Eric Mangini’s first year as head coach of the Cleveland Browns has not exactly been a walk in the park. His football team has regressed from a 4-12 record last season to arguably the worst team in the NFL. His handpicked GM, George Kokinis, left the organization less than a year after he was hired.
He has been in trouble with the NFL about hiding the injuries of Brett Favre while the pair was with the New York Jets last season, and supposedly the NFLPA has received complaints about tough practices, injuries to practice players, and over the top fines for such things as not paying for bottled water in a hotel.
I’m trying to think of something positive about what he has done to this football team, and I suppose the only thing I can think of is instilling discipline on the field. No longer does this team pick up all kinds of dumb penalties, the pass interference penalty on Hank Poteat notwithstanding.
That’s about it.
Yesterday, he whined to the media about the Lions faking injuries to slow down the Browns as they were using the no huddle offense. Even if the coach really believes this, to complain about it in the press just seems to be in poor taste.
His team lost. He should deal with it. His football team had a 21-point lead, and blew it. And one reason is the coaching staff went conservative when they had the lead even though three quarters of the game remained. Perhaps he is diverting attention from this fact with his accusations.
Maybe Lions’ coach Jim Schwartz stretched the rules, maybe he didn’t. But he doesn’t look like a jerk, Mangini does.
That’s part of what you get with this guy. He’s a public relations nightmare. No one thinks the coach should be a stand up comedian, but unless you have the resume of Bill Parcells or Bill Belichick, speaking to your fan base and the media in monotones and being totally secretive doesn’t work.
Football fans in this city want to support the coach of the team. However, Mangini gives them no reason to.
He’s hasn’t shown to be a brilliant strategist, and his first draft is shaping up as a huge disappointment. He can’t get along with difficult players, trading Braylon Edwards and Kellen Winslow, and having an initial problem with Shaun Rogers.
However, the most inexcusable error in Mangini’s tenure was turning the asset of having two starting quality quarterbacks and making them little more than waiver wire pick ups.
I’m exaggerating about the waiver thing, but in May, most people thought you could get if not a first round draft pick, at least a second round pick for either Brady Quinn or Derek Anderson, whoever didn’t win the starting job this season. It was a great asset for a team that needs more talent to contend for the playoffs.
Now you would be lucky to get a 4th or 5th round pick for either guy. That’s his biggest crime since becoming head coach of this team. Fox’ Jimmy Johnson has commented that Quinn and Anderson’s value decreases every time they take a snap. That will ultimately be his legacy.
The public support of this head coach is at an all-time low. Most fans are hoping that whomever Randy Lerner hires as the head of football operations makes getting rid of Mangini his first order of business. There is no question the team’s record adds to the disgust. But the coach is equally to blame. He gives the public no reason to like him.
JD
Cleveland Sports Perspective 