Honarary Member of WDR: Sean McClelland

Regular commenter Delta5243 brings a wonderful article to our attention.  Dayton Daily News staff writer, Sean McClelland, tells it like it is on Bengals' free agency, laying into both the Browns and Bengals in their free agency "moves".  While you should read the entire article, here are some of our favorite parts:

Stop the presses! Running back Cedric Benson has re-signed with the Cincinnati Bengals!

WDR commentary: Love the sarcasm.  Sure, it'd be worse if Benson was not signed but let's not pretend he wasn't on a team last year that went 4-11-1 and rejoice in the fact that the 2 year, $7 million dollar contract that retained a player (and no, not that one) is our biggest move in free agency.

While it's unfair at this early date to say the Bengals and/or Browns won't be manifestly improved over last season, let's just say it's good that tickets generally sell themselves in NFL cities, because only a buffoon could like what's been taking place with either of these teams.

WDR commentary: Losing our best Wide Receiver, a starting Offensive Tackle and making no new additions sure makes me glad I adhered to Project Mayhem Task #8 and let my season ticket expire.  Julius Norman has also amended his jersey rules so you can continue to comply with PM Task #3. I personally will go with a rotation of (a) no Bengals gear, (b) a white Peter Warrick jersey, or (c) a Housh jersey. 

Bengals coach Marvin Lewis tries to rationalize losing his most dependable receiver, T.J. Houshmandzadeh, in free agency while franchising a placekicker.

WDR commentary: That is indeed what we did.  Say what you want about RB, FB, C, OT, DT, LB or WR but you can mark a big freaking check mark next to the Kicker spot.

Lewis had one playoff season with the Bengals, but it's almost a distant memory at this point, although we all know where the problem lies with that franchise.

WDR commentary: None needed.
 

Comments

[WCH]

Comment IS needed. As stated within this piece, "...we all know where the problem lies with that Franchise." -- if this is so, then why blame Marvin? As I said before and I will say again, Marvin has NO CHOICE but to toe the company line. In my heart of heart, I don't think he goes home at the end of the day singing Mikey Boy Brown's praises.

More than likely (I would think) he goes home with some very colorful adjective language regarding MBB. He just can't do anything other than what he is currently doing (and if one actually examines it, one can see that it isn't exactly what one would call a 'ringing endorsement' of any of MBB's policies. It is just 'go along to get along' words.). If he rips MBB one iota, his coaching career is down the 'shitta.' He knows this -- what in the hell does someone expect him to do? Let me ask you all this (Union workers excluded because you have 'slightly different sets of situations etc.'): If you don't like your Boss, do you go public and tell everyone (not just co-workers, family or peoplewho might 'be in your corner.')about it? Now ask yourself, more than likely in your current employment situation, you have the ability to 'fall back' on other similar jobs with different owners etc. Now what if the job you had was a one-of-a-kind or maybe so exclusive (31 others?) that losing it would mean extreme difficulty in attaining 'like' job? What are you going to do? Are you going to answer opposite or negative to your bosses statements? NO WAY -- NO FIRGGIN' WAY!
That's what Marvin Lewis is facing.

I've said it before and I am saying it again... I am not being an apologist for Marvin Lewis but I am saying that you have to understand the position he is in regarding his employment and future employment. So before you or anyone else decides to 'rip' this guy, please keep in mind that when he had 'control' of the team, they won. You must know that he know longer has that control and the team is suffering -- yet you want to lay blame at his feet but not take into account that he can't control his destiny. Use your heads folks!

Marvin is going to wait it out -- 'play out the string' as it were. Then he will look at things. I think it is a reasonably sure bet that he won't be the head coach of the Cincinnati Bengals. I would BET that if he gets an offer within 15% of his current deal, he will be out of here -- much like how Houshmanzadeh took to wing -- so to speak. If nothing is there -- be it due to the economic situation etc., he may very well take to a front office position within the Bengals (but this shouldn't be construed as Lewis confirming that he is drinking the Bengal Kool-Aid but rather a case of needing to work and bring in an income and this being 'the only game in town.'). It isn't Marvin folks, it is the guy that you gave the stadium to -- that's the guilty party folks.

[Delta5243]

Viva La Revolución !!!

[PAl]

I agree that Marvin would immediately be fired if he criticized Mikey so I give him that much. That aside, he is a terrible head coach. He makes awful game time decisions(often looks and acts like a deer in headlights), he commands no respect from his players(allows Chad Johnson to make a fool out of him) , he allows himself to be publically humiliated by Mikey(Henry situation) to name a few things.

So yeah, better not rip Mikey.

[BengalsCNC]

Sorry for the long post. Never posted before, may never post again, but thought it as necessary:

Who Chey, you have changed your name to WCH, but it is clear who you are! You're making the same arguments you made before on this site, though you have toned it down your anger a bit (you deserve credit for that much). It's good to have dissenting voices on here, and you raise some good points, but there's some big problems with what you say that need addressed.

1. No where in the blog did Who Dey NYC--or Sean McClelland in his article, for that matter--make any accusations about Marvin Lewis' ability as a coach or his actual beliefs about the decisions being made. By and large, I agree with you that at least ML should not shoulder all of the blame. Obviously, people on this site agree (see: Manifesto and most entries on this site, including this one, which blames MB) though they may disagree about the EXTENT of his culpability. You attribute the little bit of success the Bengals have had to him but seemingly none of the failure. Some could argue, for instance, that a lot of his success was due to the players drafted before he arrived (e.g. Chad, TJ, Rudi), whose talents had developed more fully by the time he became coach. Also, we can't forget the no-surprise pick of Carson when Marvin became coach. Or, if you're arguing that MB has not taken back control of the team, leading to their problems, do you know exactly when MB took back his control from Marvin? Has he stated it? Do you have an inside source telling you exactly how much say Marvin had before and how much he has now?

But that's not even something I care to get into now. What's more important is your claim we shouldn't be able to back what Marvin says. I, for one, am aware that Marvin is not going to trash talk ownership while still employed, and he probably will not do so even when he leaves Cinci. As you mention, this will hurt his job prospects in the future. I'm sure many others on the site realize this too. At the same time, what he says about the team is still important, as he is a mouthpiece for the company line. His difficulties rationalizing the club's decision are indicative of the club's difficulties doing the same. It sucks he has to be in that position, but it's the position he's in. If his absurd rationalizations are the best he can come up with, they're probably the best the club can come up with, too.

Again, I'm not trying to start a discussion of Marvin's role in the Bengals' futility, which could be an entirely different discussion. I just wanted to make sure we all understand that regardless of your position here, ML's statements, as well as anyone else employed by the team, can and should be discussed in conversations about the Bengals and their failures.

2. You keep blaming the people on this site for voting for the PBS deal. I didn't vote for it; I was not old enough to vote at the time, which I would bet is the case with at least a good amount of people here. Plus, many of us did not live in Hamilton County at the time I am sure. The majority probably did, obviously, but I know that I and many others did not. Finally, you're assuming those who were old enough and lived in Hamilton DID vote for it. Do many people here fall under that category? Sure, I would assume so. However, my point is be careful before making these blanket accusations on this site; you're rubbing something in many of our faces that we had nothing to do with.

Besides, just because someone voted for it in no way means they should just sit here and shut up; I am going to go out on limb and say you've changed your mind about something in your life and don't think you should be burned at the stake for not seeing through the ruse the first time. But debate about the stadium deal and our right to criticize the team despite voting for it is a whole different discussion.

Keep these things in mind.

[BengalsCNC]

typo 1: "Or, if you're arguing that MB has* taken back control of the team...."

typo 2: "What's more important is your claim we shouldn't be able to attack* what Marvin says."

Important clarifications.

[Rich]

I just wanted to reiterate on this board that I am wondering if I can get permission to acquire a Bengals Laveranues Coles jersey under the auspices of Project Mayhem Task #8 in advance with the understanding that the Coles signing will end poorly in 2-3 years. I think that Cedric Benson could also fulfill the role of future huge Bengals disappointment.