BEREA, Ohio - Phil Savage seemed a little stunned when Cleveland Browns fans sank into manic depression over Kellen Winslow's severe motorcycle accident.

That's because the Browns' general manager has only been in town for four months.

He didn't hear about the "teeny-weeny non-bearing weight" fracture to Kelly Holcomb's leg or the "massive and unprecedented" injuries to the offensive line.

He didn't watch a defeated Butch Davis shake his head like a salesman who has had too many doors slammed in his face as he announced Courtney Brown would have yet another surgery.

He didn't endure the trials of William Green, who teased fans at being a big-time running back. Then he was suspended after a bizarre incident in which he supposedly stabbed himself in the back carrying a box with a knife up some stairs.

He didn't know about psychological damage inflicted on Browns fans by everything from the Bill Belichick Era to The Move to Expansion.

Give him credit, Savage did catch enough of Gerard Warren to ship "Big Money" to the Denver Broncos. It was a strong first move, as have been many of his free-agent signings of veterans with professional attitudes.

"We need to reshape the mentality of the team," Savage said. "There is a 'Woe is me, run for the hills mentality' that seems to permeate Cleveland in general."

That's what happens when your team bolts to Baltimore in 1995.

It's what happens when fans have a taste of the playoffs and give their hearts to Butch Davis in 2002 - only to have those same hearts broken by bad drafts, bad players, bad losses and bad character.

It's what happens when a team is 9-23 in the last two years and when it can't even win a home game.

It might appear Browns fans are just so ready to scream - but that's because they are so desperate for something to cheer.

Savage did work for the Browns in the early 1990s and has more of an understanding of these fans than most executives. But he was in Baltimore when the old Browns won the Super Bowl, so he couldn't comprehend the true betrayal felt by the fans.

"We are trying to change the culture," said Savage, adding the fans need to know, "It's not the same old story."

Coach Romeo Crennel and Savage seem determined to sing something other than the Browns blues. When carefully discussing the Winslow situation, he didn't fall into the old line about the team being a family, blah, blah, blah.

Crennel said he was "disappointed" that Winslow was injured riding a motorcycle against the terms of his contract. You can be sure that's an understatement.

Outrage is probably more like it, since Winslow had two surgeries on his right leg in September and has a plate and screws in it. Now, his right knee might need surgery.

Some fans want Winslow to be cut as an example, but that makes no sense. His injuries, possible loss of money and the embarrassment should speak more forcefully to the players than any speech by Crennel.

Until the full extent of Winslow's condition is known, the Browns are smart to wait. But Crennel also mentioned how the playbook would not change without Winslow, how the Browns have two tight ends (Aaron Shea and Steve Heiden) who caught 54 passes, nine for touchdowns.

If there's a lesson for the fans, it's that they shouldn't count on the new regime receiving much help from the players they inherited.

The best way to "change the culture," as the Browns keep saying, is to change the players.

Or as Crennel said: "How to change it? You go from losing to winning."

Browns fans are all for that.