Browns Suspend Kellen Winslow

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The Cleveland Browns suspended tight end Kellen Winslow for one game without pay for his recent comments that were determined detrimental to the team. Here is the full statement issued by Browns GM Phil Savage today:

“The Cleveland Browns are committed to winning and taking care of our players. We are also committed to protecting the privacy of our players, particularly with regard to medical issues. To that end, following discussions with Kellen Winslow and his representation, the Browns agreed to make every effort to maintain the confidentiality of his recent medical condition.

“As an organization, we have worked hard to ensure the safety and well-being of our players. Consistent with this effort, we have consulted the team’s medical experts to ensure that any instances of staph infections are evaluated and treated thoroughly and expeditiously, and in accordance with the recommended standard of care. Further, steps have been and continue to be taken on a daily, monthly, and yearly basis to protect our players and personnel at our training facility and stadium.

“During training camp, the entire team took part in an extensive presentation by experts in the field of infectious diseases. It was an educational meeting that informed players of the issues, how to prevent and minimize the risks of infection, and what preventative measures we as an organization had employed to assure maximum safety for the team combined with a Q&A session for the players. Kellen was in attendance at that meeting. Since that meeting, not one player has approached me, Romeo Crennel, or our medical staff with concerns as to how we have dealt with this issue.

“Kellen has expressed his desire to be a productive member of the Cleveland Browns. His comments and behavior on Sunday evening, however, were unwarranted, inappropriate, and unnecessarily disparaging to our organization. His statements brought unjustified negative attention to our organization, and violated the team-first concept of our football squad. Therefore, disciplinary action will be taken in the form of a one-game suspension without pay for conduct detrimental to the club.

“Beginning Wednesday, the focus of the coaches and players will be on preparing for the upcoming game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.”

Kellen’s teammates tried to talk him out of his tirade to the media, but Kellen decided it was worth $235,294 — his one-game paycheck — to speak his mind. This is a tough one. Mr. Savage’s statement makes it sound like — as a player — if you were at the scheduled educational seminar on how to avoid contracting a staph infection, you should be expected to not get a staph infection. And if you do — no matter what rumors are going around about your condition — the team will cover it up as an “undisclosed illness.”

The Browns weren’t protecting Kellen. They were protecting their own reputation. Nevertheless, Kellen should have kept his comments to himself and encouraged Mr. Savage to come clean with the truth about why he was in the hospital. If Kellen already went down that road to no avail and can afford to lose almost a quarter of a million dollars to tell his story, I say go for it.

Source: ClevelandBrowns.com