WhoDeyRevolution

Super Bowl 43: At Least No One Cares, Or If They Do, They Can't Afford To

A couple of things this week made it more tolerable for a Super Bowl week that includes the Steelers than it otherwise would have been.

First, I loved when Aaron Schatz mentioned that we're in the middle of a streak where mediocre teams that barely deserved to make the playoffs win the Super Bowl (on Bill Simmons podcast).  I believe he cites that Pitt team in '06 as the worst of them.  Small consolation.  But I like when geeky stat guys condescend to the philistines of "Football Town USA".  Also, that Pitt run in '06 was just utter luck and garbage (injured Palmer, Indy outchoked Bettis' choke, NE laid an egg against Denver so Pitt avoided having to play a real team in the AFC title, and the refs handed Pitt the game against Seattle).  Bless you Aaron, for continuing to highlight what a crappy title that was.

Second, I love that ticket prices for the game may reach face value as no one cares to go.  This is in part due to the economy, as MSNBC talks about here.  But, come on, it's also cause who really gives a crap about this game anyway?  It's just not that interesting.

The Cardinals reside in the Siberia of the NFL, slightly closer than the Outer Mongolia of the NFL which the Bengals inhabit, so their appearance in the game is more a curiosity for football fans than one that gets them excited. 

The Steelers are also lame.  People mistakenly think they travel well only to forget it's simply cause they created a huge bandwagon of fans among people whose allegiance was for sale when they won by using steriods in the 70s.  And now those horrible humans are hitting their stride and have reproduced more hideous Stillers spawn.

Sly aptly noted their offense reminds him of a slow barge to hell.  They run poorly, protect poorly, but Ben's fat ass somehow can't get sacked and he pulls some playground like BS to convert on third down all the time.  They're stifling defense makes the game boring to watch on the other side of the ball too.

Anyway, if the Steelers have to win another damn ring by default, at least no one gives a crap about the game itself.

When Jeff Berding Attacks

Well now I have a reason to be terrified if I accidently run into Jeff Berding's shopping cart at Kroger.

Check out this fantastic post from C. Trent Rosecrans, which details the vicious attack Berding administered to C. Trent during Fountain Square Broomball.  That's Beginner Division, Fountain Square Broomball.  Long story short, he delivered a crushing low blow to C. Trent when the ball was at the other end of the ice. 

Bravo Councilman Berding, bravo.

Now, Jeff "The Jackhammer" Berding is not just a city councilman, but he is also Director of Sales and Public Affairs for the Bengals (basically the Bengals bought themselves a seat on city council to protect their long-standing tradition of doing nothing and outlawing pro football joy in Cincinnati). 

That begs the question, was this attack specifically targeted to Mr. C. Trent Rosecrans? 

C. Trent has been a long time comrade to WDR, and we have long admired his objective and matter-of-fact view on the way the Bengals run their organization.  He has been extremely professional, but even the Bengals make it easy to be harsh since the facts speak for themselves. 

Now, did Jeff intentionally seek out C. Trent because of his straight talk about the Bengals?  We think it is definitely a possibility. 

Maybe Jeff was having a bad day.  Maybe Jeff was upset C. Trent didn't send him a wedding present (even though C. Trent wasn't invited).  Or maybe Jeff was worried about his renewal rate of premium club seat holders (and suites) just enough to try and silence the man who has spoken honestly about the way Mike Brown and co. run the franchise.  The only question is...did Berding act alone, or was this a directive from someone else? 

Bengals fans better think twice about not renewing their club seats in 2009...it could result in a swift punch in the junk.  Berding style.

He has already tried to intimidate C. Trent.  Who's next?

We salute C. Trent for standing tall and we sincerely hope they meet again in the playoffs. 

Questions at WR Make Houshmandzadeh Decision Even More Important

The Bengals can't screw this one up.  They can't afford it.

With what has been (so far) a miss with Jerome Simpson, Chad Johnson's decline in production/sanity, and Chris Henry just not being that good, the Benglas are in a real spot with TJ Houshmandzadeh.  Part of getting an effective Carson Palmer back means that he will actually have weapons at his disposal.  If TJ is not tagged and they can't sign him to a long-term deal, the Bengals could easily have a wide receiver lineup like the following:

Jerome Simpson, Andre Caldwell, Chris Henry, Glenn Holt, Antonio Chatman

Are you OK with that? 

One of the reasons that teams like the Steelers have been so dominant in the free-agency era is because they are able to let productive players walk and have the next man up perform at a high level.  I'm not saying that TJ is not an important player to this franchise...but his leverage has to be even higher than it should be due to Chad's unpredictibility and the lack of explosive talent at wide receiver. 

Being familiar with the system, the coaches, and having Carson Palmer throwing you the football are all good reasons for Housh to stay in Cincinnati, but he should rake 'em over the coals in order to stay in town.  With the money the Bengals need to spend to fix their team, plus the uncapped season looming in 2010, this isn't good news.

Frankly, with the 18-year sample size that Mike Brown and co. have provided us, I am not confident in the Bengals making the right decision.  This team is so messed up that we can't afford to address wide receiver until much later in the draft, if at all.  Offensive line, something that resembles at least a high school level pass rush, and possibly linebacker are all areas that should fully occupy rounds 1-4. 

My point is that bonehead moves like investing in Chris Henry and not biting the bullet with Chad Johnson have created this potential disaster at wide receiver if TJ Houshmandzadeh is wearing Ravens purple in 2009.  It all goes back to having a microscopic scouting department and placing incompetent family members as VP of Player Personnel. 

And...that whole issue of not knowing how the hell to run a car wash...let alone an NFL franchise. 

10 Reasons I Hate the Super Bowl

The Super Bowl is the biggest sporting event in America.  I would rank it below your average mid week ACC or Big East College Basketball game. 

Blasphemy you say?  The Super Bowl is no longer a "sporting event", it is now just an "event". 

One caveat - Mike Brown do not take this article as a reason to try and NOT make the Super Bowl.  As much as I hate the game, that can all be washed away if the Bengals play in said game.  Yes, Mike it is legal for the Bengals to play in the Super Bowl. 

Top 10 list, Letterman Style after the jump.

Opening Sentence of Bengals Season Ticket Letter

 

Many Bengals fans got their season ticket renewal letter in the mail this week, and they now face an important decision on whether to pony up for 2009. 

I personally found the opening paragraph entertaining:

Dear Season Ticket Holder:

Let us first wish you a Happy New Year and hope that you had a great holiday season with family and friends.  With so much uncertainty in today's world, the value of friends and family grows stronger. 

Now I appreciate the fact that the Bengals care about the weakened economy and our struggles (just look at the Bengals helping out a cash-strapped county and the citizens that built PBS), but how about talking about winning championships ONCE in this letter?

Season Ticket Renewal Deadline Same Day that Free Agency Begins

The hilariously off-base letter the Bengals ticket office recently sent to Bengals season ticket holders set a date of February 27th as the deadline for renewals. 2 things.

1. This date is not adhered to at all by the Bengals (seriously, you have till July to actually renew if you are totally delusional and enjoy flushing your money down the toilet/handing it over to a corrupt tyrant).

2.  This date is the same date that free agency begins.  Coincidence?  Probably, but do you think the Bengals want to see what kind of ticket revenue they can expect before testing the free agency market?  Or do they want to get Bengals fans money in before doing nothing spectacular in free agency, again?

Makes you wonder...

John Thornton Follows WDR

Do you want to be more like John Thortnon?  Then you can follow WDR on Twitter.  All the cool kids are doing it.  And by cool kids I mean people who love the internet, including John Thornton.  Do you love the internet and John Thornton?  Then you should follow WDR on Twitter. 

Also, make sure you check out John Thornton's blog - he actually has some damn good interviews and is expressing his thoughts on the Bengals offseason, including his belief that the Bengals will not franchise TJ.

Quotes You Will Never Hear from the Bengals - Steelers Edition

David Fleming from ESPN.com, fan of the Revolution, has an article up asking "Are the Steelers the greatest franchise?"  Fleming asks longtime Steelers owner Dan Rooney about the secret for the team's constant success.  Here is Rooney's answer, and this is something that you will never hear from the Bengals.

"Our secret?" he said, almost embarrassed by the question. "We try to put a team on the field every year that can win a championship … "  "And," Rooney said, "we never take a year off."

Can you imagine Mike Brown EVER saying something like this?  His goal for the Bengals is to "compete" and "do well."  The Steelers make it clear that it is the goal of every person in their organization, from the front office to the towel boys that their goal is to win a Super Bowl - every year. 

This sentiment is totally absent from Paul Brown Stadium.  The Bengals are constantly rebuilding, making excuses and making no changes.  Does Mike Brown really think that the reason the Bengals have not made the playoffs in 17 of his 18 seasons as owner/GM is because of bad luck and injuries?  Or maybe it is because he has set the bar for success so low and failed to build a winning mentality?

So on Sunday when you are praying that the Steelers lose, remember that those Steelers fans are so damn obnoxious because they are able to support an organization whose sole focus is winning a Super Bowl.

10 Steps to Building A Winning Franchise

Passed along by loyal reader Jacob, here is an article written by Pat Kirwin on NFL.com titled "Here's the 10-step program to creating a championship culture."  Surprise surprise - the Bengals don't seem to be creating a championship culture.

Here are the 10 steps be Pat Kirwin, when applied to the Bengals.

1. The Owner.  Bengals: Mike Brown.  Verdict: Fail

2. The Tradition: Bengals: 17 losing seasons in last 18 seasons.  One playoff birth.  Verdict: Fail.

3. The Quaterback.  Bengals: Carson Palmer.  Verdict: Win.

4. The Staff.  Bengals: One full time scout.  One person in player personnel department not related to Mike Brown.  Verdict: Fail.

5. A Special Trait.  Bengals: TJ's Magical Rattail.  Verdict: Win.

6. The Tough Decision.  Bengals: Resigning Chris Henry, failing to trade Chad Johnson.  Verdict: Fail.

7. The Team.  Bengals: Chris Henry, Eric Ghiachic, Domata Peko, etc. Verdict: Fail.

8. The Building.  Bengals: Not committed to winning.  Staff not held to highest standard.  Verdict: Fail.

9. The Media. Bengals: Mike Brown has talked to the media once all season.  Marvin constantly looks down
on media and constantly provides mushy non-answers.  Verdict: Fail.

10. A Bit of Luck.  Bengals: "The harder I work, the luckier I get." - Samuel Goldwyn.  Verdict: Fail.

So there you have it, Carson Palmer and TJ's Magical Rattail give the Bengals franchise 2 wins compared with 8 fails. 

Bill Cowher Wants You To Renew Your Season Tickets

The Bengals recently sent out their season ticket renewal letters too all the unfortunate souls who have been recently handing money to Mike Brown for a defective product.  The full text of the letter is after the jump, but what stuck out to me was that the Bengals don't even have the integrity to personally sign the letter asking fans renew their tickets. But they do find time to quote Bill Cowher's offhand suggestion that the Bengals might make the playoffs in 2009.

Every day, I think more and more that the Bengals ownership and front office aren't even football fans.  Don't they understand that Bengals fans HATE Bill Cowher?  Here is what I remember about Bill Cowher. A classless act after knocking out Carson in what me and most Bengals fans rightly call "the worst day of my life."  This is the guy they are getting to ask Bengals fans to pay more of their money to a franchise that is not even trying to win?  Do they even understand football? 

Imagine if Abraham Lincoln was touting an endorsement from Robert E. Lee in his 1864 reelection campaign?  "Abe Lincoln is a good leader.  I expect a tough fight in 1865." 

Anyone actually considering renewing their tickets and violating Project Mayhem Task #8 has to be delusional.   Have you ever seen those experiements where a mouse has to find a piece of cheese in a maze?  He smells his way around and gets close, but there is a electric node in that path that gives the mouse a small electric shock.  So after a few times getting shocked, the mouse realizes that he should probably find another way to get the cheese.  The Bengals keep going after the cheese on the same path and it is Benglas fans who keep getting the shock.  Why are you letting yourself be shocked anymore?  NOTHING IS CHANGING.  BOYCOTT SEASON TICKETS.

Text of the letter after the jump.