"Banner" Year

[*SHRacerX*]

(07-27-2017, 07:37 AM)HarleyDog Wrote: My response was not meant as aggressive in nature to MB, I was giving an opinion. I'm not speaking of whit and Zeitler. I am talking of players in the organization through the years who thought they were not serious about winning and wanted out. Those are the players I am referring to. As far as him being cheap, I don't stand alone in this perception. There have been countless threads and opinions regarding this because, well, he has portrayed this in the past. So what I'm saying is I hope he has turned a corner. I'm serious when I say I hope he makes us a powerhouse that wins many championships going forward. Hell, which Bengal fan doesn't want this? Yet its hard to believe in him year after year when we have ML still hanging around after all his failures. He has always seemed to me to lack the desire, or has let personal feelings override right decisions which needed to be met.

My mind wants to get so excited about this team and embrace it with 100% devotion and commitment of my belief's they are going to do great things this year and win it all. Then my heart says, "Whoa, we've been here before." So, my opinion on Mike is not one which gives me much trust in his words. I feel it's time to be a man of action and not a man of words. Start showing a sense of urgency. Just my opinion.

P.S. I love you too man!

I get ya.  I think releasing an uneducated fan favorite, Maualuga, went a long way to showing this for me...and signing the younger, faster Minter.

The best teams (except New England, apparently) all build through the draft and avoid overpaying for Free Agents because they whiff more than they connect.  The Bengals were one of the worst drafting teams in the 90s, but they have been one of the best over the past decade.  I know the Bengals were often chided for their lack of more scouts and the fact that the coaches would take flights back on Sat night from games to coach on Sundays screamed of frugality.  

However, a lot of those coaches really wanted to be a part of that process, and requested the travel over films study.  

I know in the past the training camps at Wilmington were notoriously cheap (no AC, etc) but at the same time, there weren't players getting arrested at Wilmington and I believe Brown and the Bengals thought they were making the players tougher with the bare-bones camp. 

There have been lots of things that pointed at cheap, but there have been a lot of things of late that have fought to change that perception and a perception can be very difficult to change.  Having Marv as a lame duck has also gone a long way to convey "win or we move on".

I am beyond excited for the young, in their prime, team they have assembled.  And even though he drives me nuts from time to time, I am glad Marv is getting this last shot.  He helped get them here....I hope he is the first one to hoist a Lombardi.