re·cid·i·vism: (n) a tendency to relapse into a previous condition or mode of behavior; especially : relapse into criminal behavior
Bengals fans, how do you feel right now? Shocked? Betrayed? I doubt it. Admit it--following the immediate clenching of your insides when you heard that WR Chris Henry was released for his latest criminal offense, you let out a collective sigh of relief. If you haven't, then you should.
Think about it. Had Henry played 16 games, earned a Pro Bowl nod, and the Bengals had miraculously made the playoffs, you'd still all be frantically refreshing your ESPN, SI, and bengals.com pages to see if Henry made it through the night without committing a felony. You'd be unable to watch whatever game was on TV because you'd be too busy checking the scrolling news underneath the screen for word on Henry's latest transgression. It's not a life I'd look forward to--TD potential notwithstanding--and it's not a lifestyle we as fans should EVER have to deal with.
One of my initial reactions to this news was that it was representative of the kind of "bad luck" the Bengals have had. Shame on me, I should know better. In the NFL, bad luck is far rarer than it is purported to be. You make your own luck. Everyone deals with injuries and setbacks, but the good teams prepare for them and move past them.
The Chris Henry debacle is the direct result of poor player personnel decisions. There is a reason that Odell Thurman, Chris Henry, AJ Nicholson, etc were all on the draft board when we selected them--no one else wanted them. It is a fact that several players the Bengals have drafted in the last few years were taken entirely off the draft board by some teams.
Mike Brown and his cohort of "scouts" need to realize that recidivism is not just a fancy-sounding word--it's a disaster waiting to happen. It's the utter arrogance and myopia of this regime that they think they can take any player with talent, make him a good player, and that somehow he will transform into a better person. And the worst part about this is, Mike Brown tries to backtrack by claiming that they "tried to help a troubled young man." Bullshit. We all know better--you let your arrogance get in the way and you drafted a supreme talent with more baggage than Princess Vespa. You went after talent at a bargain basement price, and you got burned. And we in turn, as fans, continue to feel the sting of your incompetent, unconscionable ownership.
Tell Mike Brown, Marvin Lewis and Chris Henry what you think by joining the WhoDeyRevolution today by visiting our Inaugural Post here and signing your name in the comments.
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