Phil Savage Discusses Kellen Winslow Suspension on WTAM 1100 Radio – Audio
(Sunday morning update: The Browns have lifted the suspension of Kellen Winslow after text messages surfaced from a Browns PR employee that pressured Winslow to keep quiet about his staph infection. Winslow will still not play against the Jaguars.)
Today during his weekly radio spot will Wills and Snyder on The Big One, WTAM 1100 in Cleveland, Browns GM Phil Savage commented publicly on the Kellen Winslow suspension for the first time. (Thanks to our own MidnightWriter and ProFootballTalk.com for the alerting us to the interview.)
You can listen to Phil Savage discuss Kellen Winslow on WTAM 1100 here.
I took a quick listen, and here are the highlights:
As to the reportedly “heated” conversation that Kellen Winslow and Phil Savage had in the tunnel following the Washington game, and prior to Kellen Winslow’s comments, Savage said that their conversation was, in fact, not heated. He said might have been awkward somewhat, with Winslow in a football uniform and Savage in a suit, but that both he and WInslow handled themselves with respect.
As to the suspension, Phil Savage explained that this was something he and Browns ownership and Romeo Crennel discussed all Monday afternoon and Tuesday morning. Savage felt that Kellen Winslow went public with remarks without giving team an opportunity to respond, and in doing so Winslow called into question the integrity of the organization — despite the fact that Browns had stood by Winslow in the aftermath of his motorcycle accident and subsequent rehab. In addition, he reasserted that Browns have done everything to combat staph problem
“It just showed a lack of professional restraint,†Savage said about the comments by Winslow.
Phil Savage then went on, at length, discussing his primary point: that the Cleveland Browns are bigger than one person.
“That’s the bottom line in this situation,” explained Savage. “We couldn’t and won’t allow one person to tear down the organization. So we had to do something.â€
Savage also took exception to the notion that he does not care for his players, a response to Winslow’s charge that he felt like “a piece of meat.” Without refuting Winslow’s claim that Savage never called him while he was in the hospital, Savage went on at length about the extent of his duties as GM and how he still makes time to find personal connections and personal time for almost every player. I agree with Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com, that Savage went overboard here, and sounded a little whiny and defensive. But his basic point was that any notion that he does not care about his players is falsely based.
Phil Savage then discussed the Browns organization as a whole, and how the organization’s commitment to winning and to the team (”T-E-A-M” as he spelled out) led to Winslow’s suspension:
“[The Browns] will never ever ever have a group of people who are more committed to winning, and doing things the right way, with character, with integrity, with dignity, from the group that’s over there right now,” explained Savage.
He continued, “I’m not going to sit here and allow for one second all those people and the many, many others in the organization who love this team, as well as lot of the players, almost every single man on that team, who gives everything they have on the field, and off the field for us to be embarrassed by some unnecessary remarks that occurred this week. So for us to be characterized in this way on a national stage is absolutely unacceptable, and that’s why we did what we did.
“The team is the most important thing in the entire structure of this, and we cannot allow one person to
disrupt that.â€
The conversation then turned to the nature of Winslow’s illness and hospitalization. Savage said that HIPA won’t allow them to reveal the nature of an illness without the individual’s approval. He said, to paraphrase, that It seemed that the people involved “wouldn’t want it out there.” It was all agreed upon that Winslow and the Browns would keep the nature of the illness under wraps, and that agreement was reached the weekend before the Giants game. Savage did say that it was a non-football illness that occurred during the bye week. After the game, Savage explained, the whole thing changed with regard to keeping the situation under wraps.
The question was then posed to Phil Savage, can you go forward with Kellen Winslow?
“Absolutely,” Savage responded. “You know, if he’s willing to do the things that he’s said publicly that he’s willing to do, which is that he wants to be Brown, he wants to be a productive member of the team….certainly we would welcome him back. We’ve gotta do what’s best for the team, and the people that are on this team have to do what’s best for the team and not always necessarily what’s best for themselves.â€
Phil Savage did say one thing that seemed to refute other reports I have been hearing regarding the supposedly expedited appeal. He said that, as of late last night, the appeal hearing will be on Tuesday, which would obviously be after the Jacksonville game.
From my perspective, the last thing that Phil Savage said, regarding individuals doing what’s best for the team and not necessarily themselves, was the most interesting. I have had a sneaking suspicion since this situation cropped up that Winslow’s desire for a new contract, and the influence of Drew Rosenhaus, might have as much to do with his actions as anything. While Savage never even hinted in that direction specifically, the general assertion seems to be there that Kellen Winslow’s actions were selfish and in his own best interests, with little regard to the team. How much the contract issue plays into that obviously is not known for certain, my gut feeling remains that it has as much to do with it as anything.
Anyway, we wanted to hear from Phil Savage and now we have. He and the organization felt a suspension was necessary to preserve the integrity of the team. The more I hear about this story, the more I agree with him; but obviously I would like to see this get resolved as quickly as possible, see the Browns pull out a much needed W against Jacksonville this weekend, and then get Kellen Winslow back to being the dynamic, game-changing playmaker that he was last year.
The best interests of the team may be for Kellen Winslow to sit this week’s game out, as much to prove a point as anything else. But we all know that the best interests of the team’s long-term success in 2008 revolves around Kellen Winslow becoming a productive member of this offense once again.
[tags]kellen winslow, phil savage, cleveland browns, nfl, football[/tags]
Tags: Cleveland Browns, football, kellen winslow, NFL, phil savage
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Great job, Jrod, getting the complete interview of Phil Savage to WTAM, the Browns flagship station and posting it. It seems most sports fans can see through the Savagespeak and may wonder where is the beef in the whole incident.
For instance, what was the civilized “conversation” between man in uniform and man in suit, about? What was it that caused Kellen to go to The Plain Dealer, thus breaking the secrecy deal?
We may not know any of this until the NFL Players Association hearing on Tuesday to discuss Winslow’s appeal and the case.
Is the hearing open? Probably not.
Meanwhile the Browns are in the Berea facility getting ready for Sunday’s game against the Jaguars. If the Browns win, the Kellen vs. Savage story fade into obscurity where old breaking stories go — until the next staph infection.
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[...] it’s the NFL…and he’s from Arkansas. Cleveland is dealing with a star player and management at odds over a problem, staph infections, that threatens the team’s future ability to sign [...]
Browns suspension letter accuses Kellen Winslow of ‘profane verbal abuse’
In the formal letter of suspension hand-delivered to Cleveland Browns tight end Kellen Winslow on Oct. 21, he not only told tales out of school, but spoke profanity to Browns director of communications Amy Palcic.
The Plain Dealer published the letter in its entirely Saturday, Oct. 25, and revealed exchanges between Winslow and Palcic, Browns running back Jamal Lewis, Browns wide receiver Braylon Edwards, who all tried at various times to stop Winslow from revealing information about himself and the team.
Winslow obviously, did not listen. He will not play against the Jacksonville Jaguars Sunday nor will he receive one game check totaling $235,294. He is appealing these sanctions, but if an arbitrator finds in his favor, Winslow will only recoup the game check. Any decision will come after the game in which the 2-4 Browns will try to put distractions behind them, beat Jacksonville and try to salvage the season.
The Browns letter to Winslow states the tight end violated not only a section of the NFL Collective Bargaining Agreement, but the Browns 2008 Maximum Discipline Schedule by “engaging in Conduct Detrimental to the Club.”
The letter states that on Oct. 19 in Washington, “you made public statements that were inappropriate, inaccurate, portrayed the Club in a false light, and diminished the Club’s reputation. In addition, you engaged in profane verbal abuse of a Club’s public relations member in the locker room following the Redskins game.”
That allegation refers to a verbal exchange between Winslow and Palcic, according to The Plain Dealer’s audiotape which can be heard on cleveland.com.
Palcic was standing a few feet away from Winslow’s locker when Winslow said:
“Amy, I’m good. Can you please stop playing big sis and leave? Seeing what I’m going to say and sh–?” (This was apparently the extent of the “profane verbal abuse” in which Winslow was guilty of according to the formal letter.) Winslow spoke in a calm manner and did not raise his voice.
.
When Palcic remained standing just a few feet away, Winslow said: “Um, Amy, can you please leave?”
Palcic responded: “Talk, if you want to talk.”
Winslow: “What?”
Palcic: “Talk. I’m not going to cut you off.”
Winslow then took questions from reporters for about four minutes, telling them he was upset with Browns General Manager Phil Savage for not calling him when he was in the Cleveland Clinic for a staph infection and that he felt “like a piece of meat.”
The Plain Dealer also reported he “thought about asking to be traded before last week’ deadline and informed Savage.”
Palcic attempted to end the interview halfway through, but Winslow continued until summoned by Lewis.
But Winslow told Lewis, “I’m good. Let me get one more (question).” But when Lewis persisted, Winslow walked away and joined him, the Cleveland newspaper reported.
But 10 minutes later, Winslow returned to his locker and motioned The Plain Dealer over for a one-on-one interview in which he stated his undisclosed illness was a staph infection, adding, “there’s obviously a problem (with staph) and we have to fix it.”
“Just look at the history around here,” Winslow told The Plain Dealer. “It’s unfortunate, because it happens time and time, again.”
During that interview, Edwards, standing a few lockers away, waved his hands back and forth to get Winslow to stop talking, but Winslow gave him a thumbs up sign and said he was good.
The suspension letter, signed only by Browns Head Coach Romeo Crennel, states, Winslow’s actions “significantly disrupted and adversely affected the Cleveland Browns team and organization, and cannot be tolerated.”
The letter concludes, “further violations of the Club rules or engaging in conduct that is detrimental to the Club by result in additional discipline.”
The hearing on Winslow’s appeal is set for Tuesday in Cleveland before arbitrator Rosemary Townley, according to The Plain Dealer.
Overkill by the Browns? Overreaction for having egg on the organization’s face? You be the judge.
In an interview with WKNR prior to a fundraiser at the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Dick Ambrose , a former Browns linebacker and currently a sitting judge, said he was not a betting man — but he felt Winslow would win the appeal.
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[...] that the official suspension letter from the Cleveland Browns to Kellen Winslow included accusations of verbal abuse to Browns employees by Winslow, as well as attempts by teammates to stop Winslow from talking after [...]
[...] as any other Browns fan this season regarding his handling of the Kellen Winslow situation, the defensiveness of his radio appearance in the aftermath of the Kellen saga, the quarterback troubles, etc. So calling me a Phil Savage [...]