Patience Is Still a Virtue Eric

Patience becomes harder to find everyday in our society.  Our world use to run one letter at a time, and the letter could take months to deliver, but now anyone can be contacted instantly due to technology.  Email and text messages have made everyone available at all times.  This may seem like a philosophical piece, but I assure you it is not.  This piece is my criticism of the worst coach in the NFL, Eric Mangini.(Note: I am leaving Tom Cable off the list, due to the fact that the Raiders should not even be considered an NFL team at this point in time)

Eric Mangini lacks a virtue which is one of the essential pieces to running a successful football organization.  Patience was never taught to poor Eric, and his struggles in the NFL are proof of that.  His tenure with the Jets will not be discussed, because there is far too much information after a half-season with the Browns to worry about his past.

It all began during training camp and the preseason when Mangenius decided to test the patience of every Cleveland Browns fan.  He turned the team into a soap opera right from the beginning by treating his quarterback like "the man behind the curtain".  No one knew who was getting the starting gig, and Mangini attributed this to the fact that it spawned friendly competition.  The fans patience was tested due to his lack of decisiveness.  In reality, this hurt the team because both quarterbacks were splitting first team reps.  Less practice yields a weaker result.

Finally, Mangini made his decision to go with Brady Quinn.  After lackluster results Quinn was yanked during after the first half of week 3.  Quinn was not performing well, but Mangini has caused himself to doubt both of his quarterbacks for allowing them to battle for the starting job for two long.  His lack of patience with Quinn, forced him to insert Derek Anderson into the game.  Anderson's performance cannot be described as anything but abysmal.  He was 11/19, for 92 yards with 3 interceptions.  Ironically, Mangini felt that Anderson was able to move the offense better, and the starting job became his after this performance.

The saga continued, and Anderson put up some of the worst numbers ever seen, including a 2/17 game for 23 yards and an interception against the Buffalo Bills.  Amazingly, the Browns won this game.  Shortly after Braylon Edwards, the number one receiver in Cleveland was dealt to Mangini's old club the Jets.  He has been impressive so far, and one can only blame the system in Cleveland.  Without Edwards, whoever quarterbacks this team will be worse, due to a lack of a solid receiver.  Again, Mangini shows his lack of patience.

Now, in week ten Mangini has seen enough and Quinn will again be the starter for the Cleveland Browns.  There is an expression, "a watched pot never boils", which mirrors this situation.  Mangini wanted instant results, coming from quarterbacks who have had less reps than all other starters in the league due to their coach issued duel.  Neither has had sufficient time to develop, and this is evident through their play.  For all Browns fans, hope may not be here this year, but maybe Mike Holmgren will grace you with his presence as their football operations chief, and turn this awfully impatient team around.  Until then, the Mangini suffering will continue, but only for seven more weeks.

-Philadelphius