wallet likes losing over 200K.
He's a prima donna. And if any of us regular folks behaved the way he does at our jobs, we'd be out on our ear and praying to find something else before the house is gone.
Carl, holy crap, you're right. He was Butch Davis' pick. Oops. My bad.
OK, then, let me rephrase. Savage knew Winslow had major talent. Everybody knew Winslow had major talent. If Savage thought Winslow was the second coming of Mark Campbell, or any other one of the tight end stiffs from the early years, then Winslow would have been dumped into Lake Erie with the rest of the trash immediately after Winslow clumsily popped a wheelie in the parking lot. Savage didn't "stand by" Winslow because Savage is a fiercely loyal man. He "stood by" Winslow because he thought Winslow, if he recovered from the accident, could still be an extremely valuable asset. Turned out he was.
So Savage should just cut the garbage. He can assert Winslow was totally out of line and was guilty of major insubordination. Arguably correct. But don't feed the public some line of bull about loyalty, integrity and all the rest of the fertilizer.
As an avid fan, former high school assistant football coach, and retired sports writer, I have witnessed the evolution of professional football since the days of Graham and Groza. A young man recently asked me how I thought Paul Brown would have handled a scenario similar to that of Winslow and Savage during his tenure in the 50's. My answer was simple–Brown would not have had to do anything because it never would have happened.
I have been told by a number of his players that because he could be a bit of a tyrant, there were times when it was "no fun" playing for Paul Brown; but as an example of loyalty and discipline, he had earned their respect and they wanted to play for him. Stating that the team was bigger than any one person, he didn't want the franchise to be named after him. Respect is something that is earned, not automatic because of a position of authority.
Yes, its probable that many under his authority were a bit stifled more than they should have been, and letting players speak their mind can create a healthy situation. However, through the years, I believe the "moral compass" Savage speaks about has taken a 180 degree turn . And with it, loyalty, respect for the game and the team concept of unity has been cast aside by some in favor of the self-centered cause. Yes, this approach is taken by a very small number of players and "one bad apple doesn't spoil the whole bunch." But because that one bad apple is usually the loudest, it sits on top of the barrel and is seen (and smelled) first. Maybe the bad apple should be taken out of the barrel.
Although some of those who didn't have the pleasure of witnessing the NFL in the 50's might get a chuckle when I talk about the era of high-top shoes, no face masks and goal posts on the goal line, the Cleveland Browns were viewed as family, not just a team. Year after year it was the same group we all became attached to; no different than the fans in Pittsburgh, New York, Detroit and every other city who boasted an NFL team. Todays game is filled with transients.
Boy, do I miss the good old days.