Browns need to put end to secrecy
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You can read the article below for the specifics. I understand these guys need info to write stories, and that we fans connect to a team based on info from practices and scrimmages. But the question is: Why does the media really feel the need to complain in public when they admit they know the coach is like this? Why do we have reporters whining when they could adapt somehow? Listen, I feel for them. I want as much info as a fan can possibly get. But lets not whine about things we know are not going to change. The biggest whiners are Livingston and Grossi. It just bugs me.
Browns need to put end to secrecy
Mangini reveals little about injuries, plays
By Marla Ridenour
Beacon Journal sports writer
Published on Sunday, Jun 21, 2009
BEREA: Every Wednesday through Friday during the regime of former Browns coach Bill Belichick, a member of the public relations department dutifully reported to the press room overlooking the practice field to lower the blinds.
Shortly afterward, former Beacon Journal Browns beat writer Ed Meyer would prop his binoculars between the blinds' slats.
While Meyer merely hoped to tug Belichick's chain, his action now represents to me a form of silent protest against the paranoia and secrecy Belichick brought to Berea. Way ahead of his peers in the 1990s, Meyer responded by acquiring the latest electronic devices available to record telephone calls. Little did we know that Belichick was probably way ahead of Meyer.
With Belichick disciple Eric Mangini now running the show in Berea, spyware is back in vogue. At least when it comes to binoculars.
If the recently concluded offseason training activities and minicamps were any indication, the Hubble telescope might be more appropriate for those trying to tell the public what's happening with its beloved football team.
To his credit, Mangini opened more practices than the league required. But for the most part, the media were restricted to standing behind a sand pit, aka ''the sand box,'' beside Belichick's old training hill. The spot up against the fence was not close to the nearest sideline and light-years away when drills were conducted two fields over. A second-floor window of a nearby condo would have been a better vantage point.
Reporters might not be confined to the same area during training camp, which opens Aug. 1. Public relations director Neal Gulkis said Friday, ''As far as camp goes, nothing's been set yet.'' Gulkis has seen other teams with severe restrictions, including those coached by Bill Parcells, whose media were once confined to a tent. With his former team, the Miami Dolphins (where Parcells is executive VP of football operations), Gulkis said reporters sit in a cordoned-off area in the bleachers.
Under Romeo Crennel, the former Browns coach and former Belichick defensive coordinator, media were allowed to walk the fields' perimeter during camp to get closer to the drills they wanted to see.
Training camp practices will be fully open (at least to the media) through the second weekend of preseason games,
which for the Browns is Aug. 22. After that they will be open to the press for at least the first 30 minutes, which includes little more than stretching. So if the Browns' quarterback battle between Brady Quinn and Derek Anderson continues through the third preseason game Aug. 29, the final few crucial days will be conducted mainly behind closed doors.
Injury reports
The mandatory minicamp illustrated another maddening trait of Mangini's — to reveal as little as possible about injuries, which he thinks is a matter of competitive advantage. Anderson came out with a sleeve on his lower right leg on the afternoon of June 12 and wore a heavier wrap June 13. Asked whether it was a minor injury, Anderson said, ''You'll have to ask coach about that.'' When it was suggested that it wouldn't affect his golf game, Anderson replied, ''Who knows?''
Mangini categorized Anderson's problem as ''bumps and bruises,'' which was not breaking any rule. He doesn't have to get specific until Sept. 9, when his first regular-season injury report comes out.
During his three years as coach of the New York Jets, Mangini frustrated reporters with his vagueness about injuries. A notable incident arose last October, when Dan Leberfeld of Jets Confidential pressed Mangini on whether kicker Mike Nugent had a hamstring injury, listed only as ''leg.'' Mangini wouldn't budge, telling Leberfeld, ''We're 21/2 years into this process. It's something that I believe in and something that we've consistently done, and I don't anticipate changing any time in the near future.''
Greg Aiello, NFL senior vice president of public relations, said a policy has been in place for five years that injury reports have to be specific about body parts.
''It has to be knee, ankle, hand, wrist, shoulder, elbow,'' Aiello said. ''Leg is not permitted.''
Aiello said Mangini ''follows the rules.''
''He may not do more than the minimum,'' Aiello said. ''But we didn't have a problem with the Jets as far as complying with the rules. Some media get frustrated when you won't go beyond what's on the injury report. But we don't require more than that.''
At a meeting with Browns beat writers in February, Mangini said he would continue to list injuries as ''leg.''
Specific plays
Mangini is just as obsessive about reporting on specific plays or formations. One reporter was chastised for writing that Mangini ran a flea flicker during a minicamp practice. When I brought up the subject during a one-on-one session, saying everyone practices flea flickers, Mangini wouldn't budge.
The following week, Anderson ran a penalty lap for a botched trick play that was not his fault. Because it happened on a day when Anderson and Quinn struggled in practice, the only three reporters remaining in the press room discussed how they could get this into the paper without breaking the Mangini code.
Practically seconds later, one reporter's cell phone rang. It was Gulkis, who said he had forgotten to reiterate Mangini's policy of not reporting trick plays after the previous week's transgression. The other two reporters also received calls from Gulkis, as did at least one other media member who was not present at the time.
Coincidence? To quote Anderson, who knows?
My former boss, the late Dayton Daily News sports editor Si Burick, loathed complaining by the media. He once yanked a column by Hal McCoy on how difficult it was to cover the 1981 Super Bowl from the paper in between editions, sending that day's layout editor (me) into a frenzy as he proclaimed, ''Nobody cares about our problems.''
With Mangini, we already know the drill. He's the third coach most of us have covered from the Belichick tree, counting the mighty oak himself. These daily annoyances might not affect the win total, but could play a part in how fans connect with the team.
Whether or not the secrecy bothers you, keep one thing in mind: When you pack the car for training camp, don't forget the binoculars.
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Marla Ridenour is the AFC North representative for the Pro Football Writers of America.
She can be reached at [email protected]. Read her Browns blog at http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/browns/. Follow the Browns on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/ABJ_Browns.
BEREA: Every Wednesday through Friday during the regime of former Browns coach Bill Belichick, a member of the public relations department dutifully reported to the press room overlooking the practice field to lower the blinds.
Shortly afterward, former Beacon Journal Browns beat writer Ed Meyer would prop his binoculars between the blinds' slats.
While Meyer merely hoped to tug Belichick's chain, his action now represents to me a form of silent protest against the paranoia and secrecy Belichick brought to Berea. Way ahead of his peers in the 1990s, Meyer responded by acquiring the latest electronic devices available to record telephone calls. Little did we know that Belichick was probably way ahead of Meyer.
With Belichick disciple Eric Mangini now running the show in Berea, spyware is back in vogue. At least when it comes to binoculars.
If the recently concluded offseason training activities and minicamps were any indication, the Hubble telescope might be more appropriate for those trying to tell the public what's happening with its beloved football team.
To his credit, Mangini opened more practices than the league required. But for the most part, the media were restricted to standing behind a sand pit, aka ''the sand box,'' beside Belichick's old training hill. The spot up against the fence was not close to the nearest sideline and light-years away when drills were conducted two fields over. A second-floor window of a nearby condo would have been a better vantage point.
Reporters might not be confined to the same area during training camp, which opens Aug. 1. Public relations director Neal Gulkis said Friday, ''As far as camp goes, nothing's been set yet.'' Gulkis has seen other teams with severe restrictions, including those coached by Bill Parcells, whose media were once confined to a tent. With his former team, the Miami Dolphins (where Parcells is executive VP of football operations), Gulkis said reporters sit in a cordoned-off area in the bleachers.
Under Romeo Crennel, the former Browns coach and former Belichick defensive coordinator, media were allowed to walk the fields' perimeter during camp to get closer to the drills they wanted to see.
Training camp practices will be fully open (at least to the media) through the second weekend of preseason games,
which for the Browns is Aug. 22. After that they will be open to the press for at least the first 30 minutes, which includes little more than stretching. So if the Browns' quarterback battle between Brady Quinn and Derek Anderson continues through the third preseason game Aug. 29, the final few crucial days will be conducted mainly behind closed doors.
Injury reports
The mandatory minicamp illustrated another maddening trait of Mangini's — to reveal as little as possible about injuries, which he thinks is a matter of competitive advantage. Anderson came out with a sleeve on his lower right leg on the afternoon of June 12 and wore a heavier wrap June 13. Asked whether it was a minor injury, Anderson said, ''You'll have to ask coach about that.'' When it was suggested that it wouldn't affect his golf game, Anderson replied, ''Who knows?''
Mangini categorized Anderson's problem as ''bumps and bruises,'' which was not breaking any rule. He doesn't have to get specific until Sept. 9, when his first regular-season injury report comes out.
During his three years as coach of the New York Jets, Mangini frustrated reporters with his vagueness about injuries. A notable incident arose last October, when Dan Leberfeld of Jets Confidential pressed Mangini on whether kicker Mike Nugent had a hamstring injury, listed only as ''leg.'' Mangini wouldn't budge, telling Leberfeld, ''We're 21/2 years into this process. It's something that I believe in and something that we've consistently done, and I don't anticipate changing any time in the near future.''
Greg Aiello, NFL senior vice president of public relations, said a policy has been in place for five years that injury reports have to be specific about body parts.
''It has to be knee, ankle, hand, wrist, shoulder, elbow,'' Aiello said. ''Leg is not permitted.''
Aiello said Mangini ''follows the rules.''
''He may not do more than the minimum,'' Aiello said. ''But we didn't have a problem with the Jets as far as complying with the rules. Some media get frustrated when you won't go beyond what's on the injury report. But we don't require more than that.''
At a meeting with Browns beat writers in February, Mangini said he would continue to list injuries as ''leg.''
Specific plays
Mangini is just as obsessive about reporting on specific plays or formations. One reporter was chastised for writing that Mangini ran a flea flicker during a minicamp practice. When I brought up the subject during a one-on-one session, saying everyone practices flea flickers, Mangini wouldn't budge.
The following week, Anderson ran a penalty lap for a botched trick play that was not his fault. Because it happened on a day when Anderson and Quinn struggled in practice, the only three reporters remaining in the press room discussed how they could get this into the paper without breaking the Mangini code.
Practically seconds later, one reporter's cell phone rang. It was Gulkis, who said he had forgotten to reiterate Mangini's policy of not reporting trick plays after the previous week's transgression. The other two reporters also received calls from Gulkis, as did at least one other media member who was not present at the time.
Coincidence? To quote Anderson, who knows?
My former boss, the late Dayton Daily News sports editor Si Burick, loathed complaining by the media. He once yanked a column by Hal McCoy on how difficult it was to cover the 1981 Super Bowl from the paper in between editions, sending that day's layout editor (me) into a frenzy as he proclaimed, ''Nobody cares about our problems.''
With Mangini, we already know the drill. He's the third coach most of us have covered from the Belichick tree, counting the mighty oak himself. These daily annoyances might not affect the win total, but could play a part in how fans connect with the team.
Whether or not the secrecy bothers you, keep one thing in mind: When you pack the car for training camp, don't forget the binoculars
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In a nutshell, with the Tribe in the crapper, we have nothing to write about.
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In a nutshell, with the Tribe in the crapper, we have nothing to write about.
In a nutshell, with the Tribe in the crapper, we have nothing to write about.
Lol that about sums it up so they whine about mangini and his secret agent guy approach personally i feel that mangini gives very informative press conferences that are adequate to whats going on and he doesnt seem to have a real "favorite" media guy to give personal one on ones with and this bugs the cleveland media..as long as i get the important stuff in nice doses im content with the press conferences for now....
We were just use to savages raving interviews and leaky insider media spills that were never intended to get out to begin with...
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Yup, EM canned the inside source and locked the press out influencing the decision making which had become a staple since the Browns' return.
So far he's done everything else "the right way" as I've seen it and I'll gladly take a dry time of year concerning the Browns if it means it's going to put us in a better position to win.
So to the press, stop bitching for a minute and let the man do his damn job!
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@jadbf said:
If you don't want them telling the public about what happened with a specific playThe season hasn't started yet?
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The Cleveland media has brought some of this upon itself....
Put yourself in Mangini's shoes for a second..... Chris Palmer made the "runaway train" statement and got crucifed with it until he left town... Romeo made the "flip a coin" statement and still gets called to task about it even though he's no longer in the house.....
The media is super critical on coaches statements and as the new man in town Mangini is playing it safe..... If you don't say anything the media can't hold your feet to the fire.... I think its a smart ploy and would do it myself if I was in his position....
As far as losing the fan base here in Cleveland thats a bunch of bullcrap.... Win ballgames and you'll get the key to the city... Be a losing coach and you'll get directions to the greyhound bus terminal pretty damn quickly.....
peace
T.Dawg
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in other words, change your practice plan to placate the press.....they have free speech...blah blah blah.
this has nothing to do about free speech, this has everything to do about eliminating the leaks spilling of information the press does not need.
do they need to see that one play? nope....they wanna, so they can justify their jobs.
craps been being leaked under old regime.....and we sucked. may not be a connection....maybe there is. either way, its mangini's way or the highway.
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@jadbf said:
even less of a reason to worry about what they are reporting?I am not worried until training camp, your confusing me with someone who cares until then.
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Cleveland media wants to act like a big time group of journalists.
Fact is the PD is the only game in town and can print all the garbage they want.
Cleveland media in general is one of the most biased groups in the nation. Give them some competition and see how fair and balanced they are then.
The Plain Dealer is a crap paper and looked down upon by those outside our 'bubble'
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@jadbf said:
My point is once you let them into see a practice (or more realistically, once the NFL forces you to let them in). Then you have ZERO right to tell them what they can and can't print about what they see.I agree. That is not something I think he can control, and if he tries and the media falls for it, shame on them both.
But the tidbits of info he provides, and the things he keeps close to the vest, are activities he brought with him from his HC days with the Jets. He doesn't give a ton of info because of his attenton to detail - the more info out there, the more it comes back to haunt the team. When the media is perplexed as to what he will not reveal, that is because with the media, you just never know how they will twist and manipulate.
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@jadbf said:
actually I was confusing you with someone who had an actual point to express I guess...LOL. Hilarious.
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in other words, change your practice plan to placate the press.....they have free speech...blah blah blah.
this has nothing to do about free speech, this has everything to do about eliminating the leaks spilling of information the press does not need.
do they need to see that one play? nope....they wanna, so they can justify their jobs.
craps been being leaked under old regime.....and we sucked. may not be a connection....maybe there is. either way, its mangini's way or the highway.
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@jadbf said:
actually I was confusing you with someone who had an actual point to express I guess...Yep, "In a nutshell, with the Tribe in the crapper, we have nothing to write about." See above. You can read!
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@jadbf said:
Actually no you are missing what I am saying.looks like i did.
my point was there is no commitment from the new regime to operate like the old. he can't limit what they can write about, so he's limiting what they see.
and thats got their panties all bunched.
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The only thing the Browns organization needs to do is focus on what's taking place on the field and WITHIN the organization.
If these outlets are having difficulty writing stories, they aren't trying hard enough. They want info handed to them, they want to do as little investigating as possible and they will not be successful in covering the Browns under this regime with that approach. It really isn't THAT difficult to find stories to cover.
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@jadbf said:
Actually no you are missing what I am saying.looks like i did.
my point was there is no commitment from the new regime to operate like the old. he can't limit what they can write about, so he's limiting what they see.
and thats got their panties all bunched.
and thats got their panties all bunched.
What I do not understand is their inability to tell the reader why we should care. They have all this outrage about secrecy, but then completely fail to inform us fans why we should also be upset. If you have a problem, tell me why I should care, too. Otherwise, you come off as a whiner. This is not about what the fans are missing out on, it is about making the job of a sportswriter more difficut. Boo-fooking-hoo.
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I can't stand the whinning....so stupid....the more this happens the more the Media will have a negative bent on EM....which is sad. as someone said earlier they seem to feel entitled somehow about access to the Browns...if your a beat writer....hit the beat. Earn your fookin money and quit whinning. It was same in NY and the media turned on him because of it...IMO
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''Nobody cares about our problems.''
I couldn't agree more with her former editor.
Get the info or don't but shut up about how hard your job is.
And great point, DD. The only argument they make is "The Browns should care more about their fans!" Why should WE care about your problems though?
And, as daddybull points out, the best way for the Browns to show they care about their fans is to win some damn football games not just to TALK about stuff so these beat reporters' jobs are easier.
You really think this is the best way to keep people interested in newspapers when they're struggling, Marla? I'm sure your former editor would be proud.`
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I can't stand the whinning....so stupid....the more this happens the more the Media will have a negative bent on EM....which is sad. as someone said earlier they seem to feel entitled somehow about access to the Browns...if your a beat writer....hit the beat. Earn your fookin money and quit whinning. It was same in NY and the media turned on him because of it...IMO
It was same in NY and the media turned on him because of it...IMO
There it is. Great point Solon16. Thank you for opening that door.
The New York press Put EM through hell. IMO.
What we see now is the result of EM learning from not only his own mistakes but also the mistakes he also saw Belichick, Marchibroda and Parcells make while on their staffs.
He probably didn't realize he was seeing mistakes in dealing with the press until he was the guy in NY and had to deal with the sharks himself.
Also remember, he was already familiar with the Cleveland press from his stint as an intern and then Bill B's assistant in 95.
From what I can see, The guy is dead set on putting up a lot of Ws and as fast as possible. I don't believe he cares one lick about the press anymore.
He knows they don't sign his paychecks and he's giving us the fanbase full credit for being intelligent enough to read every newspaper as if it was headed for the bottom of a birdcage. We've got the internet.
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