WhoDeyRevolution

Weak Attempt at a Season Preview

Our friend Joe Reedy at the Enquirer, asked a good question in his article yesterday. Are the Bengals built to improve in the coming years, or are we about to observe another implosion that typically follows a successful season? His thesis is inconclusive and doesn’t really take a stand on the question proposed. In his defense, the future is hard to predict, but today we will attempt to finish what he started and do our best swami impersonation to better define what to expect this season.

Marvin

Both Marvin and his top coordinators are signed through until 2014. This alone makes it seem like everyone in Paul Brown Stadium is betting the house on the next two seasons.

Last year I declared Black Jesus has returned after regaining control of personnel decisions from Mike Brown. As we have pointed out repeatedly in prior posts, drafting and trades have dramatically improved since Marvin came to town in 2003. However, free agency is a continued concern with the Odd-Lots strategy that still permeates in the front office.

With his two year extension, both coordinators signed to long-term deals (and realistically they probably won’t leave for head coaching spots), and the player personnel improved on paper; now the spotlight is on Marvin to do the one thing he has yet to do well a consistent basis: coach.

Coming into this preseason, the Bengals were 2-7 in the first preseason game of the season. The typical theme in every game: lots of mental mistakes and no spark. This preseason has been noticeably different. The defense front seven looks stout and the offense has the potential to be very productive if the personnel matches up well to the opposing defense. Most importantly, this is the first time in decades, I have ever witnessed on a weekly basis players flying to the football. It appears the decades of lackadaisical effort may finally be behind us.

There is one nagging thing with Marvin’s teams that just bothers me. In his ten year tenure they have yet to pummel an over matched team, nor have they ever won the chess match against a formidable opponent, except maybe once: the 2003 Kansas City game. Except for that game, it seems like if they have ever pulled an upset, it has been because the opponent was the victim of random circumstance. The upset in Lambeu a couple of years ago was a result of Green Bay losing its starting left tackle and Odom getting a seasons worth of sacks in one game. The upset against the Jets when they were led by Brett Favre, was because a fan ran on the field and stole the ball out of Favre’s hands ending his game winning drive.

This season Marvin needs to prove that he can do what he set out to do in 2003: win the games that matter. The nine wins they gathered last year were all against losing teams. The eight loses, against teams with winning records. However, it could be argued the same applied to the Patriots and Giants last season. The difference being those teams gelled at the end of the season and were able to make a run. The Patriots were totally lucky in the playoffs in that they miraculously faced Tim Tebow (God’s gift to a 3-4 defensive coordinator), and the second game the Ravens couldn’t kick a field goal or hold on to the ball.

There will be certain games this year where the Bengals are clearly outmatched (the week one contest is a perfect example). In these types of games Marvin’s record of mismanaging the clock, incorrectly challenging official calls, and setting the tone of the game all need to be proven that they were merely a result of having a poorly matched team. I don’t expect them to win tonight, but I still want to see a fire under Marvin and the players as well as a good display of sound judgment.

There will also be games where they will have the advantage. Until we see that Marvin and his staff can keep a boot on the throat of an opponent when they are down (like Jets did yesterday or Urban Meyer displayed against Miami), the fans have the right to not have confidence in Marvin’s ability to lead this team to a championship.

Better Marketing Does Not Produce Wins

The present form of the team has some key players with a lot of talent that are approaching their prime in a few years: Dalton, Green, Gresham, Atkins, Dunlap, and Hall. Most teams would love to have that talent. However, this list means nothing if they are not able to step on the field on a regular basis. Half of that list (Gresham, Dunlap, and Hall) enter this season already not 100% by recovering from leg injuries.

Last season, the difference between the Giants and the Bengals was that one team got healthy at the end of the season and the other was decimated in key spots. Near the end of the season, Dunlap was in and out of the lineup, Maualuga was mentally recovering from his leg injury, and Hall was lost for the season. Those loses made it easier to expose the weakness in the secondary. The defense was routinely outmatched going against teams with a strong passing attack or a dominant offensive line. In defending the passing game, disrupting the QB is typically the best defense. Losing the team’s best CB and pass rusher makes it very difficult to accomplish this.

In Reedy’s article he briefly mentions the comparison between this 2012 team that will take the field tonight and the 2006. What he failed to include is that injuries are what helped derailed the 2006 season. Heading into the 2006 season, Marvin had the most talented team on paper. By week three he had lost his starting center and OLB for the season. By the end of the season, 3/5 of the OL was on the sideline or IR, and at one point the entire LB crew was missing. Even through all the adversity, they still managed to almost make the playoffs. Keep in mind that was with “5 yard hitch” Bratkowski calling the offensive plays and Chuck “10 yard cushion” Breshnahan calling the defense. It literally would have defied the laws of physics and psychology to get that team to the playoffs.

We have yet to kick off the season, and Marvin is already without his starting LG and dependable center. The 1^st round CB has yet to see the practice field for a week, Gresham isn’t close to being 100% and Dunlap is out, again. If this team is ever going to make the step to the next level in the next two season, the players that are the focus of the team’s marketing strategy have to be capable of stepping on the field and producing.

Swami Says…

Basically, if the rest of the season progresses the way it has started, I don’t foresee a good direction. Yes, this team has the most young talent that he has ever been assembled on a Bengals team in decades. However, as mentioned above your talent is only as good as it is physically able to perform, and the coaches have to be able to put players into positions to win games.

Last year was an aberration. The Bengals were one of the few teams to come into the season well conditioned because of their revised workout program during the lockout. It was very noticeable at the start of the season. The Bengals were typically out performed in the first half and then physically manhandled their opponent in the second half. There will be a more level playing field in terms of conditioning this year, so that second half advantage will not exist.

If Dunlap’s leg issues continues and the Paul Brown curse sets in once again hitting the team in key spots late in the season, then this team will be lucky to make it 7-9. However, if: 1) they can get and stay healthy; 2) Marvin proves he is, in fact, a top NFL strategist; 3) the OL can protect Dalton and open holes for the Law Firm becoming one of the most dominant units in the league again; and 4) the defense can play to their potential on a weekly basis like they have shown at times, then good times are ahead in 2013 and 2014.

For 2012, this team is just too young, too beat up at the starting gate, and too inexperienced to be able to be a serious contender. Although the talent is there, fans need to anticipate growing pains along the OL with 3/5 of the line being retooled (even heading into the first game against one of the most dominant DL’s in the league). Typically it takes half a season for an OL to gel and work out any communication errors. As I mentioned before, Seattle last year best exemplifies this process. Compare Lynch’s stats for the start of the season to the end; you will clearly recognize when their OL gelled.

The patch work and inexperienced OL will throw off the offenses rhythm and ability to move the ball on a consistent basis. Gruden has a lot to overcompensate from the deficiencies in his OL, which may have a dramatic affect on his play calling. This puts a lot of pressure on the defense to over compensate for the offense’s struggles for at least the first half of the season. I don’t see how that is sustainable with a schedule that is one of the most difficult ones in the league. In summary, I predict we will experience a season that will appear as one step back. But if it the team can exit this season healthy, they may be ready for two steps forward heading into 2013.

Watershed Moments In WDR History: Drew Magary Eviscerates Mike Brown

If you're trolling around on WDR these days, the chances are you already have a good understanding of just how rewarding the internet has made following the NFL in the past few years.  After all, we operate at the fringe here at WDR, so if you've stumbled your way onto our site then clearly you've navigated through a lot of internet prior to your arrival.  Regardless, I'm going to take a moment to remind everyone how the internet makes this whole NFL thing, which was already absurdly enjoyable, even better than ever.

Remember when you used to actually have to read Paul Daugherty's columns in the actual newspaper in your school library or something?  That was great but fuck all that because now I can just go to his blog and literally read his thoughts every day from anywhere at anytime.  That is surreal and wonderful.  I can do the same thing for Joe Reedy and his blog.  I can get commentary and opinion from Doc and facts from Joe basically in real time now...that is tremendous.  But that's just local stuff, let's look beyond that.

You know how ESPN slowly morphed into a monopolistic juggernaut that is now simply a 24-hour marketing machine masquerading as a sports coverage and news network?  Guess what, you don't need them for anything but watching live sports anymore because anyone who with something useful to say can just write a blog and go direct to their audience.  For example, these days, if I want to find out what's going on in the NFL I can just log into Twitter and get updates from x & o's experts like @smartfootball, or legendary film-study guru @GregCosell, or actual former NFL scouts like @MoveTheSticks, or thoughtful statistic driven analysts like @robwein of Football Outsiders or @SamMonson of ProFootballFocus.com.

Which brings us to the point of this post, which is simply to link to one piece written by Drew Magary of Deadspin, KSK, GQ and pretty much everything on the internet at this point.  Deadspin and KSK were two enormous pillars of the original foundation for this whole superior way to follow the NFL.  So it's extremely satisfying to see Drew's considerable talents in verbal destruction focused on Mike Brown for the first time I can remember.  

Have I hyped this up a little too much?  Sure.  Are we a little late to post this?  Sure.  But enjoy the piece anyway.  Drew also taps into some anger direct from Cincy fans.  In fact, the folks he gets to chime in go WAY beyond our own feelings here at WDR.

Here's a quote:

Paul Brown Stadium remains perhaps the ultimate example of a pro sports team building a metaphorical slant drilling company that drinks the milkshake of public schools, parks departments, fire departments, teacher salaries ... anything useful, really. What little county money there is to spend in an economic crisis has been diverted to the absolute LEAST DESERVING HUMAN BEING ALIVE, a man who can't even be bothered to try to field a winning team after being gifted a fucking mint by public officials.

Now go read the rest if you haven't already.

KSK Fan Preview

The machinery at WDR is slowing creaking to life as the season approaches.  The friendly-yet-offensive folks at KSK reached out to us to write a few paragraphs from the fan perspective.  You can find it via this link.  We're reproducing our blurb below but check out the full preview at KSK.  

It’s strange territory for long time Bengals fans this offseason. There’s actually reason to have hope. We’re not talking about homer-based auto-hope that perpetually infects all fanbases regardless of reality each offseason. We’re talking about hope derived from a dispassionate evaluation of the actual facts. Those facts more or less consist of the following:

1. A young, talented playoff team from last year returns virtually the entire roster
2. There is excellent coaching from both the defensive and offensive coordinators (Mike Zimmer and yes, holy shit I can’t believe it either, Jay Gruden)
3. On paper, the Bengals drafted pretty well (by this we mean we were mostly pleased by the selections after the fact, which is something wholly foreign to Bengals fans post draft)
4. The Bengals did weird things like actually hire scouts, because in case you didn’t know, the Bengals don’t have those

Of course, it’s not all sunshine and farts…this is the Bengals we’re talking about. Already, top draft pick Dre Kirkpatrick suffered an injury that has him out at least the entire preseason. The schedule, which broke in an incredibly favorable way last year, should step up more than a few degrees of difficulty. There’s also the mountain of cap space the Bengals chose to sit on during free agency instead of adding players in positions of need in a year with lots of free agent depth. We understand wanting the Bengals “front office” to make moves in free agency is a fools errand because they are generally terrible at evaluating talent. However, when the outcome is either a) the player is good so hooray (no examples) or b) the player sucks and the Brown family is out a bunch of money (Antonio Bryant)…we’d prefer to see some action. More to the point, the blatant exploitation of a lack of true salary floor for profit is yet another giant middle finger from ownership to the fans. Oh and did we mention the Steelers and Ravens are always seemingly in the way?

More than any specific potential hurdles facing the Bengals this season, however, there remains a general lingering stink from 20+ years of ownership under Mike Brown. The last time things looked this good in Bengaldom was going into 2005 when Carson Palmer, Chad Johnson and friends were poised to break out. The Bengals managed to ruin that 2005 young nucleus basically within one year. That 2005 crop of players arguably had more talent than the current crop led by Andy Dalton and AJ Green, so why won’t that simply happen again?

One reason that might surprise those not intimately familiar with the Bengals franchise (i.e., everyone) is Marvin Lewis. Most of you know Marvin as the guy who uses challenges with less success than Roger Federer (astonishing really). However, what you may not understand is that for a franchise run on the cheap by an incompetent family with no front office…Marvin Lewis is the sole force within the Bengals trying to make it a modern NFL franchise. So sure, Marvin re-signing with the Bengals for the third time is similar to a fat guy swimming with his shirt on (he’s ashamed but does it anyway). But realize that although Marvin may be a whatever head coach for the 31 other NFL teams, he’s very valuable to the Bengals. Perhaps he will bring the stability and structure to the organization that allows them not to ruin a promising young core of talent? Or at least, he may buy a couple of extra years before they’re ruined?

At any rate, for the first time most Bengals fans can remember, there is reason for actual hope. We suggest enjoying it a little, but not too much, because in all likelihood it’ll be snuffed out soon.

PS - We also recommend the Browns preview written by the Peter of Cleveland Frowns.  The "Win Zone" chart is fucking hilarious.

What a Difference a Year Makes...

This was just too cheesy to pass up...

Since Marvin took over the team in 2003 the Bengals are 2-7 in the first preseason game of the season. The typical theme in every first preseason game: lots of mental mistakes and no spark. Expect nothing but the same tonight. Reedy, if you are reading this please ask Marvin why his teams are always flat for the first preseason game in the post-game conference interview. 

Last season with only two weeks of cramming a new offensive playbook and two rookies at two critical spots (QB and #1 WR), the first preseason game was advertised to be the most unorganized and sloppy Bengal's game we may see in years. They didn’t fail to deliver. I don’t see why this game will look any prettier. For those that gamble, the Jets are an easy -105 giving up 1.5 points. 

While Hobson is throwing another $10 cover pep rally over on Bengals.com, here at WDR we are going to help you with what really should be watched tonight.

 

When the Bengals Have the Ball

1. The Retooled Offensive Line
Forget all the talk of the WR’s. This will work itself out as the season progresses. In the end, I believe it will be a mix of Bimms (85) & Sanu (12) by the end of the season. However, WR’s don’t catch balls if the QB is being constantly pressured and the timing is thrown off. Ask the Patriots how that worked out in the Super Bowl.

Dalton may now actually have the protection he needs to succeed. The mistake (Livings) is finally gone to the Boy’s (good luck with that one Romo). Bobbie Williams should have retired, but left for the Ravens. After years of neglect, Marvin and company finally upgraded the guard spots by investing in a run blocker known for his consistency, Wharton (70), and drafting 1^st rounder mauler, Zeitler (68). The key to the offense this year is how fast the lines gels.

Although the talent is there, fans need to anticipate growing pains along the OL with 2/5 of the line being retooled. Typically it takes half a season for an OL to gel and work out any communication errors. Seattle last year best exemplifies this process. Compare Lynch’s stats for the start of the season to the end; you will clearly see when their OL gelled and Lynch's fantasy value skyrocketed.

Since Rex Ryan’s scheme is all about creating confusion along the OL, expect plays to look completely fugly at times tonight. This will improve as the season progresses, but the execution could be lacking at times. If they can execute on a consistent basis, then that means they are ahead of the curve.

2. The Chess Match
This is my favorite part of the game. This is a good first test of 2012 to see if Gruden can broaden the attack abilities of the offense. Last year he was a clear upgrade to Bratkowski, which isn’t saying much. But I was not impressed with his inability to spread the ball around once defenses began taking AJ Green out of the equation. However last year, he did have the deck stack against him with only a few weeks to install a vanilla offense in the preseason, had rookies in two critical spots, and a patch work OL to work with all season. The result was a passing tree that, although it was better than Brats, was not very aggressive nor did it take advantage of the true receiving talent that the team possesses. Tonight he faces the toe hugger, Rex Ryan, whose scheme is a great trial run for opening weekend against the Ravens.

A key indicator to follow the chess match at home is whether in certain game situations, i.e. 3^rd & short, plays are getting blown up. They may because of the OL, but if the Jets are stunting to a side of the field and they get to the hole before the ball carrier, then the league is on to Gruden’s play calling trends. At the end of last season, Gruden’s play calling became very predictable - almost telegraphed at times. By going against a derivative of the scheme that he will face four times during the regular season, it will be interesting to see how capable Gruden is at mixing things up and getting multiple players involved in moving the ball.

If he can create mismatches to take advantage of the holes in the Jets defense, then it could be sign of good things to come. However from what I observed last season, I don’t have high hopes for Gruden’s upside, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Hue Jackson takes over the play calling duties at some point this or next season. But I could be wrong like I was once before...

3. Red
Red is for real. I have to retract my statement from last year about his inability to succeed on this team. Last year with no offseason, a questionable OL, and a thinned WR corps due to injuries, Dalton put together a fantastic season for a rookie QB.

To put it in perspective:
Palmer in his first year under center threw for 2,897 yards 18 TD’s and 18 INT’s for a QB rating of 77.3 in 13 games.

Dalton produced 3,398 yards, 20 TD’s and 13 INT’s for a QB rating of 80.4.

To add to this, the QB that everyone is comparing Dalton to threw for 3,284 yards, 17 TD’s and 16 INT’s for a rating of 76.9. That QB was Drew Brees. We all know what Palmer did his second season behind center and what Brees eventually became.

However this is actually not a fair comparison because Palmer played behind one of the most dominant OL’s in the league in 2005 and had a young, but experienced, WR corps at the time. Behind a gelling OL and inexperienced young WR corps, I don’t expect to see Dalton really begin to develop until later in the season.

Tonight will be a showcase of his ability to withstand pressure while finding the open man in a confusing defensive scheme. He showed us last year as a rookie he has the ability to read this defense. Now he has to show us he has developed by executing and spreading the ball around down the field to take advantage of the holes the Jets give him.

When the Jets Have the Ball

The D-Line
Forget the secondary tonight. There are too many injuries to truly assess its development tonight. The key to watch on the defensive side tonight is the new D-line.

The other major offseason move was the investment in the defensive line by drafting DT’s Still in the 2^nd round and Thompson in the 3^rd. Both are strong as hell and known to be run stuffers – something this team has been lacking for decades. The Texans took advantage of this weakness in the Wildcard game, and I was amazed when the Bengals logically addressed this hole.

The Jet’s OL is not as strong as it was in the past, but it still has the ability to control the line of scrimmage in both the running and passing games. Tonight will be a great test of both.

Keys to watch are:

a) How does the DL rotation that Zimmer created in 2010 and continued to develop last season incorporate Still and Thompson into the mix? Look for who they team Atkins (97) up with in different situtations.

b) Will the rotation be able to hold the line against one of the most formidable OL’s in the league in the first quarter? On running plays, watch to see if they can control the LOS or even dominate it at times.

c) Will the new DT’s free up the linebackers to finally allow them to make plays in space?

d) Most importantly, can the defense apply pressure to Sanchez on third down by only rushing four linemen?

 

After Further Review...Bengals Offer $10 Concession Credit to Pep Rally

In an interesting development to the Bengals Season Ticket Holder Pep Rally Saga...Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com revealed that season ticket holders attending tomorrow night's rally will now receive a $10 voucher for concessions. 

Plain and simple, this was the right thing to do.  Rational thought has finally prevailed on the corner of 2nd and Elm.

Joseph Questions Bengals Organizational Philosophies

I'm guessing the Bengals don't carry the Glacier Freeze flavor of G2...

PFT recently posted a story about former Bengals CB Jonathan Joseph addressing the differences found between the Bengals and Houston Texans during an interview with HeraldOnline.com.

What I find interesting is that even though the question was centered around the Houston organization - Jospeh immediately opened with the night and day differences between franchises:

Q: What kind of organization is Houston?

The first thing about Houston is it’s an organization run from a different perspective. In Cincy, the team lives off money it earns from football. Houston’s owner has other business interests and he controls the money. Numerous things that go on such as the way Houston interacts with my family; we’re treated in a first-class way. They helped us when my wife lost our baby daughter in a miscarriage. But they help with anything you ask of them because they are a very caring organization with positive attitudes about its players. In Cincy, we’re told how much Gatorade we could take home. In Houston we get what we request. You get soap and deodorant at your request. You don’t have a roommate on road trips.

Read more here: http://www.heraldonline.com/2012/07/15/4112733/qa-with-former-northwestern-standout.html#storylink=cpy

Bengals Respond to Pep Rally Post

As posted yesterday on Cincinnati.com, the Bengals responded to the WDR post around charging Season Ticket Holder's to attend the team pep rally on July 26th.  Part of the comments from the team included explanation for the $10 charge - which apparently helps defray the costs of a local band, fireworks, security and other expenses.  A focus group also thought the fee was reasonable.

Mike Florio at PFT also posted his thoughts, asking "whether there’s a way to do this without soaking $10 out of everyone who attends".

After reviewing some of the comments both at Cincinnati.com and on our site - we thought some clarification was needed:

• Some fans are fired up that we are questioning the $10 cost.  It's not about the $10...but about what the $10 represents.  No matter how you feel about paying $5 or $10 or $20 a ticket, in our view it's the principle that they are charging anything at all to season ticket holders. 

• Again - this is not an event open to the general public.  This is an event for season ticket holders only, who have already paid at least $400 per seat for the entire season (not including the eventual COA they will have to purchase, at minimum $300 per seat).

• From our perspective - the Bengals should have approached this one of two ways:

          1)  All or part of the proceeds benefiting the Marvin Lewis Community Fund, the Anthony Munoz Foundation, Freestore Foodbank, or another deserving local charity.

          2)  Charging the general public to attend, but offering free tickets as an added benefit for season ticket holders.

 

Honestly, it comes down to a difference in philosophy...a philosophy about how a sports team should want to connect with the community where it resides.  A community that overwhelmingly approved a publicly-funded stadium.

This cost that is 'north of six-figures' should be considered an investment in regaining/strengthening an emotional connection with fans.  Compared to the Steelers in Pittsburgh or even the Reds...the Bengals are not woven into the fabric of this community.  I argue they could be - quite easily - if the organization had a better vision on how to treat their most loyal stakeholders.  I think most can agree that there is room for improvement in this department. 

Cincinnati is a town where people might leave for one reason or another, but many return home.  People who live here are generally from here.  My point is that we are loyal to this city, it's not full of transplants like Atlanta or Washington DC.  Cincinnati is also football crazy and would be absolutely rabid over the Bengals (I'm talking to Steeler/Packer levels) if the team had some on-field success to make us proud...and an organization that invested in making lasting connections with its fans.  I truly believe that.  Fans have a lack of trust with the Bengals, and the organization has earned that distinction over the past two decades.

That being said, are the Bengals trying more fan-friendly events this off-season?  Absolutely and their efforts have certainly been a small step in the right direction.  But putting on an event like this and charging your season ticket holders (because you want to defray costs) sends the wrong message. It's missing the forest for the trees.  Obviously this isn't about this one single event - but it has been a consistent track record spanning 20 years of not showing appreciation to a fan base that has fiercely supported this organization.

Isn't $100,000 a smart, strategic investment that will express to season ticket holders that we truly value your support?  Whether it's a lifetime fan who has had season tickets since Nippert Stadium, or someone who came on board this year once prices dropped to $40 per game, the Bengals need to start recognizing and celebrating that commitment. 

Fans can see the $10 as a minimal cost and this argument in general as a gross overreaction.  Heck, season ticket holders not interested can simply ignore the offer and move on.  They are definitely entitled to that opinion, and I can understand that belief. 

From our point of view, however, this all comes back to a larger issue.  The issue that the Bengals just continue to think about their chief consumer differently than most sports teams.  This was yet another prime example.

Bengals To Charge Season Ticket Holders for a Season Ticket Holder Pep Rally

I guess Mike Brown needs another Chevy Lumina.

A disgruntled season ticket holder sent WDR an email this morning - and it shows even when the Bengals try to reward their most loyal stakeholders, they still can't resist squeezing out a few bucks. 

This particular STH said he was so offended that he is calling today to dump his seats and demand his money back.

The following note was sent over from the Bengals inviting STH's only to a pep rally on Thursday, July 26th.  The only problem?  They are CHARGING season ticket holders $10 per ticket to attend.

With training camp coming to Cincinnati for the first time, the Bengals are hosting a special event and inviting all of our season ticket holders for what promises to be a fun evening.

On Thursday, July 26, the Bengals will kick off training camp with a pep rally with the entire Bengals team, followed by a concert and fireworks show.

Paul Brown Stadium gates will open at 6 p.m., and alumni players will be on hand for autographs. The Pep Rally will begin at 7 p.m. and feature comments from Head Coach Marvin Lewis and players, along with player introductions.

After the players depart for their first meeting of training camp, beginning at around 8 p.m., the local band DV8 will perform rock and pop hits for 90 minutes. The event will conclude with a fireworks show beginning at around 9:45 p.m.

Due to the Macy’s Music Festival beginning on Friday the 27th, the stadium will be set up in concert mode with a stage on the field facing the east sideline. General admission seating will be available for this event on the field, as well as on the sideline levels. Season ticket holders can purchase an unlimited number of tickets to the Pep Rally.

Tickets for this Pep Rally & Concert are $10.

The entire stadium is not available due to the concert set up, so capacity is limited and tickets will be available on a first-come, first-serve basis. It is our hope that we fill up our capacity by getting a good response from season ticket holders who are excited by this fun, first-time event.

Tickets will be mailed to you after purchase. Parking in the Mehring Way Lots (Lots D, E & F) will be available at a cost of $5 per vehicle. ARAMARK will have concessions available at reduced prices.

We look forward to a great training camp followed by a winning season. We appreciate your support, and hope to see you at the Pep Rally & Concert.

So what's included?  No food, no drinks...just comments from the team, a local band and a 'fireworks show'.  They are even charging for parking.

And limited tickets?  Really? This is a 65,000 seat stadium...even with a concert set-up...there will be tens of thousands tickets available.

The Bengals promised all sorts of season ticket holder benefits this off-season.  They failed to mention that they would be CHARGING for these 'one of a kind' benefits.

Here's an idea - take a cue from the Reds.  For Redsfest, the Reds charge the general public (and give you a ticket to Opening Night)...but they include Redsfest tickets as part of Season Ticket Holder packages. And let's be clear - this 'pep rally' is no where near the magnitude of Redsfest.

Yet another public relations bungle from a franchise who can't seem to do anything right - even to their blindingly loyal season ticket base.

Optimism is a scary thing

Apparently everyone on the planet thinks that the Bengals hit one out of the park on nearly every pick of the 2012 draft.  When I saw what Joe Reedy wrote about it - I was excited.  I do like how the Bengals seem to have a plan, and that everyone is on board with said plan.  When I read how Mike Brown is "acquiescing more" to the opinion of others, I fell off my chair.  I also like how Marvin is talking about competition in camp, and "play for pay."  They also did not draft a linebacker from USC - nice.

A couple of caveats that temper my enthusiasm...

The Bengals still have a huge amount of cap space that at this point in free agency, will probably go only towards ensuring a nice fat profit for the family Brown.  The Law Firm was well, perfectly acceptable.  But spend money in the future to win, please.

While Marvin appears to have a good recent handle on influencing personnel, this does not change how he coaches in crucial game situations. (TERRIBLY!)

We're not moralistic, finger waggers, but the Bengals still have that propensity to chase the same character discounts that partially helped derail the Palmer Era.  And they just signed Burfict, whose behavior reminds me of "Odell Henry." 

Drafts can look good on paper, but has anything really changed yet? A couple of new scouts remains the only tangible difference I know of.  The rest is anecdotal stories about Mikey deferring to others in the draft war room.  I still want that practice bubble, which is a no-brainer to everyone except You Know Who.

But it's hard to see what, if anything, looms beyond Suggs-like injuries to torpedo the 2012 season.  They're some expiring coaching contracts land mines after the season that could blow things to holy hell, but well, for now all calm on the western front.

Who Dey?

Comrade Ickey

 

PS - SwB here, please welcome Comrade Ickey into the WDR family. He's going to help keep the blog more active than the past few months.

NFL Draft 2012: Allright Scouts, Er, Scout, LET'S DO THIS

More draft picks like this plz:

Less like this: