Ah Thanksgiving, the holiday where we all sit back, enjoy some food, and reflect on what we're thankful for.
Me, I'm thankful the Browns don't play on Thanksgiving day, so I don't have to worry about keeping that food down. I'm thankful that, with five weeks left in the season, I'm not required to devote full attention and energy to whatever kind of inconsistency and ineptitude is put on display every Sunday by this team.
And I'm certainly thankful that, with Brady Quinn officially out for the season, the planning for another next year can begin now.
The big announcement in Cleveland yesterday was Brady Quinn being sidelined for the rest of the year because of too much damage done to his finger.
However, even bigger was the statement made by coach Romeo Crennel saying Quinn would be the starter heading into 2009.
This leaves many fans wondering, since we know who's going to start behind the center, who else will be on the Berea practice field when camp begins next summer?
Here are a few names who, if they aren't officially on the way out, need to be on the hot seat...
Romeo Crennel
We'll start with the no-brainer. He's gone, and last Sunday had to ice it.
The update on the damage of Quinn's finger would've added some sense to Crennel pulling him midway through the third quarter of the Texans game...had that been the sole reason the move was made. But the truth is Crennel pulled Quinn to "provide a spark."
I may be mistaken, but wasn't this the exact same reasoning he used when claiming why Quinn was made the starter in the first place? Just exactly how many "sparks" does Crennel plan to create with this "now you're in, now you're not" routine?
This recent display of how not to coach is sure to be the icing on Crennel's going-away cake, the rest of which includes terrible clock management and his oh-so-famous "I don't care what the score is, we're in field goal range, kick it," habit.
The only downside to Crennel's inevitable ousting is the fact that the players love him and play for him. Granted, a 4-7 record after easily the most embarrassing game of the season doesn't scream, "WE LOVE YOU COACH," but having a coach the players like is a good piece to a team.
But the players also need to realize this is a business, and people are paying to see you play for this coach, and we're not getting much reward for our dollar. If you claim you're going to play hard for the head coach, you have to understand that we expect you to, if not win, at least make it look like you're trying. And this is not what we're getting.
I can only hope the Browns scrap the first-year coach routine, as we need someone who has been there before and can utilize our talent, and Crennel is certainly not that man.
Phil Savage
Earlier in the year, Savage brought in free-agent after free-agent and was being lauded as one of the best GM's in the league.
Then Kellen Winslow got staph infection and Savage never talked to him. Then he cursed out a fan in an email. And he gave a total of about 38-seconds combined when it came to addressing the media about these situations.
If the f-bomb email didn't seal Savage's fate, it certainly put him on notice. And why not? How can you expect to curse out a fan and not wonder, "Hm, you think this guy will make a big deal out of that?"
This and the Winslow controversy show how Savage may be in the wrong position. I appreciate his desire to try and find the right talent for this team, but these ordeals make the Browns organization look like a joke (as if it needed more fuel for that fire). How can you not check in on one of your most talented players when every sports-news source in the country is talking about how he is in the hospital? How hard is it to pick up the phone for a simple, "Hey Kellen, doin' alright?"
Along with this, Savage has been more reclusive than owner Randy Lerner this season, going off on scouting trips while his team endures week after week of poor play and locker room issues. A GM has to be there to answer questions about his team, especially in a season when there are plenty to be asked.
Instead, Savage hides, popping his head in once to say "my bad" about the Winslow situation, then forcing Crennel to handle the media in dealing with the email issue. While I'm not a fan of Crennel's coaching, making him handle the heat for one of the biggest bonehead moves in GM history is just cold.
What's sad is how easily these issues could've been avoided. Imagine how much less controversy we'd have if Savage checked up on his tight end and just ignored angry emails.
But no, that's not how it went, and I think Savage should head out because his mental slips are bringing more shame to the organization (I was going to put a curse word in there, but I deleted it...see how simple that was).
comments (2) write a comment »
write a new comment
about 1 month ago
Casey, I disagree but understand most of your reasoning. Not to mention, I'm wrong often!! The one statement I REALLY disagree with is,"the players love him and play for him". What players are playing for Crennel? DA? Defense? Stallworth? Braylon? Very few players on this team are playing. Savage did bring in talent. Everyone thought so, including the TV networks. They're underachieving. Have to blame the coach. My humble opinion is that Crennel, Anderson and Winslow are gone. Personally, I'd like to see them deal Edwards because I don't believe he'll overcome the "drops". They'll probably bring him back, though. If they do, and he drops 'em next year, he won't bring a fourth rounder in trade. Stallworth is a soft-a$$ who doesn't want to play in any game that he can sit out. He'll never test "positive" for testosterone!
about 1 month ago
Yeah, you couldn't tell that anyone wants to play for Crennel, but listening to their comments, people like McGinest and Cribbs all say they love him and go out and play for him. The problem is it just never shows. So they do like Crennel, and they at least want to play hard for him, but since it they always struggle, you'd never know
write a new comment