Cleveland Browns head coach Mike Pettine heard the comments made by former Browns wide receiver Greg Little, who is now a member of the Cincinnati Bengals. While the first-year coach didn't agree with everything Little had to say, he wasn't about to blow it out of proportion. Especially not with the two teams set to play Thursday night at Paul Brown Stadium and first place in the AFC North on the line.
"I have no ill will towards Greg," said Pettine during a conference call with Cincinnati media. "He's certainly proved he's an NFL-caliber player. We just didn't feel he was a good fit for what we were trying to accomplish here moving forward."
The Browns (5-3) could leapfrog the Bengals (5-2-1) and into a tie for first place in the division with Pittsburgh (6-3) with a win Thursday night.
Little was released by the Browns last May after three seasons and Thursday will be the first time he's had a chance to play against his old team. Little let it be known in no uncertain terms Tuesday that his departure from Cleveland hurt and he blames new Browns general manager Ray Farmer and Pettine.
"Everything about this game is personal to me," said Little. "I'm going to go out and lay it on the line."
Little had 155 catches for 1,821 yards and eight touchdowns in his time with the Browns. He said he had no interaction with Pettine and that Pettine "never spoke to anyone."
That part caused Pettine to take exception.
"I have prided myself on my communication with the team and I know that it's so much more than an Xs and Os business," said Pettine. "It's a people business. The guys that I've coached and have been around me long enough know what I stand for, know what I'm about and know that I'm very interested in them and engage them in conversation frequently."
Players get released all of the time. Coaches get fired. It's a matter of business in any pro sport. That's why Pettine didn't profess to be upset with Little's comments.
"It's an unfortunate thing but I get it. It's a place where he's been and had a career and got released," said Pettine. "The personal part I get. I don't like it when people say it's not personal. I agree with him there. It's very personal. You're talking about somebody's livelihood and their job and families. It's a tough thing but it's a part of football."
It's not the first time a person has been fired by the Browns only to wind up in the southwest corner of the state. Pro Football Hall of Famer and Bengals patriarch Paul Brown was a founding member of the Browns organization in 1946 but was never a majority owner. He was fired as coach and general manager by Art Modell after the 1962 season. The Bengals began play in the AFL in 1968 with Paul Brown as its head coach and majority owner.
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