Diner Morning News: Mangini's Big Secret

National Football Post

QUOTE: “By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest.”—Confucius

One thing—and it may be the only thing I’ve learned from Browns head coach Vikings-NFL.html" target="_blank">Eric Mangini’s decision not to formally name a starting quarterback even as of this morning (we all know it’s Brady Quinn)—is that he can keep a secret. Keeping secrets is not going to earn him any points toward the playoffs or help him win the Super Bowl, and it might be the most childish act I’ve seen in my 20-plus years in the NFL.

What good is it doing for the team? There’s no competitive advantage to this whatsoever.

When a head coach speaks to the media on a daily basis, he has three main audiences he’s addressing: the players in his locker room, the fans, and the organization. He must be aware of all three each time he speaks, and he can send messages to each group. He can use the media as a tool to help his cause as the chief motivator of the team.

I love watching NBA coach Larry Brown address the media after the game because he’s able to call out certain players without mentioning their names. His low-key style and matter-of-fact delivery are powerful tools in his motivational arsenal.

The head coach doesn’t have to tell fans team secrets, or what he really thinks, but he does have to sell his plan, his leadership skills, and his ability to be in control of the team.

Not answering questions, or being overtly coy (especially when talking about the quarterback position), sends a message of doubt—whether true or not—about the finality of the decision. All this secrecy has placed doubts in the minds of fans, players, ownership and organization.

That doubt might promote the one reaction you want to avoid if the starter plays bad—cries for the backup.

It’s not like Brady Quinn and Derek Anderson are so different that Leslie Frazier, the Minnesota Vikings’ defensive coordinator, would have to develop two different schemes.

Frazier is going to run his scheme no matter who they start. This is professional football, and the offense is not going to change significantly from one quarterback to another. Anderson is not going to run the option and Quinn the veer, or drop back. They are going to run their offense.

Both quarterbacks struggle with accuracy issues, although one (Anderson) can throw the deep ball better while the other (Quinn) is more effective on the short and mid-level throws. By the way, my son Mick, who happens to love the Browns and Quinn, argues this point with me all the time.

So what’s Mangini trying to accomplish here? He’s a smart but shy man, and his lack of communication skills are legendary in NFL circles. When he was the head coach of the Jets, he would be in his office for hours, and staff members rarely saw him—not just for days, but for weeks at a time. Nothing has changed from his time with the Jets.

Mangini is a hard worker and spends countless hours in his office, working on many things that might not seem important to others but are very important to him. He’s not going to share his thoughts with anyone, as he doesn’t trust people to keep a secret.

It’s this lack of trust that prevents him from allowing the dialogue that’s needed with the right people to make the right choices.

It takes discussion about the issues to decide on new ideas, new thoughts and maybe alternative solutions. Get smart people making decisions and you’ll make smart decisions. Exclude everyone and you’ll only get what you want.

Somewhere along the line, Mangini will learn the difference between what is urgent and what is important.

Last year, Patriots coach Bill Belichick, the man whom Mangini has modeled his secret-keeping after, had no problem announcing that Matt Cassel would be the new starter after the injury to Tom Brady.

He sent home two prospective quarterback schedules for a workout the next day to send a message to Cassel and the team that he had faith in Cassel and wasn’t looking to replace him at any point.

Belichick can keep a secret and can be evasive with the media, but he knows how to send a message to the team, which normally is a very clear and precise message, using the media as his conduit.

How hard would it have been to come out and announce to the Cleveland faithful, along with not having to make Quinn lie in front of the cameras, that Quinn is the starter and here’s why he’s going to be the starter for the entire season, barring an injury?

Send a message to the fans, to the team, and the organization that promotes confidence in the choice. Use the media to communicate your message; the league doesn’t give away trophies for best secret-keeper.

I just don’t get it.

Today in the Tavern, I’ll talk about tonight’s Titans-Steelers season opener. Yes, the NFL is back, and you have to love that.

Follow me on Twitter: michaelombardi

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