WhoDeyRevolution

Peter King to Bengals: Your Stubborn Refusal to Change the Way You do Business Would Have Greatly Helped the Broncos this Offseason

We've heard this line of reasoning before with respect to how the Bengals dealt with Chad Johnson last year. 

The line goes:  the Bengals said they wouldn't trade him and they didn't...and good for them for not giving in to his demands which would set a bad precedent.

Peter King (scroll down) brings this up again.  Saying:

The short view is, "Let's get rid of this unhappy jerk.'' The long view is, "This guy's a great player, he's a handful, but if we trade him, we're handing everyone else in the locker room a blueprint for how to shoot his way out of town. Plus, we won't get real value for him.'' I can't believe I just told the Denver Broncos to study the Bengals. Frightening.

Good point, Peter.  But you're mistaking the Bengals stance on Chad as a well thought out tactic for what was really just another manifestation of Mike Brown's stubbornness and insistence on doing things his way (which has proven to be a failure).  In an earlier post I'm too lazy to search for, I mentioned Mikey once said "If people would confront me, I would show them how to spell confrontation."  Point is, making demands of Mikey will get you nowhere.  He will not give you what you want out of principle, even if a reasonable solution presents itself.

In this case, that reasonable solution was Washington's offer of two draft picks for Chad...which Mike ignored.  Peter acknowledges this.  So basically, Peter is just saying in the nicest way possible that Mike Brown is a stubborn fool, but if the Broncos had adopted a stubborn stance in this particular instance it would have prevented the mess with Jay Cutler/Brandon Marshall.

My take:  no franchise should ever take lessons from the Bengals and no one should give Mike credit for how he dealt with Chad - it's equivalent to giving him credit for being a curmudgeon.

Mikey Can't Redeem Everyone - Nor Would He if He Could

Blogs have a reputation for (among other things) launching anonymous, critical posts without regard to their truthfulness or the fallout from their statements.  Sounds awesome, right?  I know, so let me join in the on the fun.

One thing that bugs me is when I hear people say Mike Brown does deserve some credit for his willingness to give players the benefit of the doubt when it comes to off the field issues - that he deals with people on a more human level.

I might be inclined to agree if the times when he offered second chances did not seem to be so convenient for his purposes and wallet.  Most "redemptions" offered by Mikey that I can easily recall involve situations where it allows him to sign a talented player for cheap.

But what about when it comes to "redeeming" a beloved ex-Bengal and former team career rushing leader James Brooks, a man with limited prospects outside of football because he never learned to read?  Chick reveals that James came looking for a redemption and got the cold shoulder from Mike.  James applied for a job as assistant RB coach to Jim Anderson.  I see no listing for Assistant RB coach on the Bengals website so I assume James was hoping to create the role.  But Mike wouldn't ante up and turned him down.

James has had a tough time post football, racking up child support payments he cannot afford and spending some time in jail because of it.  While he does bear some responsibility for his lack of non-football skills, read this old Tim O'Sullivan article for some perspective.

So color me skeptical that Mikey has a big heart and loves second chances.  Perhaps.  But to me it seems his door remains open only to family & the closest of friends - or a first round talent with a history of trouble he can sign at a discount. 

The cost of bringing on James as an assistant RB coach likely amounts to a fraction of even a back up RBs salary.  Perhaps other factors matter and Mikey obviously can't say yes to everyone who approaches him looking for something, but can we officially kill the line of dialogue that says Mikey deals on a more personal/human level with players/coaches/employees than other owners?  I'd say evidence points to the fact that he is no more generous or compassionate than the average person, and probably much less.

"The Lost Generation" - Who Goes to Bengals Games? Edition

Welcome to the latest edition of "The Lost Generation," a new recurring comic strip you will only see on WDR that will focus on, you guessed it, the Bengals consistent failures to win football games.  Click here to read the previous editions.  "The Lost Generation" is the work of Dayton native Steve Spencer, an avid Bengals fan since 1973 and currently a freelance artist.  You can view his recent work at http://www.stevespencerart.com.

Inside Today's Bengals Sales Meeting

Today, at the PBS ticket offices...just before 4-game ticket packages went on sale.  Let's work on those up-sell opportunities!

Remember, the coffee is for closers only.

(Careful opening...language)

Bengals Ticket Sales Continue to Falter

The Bengals announced yesterday that 4-game ticket packs will go on sale to the general public on Monday.  This comes on the heels that they have exhausted the much ballyhooed "season ticket waiting list," which was first reported here at WDR.  As the Bengals announcement states, if they don't sell out games through the 4-game ticket packs, 2 game packs or individual tickets will soon be available.  WDR would like to take out a Subprime mortgage and bet the house that the Bengals do not sell out the season on 4-game packages.

Comrades, keep up your resolve.  Do NOT buy tickets.  If you are tempted, remember - our Week 1 offensive line starters could include Jonathan Luigs, Anthony Collins and Nate Livings.

"The Lost Generation" = Brain Edition

Welcome to the latest edition of "The Lost Generation," a new recurring comic strip you will only see on WDR that will focus on, you guessed it, the Bengals consistent failures to win football games.  Click here to read the previous editions.  "The Lost Generation" is the work of Dayton native Steve Spencer, an avid Bengals fan since 1973 and currently a freelance artist.  You can view his recent work at http://www.stevespencerart.com.

Welcome to The Club...

Fielding Mellish stumbled upon this excerpt from Chad Ford's NBA Draft blog:

Maybe the biggest news is about the workout that didn't happen -- UConn big man Hasheem Thabeet dropped out of a workout scheduled for Sunday with the Memphis Grizzlies.

The official explanation was a sore shoulder. The unofficial explanation? Thabeet doesn't want to play in Memphis and wanted to stay in Los Angeles to talk Oklahoma City Thunder general manager Sam Presti into drafting him at No. 3.

Why doesn't Thabeet want to play in Memphis? For the same reason that Ricky Rubio, Stephen Curry and others have refused workouts. Said one source in explaining the Grizzlies' reputation: "They don't spend any money anymore. They don't have a commitment to put a winning team on the floor right now. It's not where an agent wants to send his star pick."

Emphasis mine.  Remind you of anyone?

Anyway, if their application had not yet been approved, let me fast track the process and officially sign off on Memphis' acceptance into The Club.  The Club, of course, consists of sports franchises that do not make legitimate attempts to win consistently for their fan base and city. 

For those who do not closely follow the NBA, let me assure you "The Grizz" are an unequivocal disaster.  Kobe and the Lakers should really mail Memphis' GM Chris Wallace a championship ring for the disgustingly blatant salary dump that gave the Lakeshow Pau Gasol.  That "trade" represented one of the juicier turds laid upon a fan base in recent memory (think of Chris Wallace as the Mike Brown of NBA GMs - only without the Metamucil).  The only solace is that I'm not sure anyone in Memphis even cares about The Grizz.

So congratulations, Memphis!  Assume your rightful spot in The Club next to the Bengals, the Clippers, and the Pirates.  You'll be replacing the Cardinals (Arizona) whose membership renewal was declined after they trampled on The Principles of the Board of Directors by actually hiring a scouting department.  Benefits of membership include (among other things) being neglected by the national media, a lack of respect from your peers in the business/political community, an increasingly apathetic fan base, and local restaurant employees secretly spitting in your food.

Enjoy!

PS - Mike Brown requests all dues payments be mailed in cash to his Bermuda domiciled, offshore account

Sorting Through the Noise

Lots of optimism these days.  From Carson.  From Chad.  From ESPN columnists.  From SI columnists.  From fans.  From Baghdad.

For the fan in me, this is all well and good.  For the guy-who-wants-change in me, this is not all that great (to the extent it leads to spending on the Bengals).

But let me try to briefly cut through the crap and figure out if optimism is warranted.  Optimism in my mind means the Bengals have a playoff team.  I believe the following:

1. The Bengals will likely be as good or better this year than last year at Q, RB, WR, DL, LB, & S
2. The Bengals will likely be as good or worse this year than last year at OL & CB

Let's ignore CB since I'm mostly basing that off of, well, nothing.  Basically, what I've said is that I think that the entire defense should be better while I have huge concerns about our offense - notably the O-line.

Now let's look at two recent excerpts regarding our offensive line.  First from Chick:

Offensive line coach Paul Alexander’s unit is under pressure to keep Carson Palmer upright and open holes for Cedric Benson.

“It’s the biggest challenge we’ve ever had,” Alexander said. “The attitude’s been right. They’re working hard. They’re competitive. They’re tough. And we have some strong leaders.”

Hmmmm.  I'd prefer to hear less about the O-line's "attitude" and more about their "being good".  Though maybe it's a sign our DL may actually get pressure this year (Douche Bag alert!).  And here's this from Baghdad Hob:

...with all the scuttlebutt that the Bengals are digging in for a long holdout with Smith...

These two tidbits only reinforce my concerns.  And as the O-line goes, so goes the offense.  Make no mistake. 

My conclusion:  in a division featuring both representatives in last year's AFC Championship game, a decent-to-good defense and a sketchy O-line will not get it done.  I hope I am wrong.

Brat-O-Sphere Contains 99.999% Noxious Gas, .0001% Good Playcalling

Hobbsy has a brief recap up of stuff to take away from the Bengals minicamp. Some of it is amusing to say the least. I don't have to tell you though, look at the subtitle on the next line.

Offense heads to next Brat-o-sphere

If the next Brat-o-sphere is anything like the first one we are in for some wonderfully awful playcalling this year.

Bengals offensive coordinator Bob Bratkowski didn't offer much about his new playbook.

I'm skeptical of there being a new playbook. If I know anything about Mike Brown and the Bengals, to save money, Brat probably used the old playbook and changed some of it with a red pen. Or he just got back to the basics and is running a Tecmo Superbowl Offense. The Boomer Esiason Flea Flicker was an effective play back then and it is an effective play now.

He's been saying since February that this is the most his offense has changed since Dick LeBeau brought him here after the '00 season of 00 points.

So the Bengals not only didn't score a single point in '00, they scored double zero points. It's these sorts of things that keep me entranced with Hob. A hundred years from now the robots will be looking at our old records and come across Hob's writing. It will make them short circuit and their whole network of information will collapse. Maybe Hob is John Connor's father?

Yet details are scarce and even if they weren't head coach Marvin Lewis's totalitarian regime would be in crackdown mode.

So let me get this straight. Even if the details weren't scarce, meaning they were plentiful, Marvin Lewis would be in crackdown mode? How does that make a scrap of sense?

Collins key player of training camp?

The coaches wanted second-year tackle Anthony Collins to keep a low profile this spring and he did exactly that. He lost his job at left tackle when Andrew Whitworth moved from left guard to left tackle, and the right tackle job went to Smith. So now he's quietly backing up both, although Bratkowski did mention a few weeks ago Collins has looked good as he moves around the line.

Now especially keep an eye on him with all the scuttlebutt that the Bengals are digging in for a long holdout with Smith, the sixth pick in the draft. 

You hear that grinding sound? That's our running attack coming to a halt.

The club has certainly sent enough smoke signals to agent Alvin Keels that if he thinks they're going to get close to the $28.5 million guarantee of No. 5 Mark Sanchez and the more than 50 percent hike over last year's No. 5 slot, forget it.

As Henry Clay once said, "A great compromise is one where both sides come away dissatisfied." Obviously the Bengals should want to use any leverage they can to negotiate. But when you look at it, sooner or later both sides will have to come towards the middle to agree. Why can't it get done in a timely manner? Why do things have to drag out over days and weeks instead of hammering it down quickly?

Angst down on the corner

Last week defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer fretted that no one had stepped up this spring to be the third cornerback. On Saturday they went as far to work out veteran Travis Fisher during the final minicamp practice but chose not to sign him.

If Mike Zimmer is worried enough about the nickel slot to bring in Travis Fisher?? for a look see then I am also very worried about David "Physicality" Jones not being good enough.

Brian Leonard Dirty Shirt Night Just Around The Corner.

I have to admit, Baghdad Hob is really benefitting from a positive Carson and Chad and the charged currents of optimism running through the organization. His writing becomes a lot more sane when he isn't battling against a defeated season or indefensible mismanagement. But this Q and A he has with Jeremy D. from Portsmouth, OH I have to question.

Q: I imagine most Bengals fans don't know who Brian Leonard is, his past and how good he can make a powerful running back. We traded a DT who really hasn't seen the field for him. Why aren't we talking more and excited about having a strong HB/FB like Leonard who can do it all out of the backfield?
--Jeremy D., Portsmouth, OH

No one is going to deny that Brian Leonard is a gritty, smart player with a great motor. He's Brian Milne with a better pentium processor. No one's talking about him because he is not very important. I don't think John Clayton's waking up in the middle of the night because he can't figure out how the Bengals can best use Brian Leonard.

JEREMY: I think they know who Leonard is simply because he's a guy that went in the second round and because he backed up Steven Jackson in St. Louis, a back many believe should have been drafted here instead of Chris Perry at No. 24 in 2004.

I know who Brian Leonard is because he makes world famous smoothies for malnourished kids in the Sudan. Back to what Jeremy said in his question though, paraphrasing "No one knows how good he made Stephen Jackson." No one knows how good he made Stephen Jackson because he didn't make him good. S Jax probably wrecking ball'd his way out of the womb. Unless Brian Leonard untangled his umbilical cord for him, saving young Stephen from suffocating, he has no claim on his skills. He is not a Lorenzo Neal type of player.

I agree with you. This may end up being one of their most lopsided trades in history because Orien Harris probably wouldn't have made the team and Leonard, just by past production, looks to be the leading contender to back up Benson.

Not only could this be the most lopsided trade in team history, it could be the only trade the Bengals have made in the MB despaira (Despair plus Era/Baghdad Hob'd). Obviously the Bengals have made trades in the last two decades, but I don't remember them wheeling and dealing any time besides when the guy threatens to flip burgers instead of playing for the Bengals. You know what would be the most lopsided trade in team history if Mikey Boy had pulled the trigger? All of the Saints draft picks instead of AKili Smith.  

He's kind of a young Kenny Watson (who is 31) and can do a little bit of everything, although not with a 4.3 per pop that Watson did in '07. Still, he can block and catch, although they've said he won't be used as a fullback here.

Oh boy, where do I start? I'm going to rewrite this paragraph. "He's like a young Kenny Watson. Only he's not as good of a runner. He can block and catch, but blocking won't matter as much because he's not going to be the fullback. Basically he's a less good Kenny Watson that is slated to play in front of Kenny Watson because everyone hates Kenny Watson and his solid production every time he's gotten a chance to produce."

There may not have been a lot of buzz about Leonard because he was collecting dust earlier in the OTAs, but the coaches look to be using him more. The guess here is that Benson and Leonard, again going by past production, are going to be the top two backs heading into training camp and all the other backs are scrambling for the third and last spot.

Was he collecting dust because of how gritty a player he is? I can't wait to get my Brian Leonard dirty shirt to go with my Ryan Freel one.