Kokinis out as GM

[gsEclipse]

Browns GM Kokinis ousted

Comment Email Print Share

By Chris Mortensen and Adam Schefter

ESPN

 

George Kokinis is out as general manager of the Cleveland Browns after less than one year on the job. The manner in which he will make his official exit was in dispute Monday, according to team and league sources.

 

Kokinis refused to resign when pressed by owner Randy Lerner, who then persisted in seeking a dismissal "for cause," citing Kokinis for failing to meet the specific standards as dictated by his contract, the sources said. The team's security and legal department were reviewing phone records to build its case against Kokinis, a team source said.

 

There also were discussions of whether the two sides could reach a financial settlement, sources said.

 

Multiple media reports initially reported Kokinis had been fired.

 

Television station WKYC and the Cleveland Plain Dealer first reported Monday night that Kokinis was ushered out of the Berea facility by security around lunchtime Monday.

 

Read here...

[BengalBilly]

And when you think things can't get any worse in Cleveland...they do!

[vmax]

George should never have accepted the job.

 

He should have learned from what Lerner did to Phil.

 

It was a joke job title. He was never a GM. He didn't pick his head coach.

 

Kokinis' actual input in the makeup of the team was never clearly identified, as he seldom granted interviews and deferred to Mangini as the spokesman for the club. In fact, Kokinis was not even quoted in a club statement announcing the blockbuster trade of wide receiver Braylon Edwards on Oct. 7.

Mangini, in effect, served as his own personnel director, as evidenced by the addition of 10 former Jets to the Browns' roster. Mangini dominated personnel decisions even though Kokinis had it in his contract that he was the club's top authority on football matters. The Browns needed to assure that in writing for Kokinis to be released from his job as pro personnel director of the Baltimore Ravens.

http://www.cleveland.com/browns/index.ssf/2009/11/sources_cleveland_browns_gm_ge.html

 

Clearly Lerner was trying to raid the Ravens talent finding pipeline by luring Kokinas and Savage away with phoney job titles.

 

Then you have the back stabbing Mangini...George's "friend"...sinking the knife...

Mangini said he is on board with Lerner's expressed desire to add "a strong, credible, serious leader within the building to guide decisions in a far more conspicuous, open transparent way."

 

Anyway...George is released from hell... to limbo.

 

Sad.

Edited November 3, 2009 by vmax

[RavenMad]

I think this is a case of Kokinis now wishing he had taken the blue pill:

 

[BMoreHon]

they just said on ESPN they confiscated his cell phone to try and get incriminating stuff off it to not pay out his contract. That is classless.....