WhoDeyRevolution

Denver Broncos - Committed to Win the Super Bowl

PFT brings our attention to a letter sent by Pat Bowlen, the owner of the Denver Broncos, to the team's season ticket holders in response to the Jay Cutler debacle, which some would argue rivaled last year's Chad Johnson debacle.  Leaving aside what you think about the Jay Cutler situation, let's consider two points:

(1) The Broncos had a young, promising quarterback that showed an ability to succeed early in his career (which as we know, is hard to come by).  Cutler was about 1/20th as loud as Chad Johnson was last year in asking for a trade.  Nonetheless, the situation became a distraction for the Broncos as the Quarterback was non-responsive to his team and his agent insisted that Cutler be traded.  Rather than bringing that distraction and media frenzy into the 2009 season, they dealt him (for Kyle Orton, 2 first round draft picks and a third round pick).  Only time will tell if this deal is a good one but given the spiraling out of control of the situation, it's tough to argue with the Broncos pulling the trigger.  Perhaps Denver coach Josh McDaniels' decision to go after Matt Cassell and try to trade Cutler was a mistake in the first place but that's besides the point.  The team had a player who didn't want to be a part of the team and a potential distraction (and one not nearly as big as the Chad circus last year) and they dealt with it.  Meanwhile, despite Chad's antics last year, Chad remains on the Bengals this year and after a horrid 2008 season, is once AGAIN skipping voluntary workouts.  And this despite the fact that Carson, Chad and TJ couldn't get on the same page during voluntary workouts last season after the latter two skipped last year's voluntary workouts. 

(2) More importantly, Denver's owner wrote the season ticketholders a letter to address the Cutler media frenzy and assure Bronco fans that Denver is committed to being a championship team.  Bowlen writes to his fans:

Understand this:   it remains about team.  Our franchise has gone to the Super Bowl six times, with three different coaches and with many different players.  It has never been about one player, and it never will be.   Coach McDaniels shares this vision, and everyone in the organization — players, coaches and staff — must understand and accept this unconditionally.   If anyone does not, that person will not be a part of this franchise.

Cincinnati Turning Against Mike Brown

NKU conducted a survey measuring interest and support of the Reds and Bengals, and the results are clear.  Cincinnati is turning away from Mike Brown's Bengals and towards the Reds.  This can not be only due to on field performance, because the Reds have been just as bad as the Bengals (or even worse).  While comparing NFL and MLB teams performance is complicated, it is clear that the Reds have not performed better than the Bengals.  The Reds have not been over .500 since 2000, while the Bengals were above .500 in 2005.  The Reds have not made the playoffs since 1995, the Bengals made the playoffs in 2005.  But why then did self identified Reds fans rise to 35% from 33%, while the Bengals dropped to 25% from 38%?  Management.  The Reds have not won.  But they have convinced fans that they are at least making an effort.   The Reds went out and hired a GM with a track record of success.  Mike Brown is stuck with himself.  More evidence why WDR will win and Mike Brown MUST change after the jump.

Bob Castellini vs. Mike Brown

Today I received my Reds season tickets via FedEx, and inside was a letter from Reds CEO Bob Castellini.  Clearly, the Reds and the Bengals have a different approach when communicating with fans.  Below is the text of his letter.  After you finish, remember back to the literary masterpiece from Mike Brown & co. earlier this year.

Bengals do it again! Snatching stupidity from obvious intelligence!

The signs that you are a probably Bengals fan are similar to the signs that it is probably time for a new job (a la CareerBuilder)...

CareerBuilder's signs 
1) If you hate going to work every day
2) You're co-workers don't respect you
3) You always wish you were somewhere else
4) You cry constantly
5) You daydream of punching small animals
6) You sit next to "this guy" (annoying laugh, in a speedo, picking his toes, and you wish he were dead)
 
Bengals fan signs
1) If you hate hearing the latest Bengals news every day (because it'll just piss you off)
2) You're team's owners don't respect you
3) You always wish the Bengals did something intelligent
4) You cry constantly
5) You daydream of punching small animals
6) You sit near "this guy" (30-year-old suit, moron, doesn't give interviews, and you wish he were dead)

The Bengals have decided to use their franchise tag on kicker (who can't reach the endzone on kickoffs or hit a field goal over 50 yards) Shayne Graham.

New Rules for Jersey Etiquette at a Bengals Game

From 2003 to 2008 (the first five years of the Marvin Lewis era in Cincinnati), it was a crime for a fan of Mike Brown's Bengals to wear the jersey of a Bengal player that isn't on the team anymore. Nor was it acceptable to wear personalized jerseys (and be over the age of 13) or to wear college gear. And the Bengals Pro Shop was a must pilgrimage for a Bengals fan at least once of twice during the year.

But now that Mike Brown's Bengals have not hired a GM, have not added any scouts, performed like a big pile of suck winning only four games (all meaningless), was the only team in the bottom ten in the NFL that did not make any coaching or management changes, Marvin Lewis chuckled and battled through every press conference expressing that he doesn't really care if there are fans, and the team used former Pittsburgh Steeler coach Bill Cowher's quote to entice Bengal fans into returning(this would be like having Jim Tressel write Michigan football's season ticket renewal letter); the need to wear the jersey of an active player has gone in reverse.

Let's take a look at the new rules for jersey etiquette at a Bengals game...

Rule #1 - Who's jersey should you wear?

Used to be...

Wearing a jersey of a Bengals that is no longer on the team was grounds for endless ridicule. If your guy left town, your jersey should have been lit of fire (failing a store offering 50% another jersey with a trade in - ah, in a perfect world). Wearing the jersey of an active player or Bengal legend was a must.

Is now...

Wearing a jersey of a Bengals that is no longer on the team is awesome. The older the better, the more random the better. The more tattered the jersey the better. The only true tule is that the random players should be from the Mike Brown era. Gus Frerotte, Neil O'Donnell, Jeff Blake, Carl Pickens, Corey Dillon, Neil Rackers, Darnay Scott, Jon Kitna, Jeff Query, Harold Green, Eric Steinbach, Willie Anderson, Deltha O'Neal, Madieu Williams, Akili Smith, Peter Warrick, Kelley Washington, David Pollack, Odell Thurman, Justin Smith, Kenny Irons, and David Klingler are all in play.

To review...

buying and wearing a brand new Keith Rivers jersey: waste of money; wearing a David Klingler jersey that you've had for years stuck in a drawer: AWESOME! Keep this in mind when Mike Brown let's Touraj Houshmandzadeh (aka The Hardest Man in Bengals history) walk in about two weeks.

10 Reasons I Hate the Super Bowl

The Super Bowl is the biggest sporting event in America.  I would rank it below your average mid week ACC or Big East College Basketball game. 

Blasphemy you say?  The Super Bowl is no longer a "sporting event", it is now just an "event". 

One caveat - Mike Brown do not take this article as a reason to try and NOT make the Super Bowl.  As much as I hate the game, that can all be washed away if the Bengals play in said game.  Yes, Mike it is legal for the Bengals to play in the Super Bowl. 

Top 10 list, Letterman Style after the jump.

Quotes You Will Never Hear from the Bengals - Steelers Edition

David Fleming from ESPN.com, fan of the Revolution, has an article up asking "Are the Steelers the greatest franchise?"  Fleming asks longtime Steelers owner Dan Rooney about the secret for the team's constant success.  Here is Rooney's answer, and this is something that you will never hear from the Bengals.

"Our secret?" he said, almost embarrassed by the question. "We try to put a team on the field every year that can win a championship … "  "And," Rooney said, "we never take a year off."

Can you imagine Mike Brown EVER saying something like this?  His goal for the Bengals is to "compete" and "do well."  The Steelers make it clear that it is the goal of every person in their organization, from the front office to the towel boys that their goal is to win a Super Bowl - every year. 

This sentiment is totally absent from Paul Brown Stadium.  The Bengals are constantly rebuilding, making excuses and making no changes.  Does Mike Brown really think that the reason the Bengals have not made the playoffs in 17 of his 18 seasons as owner/GM is because of bad luck and injuries?  Or maybe it is because he has set the bar for success so low and failed to build a winning mentality?

So on Sunday when you are praying that the Steelers lose, remember that those Steelers fans are so damn obnoxious because they are able to support an organization whose sole focus is winning a Super Bowl.

What's a Bengals victory worth to Mike Brown? About $15.5-million.

This article was posted in Monday's (1/19) Cincinnati Business Courier.  The article says that Bengals merchandise sales went from $108-million in 2007 to $64-million in 2008.  This should be teaching Mike Brown a lesson that even he might be able to learn even if he doesn't have access to the new fangled internetty thing-a-ma-jig ma-gill-a-ma-tron-o-matic: wins equal cash.  And this is a lesson that Mike Brown can't ignore.

Let's check these quick and easy numbers...

2007 - $108-million divided by seven (7) wins = $15.43-million per win
2008 - $64-million divided by four-and-a-half (4.5) wins (figuring the tie is half-a-win) = $14.22-million per win.  If you are a purist, it would $16-million per actual victory. 

Any way you calculate it, in the past two seasons, a win yields about $15.5-million in merchandise sales. 

And why is this?  Fans want to identify with a winner. 

Take University of Cincinnati football as an example.  Nobody cared about UC football until they won the Big East championship and went to a BCS game.  NOW, their gear is popular (and being purchased), they just got a stadium deal (with - GASP! - an indoor practice facility), and they are probably going to start stealing sponsorship dollars away from the Bengals. 

And why is this?  Companies want to be identified with a winner. 

Now, I'm sure that Baghdad Hob is going to post something to the effect of, "The economy has taken effect with the Cincinnati Bengals' pro shop."  And the fact that they landed out of the playoffs for the 17th time in the 18 years that Mike Brown has owned the team will have nothing to do with it. 

And he might have a little bit of a point until you consider this: Arizona Cardinal fans and Pittsburgh Steeler fans are buying gear.  Even in this economy.  Even with shaky employment situations.  Even with no employment situations.  Even with foreclosed house.  Even with bills piling up.  FANS ARE STILL BUYING GEAR!

And why is this?  Fans want to identify with a winner. 

Bengals Prepare Fans for Yet Another Off-season of Status Quo

As soon as the clock hit 0:00 yesterday, the Bengals were already quietly leaking information (thru Baghdad Hob at Bengals.com) that wins over the Redskins (completely collapsed at the end of the season), the Browns (haha...) and the Chiefs (2-14) are enough to not make major coaching or personnel changes.  Mark Curnutte of the Enquirer also has the same sentiment.

This, after a 4-11-1 season, where the home town 53 started 0-8.

I'm not calling for the head of Mike Zimmer, who has done an admirable job with a patchwork group on defense...but it still should be noted that they only notched 17 sacks on the season - 30th in the league. 

Meanwhile the Bengals offense scored a paltry 204 points (12.75 pts/game), good enough for worst in the NFL.  If Bob Bratkowski keeps his job, only under the guise of no Carson Palmer for 12 games...it's a joke.  (FYI - the next lowest point total was St. Louis at 232).

Then there is Marvin Lewis.  Behind the scenes (and again today in his annual recap meeting with MIke Brown), Lewis likely offered to accept $4 million of the $8 million remaining on his contract just to walk away.  However, Mike Brown likes it when people honor their entire contract (just ask Chad!)...so that offer will be declined.  Personally, I think Marvin Lewis will be a very successful head coach in his next NFL stop.  Remember that Bill Belichick was run out of Cleveland, then went on to coach a dynasty in New England.  Now, I'm not calling Lewis the next Belichick, but in an organization that has a competently structured front office, I can absolutely see Lewis coaching Super Bowl champion.

Here's hoping that the team really takes the time to identify quality players in the draft, especially since Coach Lewis said there really will be 'no intriguing free agents' at the end of the day.

HE DID IT! - Win #100!!

It may have taken 18 years, 3 months, and 20 days, but Mike Brown has done it:  his 100th win as Bengals GM. 

From beating Cleveland at home on November 3rd, 1991 (first win) to shutting out the Browns today in Cleveland...it has been one wild ride.

Here's hoping the next 100 wins don't take nearly two decades to achieve.

We will be celebrating all week long here at WDR...but in the meantime, enjoy the classic toilet scene from Dumb and Dumber:  where we have found most of the Bengals seasons under Mike Brown.