From former Browns GM Phil Savage, speaking to a group in Gulf Shores, Ala.: ""You don't take a lot of solace in watching a place you leave go downhill further. But they took what we did have going there and they just dismantled that even further." (Thanks to profootballtalk for pointing out the link)
-
Archives
-
Meta
What exactly did Phil have going, Pat? This seems a little ludicrous.
larry, what exactly does this have to do with pat? he posted a link and a quote and said nothing. the same link is everywhere else as well. it's about the browns and it's news.
I find it, interesting, that the only successful GM in town in recent history, is someone with playing experience. … Charles Barkley said he'd like to be a GM… wonder if he'd take on a NFL team?
Phil is right — those two QBs have been ruined. And it isn't because of the lack of an offensive line like it usually has been.
Just once, I'd love to hear one of these wunderkin GMs or coaches man up and say, "hey, my bad. I screwed up and I realize it." Phil's just late showing up for the dump-on-the-Browns parade.
Man-Geanie and Kookinas actually make Savage look "good," and I really didn't think that was possible.
Pot, meet Kettle. Kettle, pot.
Elizabeth – as far as little ivy genius GM's go – Shapiro says "my bad" quite a bit, particularly in regards to the bullpen.
That being said, I have no clue whether or not he believes it or gives it lip service
I am no Savage fan and he clearly is looking for some "told ya so" payback. That said, he makes 2 valid points:
1. The 2 "bad" qbs we have were far more productive under the past regime. The past regime stunk but it tells you something about Mangini and his staff if players go backwards.
2. All the "good" players on the roster now were here when Mangini arrived. Except for Mack, Mangini has turned over 40% of the roster with the draft, trades, and free agents…. and there is less talent here than when Savage was here.
Folks, Manginiis not building a thing. the roster is older and weaker. He's got to go.
You know, my big problem with Phil when he was here was always that he never seemed very bright. He tended to make rash, emotional decisions, whether when it came to emailing fans or making draft picks. He looked relatively good in comparison to his predecessors, but that is sort of like saying I look really good in comparison to Max Schreck (go ahead, google him). It doesn't actually mean that I am really good looking.
That Phil made these comments while still owed about 10 million dollars by the Browns sort of proves my point. Dude needs to take a pill, get in a hot bath, and count his money, because if he doesn't shut his yap, then he will pee away millions for a two second cathartic sound bite.
I agree with Pat that Man-Kok must go, but that doesn't mean that Phil Savage looks any better to me in retrospect. Hard to believe that a man could make a comment that was both self serving and self destructive (to his bank account), but ladies and gentlemen, I give you Phil Savage.
You tell 'em Phil…call a spade a spade!
larry, what in the heck has happened to you the past few months? You always used to be a voice of reason in the commenting blogosphere wilderness. A shining beacon of intelligent light in a deep dark subterranean world where homers and shills reign supreme in the night. George surviving amongst the Terryplutonian Morlocks. What's the deal? Seriously. And I am sorry to have to drag H.G. Wells into this.
And wait a minute, Elizabeth … "the only successful GM in town in recent history is someone with playing experience?" Hmmm. Yeah, I guess. Jim Paxson did play pro ball. Very successful in a LeBron coin-flipping loser kind of way.
Did anyone shooting their mouth off about Savage ripping the Browns– and that includes Mary "K Street" Cabot– read the piece?
Savage spoke at a fundraiser, and he took some questions. He's the former GM of the Browns, so it's not surprising that someone asked him what he thought about the team. We don't know if the paper quoted everything he said, but what he did say was:
1. "I'm not happy to see things get worse." Which is not a rip. 1-6 is definitely worse than 4-12. (I don't believe he isn't enjoying it, but that's another issue.)
2. "They dismantled what we did have." When the new guys replace 23 of your 53 players (including two guys who made the Pro Bowl), scrap the offense and change the defense, that seems like a factual assessment.
3. "We left two quarterbacks behind that both seem ruined right now." You can argue that they were never any good, but they damn sure look ruined now.
4. "They traded a lot of players out of there." You can argue that they only traded three– Winslow, Edwards and Louis Leonard– and that the other 20 were cut, not re-signed or placed on IR, but that seems like quibbling.
5. "I feel for the guys we brought in because they're good players and good people " I wouldn't describe many of Savage's pickups as "good" on both counts (Cribbs, Thomas, Steinbach, Jackson and that's about it), but pointing out that Brodney Pool sucks and Eric Wright's trouble with the law is not a substantive critique of Savage.
As for what he "had here", I wasn't wild about a lot of things in the Phil Savage era (drafting, trades, salary cap, discipline both on and off the field), and the 24-40 record speaks for itself, but let's not forget a few things.
For instance, from 1999-2004, the Browns had a player make exactly one appearance in the Pro Bowl (Jamir Miller). During his tenure, the Pro Bowl featured seven guys with orange helmets.– and they might have had eight if LeCharles Bentley had been able to play.
The 1999-2004 Browns didn't have a running back who gained gain 1,000 yards– Savage's teams had two (Jamal Lewis; Reuben Droughns).
Kevin Johnson was the only Brown to have 1,000 yards receiving. In the Savage era, three guys (Antonio Bryant, Braylon Edwards and Kellen Winslow) crossed that barrier
It's not the 1946-55 Browns, but it was progress and it is a lot better than anything the Mangenius and Kokie Monster look likely to do.
Hey, fake alan t., Butch Davis actually would be a substantial improvement.
I certainly can't rip on Jim Paxson. He may have single-handedly saved the team from bankruptcy by finding an idiot team to take that worthless baby-making kook, Shawn Kemp and the $70-million (!!!) he had left on his contract! Oh, Wayne Embry, what did you DO?
I've had the pleasure to meet Wayne Embry as well as read his outstanding book "The Inside Game". In the book, Embry goes into great detail about the reasons behind the Ron Harper trade for Alan T's favorite GM. Had Harper stopped hanging around the "wrong crowd" after being warned, the Cavs might have already won a championship.
Wow, terje and alan. Do you fellows wash Pat's Datsun together, or do you take alternate weekends?
A Datsun 240Z, to be specific. Alternate weekends.
larry, i'm not the one obsessing on pat.
I'm not the one obsessing on Pat, either. The Datsun-washing is a completely separate issue. Pat watches my parrots when I go on vacation, I wash Pat's car when I get back. I don't know why terje washes Pat's car, you'll have to ask him, larry.