Cincinnati Mainstream Media Round Up

While we're talking about Mo might as well make a quick note of the other interesting things the rest of the MSM gang in Cincy is talking about:

Joe Reedy DOIN' WORK over at his blog and twitter feed.  In particular, he produces a great timeline in one post of all the critical (and accurate) comments by TO over the course of the season.  Really great use of the blog medium.

He also notes the Cincy - Cleveland game will not sell out for the first time during a non-strike season since 1979 (that's great hustle fans!) and calls it on Twitter "the defnition of one pissed off fan base."  Amen.  He also mentions the strong fan support Whitworth is receiving in pro bowl voting...well deserved if you follow Pro Football Focus player rankings.  

I must say the fans seem to be getting things right...not supporting the owner but still supporting the players.  Good stuff.  Remember, most Bengals players are colleteral damage in this whole Brown Family Mess and should be left alone.  Most.  Not all.  (more on this later from Brosef...CLIFFHANGER bitches!)

Lance gets in on the action too noting the Bengals this season rank 11th in pass protection according to a statistical measure produced by New York Life (pass protection = insurance = hooray corporate gimmicks).  The decent protection makes Carson look all the worse this year...but check out the trend since 2005...that sort of explains why Carson appears to be a Bungalized mess.

• 2009: 17th
• 2008: 26th
• 2007: 4th
• 2006: 7th
• 2005: 1st

Look out below!  Also, don't be fooled, in 2008 that line should have finished like 335th behind all NFL teams, all NCAA D-1 teams, and half of D-2.

Lance also graciously mentions our post on the fan who mailed his gear back to Mike Brown with a "Fuck this shit I'm done" letter.  The Dialogue continues to be focused in the right place.

Last, Doc highlights the unspeakably-awful-truth-confronting-Bengals-fans-that-I-denied-as-long as-I-could-until-the-NFL-officially-renamed-the-pick-six-the-"Palmer":  picture the Bengals as a small cute animal in an open air cage with an enormous anvil supported by pillars suspended over it just waiting to fall and crush the cuddly creature at anytime (Mike Brown = Anvil).  Since 2002 one of those pillars was Carson Palmer.  That pillar has collapsed.  What exactly is supporting the anvil at this point?  Probably only our collective refusal to acknowledge there is no support.  And that, of course, is no solution.

Without a rock solid QB most professional teams wander aimlessly for years...where the fuck does this then leave the amateur Bengals?  And cutting Palmer and hoping for Luck or Mallet or Newton (ha! Brat devising an offense around Newton.  ha!) in the draft is not so simple and none of us can apparently accurately speculate because Palmer's contract terms remain secret.

Comments

[Rich]

The fact that everyone now knows and agrees and yet nothing will change just makes this all the more worse.

[Matt]

I just noticed at the bottom of the http://www.wlwt.com homepage (sitting in a much warmer state, reading about the weather) the survey asks:

"Terrell Owens points the finger at Bengals' owner Mike Brown and the team's coaches for the team's poor season. Do you agree?"

Its still early, but the results seem to be leaning toward blaming both MFB and the coaching staff...

There is also an article related to TO's comments and Marvin's response here:

http://www.wlwt.com/sports/26147036/detail.html

[Mike Zimmer]

While Carson Palmer bares the blame due to inexplicably poor play at times this year, the offensive line stat speaks volumes to his decline. But only in Bungledom can we have a Pro-Bowl QB, a guy who was a solid mention after guys like Brady, Manning, et al back in 2005, regress so badly due to horrible coaching, in particular the offensive genius that is Boob Bratkowski and his Lightbright where he designs his plays. He has become Bungalized. The organization has done nothing to make him better by hiring anyone to coach him up, added the right pieces of the puzzle to protect him or made a serious effort to allow him to lead a winner. There is a small shread of hope that his career path takes the Ken Anderson route to latter year success vs. the Bert Jones route to injury, inefficiency and obscurity. Being a Bungle, I'm better the latter.

[blesterov]

Keep in mind with the OL stats, they only keep track of sacks. I bet if it included hurries or QB hits the Bengal's OL would be near the bottom since 2006. The 2007 ranking is Hobs favorite stat trump card. But unfortunately for him, I remember watching Palmer quickly dump or erratically force throws to avoid being hit when the OL fell a part in 2006 & 2007 due to injuries and old age.

If I may draw your attention for a moment, there is a direct correlation between the OL rankings and Palmers comp % and QB efficiency.

2004 - 60.9% | 77.3 - Palmers rookie year and the year the OL finally jelled. He put up great #'s at the end of the season once it clicked for him.
2005 - 67.8% | 101.1 (OL #1) - What can you say? He had one of the most dominate OL's in the NFL and he thrived b/c of it.
2006 - 62.3% | 93.9 (OL #7) - OL begins to fall apart b/c of injuries to Jones, Anderson, and Braham.
2007 - 64.9% | 86.7 (OL #4) - This is the year he gained his bad habits from avoiding the constant pressure. The #4 ranking is very misleading.
2008 - 58.1% | 69.0 (OL #26) - OL completely falls apart and Palmer breaks his nose and blows his elbow.
2009 - 60.5% | 83.6 (OL #17) - This is the year they finally retooled the OL, two years to late. Another Mike Brown fuck you to the franchise.
2010 - 60.4% | 78.1 (OL #TBD) - I would bet that the OL rating will be in the bottom half this year. If they would have invested in the OL in the draft, especially at the LG spot, it may have been better.

I think this helps prove my point that the team needs to build a solid OL before anyone speaks about drafting a franchise QB. If I were the GM, I would focus on improving the C, LG, & RT spots in FA and the draft. The following year you get your franchise QB.

But with MFB in charge the first pick will be used on a QB or RB that will end up sucking because he won't have an OL in front of him.

[who d'eytat]

comrades!

i have not decided yet to go to the game, but i will if there are others out there like me. can project mayhem #10 be that we pass out several odd thousand paper bags (browns fans might wear them too) and distribute them to spectators as they go through the gate?

i am in if you are.

i must admit i have not posted much (twice before i believe), but this is something important. imagine a sea of paper bag heads chanting "we want a g.m. gotta have a g.m. gm!"- it would be beautiful...

[Barry]

an empty stadium with only some browns fans would be much more beautiful! If i had free tickets and a limo picking me up i would'nt go see that crap! Empty stadium and not renewing your tickets after the face lift thats sure to come.that would be a step in the right direction