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When this new policy comes to be, will we really receive "useful" information, or will we be hearing the equivalent a 10 minute reading of Dr. Seuss's Cat in the Hat?
Commissioner Goodell working to remove one layer of coaches' secrecy: NFL Insider
by Tony Grossi/Plain Dealer Reporter
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- After each of Eric Mangini's coordinators concluded his first-ever interview session as Browns coaches on June 17, he was told, "Hey, stop by again and see us sometime."
At least one of them gave off the body language as saying, "Uh ... no, thank you."
But we will be hearing and seeing more of the coordinators this year, thanks to a welcome revision to the NFL media policy.
To combat head coaches who keep coordinators off limits to the media, the league a few years ago required coordinators be made available every other week during the season. So coaches would give up the offensive coordinator one week and the defensive coordinator the next. Throw in the newly created special teams coordinator position, and it meant we wouldn't hear from the same coach for three weeks.
This year, the revision calls for every coordinator to be made available every week for a minimum of 10 minutes.
It's another small advancement in media access in a league that lost sight of its public relations responsibilities under former commissioner Paul Tagliabue.
On Tagliabue's watch, Bill Parcells started reducing media access to the teams he coached. While Tagliabue looked the other way, Parcells' disciples copied his ways. Soon, other coaches followed step, saying, "If he can do it, I can do it."
The fact is, most teams today are fighting access wars with their local media, not just the Browns.
Former coach Bill Parcells was one of the first to shutter away his assistants from the media. That legacy has extended to Parcells' assistants who became head coaches, and then to another generation of assistants -- such as Browns head coach Eric Mangini.
Roger Goodell, Tagliabue's successor, has tried to reverse this disturbing trend. It was Goodell who loosened the reins on the coordinators and also opened up some organized team activity (OTA) practices to media.
Progress is measured in little steps, however. Access to coordinators -- and other assistant coaches -- after games is still a club decision.
So if you want to know why Brian Daboll called a fullback option pass at a critical time -- oh, that was Maurice Carthon -- we still won't be able to ask him.
Commissioner Goodell working to remove one layer of coaches' secrecy: NFL Insider
by Tony Grossi/Plain Dealer Reporter
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- After each of Eric Mangini's coordinators concluded his first-ever interview session as Browns coaches on June 17, he was told, "Hey, stop by again and see us sometime."
At least one of them gave off the body language as saying, "Uh ... no, thank you."
But we will be hearing and seeing more of the coordinators this year, thanks to a welcome revision to the NFL media policy.
To combat head coaches who keep coordinators off limits to the media, the league a few years ago required coordinators be made available every other week during the season. So coaches would give up the offensive coordinator one week and the defensive coordinator the next. Throw in the newly created special teams coordinator position, and it meant we wouldn't hear from the same coach for three weeks.
This year, the revision calls for every coordinator to be made available every week for a minimum of 10 minutes.
It's another small advancement in media access in a league that lost sight of its public relations responsibilities under former commissioner Paul Tagliabue.
On Tagliabue's watch, Bill Parcells started reducing media access to the teams he coached. While Tagliabue looked the other way, Parcells' disciples copied his ways. Soon, other coaches followed step, saying, "If he can do it, I can do it."
The fact is, most teams today are fighting access wars with their local media, not just the Browns.
Former coach Bill Parcells was one of the first to shutter away his assistants from the media. That legacy has extended to Parcells' assistants who became head coaches, and then to another generation of assistants -- such as Browns head coach Eric Mangini.
Roger Goodell, Tagliabue's successor, has tried to reverse this disturbing trend. It was Goodell who loosened the reins on the coordinators and also opened up some organized team activity (OTA) practices to media.
Progress is measured in little steps, however. Access to coordinators -- and other assistant coaches -- after games is still a club decision.
So if you want to know why Brian Daboll called a fullback option pass at a critical time -- oh, that was Maurice Carthon -- we still won't be able to ask him.
