Dutifully fultilling Project Mayhem, #10 - Return to Sender, Matthew Gray sends us the below letter and above image of his letter to the Bengals renoucing his alligience to the Bengals until they make wholesale changes, along with the Bengals merchandise he returned. Matt and his father actually flew to Cincinnati for a game this year, and to London for the NFL game there. And no more! Cheers Matt, keep up the fight.
Mr. Mike Brown
President
Cincinnati Bengals
One Paul Brown Stadium
Cincinnati, Ohio 45202
December 29th 2010
Dear Mr Brown,
May I wish you and your family a very Happy Holidays and all the best for 2011.
My name is Matthew Gray and I reside on the island of Jersey in the English Channel. My father is a native son of Ohio and as such I have supported the Bengals alongside him since my youth.
In 2010 we travelled to Cincinnati via London, choosing the Buffalo Bills game as we believed it was one we were likely to win, you can understand our disappointment that our primary reason for travelling to this section of the United States ended in such a displeasing manner. When one considers the travel expenses that were involved, the product we travelled to see was nothing short of shambolic. We did however enjoy our trip in spite of this visiting neighbouring Kentucky as well. It was such a shame that our primary reason for travel was in fact the one disappointment of our trip.
We also visited the NFL International Series event in London earlier this year, and no less than 5 people questioned/laughed and jeered at the team colors I was wearing, I was asked by multiple people why I still wore the jersey, and it was the first time in years that I felt that I was tired of standing up for us, that I excepted the truth, we are a terrible football team.
For all his detractors, Terrell Owens summed up how I, and a number of other fans feel about the team; 'I think there's underachieving from the top down," Owens said. "You start with the owner, you start with the coaches. And obviously we as players, we are a product of what the coaches are coaching us throughout the course of the week."' Mr Brown, this team can never be more than a flash in the pan football team unless some serious changes are made. The Bengals organization and the Bengals fans deserve a legacy that they can be proud of, not one that they have to defend despite no results.
Mr.Brown, the fans deserve better than the product that we are receiving. The fans payed for your stadium, they fill it every week, they buy your season tickets and they buy your merchandise. In some cases your fans even fly across the world to cheer on a team that isn't worth their time and money.
I am not after an apology or any form of compensation that you could offer. All I ask for is that you consider the people who fund what you do, and what you think they deserve.
I am hereby terminating any form of financial support to your organization for the time being, I will not be travelling to Cincinnati in 2011 as I fear the near future holds no solution. I will no longer purchase merchandise and am hereby returning my Bengals jersey.
As I said earlier I wish you all the best for next year, but I cannot support a franchise that continues to exploit me, if you can ensure that my investment of time and money into this franchise is something worth continuing, a response to this letter would be met with great interest by my family and I.
Yours Faithfully,
Matthew Kevin Gray
Nice job, Matt...I, too, sent back, many an item belonging to the Bengals last week, along with a letter, supporting the revolution. I am truly ashamed of this franchise. I haven't felt this bad since 2002. I remember walking inside my local A&P in New Jersey at the end of that glorious season and having two employees of the store laughing behind me, making quips about "how sad it was" and "there's a brave soul to be wearing that!"
I mean, if we at least sucked truly trying to win games, with an owner who was responsive to loyal fans, who brought in football minds, I would still wear Bengal gear. I would at least know management was doing their best, even if they were bad at winning. Other teams at least hope for a better season and change things up to make that happen.
So let me get this straight... 4-12 following a division title, Marvin stays, Palmer stays, and Bratwurst stays??? Wake me up from this dream.
Posted by: Sambo | January 13, 2011 at 09:44 AM
What is truly sad and pathetic is all the effort we fans have put into MFB making changes in the organizations structure is actually making him stay the course to show us that his way really can and will work.
Our anger towards him is his "Tackling Fuel". He wants so bad to tell us we don't know how hard it is to be an NFL team owner, how many decisions need to be made all while maintaining a budget. He wants so bad to tell us we are foolish.
Now more than ever he is going to make sure we know it is his team and his way of running it.
Posted by: kotw65 | January 13, 2011 at 11:06 AM
Well written, sadly, I'm sure he'll get the cookie cutter Brownburn response and no explanation or identification of what will be different.
Posted by: CurseofBoJackson | January 13, 2011 at 11:38 AM
Would anyone be surprised to see the returned jersey for sale in the gift shop?
Posted by: Jeff B | January 13, 2011 at 02:34 PM
Mike Brown, President/CEO & GM
Cincinnati Bengals
One Paul Brown Stadium
Cincinnati, Ohio 45202
Matthew Kevin Gray
2 Le Jardin de Devant,
Fauvic,
Grouville,
Jersey,
Channel Islands,
JE39BQ
UK
January 13th 2011
Dear Mr Gray,
It was with great enthusiasm that I read the account of your holidays travel to the U.S. to see the Bengals-Bills game this year. Although the game was hard fought, those pesky Bills were barely able to prevail despite our keen RB Cedric Benson leading all rushers in that game with 124 yards. It seems that our excellent coaching of former backup Ryan Fitzpatrick backfired on us as he used those skills to unleash a second half comeback when we were suffering with numerous injuries to our primary defensive backs. Despite those injuries, our boys fought hard and almost pulled off an upset of a tough Buffalo squad that is well remembered on this side of the Atlantic for taking its teams to the Super Bowl four consecutive years.
Hopefully you will be able to return to Cincinnati in 2011 to see another hotly contested game in which we'll feature young DEs Carlos Dunlap and Michael Johnson as well as WR sensations Andre Caldwell and Jerome Simpson. These players have the whole town hopeful of a quick turnaround and a Super Bowl season after this season's final two games in which they played forcefully against two top San Diego and Baltimore teams.
If you inform us in advance of your next visit, I will have one of our fine staff members escort you to the Pro Shop where you'll be able to purchase a new jersey with the enclosed 10% off coupon and I will make sure that they also give you one or our free bags of Bengal popcorn that have been warmly received from our season ticket holders.
Keep the faith, Mr. Gray, as most of our top fans around the globe have done because our system is headed on track and is working. With our fine head coach Marvin Lewis and his staff returning, we are expecting big things out of our team. Who Dey & God Save the Queen.
Mike Brown
Posted by: West TX | January 13, 2011 at 06:45 PM
@West TX: Brilliant!
No doubt all the returned Jerseys will be put up for sale in the pro shop... you can buy a lot of popcorn and Denny's with those.
Posted by: FormerFanOfTheCincinnatiGroundhogs | January 13, 2011 at 08:45 PM
So you're mad -- mad at MBMBB, mad at the team, mad, mad, mad! The next question would be: "So what are ya gunna do about it?' You've shown us (and saying so in a snarky way) you've shown MBMBB. Now let me ask you this... could you have done much better things with your team 'gear' by maybe just packing it away (as a way to show MBMBB that he's lost you as a fan) -- maybe donate it to a 'drop-in center'? Maybe just wear it but without a thought as to it meaning (and be willing to tell those who question thusly) that you support the team or the owner etc.?
Let me ask you this? Do you think what MBMBB cares what you think? Do you think that you showing up on a late-night news blurb, is actually going to make MBMBB repent and change his 'angle'? Do you think that MBMBB is going to give you your money back (unless he's figured a way to do so and in exchange for giving your money back, he gets FAR more back in terms of publicity)? In short, we all know that the average fan is pissed off at MBMBB -- you saying that; well the exchange: "Get in line!" comes to mind. Trust me, by now MBMBB knows that he pretty much holds the title of the most hated man in the tri-state, in football, maybe in the "world"????
Ask yourself if what you've done is redundant? Ask yourself what you could do or have done that would make it sure that your 'doing something' actually DOES SOMETHING?
I can answer that rhetorical question for you -- you simply don't buy anything to begin with. Right now, MBMBB already has your dollar. He's going to turn around and donate what you sent -- out of anger, idiocy, stupidity and lack of thinking with a clear head. And here's the kicker... ...when he donates it, he is going to 'lunch on you' yet again when he writes it off on his taxes!
You need to be well-grounded in your thought processes both in the past and in the future. Don't be a fanatic. Wear something because you like it -- it's practical etc. Not because you want to show support to something that that 'something' wouldn't know you from 'Adam'. It just doesn't make sense, now does it?
Know this... ... you made the mistake of allowing this guy to do what he's doing RIGHT NOW! Know that you won't make that mistake again. Know that there is little (if anything) that you can do to affect/change the situation. Know that it won't happen again. Know that you MUST use your head -- your intellect and not to fall prey to similar circumstances. Know that your actions, in doing so, might keep you from having a team close-by (so-to-speak). Know ALL of these things and rest assured that MBMBB knows them and that it isn't going to change. Do that and you can live in peace. Don't know this and just continue to beat your head against the wall. Remember the 'definition' of insanity? Doing the same things over and over again, time immemorial, and expecting a different result.
Remember, Practice Fields make puuuurrrrrrfect!
Posted by: wch | January 14, 2011 at 12:43 AM
Wch --
"Know this": your parents don't like you.
Posted by: WchMolestsCollies | January 14, 2011 at 02:03 AM
Yeah he'll be putting these jerseys for sale on the "game worn" rack for $750 a pop.
Yeah I know they look nothing like game worn jerseys. Just thought it was a good joke. lol Something I'd fully expect Mike to do if they did look like a game worn jersey.
Posted by: Douche | January 14, 2011 at 07:48 AM
West TX, that letter is an obvious fraud. Mikey Boy would never use the words "Super Bowl Season." It's just not in his vocabulary.
Posted by: Comrade Ken | January 14, 2011 at 09:28 AM
wch, ask yourself this (one of your favorite lines).....Why are you suck a piece of shit? Why don't you go away? Why don't you shut the hell up? Why do you continue to post the same crap?
Do you just cut & paste your comments like Katie? Seems so!
Posted by: Marc | January 14, 2011 at 09:32 AM
I think wch might even be Katie Blackburn.
Posted by: Ken Anderson's Turf Toe | January 14, 2011 at 11:15 AM
West TX - awesome. Right on the MONEY.
Posted by: TheSlushovsky in NYC | January 14, 2011 at 02:01 PM
What does Kentucky have to do with it?
"We did however enjoy our trip in spite of this visiting neighbouring Kentucky as well."
Not even sure what that sentence means...
Posted by: rjr | January 31, 2011 at 04:29 PM