WhoDeyRevolution

Blogs With Balls: A Few Odds & Ends

Though tangential to our general discussion of the Bengals being an amateur organization here at WDR, for those interested, here are few comments on the Blogs With Balls Conference this past weekend.  Also, I wanted to throw up a picture of my ugly mug for all to behold.*

Held in the basement of one of those New York City midtown mega-pubs (Stout, in this case), the BwB Conference was really a drunken socializing/networking event masquerading as a conference.  And given it was a conference about blogging, that atmosphere felt just right.

However, the raucous nature of the conference ensured a continuous tension between a) actually learning and listening from the various panels that spoke throughout the day and b) socializing.  Without question, b) dominated and I walked away feeling that I did not gain much from any of the panels, including the panel I spoke on.  And you can see that point repeated over and over again in the recaps here.  Of course, huge disclaimer, I missed a few panels as I left for the afternoon to take care of some errands.  So feel free to discount everything I say.

WDR in NYC: Blogs With Balls

Friendly reminder, I'll be speaking at the Blogs With Balls conference in NYC today on the "Earned Media" panel.  It looks like there will be live video here of the conference if that's your thing.  Here's the schedule of events.

Off to spread the gospel...

WDR Ruling - Attending Road Games is Acceptable

Dipping into the reader mailbag, we receive a good question from Ken, a Bengals fan in California.  Ken writes:

I am a douchebag. 

I am a huge fan of your site and all that you are trying to accomplish.  I am a California Bengal fan and have been since 1982.  Having a son of my own, who is now 14, I have ensured the cycle of douchebagedness will continue into the next generation.

If I were to adhere to all objectives of your manifesto, am I able to travel to cities that my beloved Bengals play on the road?  How does this impact "son of Paul" and the coffers of his family?...

Ken brings up an interesting point.  As you probably know, we have launched Project Mayhem Task #8 calling for a Bengals' season ticket boycott.  But with regard to road games, while revenue from club seats and suites are not shared with the NFL, revenue from ticket sales are.  So a portion of the NFL revenue relating to ticket sales of other teams will indeed go to Mike Brown.  Should that stop you from attending road games?  Our answer is a qualified No...just don't go to really horrible games that aren't going to sell out anyway and be sure to spread the revolution while you're on the road.  Before our critics cry hypocrisy, please consider a few things...

First, we are not trying to take down the rest of the NFL and any efforts we make to get people to stop going to games in other cities would be futile.  I mean would we, as Bengal fans, factor in the financial effects of our opponent when considering whether to attend a game?  We certainly would not.  Plus can you imagine this, "Hey New York Jets fans...don't go to the Bengals vs. NY Jets game because our team really sucks and part of the money you spend on tickets will go to our horrible owner."  Behavior like this might result in the NY Jets fireman going Patrick Bateman (or WT Steeler fan) on your ass.  (Quick side note...I looked at our opponents for the 2009 season on Bengals.com to determine which team to use as an example.  How quickly did they get the Bengals' 2008 season record and final AFC North standings off of the main page of the web site?  Apparently, 4-11-1 didn't happen after all folks.)

Programming Odds and Ends

WDR has been making the rounds with all the heavyweights of Cincinnati media this week, with an appearance earlier tonight on 700 WLW Sportstalk with Paul Daugherty (1/15/09, Hour 1), a Q&A with 1530Homer's C. Trent Rosecrans, discussed at length on Lance McAlister's show, and even a mention on The Bill Cunningham Show (1/15/09, Hour 3, about 21 minutes into the segment).

Why mention all this?  Well our latest Project Mayhem task is maybe the most important task to date.  The COA argument tonight brought up tonight on Doc's show was valid (we will discuss more in depth later on this week):  what about the season ticket holders who are selling their seats to "speculators" who will buy the COA's at a tidy discount?  These prospectors are hoping the Bengals 'restore the roar' back to the 8-8 days of 2006...in order to start selling single game tickets at a profit when the stadium sells out again.

WDR's short take?  While there are a few ticket brokers out there taking the leap, we have enough inside intel to know that most scalpers don't want anything to do with Bengals COA's right now...and the fact that COA holders MUST BUY THE TICKETS ASSOCIATED WITH THE LICENSE is enough to scare people off until the Bengals show some real progress.  Guys...outside of the Steelers or Browns games next season...tickets will still be available on the street for 25% (or worse) of face value.  Not that attractive for getting a $300 discount on a seat license.

Bottom line:  This is much ado about very little. 

Surveys That Make Me Feel Like Someone Cares When They Really Don't

Allright folks, here's your chance to tell the Bengals how you feel in this fan survey.

Okay, okay, it's really telling the Enquirer how you feel about the Bengals and then hoping the Bengals read the Enquirer.  So, let me rephrase:  indirectly tell the Bengals how you feel in this fan survey.

It may not be much, but it's something.  I used the word "nepotism" 15 times in one paragraph.  See if you can beat me.

Hat tip to reader Gary Clendenin.

Post Party Wrap-up

WDR's End of Season Party at Blackfinn is now over, and has been deemed a great success.  Many of our readers were able to come out and meet the writers, crush out dozens of Miller Lites, and vent their frustrations of Bengals management in general.  Blackfinn was more than generous with the never-ending supply of food and the freshest Miller Lite outside of Nick Lachey's kegerator.  We had several fellow comrades win free t-shirts in contests of strength and skill including a beer chug, push-up race, and a break dance competition. 

Not only was the atmosphere fun, but was inspiring as well. I myself met a diehard Bengals fan who has not missed a home game since 1984, and who in fact made it to Riverfront Stadium in time for kickoff on the day of his son's birth. What we would like to highlight here is that a man who has not missed a game in 24 years, decided to join the comrades at Blackfinn in lieu of giving Mike Brown any more of his hard earned dollars.  This shows that the revolution is taking hold firmly in the foundation of Mike Brown's empire... within the roots of his unconditional support base.  The most hard core fans are not going to put up with his BS anymore. 

WDR has pointed this out before, but I will reiterate that big changes are coming to the Bengals, in one form or another.  One type of change we can expect to see is on the Bengals' income statement.  In a recession, small businesses and the independently wealthy are not going to sink their dollars into a crappy team. They will take their money elsewhere, like the Bearcats.  This could mean millions in lost business for Mike Brown.  Mike's other option is to bring in outside help in the form of a GM, relinquish control, and to win football games at all costs.  

Sorry to get deep on you there... But the point is that the post season is upon us and we all look forward to watching the Bengals off-season decisions.  Stay tuned to WDR for your Bengals news, raw and uncut. 

Reminder - WDR Party this Sunday at Blackfinn

Friends don't let friends give Mike Brown $7 for a beer (or $70 for 10 beers.) For this reason, your friends at WDR have teamed up with Blackfinn to bring you our End of the Season Party this Sunday, December 28th from 12pm-5pm, during the final game of the Bengals season.  Roughly 0% of the proceeds will go to Mike Brown. 

There will be no cover for all the heroes who donated their tickets to the Chiefs game to Lighthouse Youth Services. For everyone else, we are asking for a $5 donation that will go towards future WDR Project Mayhem Tasks. BlackFinn will be offering $1 Miller Lite pints, $4 pitchers and FREE food throughout the game. We will also be giving away free WDR t-shirts at the end of each quarter (but you might have to do a push-up or two to win them.)

Long story short, if you were planning on going to the game, you should come here instead.  The ticket is already a sunk cost.  If you were planning on tailgating but had no plans for gametime, make your way up to Blackfinn. If you were planning on having a get together in your mancave, bring it on down to Blackfinn and raise your glass to the Revolution.

So we hope to see all our fellow WhoDeyRevolutionaries at BlackFinn this Sunday for some cheap beer, free food and revolutionary discussions.  And if this post was not enough to get you to Blackfinn on Sunday, hopefully this will.

View Larger Map

Kissing Suzy Kolber Podcast

Josh Zerkle nee Monday Morning Punte of Deadspin and Kissing Suzy Kolber fame (who was born and raised in Cincy, is a fellow suffering Bengals fan and Honorary Comrade) had me on his Podcast a few weeks back which was put up today.  Check it out here.  Adult topics and language are used, so if you are under the age of 17, please make sure you listen to this with your parent or guardian. 

Topics discussed include:

• Don Biggs, former captain of the Cincinnati Cyclones
• How watching the Bengals at a bar with other Bengals fans is like drinking in a bar after the town mill just shut down
• The skills required to become a long-snapper
• Project Mayhem
• And more!

You have to listen to the first few minutes, but after that the interview starts.  All I can say is that it isn't horrible.  Now those are expectations that Mike Brown can relate to.

Projecy Mayhem Hits the Airwaves

Make sure you tune in tonight at 7:30pm to The Big One - 700WLW-AM to listen to yours truly on live with Paul Daugherty.   We will be talking Project Mayhem, Baghdad Hob and all things Bengals.

Click here and then the icon in the top left to listen online.

Sporting News Gets It

Sportingnews.com has an article up that essentially summarizes the Revolution.  Sporting News joins such WDR heroes as the Enquirer's Paul Daugherty, Dayton Daily News' Chick Ludwig and 1530AM's Mo Egger as members of the elite media who understand the problems with the Bengals are all derived from one source, Mike Brown (linking to a WDR article also shows that you understand the problems). 

The Sporting News writes:

Wanting to win and getting a win are two very different things in Cincinnati, where the season-scuttling start is no stranger. The Bengals have been here many times before.

Since franchise founder Paul Brown died before the 1991 season, the Bengals have started a season with six losses far more times than any other team. It's the sixth time in those 18 years that they've done it.

The constant through all the losing is owner Mike Brown, who took over when his father died and has run the front office through one of the deepest stretches of futility in league history. The Bengals have only one winning record since he became the de facto general manager in 1991.

Successful teams develop an identity and acquire players who fit the mold. The Bengals haven't maintained an identity or a course for very long during the last 18 years. Often, the roster moves don't add up.

Sad but true.