[rubecube]

Browns/Eagles drama.

http://www.csnphilly.com/football-ph...677&feedID=704

Lurie, owner of the Eagles, said former Eagles executive Joe Banner, his boyhood friend, top adviser for nearly two decades and now CEO of the Browns, appears to be the source of anonymous comments sharply critical of Eagles general manager Howie Roseman that appeared recently in a story on a national sports web site.

“I’m very supportive of Howie, and if there’s any criticism coming from afar about Howie, it’s just off-base, and so I will support Howie completely, because that’s not right,” Lurie said.

“And, you know, if there are league sources that are really based in Cleveland, that’s not right. We see through it all.”

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Banner released a statement through Browns spokesman Neal Gulkis denying in the strongest terms that he was the source of the comments in La Canfora’s story.

“It is always difficult to comment on a quote that may or may not be accurate or in context. In this case, from the comments which Jeffrey made that were communicated to me, it is necessary for me to make this clear, unambiguous statement. Any implication that I had anything to do with Jason La Canfora’s story is completely false, outrageous and borders on being libelous.

“I had absolutely no conversation with Jason La Canfora. Having demonstrated my character over the last 44 years to Jeffrey and the last 14 to Howie, it is beyond disappointing that they would suggest such a thing. As tempting as it is to go further, other than defending myself, I will continue to take the high road on all such matters as I have since the day I left the Eagles.”

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Kelly said in Philadelphia on Thursday that the Browns were never in the mix, that he knew all along he would either return to Oregon or take the Eagles job.

“It was evident to me that I was either going to go to Philadelphia or stay in Oregon,” Kelly said. “When I met with Jeffrey and Howie and Donald right there, I knew obviously I thought that this was the best spot.”

.........

“We knew strategically what was going on with league sources and stuff like that,” Lurie said. “This was such erroneous reporting it was insane.

“The people we interviewed and the people who called the people we interviewed were so positive that I think it dwarfed any of the individual agendas of anybody that was quoted as league sources. It was a joke to us, really.”

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Lurie said he hasn’t spoken to Banner recently to discuss his suspicion that Banner was the one who planted negative quotes about Roseman in La Canfora’s story.

“I haven’t done that,” he said. “But if I have to do it I will.”