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Will Holmgren Re-wire the Office?
Submitted by Dan Coughlin on Fri, 01/15/2010 - 6:14pm
That's what often happens after a change at the top in the NFL. The new guy installs his own bugs -- secret, illegal listening devices in offices and meeting rooms. That's how paranoid the NFL has become. The boss wants to know what the assistant coaches, scouts, etc., are saying when they think nobody is listening.
Recall when Eric Mangini took over exactly a year ago. What was the first project he undertook? He started a million-dollar remodeling job in the headquarters building in Berea. In the process, a lot of pictures were moved around on the walls, good places to find the old microphones and hide new ones. I swear, when I looked at the picture of Dante Lavelli on the wall, his eyes seemed to move.
One More Thing about Cribbs
Quit ripping him for his recent ESPN media "tour" because you think he should wait until Mike Holmgren has time to settle in. Or until the new GM Heckert has time to settle in. Or until the next head coach has time to settle in. Cribbs has been waiting since Phil Savage settled in and then settled out. And then Romeo settled in and out. This is a nice little game the Browns have been playing. It could go on forever with this franchise. Some new guy is always going to be "settling in." The only one who settled in was Cribbs and the Browns have played him for a sap.
Cribbs has absolutely no leverage to renegotiate his contract. He cannot become a free agent for three more years, after which it won't matter because there won't be anything left of his body. He can sit out the season but he won't get paid because no other club is allowed to sign him until his contract expires. All he can do is make waves.
On the other hand, the Browns can renegotiate downward anytime they want by releasing him and re-signing him at a lower figure. They can do this after each season. They would do this, of course, only if he lost value due to a serious injury, felony conviction or death. So, his six-year contract really means nothing. It means the Browns will pick up his contract one year at a time as long as it is to their financial advantage. And it's a bonanza to them right now. Measure value received against cost and Cribbs is the lowest-paid Browns player since Bill Willis in 1950.
And so I say to Josh, go get 'em. Raise hell. Make a wave. Make a tsunami.
Great Documentary Coming Out
It's called "Pinned" and it's the best wrestling documentary ever made. Full disclosure here. It's about my favorite wrestling team, the St. Edward Eagles, and it was produced by a St. Edward family, Pat Norman (St. Ed's ''03, Ohio U. '07), his brother, Mike, and his father, Dennis, the lawyer. The 90-minute video will be released in a few weeks. It's been accepted to several film festivals.
They followed the St. Ed's wrestling team on its path to the state championship in the season of 2007-2008 with five cameras along with a parallel story of the lone Lakewood High wrestler to qualify for the state tournament. Fascinating interviews, lots of great action. You gotta see this.
Stay tuned. I'll be back in a couple of days with more on this video which I previewed privately a few days ago.
That's all for now.