Joe Reedy's pieces on season ticket holders made it pretty clear: they are very unhappy. About 2 in 3 responders to his queries said they would not renew. Though only a small sample and potentially containing bias, that should alarm the Bengals management. Of course, nothing this offseason has indicated they feel any heat or need to change business.
Until now.
Via the Cincinnati Business Courier, I got an alert that Jeff Berding has quit his position on City Council to devote "full-time focus" to his position as Director of Ticket Sales with the Bengals. Ignore the fact that another person in city/county goverment enjoys gainful employment from the Bengals for the moment - it is what is. Instead realize that the situation with tickets appears to have gotten the Bengals nervous enough that it requires a City Council member to quit his job.
On another note, what kind of city are we where our council members quit to sell Bengals tickets? Shouldn't Berding be telling the Bengals to go to hell and stay on as a city leader? I know money matters and blah blah blah but good God that seems backwards.
That is backwards. Don't we elect political officials to serve the people? Isn't that actually the definition of politics? (It is). And agree 100% that if he had to quit one job to focus on another it should be quitting on the Bengals and focus on something that actually matters i.e. the well-being of Cincinnati.
As a senior Political Science major at Miami (OH) and a huge sports fan, this rings home. That being said, however, this is ridiculous. I would never think of running for a political position while representing a major corporation with very real interests. It's like a lobbyist working in Congress. How can your views and decisions NOT be influenced by your other employer? Just more of the same from Mikey & the Nespots.
Posted by: Ryan Smith | January 27, 2011 at 05:28 PM
I forget who said it Ryan but I think the quote goes "I keep getting more cynical, but I can just never keep up." Trust me, you'll graduate and find it's much worse out there than you ever imagined.
My brother worked full time as a legislative aid to a council member and it requires all your working hours and then some if you do it right. How on Earth anyone with that responsibility can have another job, let alone one for a major public welfare recipient/corporation/civic icon and it doesn't even raise an eyebrow is beyond me. Such is the state of our nation I guess. Conflicted leaders? Who cares!
Posted by: Sleeping With Bieniemy | January 27, 2011 at 05:36 PM
Oh I have no doubt it'll be that way. I'm working in a campaign for a no-name guy right now who's great but I also worked for Boehner (for the experience - don't agree with him at all) and didn't meet him once. Understandable but literally all the guy seems to do is golf.
Kinda fits with Berding selling tickets. Why work for something better when you can have fun? Conflicted leaders indeed. Permeates all levels too.
Posted by: Ryan Smith | January 27, 2011 at 05:50 PM
I hate to tell you this but Berding and Bedinghaus were the ones that got MFB his sweet stadium deal and have worked for MFB for years. How hard is this to see? Moral and Ethical Values do not come into play here? They both are SCUMBAGS and work for the HEAD SCUMBAG. Good Luck selling those tickets Berding, but you do not have to worry, MFB FIRES nobody so even if you do not sale tickets you will still have your SCUMBAG job!
Posted by: TigerJ@w | January 27, 2011 at 07:13 PM
How is it going to help ticket sales, for Berding to quit his City Council job, to sell Bengals tickets full-time?
What's he going to do, tap-dance on people's door steps?
That would not make me want to buy tickets.
I hope he realizes, that ticket sales are down, because Bengals fans are fed up with the long-standing, traditional losing culture of the Bengals under Mike Brown...
...i.e. not because he's been working another job with City Council...idiot
Posted by: Hofbraunow | January 27, 2011 at 08:49 PM
Yeah - I mean, I am not sure what having him spend all his energy on ticket sales will do. My guess is a man that is both on city council and in the bengals employ has plenty of relationships with businesses that own suites/club seats and they are focusing on retaining those.
The Bengals could probably survive with about half of their season ticket holders cancelling quite frankly as long as the club/suites were still sold. It's embarrassing to have an empty stadium, however, and will be a problem long term, and it really hurts concessions too.
Posted by: Sleeping With Bieniemy | January 27, 2011 at 08:58 PM
Bieniemy:
Great story -- one that again punctuates WDR's service to those who wonder whether the worst is over (Answer to that: "NO").
Reading this really makes one want to pull Mikey's ass out of his Indian Hills estate and deposit him in an Eastern Avenue brothel. The love of money is the root of all evil. Mike Brown loves money, is evil and is a (man) root. Any other questions?
Posted by: West TX | January 27, 2011 at 10:33 PM
As an aside, with Jeff Fisher and the Titans "parting company", does that now make Marvin the third-longest-tenured head coach (behind Belichick and Reid)? Or are there other coaches I forgot? John Fox would've been ahead of Marvin, but he's no longer with the Panthers. Let's look at the comparison:
Belichick: (126-50-0, .716), 4 AFC Championships, 3 Super Bowls
Reid: (118-73-1, .617), 1 NFC Championship (4 straight appearances and 5 in the last 10 years)
Lewis: (60-67-1, .469), 2 Winning Seasons/Playoff appearances, 0 Playoff Wins)
(cue Sesame Street music)
"One of these things is not like the other,
One of these things does not belong..."
Also, if you need any better proof that we as fans have been Bengalized, look no further than how you felt after the 2004 seasons ended. How excited were you when the Bengals had two consecutive 8-8 seasons? Like me, you probably looked at it as a complete turnaround of an organization mired in futility. Contrast that with Rex Ryan's first two years as head coach of the New York Jets, a team with an actual General Manager who's committed to winning - two winning seasons, two AFC championship game appearances, and 4 playoff victories. FOUR.
Posted by: Wyatt | January 28, 2011 at 06:49 AM
Berding's job title may be "head of ticket sales" but if it is anything like Bedinghaus's real job, it will be more of making sure that the tire pressures on Mikey's Lumina are correct for ultimate mpg.
Posted by: PAl | January 28, 2011 at 11:58 AM
I like that Wyatt about the Sesame Street Music and it fits to a tee. Classic! LOL
Posted by: TigerJ@w | January 28, 2011 at 06:39 PM
ignore the fact that another person in city/county goverment enjoys gainful employment from the Bengals for the moment - it is what is.
Posted by: Green Laser Pointers | January 29, 2011 at 01:16 AM
This is victory for democracy.
Posted by: GadgetTown | August 18, 2011 at 10:09 PM
I want to ask you a question about American holidays.0
Posted by: Meizitang Capsules | February 16, 2012 at 04:19 AM