Yesterday, Browns’ running back Jamal Lewis finally had enough. He decided to voice his opinions about the coaching style of Eric Mangini. Lewis, who is a captain, doesn’t understand the direction the football team is taking, and feels the work they are putting in at mid-season should have been addressed in training camp.
Lewis is emulating former Kansas City running back Larry Johnson, who spouted off about the organization and head coach Todd Haley, and found himself at first suspended, and then released by the Chiefs.
Which is exactly what he wanted.
Johnson and Lewis are both frustrated by being on losing football teams, teams that at this point in the season has very little chance of winning on a week-to-week basis. They are at the end of the line and want to spend what is left of their careers by playing with winning teams.
Lewis wants out as well, and used the media to get his way.
Prior to his outburst, I thought it would be nice for the Browns to release Lewis and let him catch on with a contender to finish out his career. He said he was going to retire, and it serves no purpose for the Browns to keep giving him carries with the team vying for the first pick in the draft.
The Browns would be better off playing Jerome Harrison and rookie Chris Jennings to find out if they should be part of the future of this football team. Quite frankly, we advocated drafting a running back in the ’09 draft, knowing Lewis didn’t have much left in the tank.
Now, I would just suspend Lewis for the rest of the season.
Why the change in heart?
First off, Lewis is a captain and supposedly meets on a weekly basis with Mangini. The running back could have talked to the coach about his feelings on the tough practices in these meetings. Lewis hinted that he didn’t take this opportunity. If you are a leader of the team and you are representing your teammates, why wouldn’t you discuss the situation with the coach?
Because it doesn’t help Lewis get out of town.
Secondly, it is tiring to see athletes use this ploy to get their own way. Manny Ramirez stopped hustling to get traded by the Red Sox in baseball. Vince Carter did the same thing in basketball. This is not to say Jamal Lewis isn’t playing hard, but he signed with the Browns a couple of years ago and presumably he gets paid whether or not the team is winning.
If the team isn’t playing well, isn’t it incumbent on the players to play better?
Apparently, Lewis subscribes to the adage: “When the going gets tough, I’m outta here.”
There are other Browns who don’t particularly like the coach and are tired of losing, but they keep their mouths shut. However, the guy they elected as captain airs his grievances to the media. That’s not thinking of your teammates, that’s thinking about himself.
This is certainly not to defend Mangini, who arguably is the worst coach in team history, and likely will not be back next season. This football team has certainly deteriorated under his watch.
Lewis is retiring after the season, but if I were in charge, he’s already played his last game in the NFL.
KM
Cleveland Sports Perspective 