What's it going to take for the Bengals to win the big game????????? (Columbus: credit, house)

[kjbrill]

Originally Posted by unusualfire

I would not call anything less than winning a superbowl a success. Well unless you like low standards.

Then how many teams in the league are abysmal failures?

[unusualfire]

What? What are they playing for if they are not trying to win a Superbowl.

[Cleveland_Collector]

Originally Posted by unusualfire

I would not call anything less than winning a superbowl a success. Well unless you like low standards.

Post-season success includes winning a post-season game. Clearly, your ultimate goal is to win the Super Bowl, but you have to win a playoff game or 3 before that happens. This is something that the Bengals haven't been able to do since Esiason was their QB (1/6/1990).

[kjbrill]

How many NFL head coaches lost their jobs this year? That alone tells you how difficult it is to be successful in the league. If you have made it to the playoffs 3 years in a row, win a playoff game or not, you don't fire the coach for that record. Obviously the goal is the Super Bowl, and I venture every team at the start of the season has that in mind, but very few succeed.

I have an uncle who never lost a game in 4 seasons here in Cincinnati as RB at Purcell HS. He was City scoring champ two years running, and recruited by all of the big schools. Grandpa forced him to accept UC's offer as they were the only one who guaranteed him a 4-year scholarship, football or not (grandpa was not a dumb man). Uncle blew his knee out in freshman practice. I think after years of rehab he got into like 3 games as a senior. Today you can hardly get him to watch a football game. I can see in his eyes the what could have been scenario. Too many of us dwell on the what could have been. He fortunately, because he had his degree from UC, was a successful businessman. As I said, grandpa was a smart man.

But how many of you who woke up on Monday morning in the Deep Freeze, were really thinking about the fact the Bengals lost? I didn't. I was just damn glad we did not get the snow they had predicted. So let's fire all of the weather forecasters as they missed their target bigtime. If many of us measure ourselves and our success in life against the same yardstick we want to measure professional athletes, guess who wins.

[mike1003]

Originally Posted by unusualfire

What? What are they playing for if they are not trying to win a Superbowl.

Nope, playing to get close. That's a result of kids learning that no team loses and receive awards for just showing up!!!!!

Oh, and Mikey Boy Brown who thinks he knows more about football than his father. Mikey Boy pulls in the cash whether or not they place a single warm body in the stands.

Let's all strive for mediocrity

[chet_kinkaid]

why do certain franchises repeatedly win over the long term,albeit with cycles of poor play they always return to championships levels..i dont think its about spending money either,how do the steelers repeatedly get back on top,even with drafting alot later in the 1st round than the bengals.the st louis cards lose mega free agents and actually improve..the detroit red wings develop 2nd round draft picks who turn out to be elite all stars.its the organization..paul brown was a smart football guy..mike brown isnt..im sorry to be blunt

[kjbrill]

I respected Paul Brown and what he contributed to the game of pro football. But he coached in a totally different era. The opening day of each training camp he gave a speech to the players extolling them to be thankful for the opportunity to play pro football and earn an income far beyond the ordinary individual. He also urged them to be frugal and save their money so they would be in position to pursue their life's work once their brief playing career was over. That was his own personal philosophy, and he believed it. It fit his era. Such a speech today would fall on deaf ears.

In today's environment players expect to earn enough playing to be set for life. What's this life's work BS? Virtually none of them expect to actually work after playing.

In my mind, one of Mike Brown's biggest faults is continuously trying to redeem players with off-the-field issues. I am sure many will say it is because he hopes to get a gem on the cheap. Probably some truth to that. But if he takes the gamble and wins there should be some reward. But there have been many more failures than successes.

But I feel it is within the bounds his father Paul would approve. I remember how long Paul stuck with Greg Cook hoping the young man could come back. Paul said years later the loss of Cook was the most devastating setback the Bengals had experienced. He truly expected to ride to championships on that arm.

Chris Henry comes to mind, a young man with obvious personal issues. On the back of his most promising football season he makes a stupid decision and dies falling off the back of a pickup truck.

So far, Adam Jones is the best example of success. He appears to have cleaned up his act and is playing the best overall football of his career.

The man who always impressed me in that regard was Al Davis in Oakland. He would pickup the cast-offs and has-beens of other teams and mold them into a force to be reckoned with. I am sure it had a lot to do with his own irascible personality. Players had to quickly realize Oakland was the end of the road for them. Be successful or be home.

You all want to criticize Mike Brown's football capability. But I will state on the business side of it he has been astounding. Far better than Paul who let himself be muscled out of Cleveland and the team he founded. I will say Paul was a quick learner, his terms in founding the Bengals gave him total control.

I remember Mike touring how many southern cities and listening to their pitches on new stadiums, etc. enticing the Bengals to move there. I don't know how serious any of the talks got, but I do know it worked. Next thing you know he has his new stadium, with no actual financial commitment from the Bengals themselves. I would call that a pretty shrewd move.

The problem with the Bengals is not Mike Brown, the coaches, or the players. It is the City itself, a shrinking market. We are becoming a small market City, operating in a big market game. Just take the time to look at some of the player contracts involved - Golly Gee Whiz! I have to make enough income to pay What?

And let's don't forget the Reds. When was the last World Series they played in, let alone won? What's good for the goose is also good for the gander. Bob Castellini is well past his honeymoon with the Reds. So when is he going to be held up to the same standard as Mike Brown. Or does he get a bye because he is not from a baseball background?

[WILWRadio]

^^^Green Bay is a real small market team. And they seem to win in the playoffs.

[kjbrill]

Originally Posted by WILWRadio

^^^Green Bay is a real small market team. And they seem to win in the playoffs.

Guess you didn't watch that 49ers game the other night!

Yes, I agree Green Bay itself is a small market town. But get your map out and take a close look. Green Bay is off a bay/inlet of Lake Michigan. It is not like they are out on the trundra somewhere. Milwaukee, which doesn't have a team is how far away? Look at the other significant manufacturing centers such as Manitowoc, Sheboygan and Fond du Lac close buy. I don't deny they have to sell Green Bay, and have done a very good job at it.

Green Bay does fight the same battle as the Bengals. And they win their share. But recognize the entire state has two professional football and baseball teams.

[mdovell]

Could be worse. I used to be a Buffalo Bills fan in the early 1990's. That's why I don't gamble :-(