On the morning of the 2008 season finale against the Miami Dolphins, reports out of New York were that Mangini was going to be retained. However, the front office changed its collective mind when the Jets dropped the game to the Dolphins 24-17 and were bounced from playoff contention. According to Greg Bishop of the New York Times, the embarrassment was too much for the Jets.

"What hurt Eric, I think, as much as wins and losses, was his demeanor on the sidelines, the way he clammed up as the team went into a free fall,” Bishop said. “They wanted to see some fire, some passion, wanted to see him kick over a table or really fume. That's not Eric's style, and I don't think it ever will be. The embarrassment was too much for team brass to bear."

From the outside looking in, Mangini seemed like he may have gotten the short end of the stick and he was shouldering a blame that wasn't all his. However, every side has two stories. According to Brian Bassett of The Jets blog, insiders were telling him Mangini dug his own grave starting with the 2008 NFL Draft.

"The more I hear about the situation from insiders, it sounds like the Vernon Gholston pick was the beginning of the end,” Bassett said. “Mangini preferred Gholston to Leodis McKelvin and he basically made some move to override the scouting staff to make (Jets’ GM Mike) Tannenbaum take Gholston. Gholston was a non-factor as a rookie and things slid from there, Favre's presence only exacerbated an already crumbling relationship.  There was also talk that Mangini is a micromanager to the extreme and basically the offensive coordinators and defensive coordinators weren't allowed to run their own show, often Mangini was calling the shots for them."

Between a crumbling relationship with the front office and a dicey relationship with the media, Mangini wasn't making any friends. Maybe Mangini wasn't playing the social game, but he had put together two winning seasons in three years and gained the respect of many of his players.

"He definitely rubbed some players the wrong way," Bishop said. "But I do know of others who embraced it, particularly the structure. There are still some players in the Jets locker room who loved Mangini and always will stand up for him."

Whether he should have been fired or not, is a debate that could go on for days. The fact if the matter is that he was fired and now the Browns have put their faith in his hands.

Check back for a look at how Mangini fits with the Browns.