bonedawg Posted December 21, 2009 Report Share Posted December 21, 2009 From Peter King's MMQB: Josh Cribbs had a nice day for himself in Kansas City -- and an eloquent one afterward. Rodney Harrison said it best on "Football Night in America'' Sunday night: When's the last time the best player on a team has been a special-teamer or a return man? Cribbs set an NFL record with his seventh and eighth career kickoff returns for touchdown Sunday, and they were both telling. The first, a 100-yarder in the first quarter, was a combo platter of moves and speed and physical play, with Cribbs breaking two tackles. The second, a 103-yard darter in the second quarter of Cleveland's 41-34 win, was a speed race up the left sideline. We're watching a return man very nearly the equal of the best return man of our time, Devin Hester (though his prime was short), and a special-teamer who's physical and willing. And he's rapidly becoming Eric Mangini's favorite player. Because everything in Cleveland is so politically charged right now -- with two friends of Mike Holmgren telling me over the weekend they expect him to take the czar job after turning down a late rush from the Seahawks Saturday -- and Mangini's future in doubt, you have to take everything players and coaches say there cautiously. But the Browns have looked lively and breakneck in the last two games, beating two suspect teams, Pittsburgh and Kansas City (and that's putting it kindly in the case of the Chiefs). With that as a backdrop, I asked Cribbs Sunday after the game: If you polled all the players on the team, what would be the vote on whether to keep or get rid of Mangini? "I think it'd be unanimous,'' Cribbs said. "I think the guys would definitely want to keep him. You can't judge coach Mangini on one year. The camaraderie in the locker room is great. You hear things in the media about coach Mangini being too tough on us. But I think we're building something here, and I think the players are behind him.'' Cribbs is a smart kid. I'm not saying a calculating kid, but he does know what makes a team go. He must have talked for five minutes Sunday about his kickoff-unit protectors, Lawrence Vickers and Blake Costanzo and Jerome Harrison. (Harrison also had the 286-yard rushing game Sunday at Arrowhead, the third-biggest rushing day in NFL history. How ridiculous, by the way, that that's a parenthetical.) Cribbs said he hasn't made his contract a big deal this year -- he's making $620,000, 30th-highest on the team -- because of something club legend and adviser Jim Brown said to him: "I was told by the greatest, Jim Brown, to just play, and everything would take care of itself,'' Cribbs said. "He said when he played, all he worried about was playing, and he figured if he played to the best of his ability, they'd have to pay him. If that's what the great Jim Brown did, I think it's smart for me to do it too. I am confident I will be taken care of.'' Interesting story Cribbs told me about halftime in Kansas City. Mangini told the team, "Josh Cribbs cannot keep bailing out this team by himself. He needs some help.'' And Harrison, a total roster afterthought, told Cribbs he was going to do something about it. Harrison, a fourth-year back from Washington State, rushed for 60 yards in 2006, 142 in 2007, 246 in 2008 and, in the first 13 games this year, 301 yards. Cleveland trailed 24-20 at the half, and in the second half, Harrison rushed 22 times for 208 yards, with touchdown of 71, eight and 28 yards. I guess Harrison was right -- he did do something about it. Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writ...l#ixzz0aLFoIKHB Get a free NFL Team Jacket and Tee with SI Subscription Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peterbell Posted December 21, 2009 Report Share Posted December 21, 2009 With that as a backdrop, I asked Cribbs Sunday after the game: If you polled all the players on the team, what would be the vote on whether to keep or get rid of Mangini? "I think it'd be unanimous,'' Cribbs said. "I think the guys would definitely want to keep him. You can't judge coach Mangini on one year. The camaraderie in the locker room is great. You hear things in the media about coach Mangini being too tough on us. But I think we're building something here, and I think the players are behind him.'' End of story..the star and team leader and spokesman believes in him and out of his mouth said the ENTIRE team is behind Mangini..thats all you need to hear and know...Lets get this confirmed from learner and start moving forward on the draft posts Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IschY Posted December 21, 2009 Report Share Posted December 21, 2009 What a great article. Thanks for the post. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peterbell Posted December 21, 2009 Report Share Posted December 21, 2009 I think it'd be unanimous,'' Cribbs said. "I think the guys would definitely want to keep him. You can't judge coach Mangini on one year. The camaraderie in the locker room is great. You hear things in the media about coach Mangini being too tough on us. But I think we're building something here, and I think the players are behind him.'' You think this statement would have legs and be all over the place with the press..its pretty significant that Cribbs claims to the world We all want Mangini as our coach But it won't....Tell me why Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blowe Posted December 21, 2009 Report Share Posted December 21, 2009 I think it'd be unanimous,'' Cribbs said. "I think the guys would definitely want to keep him. You can't judge coach Mangini on one year. The camaraderie in the locker room is great. You hear things in the media about coach Mangini being too tough on us. But I think we're building something here, and I think the players are behind him.'' You think this statement would have legs and be all over the place with the press..its pretty significant that Cribbs claims to the world We all want Mangini as our coach But it won't....Tell me why The media hates Cleveland and hates on Mangini so this will get no press...its as simple as that, unfortunately Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Couch Pulls Out Posted December 21, 2009 Report Share Posted December 21, 2009 This is probably one of the most useful posts I have read in a while. It brings to light what everybody has been speculating about. The players, according to Josh Cribbs, believe in Mangini. Just yesterday, I got into a heated argument about Mangini with my friend (who is a Panthers fan and doesn't know jack shit about the Browns). He was adamant that the Cleveland players hated Mangini, the Jets players hated Mangini, and that Mangini was a poor evaluator of talent, making him a terrible coach. This article proves at least one of those statements was completely erroneous. Thank you, now I get to shove this article straight up his ass, the bastard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fitzhume Posted December 21, 2009 Report Share Posted December 21, 2009 The media hates Cleveland and hates on Mangini so this will get no press...its as simple as that, unfortunately The media has rarely put a Cleveland team in the Limelight, even for a day. Drives me up a wall. Good find on the interview. Glad to see someone on the team stepping up and being a leader. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lenin Posted December 21, 2009 Report Share Posted December 21, 2009 Do you really think Cribbs would throw Mangini under the bus? We are talking about a player fighting to re work his contract, he'd be an idiot if he were to talk bad about the head coach. Cribbs' comments mean absolutely nothing. Also, to say the media hates Cleveland is ludicrous. Cleveland is irrelevant in the NFL. That is why they get no limelight. I'm a die hard Browns fan, but c'mon. You can't be serious when you say the media hates the Browns. The media has no problem with all the traditional franchises. If the Browns were a success story, it would be a media frenzy and the entire country would jump on the Cleveland bandwagon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beefjerky Posted December 21, 2009 Report Share Posted December 21, 2009 Do you really think Cribbs would throw Mangini under the bus? We are talking about a player fighting to re work his contract, he'd be an idiot if he were to talk bad about the head coach. Cribbs' comments mean absolutely nothing. Also, to say the media hates Cleveland is ludicrous. Cleveland is irrelevant in the NFL. That is why they get no limelight. I'm a die hard Browns fan, but c'mon. You can't be serious when you say the media hates the Browns. The media has no problem with all the traditional franchises. If the Browns were a success story, it would be a media frenzy and the entire country would jump on the Cleveland bandwagon. ok, but it's one thing to not say anything bad about Mangini, and another to support him, and go into specifics about it. he could easily avoided the question, or said a standard response. You're just a Mangini hater. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peterbell Posted December 22, 2009 Report Share Posted December 22, 2009 ok, but it's one thing to not say anything bad about Mangini, and another to support him, and go into specifics about it. he could easily avoided the question, or said a standard response. You're just a Mangini hater. Yeah lenin is a Mangini hater and apparently a communist too boot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canton Mike Posted December 22, 2009 Report Share Posted December 22, 2009 It always amazes me that fans can read total BULLCRAP from the media (ie last years draft, trades, etc), then post that SAME media's negativity toward a Coach/program as fact! Fact is that after a few years, Romeo had us at a 4-12 record. Definitely going the wrong way. Mangini has made mistakes, but he's also done a lot of things right... -5th in league with fewest penalties -33 sacks as opposed to 17 ALL of last season -Sticking to his principles of smart, competitive players with high character. Does he deserve another year? I think so, but that is now Holmgren's call. He's certainly more qualified than I am to make that call. God Bless the Browns! There is light at the end of the tunnel. Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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