Really Unbelievable and Funny Superbowl Story (Paul Brown Related)

[Wes Mantooth]

This story was just covered on 700WLW. I hadn't heard this one before, and I feel like it's a doosie so I thought I'd share it. Fwiw, I'm going to be parapharsing it the best I can.

When the Bengals played in the Superbowl in 1989 the Bengals initially refused to send their cheerleaders to the game. I guess since it wasn't a home game the Brown family didn't want to incur the extra cost of the travel for the cheerleaders to another site.

Anways, I guess there was so much of a stink raised about them not having cheerleaders for the biggest game of the year they finally relented. They ended sending their cheerleading squad from Cincinnati to the Pontiac SuperDome on a bus.

I just thought this was too good of a story to pass up sharing. I can't believe I hadn't heard before, and Im assuming others haven't as well.

For those that always think Mike Brown is some shell of his father, just remember that a lot of these old school, cheap things he does are things he got from the old man.

For anyone that remembers the old drug PSA they used run back in the day where the dad finds the kid's drug stash and asks him "where did you learn how to do this?" and the kid replies "I learned it by watching you, alright?!", this is what a story like this reminds of. No wonder Mike Brown is the way that he is.

[fredtoast]

Who gives a shit if the cheerleaders rode on a bus? We were in the freaking Super Bowl.



It is amazing the lengths some people will go to just to ***** and moan.

[MileHighGrowler]

That's pretty entertaining and not entirely surprising. Paul Brown was a Depression era young man and in a blue collar region on top of it. His formative years were with that mindset. We all have/had relatives who had it as well. As innovative as he was in the game and that's what we all tend to focus on, some habits/views are hard to break. Mike himself was born in the 1930s, so his early years would have been formed with the same mentality.

And then add to that the way things ended for him in Cleveland and his immense desire to control everything by not just coaching but running the Bengals organization.

People say sometimes the apple fell far from the tree in regards to Mike to his father. But I don't think it did at all. I think Mike probably learned a lot of tendencies from his old man that he carries with him to this day. Product of the environment. The only real place he differs I think is the innovation to the game that his father had and that he's never shown directly.

[Wes Mantooth]

(01-08-2021, 05:46 PM)fredtoast Wrote: Who gives a shit if the cheerleaders rode on a bus?  We were in the freaking Super Bowl.



It is amazing the lengths some people will go to just to ***** and moan.

The really funny part of the story was not that the cheerleaders were on the bus.  The funny part about the story is that the Bengals were initially not going to send them at all.  It took the league stepping in and saying you have to have cheerleaders at the Superbowl.

I really don't know how you can ***** and moan about something that happened 31 years ago.  I just thought that it was a funny story.

It's amazing the legnths some will go to take offense to an interesting tidbit from the team's history.

[*rfaulk34*]

(01-08-2021, 05:46 PM)fredtoast Wrote: Who gives a shit if the cheerleaders rode on a bus?  We were in the freaking Super Bowl.



It is amazing the lengths some people will go to just to ***** and moan.

If there is piss in your wheaties, you shouldn't eat them. It will just make you angry.

[*rfaulk34*]

(01-08-2021, 06:15 PM)Wes Mantooth Wrote: The really funny part of the story was not that the cheerleaders were on the bus.  The funny part about the story is that the Bengals were initially not going to send them at all.  It took the league stepping in and saying you have to have cheerleaders at the Superbowl.

I really don't know how you can ***** and moan about something that happened 31 years ago.  I just thought that it was a funny story.

It's amazing the legnths some will go to take offense to an interesting tidbit from the team's history.

I'm just mad that you said it was the 1989 Super Bowl, then said they bused the cheerleaders to Pontiac. 

[Wes Mantooth]

(01-08-2021, 06:19 PM)rfaulk34 Wrote: I'm just mad that you said it was the 1989 Super Bowl, then said they bused the cheerleaders to Pontiac. 

Crap, you're right.  It was the '81 (season) Super Bowl.

Hand up, my bad. I don't know how forgot the '89 Supebowl was in Miami.

[Essex Johnson]

(01-08-2021, 05:03 PM)Wes Mantooth Wrote: This story was just covered on 700WLW.  I hadn't heard this one before, and I feel like it's a doosie so I thought I'd share it.  Fwiw, I'm going to be parapharsing it the best I can.

When the Bengals played in the Superbowl in 1989 the Bengals initially refused to send their cheerleaders to the game.  I guess since it wasn't a home game the Brown family didn't want to incur the extra cost of the travel for the cheerleaders to another site.

Anways, I guess there was so much of a stink raised about them not having cheerleaders for the biggest game of the year  they finally relented.  They ended sending their cheerleading squad from Cincinnati to the Pontiac SuperDome on a bus.

I just thought this was too good of a story to pass up sharing.  I can't believe I hadn't heard before, and Im assuming others haven't as well.

For those that always think Mike Brown is some shell of his father, just remember that a lot of these old school, cheap things he does are things he got from the old man.

For anyone that remembers the old drug PSA they used run back in the day where the dad finds the kid's drug stash and asks him "where did you learn how to do this?"  and the kid replies "I learned it by watching you, alright?!", this is what a story like this reminds of.  No wonder Mike Brown is the way that he is.

Not surprising some NFL teams did not even have  cheerleaders then and still dont...  just shows how cheerleaders were thought of even in the 80s...   i don't see any relationship with this and Mike Brown.. What Detroit was 1980 even more reason why... sexism across the NFL... now if you could come up with lower level coaches had to take bus etc.. then we could talk..this one..nope

[MileHighGrowler]

(01-08-2021, 07:27 PM)Essex Johnson Wrote: Not surprising some NFL teams did not even have  cheerleaders then and still dont...  just shows how cheerleaders were thought of even in the 80s...   i  don't see any relationship with this and Mike Brown..  What Detroit was 1980 even more reason  why... sexism across the NFL...  now if you could come up with lower level coaches had to take  bus etc.. then we could talk..this one..nope

I believe there are only two franchises in the entire NFL that have never had cheerleaders.  The Browns are one of them, so it's possible that PB just didn't really care about them.  It's equally possible that he didn't want to foot the bill of sending them to the game.  I highly doubt that if a team had cheerleaders they wouldn't send them because of sexism.  Either way, I still think it's an interesting historical anecdote for the team that has certainly been the focus more than once of cutting corners on costs. 

[Essex Johnson]

(01-08-2021, 07:41 PM)MileHighGrowler Wrote: I believe there are only two franchises in the entire NFL that have never had cheerleaders.  The Browns are one of them, so it's possible that PB just didn't really care about them.  It's equally possible that he didn't want to foot the bill of sending them to the game.  I highly doubt that if a team had cheerleaders they wouldn't send them because of sexism.  Either way, I still think it's an interesting historical anecdote for the team that has certainly been the focus more than once of cutting corners on costs. 

Teams like Denver stopped them in 80s for a period.. Steelers stopped them in 70s etc..the point is..sexism was there in 70/80s..cheerleaders were looked down on...  you have to take that into account.. so where the Broncos cheap when they stopped them ?  How about Steelers ?


As a group, they had to go to Court for fair wages over this last decade..  Find a better comparison is my point..

[MileHighGrowler]

(01-08-2021, 08:20 PM)Essex Johnson Wrote: Teams like Denver stopped them in 80s for a period.. Steelers stopped them in 70s etc..the point is..sexism was there in 70/80s..cheerleaders were looked down on...  you have to take that into account.. so where the Broncos cheap when they stopped them ?  How about Steelers ?


As a group, they had to go to Court for fair wages over this last decade..    Find a better comparison is my point..

But the Bengals had cheerleaders.  So I guess I just don't know that I agree with the sentiment that it was in bad form to have their cheerleaders at the SB, but have them for every other home game throughout the season.  I don't disagree with your reasoning on why teams have dropped their cheerleaders over the years, it just seems odd that this org wouldn't send them to one game because of sexism, but have them before and after for every other game.  

[Essex Johnson]

(01-08-2021, 08:26 PM)MileHighGrowler Wrote: But the Bengals had cheerleaders.  So I guess I just don't know that I agree with the sentiment that it was in bad form to have their cheerleaders at the SB, but have them for every other home game throughout the season.  I don't disagree with your reasoning on why teams have dropped their cheerleaders over the years, it just seems odd that this org wouldn't send them to one game because of sexism, but have them before and after for every other game.  

Sure they had cheerleaders, but like other teams..they were paid crap, and not considered part of team much... I have some experience here..was lucky in 80s to hang out with some from 2 different teams.. lol... My point really is.. a weak thread to connect to Paul and Mike cheap connection...

my last post actually on a pretty non bengal thread anyway to me

[AussieBengal]

(01-08-2021, 08:31 PM)Essex Johnson Wrote: Sure they had cheerleaders, but like other teams..they were paid crap, and not considered part of team much... I have some experience here..was lucky in 80s to hang out with some from 2 different teams.. lol... My point really is.. a weak thread to connect to Paul and Mike cheap connection...

my last post actually on a pretty non bengal thread anyway to me

Now that is the story I want to here!

[Older Than You Too]

We should have had a marching band, for culture's sake, not that Mike would have sprung for it.

The Redskins and later the Ravens have had one.

Imagine a marching band that played Bengals Growl, transitioning into Welcome to the Jungle, into Jungle Boogie, into Run Through the Jungle, into Eye of the Tiger, into Jungle Love and finishing with the old 80's tradition of bringing out a Cincy Zoo Tiger cub at half field.

That's the pomp and circumstance that has been missing since the Dollar General has been in charge.

[*SHRacerX*]

(01-08-2021, 05:03 PM)Wes Mantooth Wrote: This story was just covered on 700WLW.  I hadn't heard this one before, and I feel like it's a doosie so I thought I'd share it.  Fwiw, I'm going to be parapharsing it the best I can.

When the Bengals played in the Superbowl in 1989 the Bengals initially refused to send their cheerleaders to the game.  I guess since it wasn't a home game the Brown family didn't want to incur the extra cost of the travel for the cheerleaders to another site.

Anways, I guess there was so much of a stink raised about them not having cheerleaders for the biggest game of the year  they finally relented.  They ended sending their cheerleading squad from Cincinnati to the Pontiac SuperDome on a bus.

I just thought this was too good of a story to pass up sharing.  I can't believe I hadn't heard before, and Im assuming others haven't as well.

For those that always think Mike Brown is some shell of his father, just remember that a lot of these old school, cheap things he does are things he got from the old man.

For anyone that remembers the old drug PSA they used run back in the day where the dad finds the kid's drug stash and asks him "where did you learn how to do this?"  and the kid replies "I learned it by watching you, alright?!", this is what a story like this reminds of.  No wonder Mike Brown is the way that he is.

I think it is funny, and thought I had heard something about this before.  As far as the cheap things he does, while I agree that frugality is clearly a Brown family value, this was at a time when the league wasn't worth what it is now.  His father was able to start the team with $20,000, if memory serves.  He had lots of investors to answer to as far as running a profitable franchise.  Today's NFL has so much more TV revenue (that is shared) and many other significant sources of income...even with the increased salaries, every NFL majority owner is probably a billionaire or close to it.  

In addition, the Brown family throws away (essentially) millions of dollars in naming rights to the stadium every year to continue with Paul Brown Stadium.  So, it isn't always about the money.  

[Nicomo Cosca]

Thread title is misleading. There’s absolutely nothing unbelievable about this story...

[HarleyDog]

(01-08-2021, 05:46 PM)fredtoast Wrote: Who gives a shit if the cheerleaders rode on a bus?  We were in the freaking Super Bowl.



It is amazing the lengths some people will go to just to ***** and moan.

[Mer]

I miss the days when people could just agree to disagree without it turning into an argument. Sad.

[impactplaya]

Wasnt there a quote by Paul Brown when he was coaching
The Browns or the 1st years with the Bengals and there
Was something about ammenities related to training
Camp and he said " those things are nice but do that equate
To winning football??"

Heres my take on PBs reluctant to never spend
More than he had too.
His greatest success was with the Browns
From 1946 until Modell fired him.
Going off what Ive heard those Browns teams
Did not have the highest payroll. Guys like Graham
Motley Willis were not paid top dollar.
Dante Lavellli told me years ago for all their success
Ownership didnt give out huge contracts

Fast foward when Modell bought the Browns.
Modell was not afraid to spend whatever it took.
He was not a cheap owner by any means.
When the team media guides and etc were published
In the 80 s when he found out the Cowboys guides
Were printed on a certain paper Modell made
Sure the Browns paper was "glossier and best in the league"

Point being Brown hated Modell so much I think
He by design did everything opposite of Modell.
Right down to how he spent money.

[Sled21]

(01-08-2021, 06:15 PM)Wes Mantooth Wrote: The really funny part of the story was not that the cheerleaders were on the bus.  The funny part about the story is that the Bengals were initially not going to send them at all.  It took the league stepping in and saying you have to have cheerleaders at the Superbowl.

I really don't know how you can ***** and moan about something that happened 31 years ago.  I just thought that it was a funny story.

It's amazing the legnths some will go to take offense to an interesting tidbit from the team's history.

They never send cheerleaders to away games. They probably never gave it a thought until the stink was made.