Winslow-Browns Controversy

We know that Kellen Winslow has a "public speaking problem" going all the way back to college:



Apparently playing for the U is like joining the military and fighting a war. Instead of avoiding roadside bombs or insurgents, you're avoiding linebackers and safeties! (And if you don't like my analogy, I really don't give a "hell"! My readers don't freaking care about you! It's a war out there on the blogosphere! And you write this down: I'm pissed!) Fast forward a few years, and now Winslow is complaining about his GM, the same guy who writes his paycheck each week:

"There's obviously a problem [with staph], and we have to fix it," said Winslow. "Just look at the history around here. It's unfortunate, because it happens time and time again...A big reason I'm upset right now has to do with [the staph infection]...I heard from Romeo Crenell, and I heard from my position coach [Alfredo Roberts] when I was in the Clinic. I heard from my teammates. But I never heard from the main man - Phil Savage - and that really disappoints me. Sometimes I don't even feel a part of this team."

Where do you even start with comments like these?

1) Winslow may have a point about the Staph infections, but he should keep it within the team or just keep his mouth shut. How hard is it to have a private meeting with Savage or Crennell? I see no good reason, aside from just pure emotion, to call out his team like this. What good comes of it? The media pays further attention to the Brown's staph infection problem? The Browns decide to trade an injury-prone tight end who has an enormous contract? Winslow has very little upside with comments like these.

2) Staph infections are awful, and I've actually seen someone almost pass away because of one, but they're usually very hard to deal with around the locker-room. And since the Browns pay their players so much money, Winslow should give them the benefit of the doubt and assume that they're doing everything they can to combat the problem. Player's health, if common sense holds here, is paramount to a team's success in the NFL. So don't you think the Browns are trying their hardest to fix the problem?

3) Winslow should keep the big picture in mind. He was treated very well by the Browns after his motorcycle accident and they could have very easily cut his ass after the broken leg. Winslow also seems to forget that him riding the motorcycle was a breach of contract and that by almost killing himself, the Browns were well within their rights to dump him on the corner. Maybe if Winslow's dad wasn't so famous, they would have done that?

4) Some advice to Kellen: Don't complain about the GM because it looks weak and he's the guy whose determining whether or not you stay on the Browns. If you want a trade, ask for it, but don't go public and cause discontent. It's bad for the team and morale. And it's incredibly selfish.

5) The Browns were right to punish him because he's undermining the team leadership. What are they supposed to do? Let this one fly? If I was the owner, I would be royally pissed to hear our star player complain like this and call out the entire franchise. Who the hell does he think he is?

6) The Brown's GM explained why they suspended Winslow here (and I think this a very good set of reasons):

"After all of us had been through since 2005, the comments really called into question the integrity of our medical staff and the organization as a whole," Savage said. "To compromise that trust after the Browns had stood by Kellen through the motorcycle episode and knowing without question we had done everything in our power to combat this staph infection problem, it just showed a lack of professional restraint. The Browns are bigger than one person, bigger than Randy Lerner, bigger than Romeo Crennell, bigger than me and bigger than any player on this team. We couldn't and won't allow one person to tear down the organization, so we had to do something."

Bottom-line: don't call out your GM because you look like a pansy. And don't call out your employer because you look like an asshole and your teammates will suffer.

Big Blue Repeat?

The World Champs are two weeks into their off-season regiment, and today was the first day that the media were permitted to enter the locker room. Unfortunatly, Roomofzen was not able to be there. But, we have read many accounts of what was said, and I also made sure to spend more time than usual (which is ALOT) thinking about the Giants today.


I love what we're hearing from Eli Manning. and Amani Toomer.

I expect great things from Eli this season. The guy has all the makings of a great quarterback. Physically, all the tools are there. Emotionally, the guy is always level, so I know that the emotional highs of winning the Super Bowl and getting married over the off-season will not have any effect on his game. The guy has put in more hours in the Giants practice facility than any other player since joining the team, and last year we began to see some of his teammates (most notably Plaxico Burress) following his lead in their off-season training regiments.



That's not to say I expect Manning to be perfect. This will only be his fourth year as the starter, and he still has a lot to go through. But, he's shown that he has the right makeup to handle that adversity. He'll always be scrutinized, and he has nobody but himself to thank for much of that. Certainly, being born a Manning was out of his control, but he signed up to be one of the most scrutinized players of all time when he became so vocal about playing for New York instead of San Diego. But, if Manning can handle the scrutiny he has faced over the past three seasons, this year should be a breeze. He bought himself a considerable amount of breathing room in February.

At this point, no writer in New York or anywhere can assert that Manning has been a bust. He has taken the Giants to the playoffs in every season, and in only his third year as the starter he turned in one of the most unlikely and prolific Super Bowl runs in history. I think that the confidence he gained during the post-season will show in his improved performance this season. Before the Super Bowl, John Elway said on ESPN that the level of his play rose to the next level the season after the first time he took Denver to the Super Bowl (in which they got SPANKED by the G-Men!). He said that the confidence he gained during the post-season (in which he played the best football anyone had seen from him) is what helped him elevate his game. People have compared Eli to Elway throughout his career (Elway was vocal about not wanting to play for the Colts, and was criticized heavily during the early years in Denver). I look for Eli to follow a pattern similar to that of Elway, and have his best and most consistent season in 08-09.


Needless to say, I feel comfortable with the Giants offense. The offensive line, which was one of the top units in the NFL last season, is returning intact. A more confident and poised Manning will be handing off to Brandon Jacobs, Derrick Ward (who just re-signed in March), and Ahmad Bradshaw. Logic tells us that Jacobs and Bradshaw, because they are so young, should be much improved. He will be throwing the ball to a healthy Plaxico Burress, Amani Toomer (his value cannot be understated; look how valuable he was last year and look what happened to this offense when he went down in 06-07), a healthy Jeremy Shockey, and three young up-and comers in Steve Smith, Kevin Boss, and Sinorice Moss. Talk all you want about Dallas being loaded up on offense, and certainly TO, Jason Witten, and that big O-line make them a matchup problem for everyone. But, I belive that the best offense in the NFC East calls East Rutherford home.

I think this team has a great chance to repeat, but there are three big questions that need to be answered. And, suprisingly, they are all on the defensive side of the ball.


First of all, what is Michael Strahan going to decide? His return is key to the success of this defense. That's not to say that the G-Men wouldn't be able to put pressure on opposing quarterbacks without Strahan. Osi Umenyiora, Justin Tuck, Fred Robbins, and Barry Cofield are all top-notch talents. But, you can't remove a player as dominant as Strahan and not expect to see a drop-off.

Second, how the hell did we become so thin at linebacker so fast. Kawika Mitchell and Reggie Torbor were big losses, and I can't say that I feel confident in this group at the moment. I think Antonio Pierce is one of the best in the game, and I love Mathias Kiwanuka's athleticism, but somebody is going to need to step up. Now, many mock drafts have the G-Men taking Jerod Mayo from Tennessee in the draft. I would love this pick, and I think he's athletic enough to step in as a starter right away. But, there are still two problems. One, this means that we have a rookie and a third-year player who is still learning how to play linebacker flanking Antonio Pierce. Second, one of the biggest knocks on Mayo is that he can't stay healthy. Gerris Wilkinson and Chase Blackburn have both stepped up in key situations in the past, and I know that Giants coaches really like what they have seen from Zak DeOssie. Does any of this mean that I'm confident? Obviously not.

Third, can the secondary continue to play as well as it did in the post-season? I think so. Corey Webster is a great talent. I'm not sure exactly what wasn't working for him earlier in the season in '07, but he obviously conquered it in time for the post-season. Aaron Ross exceeded all of my expectations in his rookie year. I expect both Webster and Ross to be much improved this season. Sam Madison, R.W. McQuarters, and Kevin Dockery are all very capable, and I love the depth at cornerback. At safety, the loss of Gibril Wilson certainly hurt (the Raiders are overpaying in an attempt to bring in guys to turn things around. This is a fine quick-fix, but certainly not a blue print for long-term success. Al Davis needs to be stopped!). But, I love the addition of Sammy Knight. James Butler made some big plays last season, and Michael Johnson was the unsung hero of our rookies. He stepped in late in the season and played great. I look for him to be much improved in '08.

Fourth, will punting be an issue? Obviously not, the Giants have the greatest punter ever to walk the earth.