The Browns finally have a General Manager and it's the General Manager we always thought they'd have, the guy Eric Mangini handpicked in his first interview with the Browns. When I grow up I want to be like Mangini. Kokinis will meet the media Monday morning. I shall be in attendance. As I've said in the past, Kokinis has been exceptionally nice in the couple times I've dealt with him, and he must feel like he has the opportunity of a lifetime. Be interesting to see his focus.
I've thought long and hard about the Browns lately. I would love to move on to other sports — to the excellence of the Cavs, the ability of the Indians to build a team, the college basketball being played in Akron and Kent, to a number of different things.
But the Browns keep bringing me back, with their layoffs and with the approach that seems to be generated by Mangini.
To me, the bottom line comes down to this issue: People have the right to do anything they wish, but is what is done the right thing to do? I have the right to pick my nose in public, after all, but is that really the right thing to do?
Clearly the Browns have the right to lay off anyone they want, at any time they want. No job is guaranteed, not even mine. But was it right to do what they did? Clearly I do not believe it was the right thing. (Here is the first column I wrote on the issue; here is the second). In my mind, it's hard to justify doing things the Browns did while paying millions to unemployed coaches and general managers and millions more to employed coaches and general managers. I don't get it. They can throw financial figures and all that at me, but I still don't get it. It's hard to see anyone lose a job — from any company — but this one is hard to justify. Yes, the Browns have the right. No, I do not think it was the right thing to do.
Randy Lerner is a good guy. A very good guy. I just strongly disagree with him on this front. I'm sure it hurt to read some of the things that were written, but I've got to be honest with myself and with readers, and sometimes that's an extremely, extremely difficult position to be in. But as much as it might have hurt to read those things, I can only imagine what it must have been like to go home that night after losing a job and lay in bed and wonder how to meet a mortgage payment or take care of your kids. Which hurt runs deeper?
As for the folks who write and say that other companies are laying people off — like Microsoft. Well that's 100 percent true. But I don't cover Microsoft; I cover sports. So that's what I write about.
The other disappointing facet of the Browns seems to be the way Mangini is heading toward communicating with the media, which means communicating with the fans. He is treating things like the Gulag of Belichick revisited. Already I've had some people tell me I can forget meeting the assistant coaches personally, and that Mangini has already talked in the building about plugging what he perceives as leaks. Then he goes to the office at 7:30 in the morning and leaves at midnight and spends the bulk of his time behind a closed door in his office.
Again, he has the right to do the job and deal with the media any way he wants. And there are legitimate reasons to be cautious when games are coming. It's a professional tenet in my profession that we never write strategy. Example: You watch practice and see a reverse pass the week before a game. I would not mention that in the paper. It's strategy related to winning and losing.
But when things get to the point in January that a front office worker might have been fired because he talked to the media, or that the team is checking cell phone records … well this hits paranoia and hits a culture of paranoia I've never seen. The team used to e-mail daily newspapers stories to team employees, especially higher-ups. Mangini stopped that in a hurry by severely curtailing the number of folks who could read the clips. What … they can't read things anyway? Is burning books next?
Add in the way Mangini treated assistant coaches — and trust me, if I could print all the details I know, everyone would be shocked at some of the tales — and it's not a pretty picture. Again, Mangini and the team absolutely had the right to hold the former assistants to their contract, but was it the right thing to do given he had no intention of hiring some of them?
It's clear that this new era in Browns history will have nothing to do with openness and candid and clear conversations with the outside world.
A fan walked up to me after the Akron-Kent State basketball game and asked about the goings-on in Berea. The topic of the cell phone report on profootball.com came up, and he said: "We're not going back to that again, are we?" He's been a season ticket holder for more than 20 years, and he sounded dismayed.
Folks argue that it doesn't matter how a team operates if it wins. I politely disagree. I think the way people are treated matters, and treating the media that covers the team on a daily basis as if it's carrying a communicable disease puts forward a small-minded and arrogant attitude. It tells the fans and the media that they don't matter. We don't win the games, no, but dealing with us is quite simply part of the job. It also arrogantly assumes the fans can't see through the garbage. Readers are smart. They don't need anyone to tell them what to think. All they have to do is read the facts. And I fear they'll see through this situation in a hurry.
Too, if ever a team needed openness and candor, it's the Browns. The goodwill that has been destroyed by the on-field struggles seems to warrant a coach and front office that will communicate with fans. Like the Pittsburgh Steelers do. Or the Baltimore Ravens. Or the New York Jets under new coach Rex Ryan. They all get it. The media is an annoying fact of life in the NFL, and trying to limit access or the truth never works. Once you try to control things, you lose control. It simply does not work. The truth, as a wise man once said, sets you free.
Again … Mangini has the right to do whatever he wants. If he wants to paint every wall so it shows with a black light, well that's his right. But sometimes the right thing to do is the difficult thing. We heard that Mangini had learned from his first experience. Maybe he did. But alienating the very populace and public that helps pay his salary by not communicating with said public won't do anyone any good.
Finally, to those who have written me and said "just do your job and find out the information anyway," well I intend to do just that. I intend to continue to try to find out all I can about the Browns and print accurate, complete information. And I intend to do what my job requires and take a stand on the information. If the actions that I learn about are positive, the stories will be too. But if the actions lead to negative stories, well that's not my fault. It was true when I was a beat writer and it's true now — the stories reflect what is happening.
Pat,
I appreciate your wit and cynicism more than your cause. I'd rather have that than listen to you pontificate about lost jobs.
Agreed upon point. If the Berea turns into Dr. Evil's secret lair, Browns fans will be very unforgiving to the new administration in a losing situation.
Disagreed upon points.
The Governor of Virginia has told me that he wants lay off over 400 people to close my place that supports 175 intellectually disabled adults. That matters a heck of a lot more than a fluff (all be it hard working) Browns' job.
If the people who are losing their jobs are talented, they will land on the feet like me and George W. Wait a minute, I expect George to land on his back parts.
As an administrator, I changed over 75% of my managers rather rapidly. Incompetence was the major reason. The talented ones remained and one that amused me much more than Steve Carell. Then when the last hold over manager left, my job became easier.
Lastly, I am your customer. While your job's focus is reporting, the only reason that I don't get information off the wire is your wit and humor. Keep it and you will keep me as a reader.
Dave
Pat,
Keep up the GREAT work. We need to know this info. We pay for tix, we deserve to know what you know, as long as it doesnt affect wins and losses. The apathy towards the Browns has never been worse. I am interested to see what is going to happen if they start the season slow.
dk
arizona
I still think that Lerner should sell the franchise.
rmk, akron
Hey Pat, there's a new sheriff is in town! Looks like the leaking Country Club atmosphere in Berea is finally addressed. I guess now we will find out who the slackers were by who cries the loudest about a little hard work and detailed preparation. Sorry to hear you lost your inside source….David
I have now gone over to the Dark Side. Bottom line is, the Steelers, in my memory, have always run a team and played football the way a team should be run and football should be played. Maybe Dan Rooney having the balls to buck his other 31 owners and stick his neck out for Obama did it, but here I am ready to wear the Black and Gold. I guess it really goes back to 1995 for me, when only Rooney and Ralph Wilson of Buffalo voted against Modell's move to Baltimore.
OK, the Steelers sucked when I was in diapers. Problem is, the Browns have sucked most of my life since then. Between incompetent ownership, a joke of a stadium, incompetent drafting and coaching and prima donna players, I might as well root for a REAL team! This isn't college. If I had a degree from Ohio State, the Buckeyes could go 0-12, and I'd still be a Buckeye fan. I'm glad to see the CSU Viking basketball program undergoing a resurgence, and I still check the Nordonia High School scores every fall Saturday morning just to read the Knights won.
But in reality, there is no connection between me and this thing called the "Cleveland Browns" that tarnishes the name of my city by being the poster child for all that is wrong with it.
The Steelers' organization has the focus, competency and class the Browns have not had since Art Modell fired Paul Brown in 1962. Told of the history, I bought into the Browns in third grade, and still remember my first game in old Municipal Stadium, when the Browns came back from 10-0 to defeat the New York Giants 12-10 on four Don Cockroft field goals. I fondly remember my days in the original Dawg Pound, and I remember as recently as twenty years ago that the team was part of the Greater Cleveland community, and many players settled in the region after their careers had ended. Now, Municipal Stadium is gone, and 90% of what current Browns players do in the community involves the court system.
If I had a third-grader now, what could I tell him or her about the Browns? That they were once a legendary franchise whose best days had passed by the time I watched them? That I could introduce them to no one at all who followed them in the best of their days, in their legendary glory years? To that third-grader, it would seem like ancient legend, which he or she could doubt the veracity of because it would seem like geologic periods elapsing between those years. Maybe the mosques can open up for Browns fans five times a day, so they can go pray in the direction of Lake Erie. It makes just about as much sense.
I really doubt I could wave a Terrible Towel after 30-some years of following the Browns, but I CAN assure you of this:
I would wear a Troy Poluamolu (ok, I flunked the spelling test) jersey through downtown Cleveland before I wore a Brady Quinn jersey!
Pat,
I have read your stories and columns since your were at the Palm Beach Post. I even go back to the days of BNI. Now with the web, I can follow the teams of Cleveland as if the paper was delivered at my front door.
I appreciate the stand you are taking for the those that have lost their jobs. It is obvious that one or more of them was a source for you. Do you think that maybe this is the response to the Winslow incident? I do. You want the Browns speaking with one voice, well this is the first step in that direction.
It would seem to me that Eric Manginin is trying to take Berea out of the news. I for one would rather here about free agents, draft picks and strategy than the inner workings of the Berea staff.
I don't care about being "open". All I care about are wins…period. We'll worry about being nice, when we win some games. Right now….it's a take no prisoners approach and I am okay with that. First we had somebody everyone said was soft….now we have a guy who is abrasive to say the least. Make up your mind, Cleveland Fans.
Professional sports is of course a business that depends upon the good will and support of the fan base, but the notion that the media must have adequate access to information and sources for that support to be realized is self serving.
It would be interesting to know a lot of juicy insider info, but a well reported and documented failure is NOT preferable to a secretive, guarded success. I’m certain your job would be easier and more interesting if you were able to gain access to all manner of people in the Browns’ organization, and I’m sure you lost friends in the lay-offs, any job loss is regrettable- it impacts families.
But the guy whose money is being spent is comfortable giving the power to decide how much access is appropriate to these two guys, and they don’t think the access you require serves their (and the team’s) best interest. Your view on the question is no more enlightened that theirs and your job security is not directly impacted by the team’s W-L record, so your position fills up column space, but not much more.
You’d like more access and accountability. I’d like a full head of hair and the Hunt family’s money. The Coach and General Manager will be judged on wins, losses and secondarily keeping the team out of bad PR situations. You gaining more access won’t impact the W-L record and limiting your access minimizes the chance of bad PR. I think you’re fighting windmills.
If Mangini is waterboarding assistants I think you should go ahead and report it.
Your column scares the daylights out of me.
A sports franchise is no place for "Big Brother" tactics.
Winning is what it is all about, but as in everything else, the end doesn't always justify the means.
The Browns used to personify professionalism in the management and the team.
Now it's — what?
Not fun anymore, that's for sure!! As a fan, I feel betrayed, annoyed and angry.
Pat, the point that you are missing with the front office firing is that what would you do if you owned a company and a member of you management team was giving info to the media that you deemed needed to be kept in house?
I think that you and a few others may only be bothered by the fact that the front office person can no longer feed you information, not that he was fired. You probably really don't care that he was fired.
Better yet, what would you do if your wife or children decided to share family secrets with all of your neighbors?
I also don't see any problem with not allowing assistant coaches to talk to the media. As the HC, Mangini should have the right to dictate whether or not that would happen. Besides, Mangini is the face of the Browns, so if you have questions, you can get the answers from him.
You also seem to be in panic mood already…much like the fans. You really have no idea yet what policies Mangini is going to institute. You only want to attempt to compare him to BB and declard Doomsday for the media.
As for the other firings, I agree with you to a point. Yes, it does look bad to be paying out all of the money to fired coaches and GM's but then lay off those who are way down the salary chart.
On the other hand, the Browns are not the only team doing so. You say that you don't cover Microsoft, you cover sports, so why not talk about the other sports team that are laying off their workers then, rather than just single out the Browns.
You want to talk about another BB era, but I can only hope that it isn't also an era where the media is going to gang up on the HC and attempt to cry foul because you cannot get every detail about the team and then discredit the HC because of it.
There are some things that is not the business of the media and the fans. You claim to be representing the fans, but you really aren't. You are representing a JOB. You don't do it for the benefit of the fan, at least you don't do so with the fan as priority.
If I recall correctly, you were laid off yourself a few years ago, but brought back. It happens.
There are people who are being laid off everyday. I haven't read anything about those other people in your column, or is your issue just with those laid off by the Browns so as to give you something to rag on the team about?
It also seems that you and other media members are attempting to poison the fans against Mangini before even one game is played. Like with the painting over of the HOF murial.
I have an idea as to why he did it, although I obviously don't know his mind. Maybe he is attempting to get the Browns out of the Old Days and bring them into the here and now and start building a team for today, a legacy for the present, HOF'ers for today.
Maybe, if you give him a chance, he will explain his reasoning.
Pat,
Quite honestly, I'm not sure why you or any other sportswriter/broadcaster in town is even bothering discussing the Browns at this time. How about some more articles revolving around a team that is a legit title contender with the best player in the world? Or, talk about the Tribe upcoming season. Wasting time and thoughts on the Browns is baffling to me—what have they done to derserve any media attention–give them what they want–no coverage.
Pat,
I agree with your thoughts for the most part. However, when referencing openness and candor the Steelers and Ravens are good examples, but there is no justification in citing the Jets with Rex Ryan. They haven't shown anything as yet with him. Like Mangini, Rex Ryan needs to prove himself.
As for Mangini's mistreated assistants at the Jets, some are quick to follow him to Cleveland.
I don't like the hyperbole and nonsensical slippery slope arguments that mcmanamon makes. The comment in reference to how the browns are limiting the amount of employees who are e-mailed stories is absurd. He says "is burning books next?" thats a stupid argument and a poor attempt for humor. We don't need to compare the browns relations with the media to nazi germany and censorship.
Also he implies that the former coaches were treated like third world peasants, but mind you he offers no examples of such harsh treatment (save for the fact that they were held to their own contract when they were unlikely to be retained), he just insists that we all would be shocked if we knew the truth. It is likely that he just heard grumblings (that painted a less than truthful/negative picture of the big bad browns) from these coaches and employees that were let go.
Oh, come on, andy at Kent State. First, your initial comment reflects the standard "I'm a student in college" politically correct dopiness. The burning books comment was right on-target, and please, don't throw out that stupid Nazi Germany card.
Second, here's a thought, andy: a reporter has sources. A reporter needs sources. A reporter needs to retain sources. You can't publish certain stories because you might compromise those sources. Besides, Pat is a columnist, not an out-of-town investigative reporter. It's not his job, and for that matter, dishing up past dirt will not exactly hold a reporter in high regard when it comes to continuing to cover the same guys he's reporting on now and in the future. If it's become difficult for a local sportswriter now, it will become freakin' impossible if you really, really, really, really piss off those very same people. The specifics of Mangini's past are irrelevant. The generalities of that past are totally relevant.
Alan t.- I understand where you are coming from, but i respectfully disagree. If a reporter like mcmanamon speaks in generalities about mangini that might lead to assumptions about the man that are less than true. I dont think that is fair to mangini especially after only three weeks on the job.
I think he should have the guts to spill the details of what he's suggesting or don't bring it up at all.
Patrick:
Long time reader. I hear what you're saying, and I agree with your sentiment. Reduced access is stupid — this is entertainment! How are you supposed to be entertaining when closing out your fans? It is dumb.
However, I want to encourage you to stop reporting on the Browns for a while. You're angry, and it's coming through in your writing. Any time you're reduced to sarcasm ("burning books") and veiled potshots ("if I could tell you"), that's beneath you as a writer. Again, I agree with your points, and there's no question the Browns organization is a mess. But you've got to be far enough above the fray that your writing sounds compelling and not just frustrated.
Still a big fan, –Bryan
Please. The facts speak for themselves. They already burned Dale Carnegie's "How to Win Friends and Influence People."
Besides, the Northeast Ohio sports media has forever been Pansyland. The newspapers and the writers who write for those newspapers hop in bed with the very people they cover. It's pathetic.
So who cares if a local sportswriter is being sarcastic? I'll take a billion sarcastic columns before a take one more kiss on the butt cheeks column from any of Northeast Ohio's finest. The closest any of the current local sportswriters out there has ever come to biting the hand that feeds them is Bill Livingston. So long as it's on-target, we need more sportswriters with a nice touch of sarcasm, and less "I'll pray for Paul Byrd" cotton candy folks impersonating sportswriters.
The next green beer is on me, Pat.
Pat,
There's a fine line between sarcasm and cynicism. I agree with those who've suggested you’ve crossed it and that it reflects poorly on your objectivity. Give this new leadership team a chance.
Wrong. They've already been given a chance. They already blew the chance. It's irreversible.
They are now putting up a stone wall around themselves, literally painting out past history (albeit this is silly anyway, since it's history from a totally different franchise, but that's not the point), and then firing a bunch of office employees and using a totally bogus storyline about money to justify it. (Did they find free Sherwin-Williams premium paint on Craigslist, or what?)
By the way, what I found very funny in a very unfunny kind of way is that the royal jerks at the top of the food chain fired the accounts payable person. However, they left the accounts receivable person alone. That should tell you all you need to know about the creeps now running the show.
I don't for a second think that randy lerner could not afford to keep these fifteen employees on board. Keenan's statement about how the browns are not immune to this economy is nonsense. They simply want to shake up the PR department.
However, the browns and eric mangini have every right to hold coaches to their contracts. These coaches are still getting paid and if they are let go they still will get paid. If they catch onto another gig for a lesser salary the browns will have to make up the difference. And if they are quality coaches they will land on their feet even if there is a week delay. The Browns are not toying with theses coaches lives like mcmanamon suggests, they are holding them to an agreement that they signed.
Andy, there is an unwritten rule as to the right way is to conduct business. This is not the right way at all. And they won't "land on their feet" if spots have already been filled, whether it's pro or in college. There is a right way and a wrong way. This was and is just plain wrong.
This is a pattern with Mangini. Word on the street is that if not for Lerner, he would have been blackballed as a head coach because he violated an unwritten code by finking on Belichick. Somebody oughta teach this Pillsbury Doughboy a lesson before he receives a fist in the face.
This is just further proof Lerner is out of his league. The Savage era left Lerner realing, all the leaks of what "might" happen…. So he hires a Stalinist, who loves to execute purges of any perceived "rats". As a life long Browns' fan I am concerned that they don't give at rat's ass about me, or what the fans as a whole want for this team aslong as we paid to get thru that turnstyle. They must take us for backwards rubes. Well not me Bubba, i'm no rube and i'm on the verge of writing this team of totaly, and it hurts to say that but i'm not going to be a ATM for a Franchise that thinks like Mangini.
Alan T are you Pat McManamon, you sound a lot like him.
If I found out people were leaking information to anybody they would be fired not layed off. Randy and the Browns did not do that. You don't know how much severence pay they got or any of the details. As far as the coaches go, if there getting payed wether they are working or not whats it matter. They can latch on to another team next year and they wont have to worry about feeding the kids or paying the mortgage.
Pat McManamon you are mad because your source got let go. You can't get any more inside info and you don't like it. It looks like you will have to work for a living instead of just buying somebody lunch.
Hey, is there a section just for latest news