WFNY Podcast #12
January 7, 2009Cavaliers Top Bobcats: Scoreboard Watching…
January 8, 2009While We’re Waiting aims to be the round-up of the recent WFNY-esque information for your morning viewing. Have something you think we should see? Send it to our tips email in the sidebar.
(NOTE: Eric Mangini live press conference can be heard live on WTAM 1100/AM. 10 AM EST)
“If I had to pick a coach for the Browns, it would Eric Mangini. He’s the best coach available because he has two winning records in three seasons and, at the age of 37, he is in the prime of his coaching career.” [Terry Pluto]
“It’s official. Randy Lerner is doomed to repeat his mistakes. He still hasn’t learned. When he names Eric Mangini as his new head coach today, the Browns’ owner will parrot the motion picture Groundhog Day. One of these days, Lerner will learn a very valuable lesson. Today will not be that day.” [Rich Passan/OBR]
“As a former member of the Fair Hooker fan club and somebody who has closely followed Mangini’s time with the New York Jets, I can say I’m at least mildly enthused. Browns fans might jump to the conclusion they’re taking on some other team’s rubbish. That shouldn’t be the reaction.” [James Walker/ESPN]
“Mark “Munch” Bishop of WKNR reported after today’s announcement that Lerner had been advised to wait until Shanahan returned from a two-week family vacation — and to sit down and talk with Shanahan before committing to Mangini. Apparently, Lerner, for whatever reason, decided to go with Mangini who actually started his career in Cleveland as an assistant under Bill Belichick.” [MWSportsFans]
“We’re trying our best to convince ourselves that the Browns’ hiring of recent Jets cast-off Eric Mangini isn’t the most recent manifestation of Chief Wahoo’s horrible curse. Along these lines, we’re telling ourselves that Mangini got a raw deal in New York; That he was victimized this season by an overactive/desperate/pandering owner/GM who dumped a steaming pile of Favre into his lap, making it impossible to execute the run-oriented plan that he had in place for the 2008 season.” [Cleveland Frowns]
And finally, an email from Dennis Velasco from About.com, a fan of the NY Jets:
“Good luck is all I have to say. The guy was quiet as hell. He definitely lost a lot of the juice he had during his rookie year as head coach. Mangnini deferred a lot and lost the players in the locker room. The Browns didn’t need a coach like that. They needed, as do the Jets, someone that will grab you by your ba**s and make you accountable. I just don’t see him succeeding there and meshing.”
25 Comments
I’m gonna go with Groundhog Day comment. Over….and over…..and over…and over…and over…andoverandoveroandover. I hope I am wrong, but I just have this sinking feeling that all we’re changing nothing.
Is it possible that Belichick hires passive assistants so he maintains control?
(… think positive … think positive…) OK, he has 3 more years experience as a NFL head coach than Romeo, Butch and Chris Palmer combined. He’s had a full 2 weeks to reflect on what went wrong in NY and how to become the type of head coach who can make over-entitled spoiled brats play hard for him. And his choice of DC previously had that same position with another team! And he probably learned from his great friend Romeo how to “understand the big man,” so he can get along with Shaun Rogers! (think positive … think positive…).
Has anybody confirmed that Mangini is bringing his QB coach from NYJ to be our Offensive Coordinator and Rob Ryan from the Raiders to handle the D?
That’s the word on the street, LFDM
Help us Obi Wan Mangini, you’re our only hope…
Walker’s article is somewhat enlightening. This season was doomed from the start because of Brett Favre. He had a LOT to do with them dropping 4 of 5.
Last season was beset by injury I believe.
Guess I’ll wait until the season starts to judge.
Swig, I would have to agree with you. Lets face Belichick runs the show there he coached his team watch him on the sidelines he talks to his Offense and Defense units.
I hope I am wrong, but here comes 4 MORE years of disappointment. At lest Rob Ryan is the DC I actually think he can do something here, but we need to shift to a 4-3 we actually don’t have the 3-4 personnel that everyone thinks we have.
Strike me down with lightning for this comment, “I may have to root for the Panthers until the Browns get it right, I can’t take the letdowns anymore.”
9 out of the past 10 Super Bowl winning coaches did so with their 2nd team.
Remember Belicheck in Cleveland? We all hated him!!!! His next head coaching gig – some are calling him the one of the greats of all time.
And as much as the name “Shanahan” sounds enticing, how many 56 year old coachs do a bang up job at a new place?
So let’s be glad that we get a guy who (a) learned the ropes on someone else’s dime and (b) is still under 40.
I think we will look at this as a good/great hire in 5 years time
Look, everyone has an opinion, but no one here has any NFL experience. I’m not entirely against Mangini, but I have the feeling that Lerner knows as much about football as I do about EPL soccer.
At any rate, I wonder if he has some back room deal worked out with Kukinis already, and Kukinis told him to grab Mangini before anyone else does. It’s all speculation, but something seems very odd about hiring a coach before a GM ( Unless of course your name rhymes with Pal Mavis).
I guess my point is, I’ll save my judgment until:
A) Mangini is tarred and feathered on his way out of town in 3-4 years.
B) The Browns win a Superbowl.
Unlike the vast majority of my Browns loving brethren, I am an eternal optimist who has no choice but to try and put a positive spin on the Mangini hiring. Here is how I am mentally framing this:
-He coached in NYC where the NY Post has no problem skewering you, you family and your dog on the back page in full color
-He was saddled with an over the hill megalomaniac at QB this year who made Laverneaus Coles a virtual non-entity
-He has actually been a head coach in the NFL
Thats about all I can come up with right now. Sh-t.
I am going to withhold judgment. He wasn’t a bad coach in NY. There are lots of good excuses for why he didn’t get his teams over the proverbial hump. On top of this, we Clevelanders are a bunch of panicky Petes.
We don’t know anything about the realities of these guys in the locker room.
I would have bet my life that Belichick would be a loser for life. That shows what I know. I hope Mangini is great here in Cleveland.
I think that will be a tar and feathering coming his way.
(WFNY note-not editor Rick)
I have a bad feeling we’ll be going through this all over again in 4 years or less. I’m lukewarm on Mangini as coach, but I hate Kokinis in charge of the front office. He’s less qualified than Phil Savage, for crying out loud. Peter King of SI hinted that Lerner may still bring in an experienced front office guy to oversee everything, but why would someone come in to a situation where the GM and coach have already been hired by the clueless owner?
As a Browns’ season ticket holder and lifelong fan (my Dad has had his for 30+ years), currently stuck in New York where Mangini has been alternatively worshiped and cursed the past three years, it’s tough to give a real call on him. His first season he seemed brilliant; his second they had real opponents and bad injuries, and were horrible; and his third, they had the Favre saga. Apparently Mangini never wanted Favre but wasn’t given much of a choice; but watching them pretty often, they were not a good team.
I’ll say this much, though: From what I saw, their difficulties were far different from the Browns’. The Browns, when I got to see them, looked ridiculous. They were horribly coached, the defensive schemes were obvious, the offensive calls were often poor, the clock management was HORRIBLE, etc. The Jets didn’t have that problem, really: Their defensive schemes weren’t bad, and the play-calling was pretty good. Their problems were corners who would bite when they shouldn’t have, a QB who preferred the dangerous throw, and things like that.
As I see it, coaches are primarily responsible for game-planning, clock management, adjustments, and making sure his players listen to him. Romeo Crennel had #4 down, which was bad, because 1-3 were horrible. They followed him all the way to 4-12. Mangini seems to be the reverse, and I’m wondering how much of #4 was because of Favre on offense and simply bad plays by the D.
In terms of the Browns now, I don’t think anyone understands the rush here. That said, now that the selection has been made, it’s not necessarily a bad one, for the reasons I said above. As much as Crennel was a horrible head coach, if he can step down, be subservient to Mangini and his schemes, and keep the players on his side and therefore Mangini’s, it might not be bad at all.
So does anyone have a link to the interview? WKNR apparently doesn’t have rights, from what I gathered after listening to 20 minutes of nonsense while the interview was going on.
I am officially on the fence about Mangini. On the one hand, he has some positives that have already been mentioned (discipline, experience, winning seasons, etc.) and on the other he has some serious negatives (the Jets late season collapse, continued controversy after spygate, his second season record). I’m worried that Lerner made this his first hire and I’m worried that, after thinking we would end up with a great GM and at least a decent head coach, we will end up with a good coach and a weak front office. The best teams stem from the best organizations, and I would hate to see us pick up a rookie when an all star (Pioli) is potentially still on the table just because our new coach likes him.
how is everyone thinking this is a “groundhog day” scenario? From all indications, Mangini and Crennel are polar opposites from a personality perspective. A few weeks ago, the average Browns fan’s wish list on a head coach was 1) previous NFL head-coaching experience and 2) no-nonsense, hard-nosed approach…..well, Bill Cowher was out of the running, and who else is out there? Also, Rob Ryan seems like an excellent fit as Def Coord. Perhaps I am wearing rose tinted glasses, but I am optimistic about this hiring.
Anyone have a link to the press conference?
What I really like about this is that Mangini at least has the nuts to take shots compared to RAC.
Nothing linked that I’ve found guys – I’m sure there will be something soon
Heck I’m surprised ANYONE wants to come coach this crappy team. I feel lucky Mangini didn’t laugh us out of the building during his interview.
I honestly have never been undecided like this on a move Cleveland franchises or the Ohio State Athletics Progam have made in my life. Wedge i was cool with, Paul Silas i was in love with, Mike Brown and Danny Ferry i thought could work, RAC i knew would take time, and now Eric Mangini *insert crickets here*
I really won’t have any idea until the GM hire, draft, FA signing period, and maybe even first couple weeks of next season. I just don’t know if i want to wait that long.
I like this hiring. I had basically two qualifications for our new HC. One, that he not be a “player’s coach”. Two, that he be tactically sound, and not make mistakes during the freaking game. Clock management, knowing when to kick a FG as opposed to going for it on 4th, when to challenge a play and when not to…..I feel like Mangini embodies both of these qualities. Not to mention he’s young. My 2 cents.
Well, it took a little convincing, but I think I’ve finally gotten to the point where I actually (sorta) like the hiring of Mangini.
There’s just one serious problem: Lerner hired him before a GM. He’s basically giving Mangini all the authority by letting him hire one of the most important positions on the team. Should this decision really be all in the hands of Mangini? And, assuming Kokinis gets the job, what should we expect from the draft? Mangini is in his 4th year as a coach, and Kokinis is rookie GM with no draft experience. Just a few things on my mind. What do you guys think? Help reassure me on this…