Peyton Hillis: Why Browns and Star RB Must Get over Controversy Right Now

Why didn't Peyton Hillis play in Week 3's game against the Dolphins? There seem to be some conflicting reports.

Kennard McGuire, Hillis' agent, told the AP here that he told Hillis not to play, as the star RB had strep throat.

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"I would give him the same advice to him or any of my clients as if he were my son. The game is physical enough, and the way Peyton plays the game, he needs all the elements of his physical game. Him being sick, and the level of his sickness, is the equivalent of being injured...Not only could he have hurt himself but he could have hurt his team. Nobody embodies Cleveland like Peyton Hillis. If anyone wants to point a finger, point it at me."

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In an ultimate sign of the time, Hillis took to Twitter the give his take of the accounts, taking his agent off of the hook.

Thursday, October 6 at 7:26 p.m. EDT

One minute later, Hillis added this:

Quite honestly, it doesn't really matter.

For one, the Browns won the game anyway. Even if the fans felt that Hillis should have played, it didn't cost his team anything.

Two, strep throat is absolutely something that you should miss a game for. It's a very serious sickness, and if he played, he would have conceivably put himself, his teammates, opponents and anyone else at risk.

I know that we all want our favorite athletes to always be out there, but there are some times when they just shouldn't be. This is one of those times.

Even if you're a little confused about what actually happened, the end result was really perfect: Hillis didn't play, and the Browns still won.

Now, the rumor here is that McGuire could try to get a trade from Cleveland. Under no circumstances can that happen. That wouldn't help either party.

If Hillis tweeted that and then demanded a trade, he would be remembered in a similar way to another Cleveland athlete.

No, it wouldn't be the same degree, but the traitor and liar charges would be there.

Besides, what was Hillis before the Browns? He's been a star in Cleveland and was an afterthought before.

Now, for Cleveland's perspective, look at it this way: By way of fan voting, Hillis is the cover player for Madden 12. When was the last time that a Browns' player was that relevant outside of Cleveland?