WhoDeyRevolution

The Effect of Silent Evidence

By recommendation of Comrade Bienemy, I have been reading an incredibly interesting (and way above my head) book called The Black Swan by Nassim Nicholas Taleb. In it he talks about something called silent evidence, which is the result of the human tendency to consider only the facts presented, while ignoring other relevant facts that are less apparent, or that take more energy to uncover.

This concept made me think of the NFL college talent scouting process, and how scouts are charged with not only analyzing the apparent facts of potential draft picks, but by going several layers deeper into the player's history and personality traits in order to determine their compatibility with the team's philosophy. The silent evidence in this case would not just be a quick search of a player's criminal history, which would only include the times they got caught. Besides, this information is gathered by the league office, making it widely available to every NFL team. The silent evidence would be the kind of things players have done in the past WITHOUT getting caught, or simply the character flaws that the college coach of a player isn't going to give away to a scout that he does not know.

What I have been told by an anonymous Comrade who has an in depth knowledge of the NFL scouting process is that aside from analyzing film and practices all year long, a lot of the real data is learned (just like working in the corporate world and being in sales) in that you have to develop relationships. The real trade secret is getting to know the assistant coaches. It takes time, many years to build a relationship with an assistant coach, as they are the ones who will tell you the real character of the college player. All criminal information is supposed to be sent to the NFL league office now, so technically, all teams should have access to that high level type of information. But just as we all know from our college experiences, there are many star players or kids of multi-millionaires, where certain known incidents just never seem to make it to campus security or to the local police recordings. 

Mike Brown: End the Dictatorship!! Hire a GM!

Editors Note: This post has been removed.

No Explanation Needed

So the Bengals are in the process of redesigning their propaganda machine Bengals.com.  Check out the newly designed page on the Bengals Front Office.

Yes, the URL is actually: http://www.bengals.com/team/FrontOffice.asp

Full screenshot below the jump.

(Thanks to TampaBrock for alerting WDR to this fortunate problem)

New WDR T-Shirts Just In Time For Free Agency Failure!

Continue to show your support for the revolution through the medium of t-shirts.  This is our newest product hot off the presses just in time to show your support (and absolute displeasure) to Mike Brown and the Bengals!  Show all of your friends that YOUR TEAM, yes YOUR CINCINNATI BENGALS, has the worst owner in any professional sport!

After a strong push by some of our comrades, the new shirts are branded with the following quotes on the back:

"I am afraid you are stuck with me as the team's chief executive." - Mike Brown

"At least we agree on one thing: that's our fear as well." - WDR

Buy your new WDR gear here.  Viva.

create & buy custom products at Zazzle

St. Louis Rams Respond to WDR; Bengals Still MIA

Chip Rosenbloom, the Owner/Chairman of the St. Louis Rams took the time to write WDR a personalized letter in response to our communication to the NFL and all 32 owners outlining the Bengals many, many managerial faults that breech the spirit of the generous NFL revenue sharing plan.  Mr. Rosenbloom joins the Steelers owner Art Rooney and the NFL in repsonding to our letters.  The Bengals have not responded.

You might remember Chip Rosenbloom who took over the struggling Rams this year after his mother passed away.  Chip immediatly made changes, first making it abundantly clear that the goal of the Rams was to win. Not compete, or do well or gosh darnit didn't we try so hard, but to win. 

Then after a disappointing start, Rosenbloom fired his head coach and later his GM.  This is an owner who has so far shown that he will do whatever it takes to win.  The Bengals, meanwhile, continue to ignore the spreading revolution and continue to move forward as if nothing is wrong.  According to Mike Brown, these last 18 years can just be chalked up to bad luck.
 

Bengals Offseason Needs

Last offseason, WDR wrote up our six point "manifesto" (viewable in the left column) for what it would take for the Bengals to turn things around.  Not much has changed this year.  The infuriating thing is that none of this is rocket science.  Winning teams do these things.  The Bengals do not.

Here are what WDR believes are the three most important priorities for the offseason (even though they may be unrealistic).

1. Protect the passer, rush the passer. Carson Palmer's health is vital to the offense, that much is clear after last year's 204 point performance (worst in the league). The Bengals have question marks at left tackle (Levi Jones going in and out of consciousness), center (UFA Eric Ghiaciuc gets blown off the ball) and right tackle (UFA Stacy Andrews suffered a torn ACL and MCL late in the season). They will definitely address this issue in the draft, but the question is whether they will take a tackle with the sixth overall pick, or wait until the second or third round.

The Bengals pass rush has been non-existent for nearly a generation, and the only way to help out a young secondary is to get pressure on the quarterback. The Steelers have made a living in the postseason with a shaky secondary because they are so good at making life miserable for the opponent's QB. Tied for 30th in the NFL in sacks (17), the Bengals need to draft smarter and select players that fit their system (Weve yet to figure out what that system is, however). After signing Antwan Odom and Robert Geathers to lucrative, long-term deals, the Bengals really can't spend a high draft pick on a defensive end in 2009. They need to focus on middle to late round draft picks that can step up and perform at a high level should the injury bug bite Odom and/or Geathers again next season.

2. Identify people who want to be here. The locker room in Cincinnati is fractured. TJ wants out, Chad wants out...heck it's rumored that Marvin Lewis begged to be let go in exchange for half of the $8 million is he owed for the rest of his contract. You can't have a coach that doesn't want to be here leading a NFL team. It just doesn't work. Carson Palmer needs to step up into more of a leadership role and squash the constant bickering of TJ and Chad (should they return in 2009). Bengals management should cut ties with those (players and coaches alike) who truly do not want to be in Cincinnati, and move forward with everyone else.

Remember this?

Remember this?

BWAAAHH HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!

There hasn't been one follow up story to Pro Football Talk's blurb about the Bengals potentially hiring a GM.  While we were skeptical of the rumors immediately, WDR is surprised that there has been ZERO additional discussions about the rumor and wonders how it even started.  PFT is definitely one of the best, if not the best, football blogs around so there must have been a source of some sort.  Our guess is that this was just some sort of internal discussion that yet again got shot down by Mike Brown.  WDR has heard that Troy and Katie Blackburn would like a GM but Mike refuses.  Perhaps it was just along the lines of those conversations. 

Still, it's pretty strange that the only thing relating to this was this one five-sentence post wondering if we were successful.  Well Comrades, the ultimate success has not been achieved but rest assured, we shall press on.

When Jeff Berding Attacks

Well now I have a reason to be terrified if I accidently run into Jeff Berding's shopping cart at Kroger.

Check out this fantastic post from C. Trent Rosecrans, which details the vicious attack Berding administered to C. Trent during Fountain Square Broomball.  That's Beginner Division, Fountain Square Broomball.  Long story short, he delivered a crushing low blow to C. Trent when the ball was at the other end of the ice. 

Bravo Councilman Berding, bravo.

Now, Jeff "The Jackhammer" Berding is not just a city councilman, but he is also Director of Sales and Public Affairs for the Bengals (basically the Bengals bought themselves a seat on city council to protect their long-standing tradition of doing nothing and outlawing pro football joy in Cincinnati). 

That begs the question, was this attack specifically targeted to Mr. C. Trent Rosecrans? 

C. Trent has been a long time comrade to WDR, and we have long admired his objective and matter-of-fact view on the way the Bengals run their organization.  He has been extremely professional, but even the Bengals make it easy to be harsh since the facts speak for themselves. 

Now, did Jeff intentionally seek out C. Trent because of his straight talk about the Bengals?  We think it is definitely a possibility. 

Maybe Jeff was having a bad day.  Maybe Jeff was upset C. Trent didn't send him a wedding present (even though C. Trent wasn't invited).  Or maybe Jeff was worried about his renewal rate of premium club seat holders (and suites) just enough to try and silence the man who has spoken honestly about the way Mike Brown and co. run the franchise.  The only question is...did Berding act alone, or was this a directive from someone else? 

Bengals fans better think twice about not renewing their club seats in 2009...it could result in a swift punch in the junk.  Berding style.

He has already tried to intimidate C. Trent.  Who's next?

We salute C. Trent for standing tall and we sincerely hope they meet again in the playoffs. 

Peter King Subtly Speaks the Truth

In a lengthy piece in his weekly MMQB column on Dick LeBeau, Peter King defends LeBeau's tenure as head coach in Cincinnati thusly:

I've had a long history with the Bengals, and I can tell you Vince Lombardi, with Bill Walsh and Bill Parcells as his coordinators, wouldn't have built a great team there.

King is not just any national NFL writer - he got his start in the 80s working as the Enquirer's Bengals Beat Writer.

King's statement is similar to a common belief here at WDR: without the support of a knowledgeable player personnel department, ample scouts and an organization committed to winning at all costs (starting at the top), the Bengals have no change of becoming a winning franchise. 

Dick LeBeau (and Marvin) might be great coaches, but a winning mentaility starts at the top.  The Steelers organization, who must (please God?) lose on Sunday by 40, from the owner to the fans understand that their goal every year is to win the Super Bowl.  The Bengals' goal is to "be competitive." 

The Steelers have a system that guides their draft, free agent signings, player personnel decisions and coaching.  What are the Bengals? Are they a pass-happy team like the Cardinals - recognizing that they have a franchise QB and 2 of the top WRs in the league?  Or are they building, again, to become a smashmouth run team, like Marvin and Brat continue to plan for? 

Player personnel decisions for the Steelers are made by football minds.  They have a robust scouting department.  if you are reading WDR, then you know about the Bengals.

In short, it doesn't matter who the Bengals offensive coordinator is, or who they draft in the 4th round or which recycled player they sign off waivers to start the very next week - the Bengals will never be a winning franchise until they make significant changes right at the top.

9 Out Of 10 Teams Make Changes (Guess Who Is #10?)

Well according to the Bengals..."Our crappy season was better than your crappy season!"

It's now official, every team selecting in the top 10 of the 2009 NFL Draft has made some sort of coaching or front office move to address their disappointing season in 2008.  Every team except the Cincinnati Bengals.

Marvin Lewis, the coach who doesn't want to coach the Bengals anymore?  Still here.

'Sideshow' Bob Bratkowski...who led one of the most futile efforts in Bengals offensive history this season?  Still here.               

A scouting department that couldn't occupy the Great American Ball Park infield?  Status quo.

Check out how the rest of the top 10 has reshuffled their organization in order to change their fortunes in 2009.

1)  Detroit Lions

- Fired Matt Millen and entire coaching staff

2)  St. Louis Rams

- Fired coach and currently looking for permanent head coach

3)  Kansas City Chiefs

- Squeezed out Carl Peterson as GM and hired the best personnel guy in the business, Scott Pioli, away from the Patriots.  Pioli's presence likely means the end of the line for Herm Edwards and his staff.

4)  Seattle Seahawks

- Mike Holmgren stepped down, allowing Jim Mora, Jr. to take the reins.  This has completely turned over the coaching staff.

5)  Cleveland Browns

- Romeo Crennel was canned, and Phil Savage was also let go.  Enter Eric Mangini...but the search for a new GM continues.

6)  Cincinnati Bengals

- No changes