The Cleveland Browns Don't Take Care of Their Staph!

What in the world are the Cleveland Browns thinking?

Hiding a extremely dangerous infection from Browns players isn't smart.

In the last several years, the biggest injury problem plaguing the Browns has been staph infection. Many notable players have caught this extremely potent infection, such as Joe Jurevicius, LeCharles Bentley (whom it affected so much he never played a snap as a Brown), Braylon Edwards, and most recently Kellen Winslow Jr.

This infection has caused the Browns' practice facility to be closed for cleaning several times. It has also been reported that several free agents have decided not to sign with the Browns due to the fear of being exposed to this dangerous infection.

Staph infection can be extremely dangerous and possibly fatal in some cases. Recently, UNC Asheville basketball star Kenny George had to have some of his foot removed because the infection was so bad.

Staph is extremely contagious, and according to Josh Cribbs, there were meetings before the season began about staph infection and how the organization was taking necessary steps to protect the players.

So why in the world did the Browns, and I’m speaking mainly to General Manager Phil Savage, ask Winslow to keep his mouth shut?

It seems to me that the Browns are not protecting their players.

In a locker room, players are susceptible to illnesses due to the sweat, blood, and open cuts, not to mention the ease in which disease can enter the body through these openings.

I believe the city of Cleveland and all Browns fans should be praising Kellen for his bravery. Winslow was in the hospital for an entire weekend and sick for two weeks. It has been reported that Winslow never received a call from Savage, which is unacceptable.

Why did Savage have Winslow stay quiet when it so obviously affected his teammates?

This latest outbreak comes on the heels of weeks of public comments on the status of which quarterback should be the starter, Derek Anderson or Brady Quinn.

There are also numerous reports from different media outlets that the Minnesota Vikings tried to solve the Browns' problems by offering them their first-round picks in 2009 and 2010 for Brady Quinn. This is nearly equal to what the Browns gave to the Cowboys for the right to draft Quinn.

Wouldn’t this also help solve the problem of the media nightmare the Browns will be involved in during the offseason?

This is an offseason when they must make a decision on who is their starting quarterback. The players are constantly reaffirming there support for Romeo Crennel but have not said the same about the front office. This is more scary to me as a Browns fan then if they had lost confidence in their head coach, mainly because a head coach is much easier to replace.

Instead, it seems that most players do not agree with the way the organization is being run. And if this is the case, I sincerely hope that the Browns do not suspend or fine Winslow because he did what any player should do (protect his teammates from getting sick!).

The Browns' management should be ashamed and punished by the league.

I understand they like to play by the infamous “Bill Parcells Rules” (never admit to an injury). This situation, however, crosses the line. Maybe it’s time for owner Randy Lerner to consider a change in direction, because it’s slowly becoming apparent that Savage can not mange this team effectively.

Thank you, Kellen, for protecting your team and shedding light on how poor the Browns' management has become.