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March 20, 2009Tim Legler Didn’t Earn His Paycheck Today
March 20, 2009
I don’t know if you have heard, but apparently Eric Mangini and Shaun Rogers have some problems? Well, it is less than encouraging that according to reports that Shaun Rogers decided not to show up for this week’s offseason workout program. While the program is not mandatory, it seems that everyone was strongly encouraged to show up due to this being Mangini’s first chance to address the team in a group setting.
Of course we all remember that Shaun Rogers and Mangini’s situation blew up a couple of times over the last two months. The alleged incidents were at an awards ceremony when Mangini didn’t say hello, and then also apparently at the Browns’ training facility. It also was reported that Rogers didn’t appreciate a note or message or whatever telling him that he had to show up with his weight under control.
Honestly, I think there was about a 25/25/50 split amongst fans who felt either Mangini was wrong, Rogers was being a giant baby, or both. Count me in the third category, personally.
17 Comments
most likely both are in the wrong here….but playing devil’s advocate…
if Mangini told Rogers that he shouldn’t show up if he weighed more than 350lbs, then isn’t it just possible that Rogers is following orders?
A career malcontent and an off-putting egomaniacal coach: Yeah, I see this situation improving dramatically.
I vote C) all of the above.
What is up with all these coaches pissing off their star players when they get to a new team? I would say the last one as well, but is is a little disconcerting that Mangini seems to be butting heads with a few guys. Then again, maybe after that joke of a season last year, this just might be what they need to get a fire lit under their…
With Cavs rolling, CSU dancing, and the Tribing training, why ya got to bring us down with Browns news?
It really shows how hard it is to be a truly great coach in the NFL. Knowing what makes each player tick is no easy task. Seems Big Baby who got a reputation in Detriot for taking plays off etc, was completely motivated by Romeo. Unfortunately he was the only one on the team who played full steam every down. So if Mangini can get the other 51 guys fired up and Rogers takes to the pacifier, then I guess I would take be happy with that turn around.
I wonder what it would take, shy of actually trading him, to make him happy at this point. Obviously, this opens up the floodgates for jokes like “Golden Corral Gift Cards,” but seriously. There’s really no room for stubbornness in this one – Rogers is a HUGE part of any success this team could even remotely have this coming year…
Randy, where are you? I’m curious what your thoughts would be on this (or any) current Browns situation. just kidding, kind of.
And Bigs, maybe the new regimes don’t think the star players are as much of stars as the star players think they are star players. or something like that.
Great question Scott, with a few minutes of thinking I’ve come up with the following
1. Somehow bring in another player that Rogers is a fan/friend of so it looks like the new boss cares what he thinks
2. Public apology, but I don’t see that happening
3. Private apology, IE get on a jet, go see your best defensive player in person and square up
4. Sumo wrestling match, loser checks the ego and gets their stuff together
5. Hit him in the wallet (really only works if his contract is based on incentives which I doubt)
This is a HUGELY important Cleveland sports development. Not sure how I’ll sleep tonight. I know, I’ll put my brown and orange styro football by my pillow. Only five and a half months ’til the first game of the season … can’t wait!
We need to just trade him already…get a high second and I’ll be happy
Mmmmmmm Golden Coral seafood special.
Why does Shaun Rogers deserve all this praise and attention from a new coach? He had a hell of a year – but your TEAM (i.e. all of you) only won 4 games last year. So congrats, you were the best defensive player on a lackluster defense. Whoopee!!
You all stink until you prove otherwise, so suck it up and get better – then you’ll get all the respect you want (see Brown, Mike), you big baby.
Doesn’t Rogers have a weight clause in his contract? It’s not Mangini’s fault that Romeo let it slide last year (seeing as how that would have some sweet pot-kettle action). If THAT’S the reason, Rogers needs to get over himself.
I’m sure it’s not ENTIRELY just that, but I have no problem with a coach asking a player to honor the contract THEY SIGNED. It’d be like if a guy signed a contract saying he couldn’t ride a motorcycle, and then he went out and flipped a motorcycle over a parking curb and tore up his knee. I mean, you’d probably want to actually enforce that aspect of the contract, right?
Seriously, if this is about the weight clause, we technically have Romeo and Savage to thank for THIS, too, because the RAC Hills Country Club locker room last year made Big Baby think he could get away with it.
I actually read a great article earlier in the week in regards to McDaniels which should hold true to Mangini since they both learned from the same guy. It was saying how Belicheck treats every single player the same, no matter if they’re Tom Brady or Bo Rudd they are all treated the same. They don’t get the superstar treatment, they’re all treated as equals and it is a big reason for their success because no one person is bigger then the team.
I personally love this mentality, and if this is how Mangini and McDaniels are acting more power to them. Some will say, what about Romeo? Well he learned under Parcells and coached with Belicheck, and even then was too much of a teddy bear for his own good. If Shaun Rogers is crying about not being singled out, ship his happy ass to Dallas I hear they love those kind of kinds. Get their first rounder, take Peria Jerry and lets get this train moving in the right direction.
@JAckGonzo – agreed in principle on respecting the democratic coaching approach. However, to be fair, Mangini-Kokonis have made no statements publicly that would lead us to believe that’s how they operate. We are filling in the gaps. It could just be that Mangini’s interpersonal skills are abrasive and underdeveloped, rather than a principled approach to treating all his players the same way.
Not to belabor the point, but this is why it would be helpful to have some more information from Berea. What is the operating philosophy of this regime? What kind of team are they looking to put together? It’s great that McDaniels has set that tone in Denver. In cleveland, all we got was platitudinous rambling and repeated no-shows by Lerner.
Sorry to tweak this very senstive debate on WFNY…I suppose I’m filling in the void left by Randy, hahah
[…] first got to Berea. Coming off of Romeo Crennel, Shaun Rogers seemed particularly broadsided and asked to be traded or released. That blew over as just another of the growing pains the Browns went through in last year’s […]