LOL? Not over Browns GM Savage’s e-mail response to fan
Scott Petrak | The Chronicle-Telegram
BEREA — The bumpy season for Browns general manager Phil Savage hit a new and unusual pothole this week.
Savage sent an e-mail response to a fan early Tuesday morning that included an implied profanity. He later apologized.
“It happened after the game,” Savage wrote Thursday in an e-mail to The Chronicle-Telegram. “We have since apologized to each other.
“The Browns’ fans have overwhelmingly been supportive of me since arriving in 2005 and I appreciate that very much. End of story.”
The fan, who wanted to be known only as Brett, sent Savage an angry
e-mail ripping the GM and the coaching staff. Savage responded 23 minutes after the Browns beat the Bills 29-27 on “Monday Night Football.”
“Go root for Buffalo—f#@* you,” Savage wrote in the e-mail.
The exchange was originally reported on deadspin.com, but Brett said he didn’t give the Web site the information. He said he felt bad about putting Savage in a difficult spot.
“I had no idea the guy would actually read it,” Brett said by phone. “I would’ve never sent it.
“He shouldn’t be in trouble at all over this. He gave a die-hard fan a good laugh.”
Brett said he apologized to Savage for his message, and Savage reciprocated.
Owner Randy Lerner didn’t reply to a message seeking comment, but no disciplinary action is expected. The league office cited the apologies and planned no discipline.
“We all get frustrated at times,” coach Romeo Crennel said. “Phil generally, like the rest of us, tries to be professional and hold it in. But sometimes some things slip out. It’s unfortunate that it slipped out.
“Tough times, tough things happen. I’m sure that if we had it to do over again, we’d do it a little bit differently.”
Savage is in his fourth year on the job. He was almost fired at the end of his first season, but won a power struggle with then-president John Collins. Phone calls to team headquarters from outraged fans helped save Savage.
After 10 wins in 2007, he received a three-year contract extension through 2012, but this season hasn’t gone smoothly.
After a loss in the opener, Savage called the Week 2 game versus Pittsburgh a “must-win.” The Browns lost 10-6.
Then he spent a week last month in a he said-he said battle with tight end Kellen Winslow. Savage suspended Winslow for one game for conduct detrimental to the team, but the suspension was rescinded. Savage repeatedly implied there was more to Winslow’s illness than a staph infection, before finally supporting Winslow and confirming it was solely a staph infection.
Finally, the Browns are 4-6 and in danger of missing the playoffs for the fourth time in his four years. Pressure is mounting on Savage and Crennel.
Center Hank Fraley hosts a weekly radio show and has experienced the wrath of the fans.
“That’s the business of professional sports,” he said. “It’s how you take it.
“Some guys take criticism different than others. Some guys can laugh at it and shrug it off and some guys let it bother them. To be in this business, you can’t let it bother you long.”
Browns fans are notoriously passionate. That’s why they were awarded an expansion team after the original franchise was moved to Baltimore, and got to keep the name and the colors.
But with the passion comes anger. They haven’t witnessed a championship since 1964, and their beloved team is 54-101 since returning in 1999.
“The fans have always been passionate,” Crennel said. “That’s one of the things that makes ’em great fans.”
“It’s disappointing to them when you’re not playing well,” Fraley said. “It hurts them.”
Contact Scott Petrak at 329-7253 or spetrak@chroniclet.com.
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Filed by Scott Petrak | The Chronicle-Telegram November 21st, 2008 in Sports. Popularity: 4% |
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