On the same day that the Browns are expected to get an answer from the guy who could be the next chief of their football operations, the guy who previously held that power (but who apparently wasn’t expected to use it and then fired because he didn’t) has filed a claim for the balance of his contract.
Tony Grossi of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports that former Browns G.M. George Kokinis has filed an arbitration claim against the team for firing him “with cause,” which cut off his pay for the balance of the deal.
Per Grossi, Kokinis seeks more than $4 million in “compensation and damages” from the team.
Given that jobs of this nature are rare and the competition for them intense, teams typically include non-negotiable language in the contract giving the Commissioner or his designee the authority to resolve any legal claims arising from the employment relationship. And this gives the teams an inherent edge, since it’s the teams not the team employees who determine the identity and job security of the Commissioner.
Still, even with the fielded tilted in their favor, it appears that the Browns don’t have much of a chance to prevail. By all appearances, Kokinis’ only mistake was to assume that the contract giving him final say over the roster meant what it said. When his “friend” Eric Mangini opted instead to dominate the relationship and Kokinis assumed the back-seat position that Mangini wanted him to take, the team concluded that Kokinis had failed to do his job.
So unless there’s evidence that Kokinis did something he shouldn’t have done, he should ultimately prevail.
In this regard, “ultimately” gives the team some leverage. These things often can take a while to percolate — the last time we checked, Lane Kiffin’s effort to get the balance of his salary from the Raiders was still pending, well over a year after he was fired. So if Kokinis decides that he just wants to move on (after moving out), he might take less money than that to which he’s entitled in order to settle the dispute.
The worst coach in football is not Raheem Morris. It’s not Todd Haley. It’s not Tom Cable. It’s freaking Eric Mangini. This guy is so bad, he doesn’t even deserve to be a position coach. Ten bucks says if and when he gets canned at the end of the season, he doesn’t get a sniff in the NFL period.
And I hope he wins! Mr. Kokinis was Ozzies right had man. Ozzie did want to see him leave for the Brown’s or any other NFL team. He was promised GM powers, and Mangine saw to it, that did not happen. He was no doubt the best football mind in the building and was not used. Hope he gets his cash, and he will have a great time helping build another NFL organization.
Florio you need to get a sponsor for your daily Browns story it could get you even more money
Guess what? Randy Lerner is a billionaire. Who cares if Kokinos wins? Best $4 mill the team ever spent, getting this boob out of C-Town.
Wow Florio. I didn’t realize you had all of the evidence and information from both sides to make predictions on the outcome of this arbitration.
Such incredible powers you have.
First of all Florio, invest in an editor because ” Still, even with the fielded tilted in their favor,” is grammatically incorrect. Second, KockinAss got fired because he was banging that chick that Mangina brought over from the jets. So unless george wants this to blow up and ruin his marriage, i think it would be in his best interest to shut up and fade into oblivion. Stop taking cheap shots at the browns and Mangini, it is unprofessional. Did NBC ever read your work? or are you just the George Kokinis to somebody elses Eric Mangini, and got a job because of a “friend?”
@ the coop – if your team wasn’t such a demented laughingstock of a football club, george would still be there doing his job. the guy is really good at personnel and likely would have been a good GM if given the chance. But your “billionaire” owner who cares more about soccer than football and his crazy assed coach have destroyed what once was only mediocrity and have turned it into a historically bad operation. We’ll happily take “the boob” back. He knows more football than anyone else at Berea or wherever the hell the place is.
@ the coop – if your team wasn’t such a demented laughingstock of a football club, george would still be there doing his job. the guy is really good at personnel and likely would have been a good GM if given the chance. But your “billionaire” owner who cares more about soccer than football and his crazy assed coach have destroyed what once was only mediocrity and have turned it into a historically bad operation. We’ll happily take “the boob” back. He knows more football than anyone else at Berea or wherever the hell the place is.
Mangina = Napolean Bonaparte.
I’m a Browns fan, but I hope George wins.
Florio I’m changing your name to Karnak the Magnificent. The all knowing, all seeing and full of bullshit one. Evidence? Karnak only uses that word as a refrence to what others may or may not have. Florio (I’m sorry I mean Karnak) puts a blank sheet of paper against his forehead and quickly dicerns an answer, then he writes an article to fit his answer. You’re amazing ole great one!
No Florio ,no says:
December 21, 2009 2:20 PM
KockinAss got fired because he was banging that chick that Mangina brought over from the jets. So unless george wants this to blow up and ruin his marriage, i think it would be in his best interest to shut up and fade into oblivion.
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Ex-act-ly. Funny how PFT comes off like a “you heard it here first” media outlet, yet this story about Kokinis and Erin O’Brien, that assistant Mangini brought from the Jets, having an inappropriate workplace affair has been leaked several times- yet PFT doesn’t bother to mention that there’s about a 200% chance that this is exactly the meaning behind the “for cause” part of Kokinis’ firing. It has also been leaked that this was all found out through emails between Kokinis and O’Brien.
But of course Florio hates the Browns, so he’s gonna leave out anything that might make them look justified in firing Kokinass.
@ppdoc – Maybe you’re right. Maybe he is a “really good” personnel guy. So was Phil Savage.
The problem is, Kokinis was a freaking pansy. If he had any stones, he would have stuck up for himself, told Mangini who is boss, and if that didn’t work, he would have resigned.
Trust me dude, we won’t miss him. Call me when Kokinis is the GM of a Super Bowl winning franchise.
@ppdoc13 -
Thanks for your insight on the browns.
I think Ozzie has more to do with the Raven’s success than ding dongs like Kokinis and Savage.
And remember, Ozzie was a Brown too before you retards decided to steal a team when the NFL wouldn’t give you one.
You also don’t have to submit your posts twice. Once is plenty.
I’ve got an awesome purple #82 Ozzie Newsome Ravens jersey.
You should get one, biglardawg.
Hey ppdoc, great name ,not, if Kokinis was so great why did the Ravens let him get away?
By the way we know our owner is rich and somewhat distracted by soccer but he is at the very least trying to win.
He will give Holmgren the green light to sack Mangini, since the news broke that Holmgren was coming he all of a sudden decided to be a better coach and the team is winning albiet against bad teams, except Shittsburg . So have Kokinis file a claim if what trickbunny says is true why would he risk that blowing up in his face, just saying.
The problem is, Kokinis was a freaking pansy. If he had any stones, he would have stuck up for himself, told Mangini who is boss, and if that didn’t work, he would have resigned.
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yeah, show them his stones by walking away from $4 million. Brilliant. Why not show them his stones by telling them to F off and let them pay him his $4 million anyway?
Biglardawg says:
December 21, 2009 3:10 PM
@ppdoc13 -
Thanks for your insight on the browns.
I think Ozzie has more to do with the Raven’s success than ding dongs like Kokinis and Savage.
And remember, Ozzie was a Brown too before you retards decided to steal a team when the NFL wouldn’t give you one.
You also don’t have to submit your posts twice. Once is plenty.
We didn’t steal your team. You still have your team, the Browns and your shitty history and colors. Also, we did not take anything. It was given to us. We just took in a franchise that you shitheads did not support and reinvented it here in Baltimore into one of the best run organizations in football with one of the bst owners.
Enjoy more years of losing and sadly you are going to destroy the rep of yet another person once Holmgren starts with you guys.
I hope Kokinis collects every penny from that contract. Mangini freezing him out and grabbing every bit of power he could doesn’t mean Kokinis is a pussy. And I’m a Browns fan. But Cleveland wanted a scapegoat for this season and Mangini gave you one. But all you guys have are arguments calling him ding dong and pussy.
But then again, you geniuses probably know more about football than Ernie Accorsi, right?
The girl he was banging wasn’t Erin O’brien, i’m pretty sure that is the ESPN analyst who has nude pics up on the internet. The lady that got fired days before kokinis, for obviously the same reason, is that Diane Aponte lady or whatever her name is. But why would Florio mention that, his entire goal through this website is to hate on the browns…which makes me think he secretly loves them considering how much he talks/thinks about them…come out of the closet already florio, we know you love them BROWNIES…
‘No Florio, no’,
Your post is wrong in just about every possible way.
Erin O’Brien WAS Mangini’s ‘personal assistant’, and the person that was fired the week before Kokinis. Erin Andrews is the ESPN reporter, and Dawn Aponte is the vice president of football administration.
The Rural Juror says:
December 21, 2009 3:40 PM
I’ve got an awesome purple #82 Ozzie Newsome Ravens jersey.
HE never played one down for that team. Ozzie is in the HOF as a Brown, not the team he works for now. He remained loyal to Model, not you fans in Baltiwhore, Marymen.
bazooka joe is a complete idiot! to say that cleveland fans didnt support the browns show that you have smoke much crack! the owner went broke in his own and needed a sucker to bail him out…hence baltimore. yep you got a murdering mlb’er and a ring but you also got a special place in hell! enjoy yourself
gweetarman says:
December 21, 2009 1:57 PM
The worst coach in football is not Raheem Morris. It’s not Todd Haley. It’s not Tom Cable. It’s freaking Eric Mangini. This guy is so bad, he doesn’t even deserve to be a position coach. Ten bucks says if and when he gets canned at the end of the season, he doesn’t get a sniff in the NFL period.
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I absolutely DESPISE mangini (I’m a Pats fan)..but the reason he shouldn’t get hired by any other franchise is his propensity for being a thieving unethical (towards people, no need for “hahahah cheating Belicheat spygate” posts) putting himself above his team liar. No franchise or players can trust the guy. But he is a good position coach IMO (DBs). He may even have developed into a good DC. He definitely was in no way shape or form ready to be a HC when he first left the Pats though.
Ahhh….. the Ravens haters return…. The reason Kokinis didn’t resign dimwits is that he had a contract that was to be honored. Would you give up a couple of million after you left your team and your home with the promise of being a GM.
The Ravens didn’t “let” him go morons. They made sure that he was “promised” control of the organization. With that, they had to let him leave. But the Clowns being the miscreant organization that they are hired a coach before a GM and their owner who doesn’t give a $hit let the coach squat on the GM.
Now if you’re the GM and you left a high paying job that you liked, with the promise that you would run the team and that job is no longer available, would you in your right mind resign and flush the money they owe you down the john?
Maybe you would, but then you all are Cleveland fans, so nothing surprises me. As far as Ozzie is concerned, if he was so enamored with your sad sack town, he would have come back. The reason he didn’t is that he owed a HUGE debt of gratitude to the owner the hired the first black GM in football. Yes…. Art Modell. Why would he leave a first class organization to take over that crapbag team you had? You think that just because he played for you, he is obligated to work again for you? For that owner? Are you kidding me?
You will hire Holmgren. Good for you. He SUCKED as the GM of Seattle. Another bad mistake by the Browns. Best news for the Ravens in awhile. Oh yessss…. and while we are in the playoff race AGAIN…. you are looking forward to the draft.
Love you guys…….
ppdoc
“Art Modell” and “first class” don’t belong in the same sentance.
To ppdoc13 and bazooka joe….you can wash out your dirty mouths before you thank the late Al Lerner (god rest his soul) for bailing out your scoundrel Art Model everytime his idiotic financial decisions went wrong. Model will NEVER enter the HOF as long as it’s in Canton, Ohio no matter how many times you try to re-paint that wrinkly snake.
my post was wrong in every possible way, or i didnt know the ladys name, which i made clear i did not know with the, ” or whatever her name is,” comment. You are dumb. thank you.
Thank you, Florio, for the “Move on…or move out” clip…it was a nice Christmas present. Still my favorite PFT clip and I’ve been visiting this site every day for several years now. And I cannot hear anyone say the words “move on” without immediately thinking, “or move out.” I consider it an unforgettable classic.