NEWS, NOTES & QUOTES FROM CBS SPORTS’ “THE NFL TODAY” WITH JAMES BROWN, DAN MARINO, SHANNON SHARPE,
BILL COWHER AND BOOMER ESIASON FOR WEEK 11 ON NOVEMBER 22
►“SEC ON CBS’s” RATINGS DON’T MISS WITH OLE MISS OVER LSU
CBS Sports’ coverage of the SEC ON CBS on Saturday, Nov. 21, which saw Ole Miss defeat No. 8 LSU, 25-23, earned an overnight household rating/share of 2.6/6, up 4% from last year’s 2.5/5 (Ole Miss vs. No. 18 LSU).
►QUICK HITS
(On Buffalo considering Mike Shanahan for Head Coach)
SHANNON SHARPE: I had a great conversation with Mike Shanahan this morning. He is going to interview this week at some point in time. Having played for Mike Shanahan for seven years, if there is not a total commitment from the organization to win Super Bowls – it is not about winning division titles or beating a particular team in that division – if it is not about winning Super Bowls from players’ standpoints and the coaches around them standpoint, you are wasting your time with Mike Shanahan because that is the only thing that matters to him – winning championships.
BOOMER ESIASON: He’s not going to Buffalo.
►“INSIDE THE GAME” WITH CHARLEY CASSERLY
(On Charley Casserly being rumored for Cleveland GM position)
CASSERLY: I haven’t had any discussions with the Cleveland Browns about any position there nor do I have any discussions planned with the Cleveland Browns about any discussions there. The focus is on Mike Holmgren. In fact on Friday Mike Holmgren said he would love to meet with Randy Lerner to talk about a position there. I am told that contact has been made between the Browns and Mike Holmgren.
(On NFL memo regarding Super Bowl players having to participate in Pro Bowl ceremonies)
CASSERLY: The NFL sent out a memo recently which says, giving you the highlight, ‘Although these players will not play in the Pro Bowl, it is essential that they participate in the Pro Bowl introductions at Dolphin Stadium on Sunday, January 31,’ which is the Sunday before the Super Bowl. Here is the problem I think it causes. If you want to have a full practice at your facility the Monday before the Super Bowl, which teams have done. When I was with the Redskins in our last Super Bowl, that is what we did. You are not going to have all of your players there for practice. How do you have a practice a week before the Super Bowl without all of your players there? There is a problem with that. Personally, I don’t agree with this. I think the routine you have and your team chemistry the week of the Super Bowl should take precedence over promoting the Pro Bowl.
THE NFL TODAY Notes Week 11…2
► JAMES BROWN INTERVIEW WITH CLEVELAND BROWNS HEAD COACH ERIC MANGINI
(On criticism)
MANGINI: You probably get way more praise than you should when you win and way more criticism when you lose. I have no problem with criticism. Where I get disappointed is when the attacks become personal.
(On fans calling for him to be fired)
MANGINI: I understand their frustration. I understand their passion. We are frustrated and we are passionate too. And we are committed to doing everything possible to give them what they deserve, which is a winner. But you have to go through the steps. It is something that is a process.
(On security of job by getting vote of confidence from Cleveland ownership)
MANGINI: One of the reasons I am here is because of vision, and because of the fact that we share that vision. There will be criticism. There will be people who don’t believe. There will be all of those things. But if you keep changing based on that, you don’t believe in anything. You are not true to anything. To me, success comes by working towards something that you honestly and truly believe in.
►REACTION TO MANGINI INTERVIEW
BILL COWHER: You appreciate the fact that he answered the questions and did the interview. But you have to be yourself. A vision is fine, but understand the culture. Sometimes the culture is what you have to sit there and address. One thing he has to do is be sensitive to that and make sure he makes some changes and be accountable. He may have to make changes on his staff. He may have to make changes in what he really believes in and that vision because you have to change the culture first.
DAN MARINO: If you are going to make changes, you don’t want to lose your locker room. He needs to change the quarterback position. In my opinion, Derek Anderson gives them a much better chance of winning than Brady Quinn…If you are Eric Mangini, you want to win them back as a locker room, you have to have Derek Anderson.
►SUPER BOWL PICKS – With 77 days before CBS broadcasts Super Bowl XLIV, THE NFL TODAY analysts update their picks:
MARINO: Minnesota vs. New England
BOOMER: New Orleans vs. New England
COWHER: Minnesota vs. Pittsburgh
SHARPE: Minnesota vs. New England
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