Browns tight end Kellen Winslow, who was suspended one game without pay for his public criticism of the organization due to its alleged efforts to cover up a staph infection that recently landed him in the hospital, has responded to the move.
Said Winslow, via a prepared statement: “I take responsibility for the fact there might have been a more constructive way to release this, but when I tried to do so I was discouraged from making the issue public. Regardless of how this was released, the information would still remain the same. I contracted staph, again.”
Winslow plans to appeal the suspension, which will cost him $235,294. It also potentially subjects him to a partial forfeiture of bonus money, depending upon the language of his contract and its enforceability in light of the 2006 revisions to the CBA.
Though some league insiders believe that these two parties won’t be able to coexist over the long haul in the wake of the suspension, Winslow says that he wants to stay with the team: “I remain loyal to the Browns organization, my teammates, the fans and the city of Cleveland,” the statement says. “I remain a hard worker on and off the field in support of my teammates and our goal to have a winning season. I hope to be a Brown for a very long time. I know that the organization and I can move forward and focus on having a successful season, which I believe everybody agrees upon.”
Meanwhile, Adam Schefter of NFL Network reported on Tuesday that the Browns discreetly shopped Winslow before the trading deadline. Last week, Anthony Gargano of WIP in Philly said that the Eagles called the Browns about Winslow’s availability.
WINSLOW ADDRESSES ONE-GAME SUSPENSION
Posted by Mike Florio on October 22, 2008, 12:30 AM EST
32 Responses to “WINSLOW ADDRESSES ONE-GAME SUSPENSION”
Regardless of what anyone thinks of Winslow, what the hell does this accomplish other than pissing him off and making it harder to win the next game?
Amazing – How did this turd fell from such a great tree?
$235,294 for one game. How SICKENING
If I were Winslow, I would want out of Cleveland. I think he does, too, but can’t do much about it because the trading deadline is in effect. Players have said a lot worse about their teams without a penalty. I guarantee you if Winslow is back with the Browns next year it’s going to be a Chad Johnson-ish situation.
Hes not loyal to anyone but himself, give me a break. He really is too much of a hassle, another Jeremy Shockey. I’m glad the skins took sean taylor over this cat when they had the chance. Sean may be gone but he made a bigger impact on the team and fanbase then winslow would ever had. Also by passing on winslow and taking taylor that same year in the 3rd round we also drafted college footballs leading tightend in a guy named chris cooley. 3rd round…. ya boi
If Winslow is earning $235,294 per game you can be fairly certain that the Eagles did NOT call inquiring about Kellen’s availability.
The Browns players should walk out until the team gets a HAZMAT team in there.
Suspension takes focus off another bonehead decision by incompetant Cleveland coach Crennell late in the game. Down 14-3 needing 2 scores to tie and first and goal inside the 5 getting stopped on the first 3 tries making it 4th and goal from the one, Crennell elected to FOREGO FG attempt and go for TD. A FG which would have made it a one score game with about 4 minutes left, Browns were stopped. Crennell seemingly lucked out as Redskins soon turned ball back over , but Browns still needed 2 scores, they did score an 8 point TD following that turnover, but time eventually ran out on them a FG short. He still made the wrong move going for the TD he didn’t make and not the sure FG.
Just a few weeks ago late in Pittsburgh game down 7 points at 10-3 he went for a useless FG to them on 4th and 3 when Browns needed 7 points not 3 which left them 4 points short and still needed a TD the next time they got the ball if they even would have time left.
2 bonehead moves by Crennell one of the worst offensive minds in the NFL. 2 Browns losses in close hard fought but poorly coached Browns games.
Take the focus off your dumb coach, suspend a player(one of your best) for daring to state the Browns are endangering the health of their players which all the players already know anyway.
So wait, was the swollen testicles thing actually an unfounded internet rumor, or did Winslow have a staph infection on his balls?
Even though they went for it I dont think it mattered, in fact I think that situation played out better then it would have with the fieldgoal. With a fieldgoal and being up the redskins would have ran it down the browns throats but instead the very first play after the 4th down portis gets a 20+ yard rush but fumbles the ball. This lead to the browns only touchdown of the game.
It was a stupid decision to go for it but I still think in the end after what happened the browns had a better chance then if they made it and kicked off to the skins.
Browns should consider themselves to be fortunate to even have been in that game near the end, it was 14-3 with 5 mins left and the browns just got stopped on a goal line stand. Ask any player on the redskins defense, goal line defense is the teams bread and butter, its watch greg blache prides himself on. You can drive up and down the field(even though typically you dont) but most of the time when you get in that redzone you walk away with 3.
Bob S.
Well said, and I agree 100%.
The problem is at the top, among others. If any “normal” person had a health concern at work, we would be allowed to voice our concern.
This shouldnt be any different.
The wheels have come off!
This hardly deserves a suspension.
How the hell are people criticizing HIM here?
The guy got a freaking staff infection for Christ sake, its not like he was speaking out against the team because he loves him some him. Then on top of that the idea was floated that it was an STD… anyone think that maybe the team had something to do with that rumor floating around so they didn’t look like the schmucks again?
This whole organization needs to be slashed and burned and allowed to start from scratch, STARTING with ownership in the front office. As for Winslow? Send him here to Philly, we will take him.
If I was in the hospital and folks were spreading the false rumor that my balls were swollen to the size of melons, I’d be pissed off too. The organization could have avoided all of this by just making the staph diagnosis public. Instead Winslow had to sit quietly while the whole world erroneously assumed he had a problem “down there”.
I like the way Winslow handled it.
Fact is, we don’t know for sure if Winslow truly did have a staph infection. Even if he didn’t, the organization can’t come out and say it for privacy concerns.
I don’t know anyone in the organization, but I have been reading rumors that this is mainly a contract issue that Rosenhaus used Winslow’s stay in the hospital as a way to start negotiations for a new contract. Come on, this doesn’t sound like a Rosenhaus move to you?
Don’t chastize the organization here, Winslow had no right to come out and say what he said. You would have no right to speak like that about YOUR boss even if he peed in your lunchbox. Praise publicly, deal with serious matters privately, that’s how any successful organization works.
I also find it interesting that everyone’s so quick to chastize the Browns for the staph problem when they’ve taken measures to correct the problem…the problem is leaguewide but everyone seems to overlook that.
Well who perpetuated the rumor about his testicles? Hmmm, where are we? Nice journalism Florio. Can you explain yourself?
The fact is Winslow broke team rules regardless of the situation of staph. He absolutely should have handled this in-house. By going to the media do you think that will eradicate staph? The Browns organization is NOT the only athletic organization that is having a hard time dealing with staph. High schools, colleges and many other sports teams are having a hard time combating it.
There are also HIPPA laws which make it against the law to disclose an emplyees medical conditions people. The only thing the Browns could have done is to call FLORIO to get him to stop making innuendo and jokes regarding Winslow’s under carriage.
Explain yourself Florio since you are part of this mess.
Leaguewide problem Ammo? Can you back that up with at least 2 other teams that have had at least 5 staph infection issues come up? Only team I can think of is the Browns.
I don’t like the things Kellen Winslow says, although I think he’s a great player.
However, in this case, if he really had a staph infection, I think he has every right to go public with it, especially with all of the other speculation that’s been going on.
I’m amazed a team would suspend someone for going public with the condition that put them in the hospital. It doesn’t make any sense.
The only thing that would vindicate the Browns management on this one is that if Winslow was lying. Otherwise, it sends a horrible message, and additionally, every time a Brown is hospitalized, they can guarantee what the assumed ailment will be.
Well said picasso…
The Browns have supported Winslow through a lot… and paid him very well (see game ck). A lot of teams would have given up on him when he pulled the Kellenevil stunt. The Browns did not. They prorated all his $$ so he wouldn’t lose any. Is that how a “piece of meat” is treated?
Many teams are dealing with staph (see Tom Brady), and the Browns have taken the full brunt of the criticism. They have also gone through great lengths (see Savage’s statement) of education, consultation and have even installed Sani Sport machines, which uses an ozone process to kill bacteria on sports equipment that can cause staph and other infections.
Bottom line, Winslow was embarrassed of the rumors (thanks Florio) and spouted off in a childish “I know you are, but what am I?” defensive speech.
The organization and players adopted a “team first” philosophy, no one player is bigger than the team and their goals.
Winslow broke it, and deserved his punishment. I’m sure there were some other behind the scenes stuff as well, that added to the decision to suspend him.
Ammo…I think you are right on. I definitely think that the Drew Rosenhaus factor is at play here somehow.
It seems to be a pretty complicated situation and we don’t know all of the information. All I know is that a coach and GM are on the hot seat, desperate to win any way they can to pull this season back from the brink. Either the suspension is really, truly warranted for reasons perhaps beyond what we know publicly; or the Giants game and other behind-the-scenes issues have convinced the Browns that they are better off without Kellen.
But I definitely smell a rat in this whole fiasco, and his name is Drew Rosenhaus.
Since 2004, there have been 7 reported staph infections amonst Browns players. There is something really, really wrong with that and this is Winslow’s 2nd. How pissed would you be, if you were Winslow and because of the organization’s complete failure to do anything to combat the staph outbreaks at the facility, you have an internet rumor floating around that you have swollen testicles? If I was that kid I doubt I would have anything good to say about the front office.
The Browns, yes, have been “plagued” by Staph. But the professional medical staff of the Browns are acutely aware of the situation as is the Cleveland Clinic, where many of the surgical procedures have taken place such as Winslow’s and Bentley’s. They take every precaution known to man. Of course they will, they need to protect their huge investments such as Winslow.
There are many, many less publicized cases such as Washington Redskins, Brandon Noble
http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/Health/story?id=1580657
Junior Seau, Miami Dolphins
Memphis forward Rudy Gay
“One prominent study conducted during the 2003 football season of members of the St. Louis Rams professional football team found eight occurrences of MRSA infection among five of the 58 Rams players – or 9 percent of the team. Dr. Adams pointed out that all of the lesions occurred on areas of the skin not covered by clothing or equipment where players had suffered turf burns. The players that experienced the infections were more likely to have a higher body mass index and play the lineman or linebacker position.” –Science Daily http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080624151110.htm
Maybe the Browns need to actually pay for a cleaning crew to spritz some sanitzer around once and a while …
… or maybe young kellen should stop rubbing his open wounds against his teammates’ open wounds …
I am not a big fan of this guy but suspending him for telling why he was in the hospital? maybe he should have done crack or been arrested for dui then he would still be out there playing.and florio how can you chastise espn for not reporting on something they can’t verify but you have no problems reporting that a guy is in the hospital for a problem with his balls without checking first?
I think this is only the tip of the iceberg. The organization is in some trouble here and the only remedy is to win. Winning solves all of the questions…except the one about where the staph is coming from.
Don’t you people get it, MRSA is not from Berea: it is from the CCF where his PROCEDURES were done!!
Might as well save some coin if your season is already over. As much of a turd Winslow is, wasn’t he just stating the obvious?
Listen, winslow and his old man were up in arms about trying to keep kellens medical condition private when he wrecked his motorcycle. Now the browns keep quiet and this is how the winslows react??
I think that the winslow camp wanted to keep this shit on the downlow, but when rumors started about STD’s, he pulls this crap.
Why would the browns want to keep this hush hush? their staph issues are well documented, i dont think one more case would be a reason to keep it under wraps.
I also think that the browns would like to call out kellen as a lying sack of shit, but that will hurt his trade value in the offseason.
oh, and i would suggest doing a little research on how each of these staph infections occured before assuming that they all were contracted at the browns facilities. a little background might go a long way in making some of you commenters look less ignorant.
Once you acquire MRSA (staph)@ CCF during knee surgery, the antibiotics do not “kill” the staph, but “colonize” it.This will allow it to reoccur in ANYONE that was “cured” @ a later time in life. This is why it is so virile of a micrroorganism and the general public is so afraid of it. IT IS NOT FROM BEREA!!!! It’s from the CCF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Picasso, I highly doubt you’ll get an answer from Florio on this, so I explain how I see it…
If anywhere there is a situation happening, and the details are not made public – just throw out some overly negative or controversial rumors, then the details will eventually come forward, if only to refute the false rumors.
Irresponsible? Probably, but it fuels the drama and more importantly – gets him page views.
Another thing…
I don’t think losing Winslow would hurt as much as people are led to believe. There’s a strong rumor out there than he doesn’t even know where to line up most of the time and has to be told. Add that into the fact that he’s a revolving door when asked to block, and we drafted his replacement this year, I’d like to see what we could get on the open market for him.
WOW, NOW A TIGHT END IS ACTING LIKE A WIDE RECIEVER. (JERK)
BUT MAN THIS JERK WOULD OF LOOKED GREAT IN A EAGLES UNIFORM.
TRADE LITO AND A 4TH ROUND PICK. BROWNS DEFENSE NEEDED A TOP CB. TOP CB IS MORE IMPORTANT THEN A TE.