Maybe this says it all....

Mike on Ring of Honor: I have a granddaughter, who unlike my children, is not afraid of me. We look forward to this unfolding.

— Jay Morrison (@JayMorrisonATH) July 26, 2021

She gives me at least a glimmer of hope about the future.

Sometimes competence skips 2 generations, I guess.

I'm definitely glad that Elizabeth is part of the organization, and wish Mike would just get out of the way altogether.

Mike Brown talks Ring of Honor.

"I'm being dragged along, finally, and that's a good thing." #Bengals

(He fully credits his granddaughter Elizabeth for pushing the family to do it.) pic.twitter.com/MigjEI7pig

— Joe Danneman (@FOX19Joe) July 26, 2021

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(07-26-2021, 04:16 PM)Bengalholic Wrote: I'm definitely glad that Elizabeth is a part of the organization, and wish Mike would just get out of the way altogether.

Mike Brown talks Ring of Honor.

"I'm being dragged along, finally, and that's a good thing." #Bengals

(He fully credits his granddaughter Elizabeth for pushing the family to do it.) pic.twitter.com/MigjEI7pig

— Joe Danneman (@FOX19Joe) July 26, 2021

<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Man, he can be tough to listen to sometimes.

He says the fans wanted it, the media wanted it and most importantly, the former players wanted it.  He also says they're thrilled to be honored.  I mean, yeah, no kidding.  All of this has be true for years and years and years. 

Why would you have to be dragged to do anything that your fans and players want?  What could have possibly prevented you from trying to make these people happy?  It's not money, as this isn't really something that's even a blip on the radar that is the budget of an NFL team.  Why did he fight this for so long?

I'll never understand how someone can be this stubborn.  He knowingly dismissed fans and players wishes for years, all the while suffering in the media as a result.  Why?  Because he just didn't want to do it, and now he's being dragged along (forced to).

In my mind this is basically what he just said:  "There were plenty of good reasons to do it all along.  I knew that it would make the fans and former players happy but I just didn't feel like doing it.  I really don't care what anyone else wants or making my customers or employees happy.  I only really care about standing up for my principles.  But I'm doing to now because I'm being forced to.  And I actually quite enjoy it now that we're doing it, so I was wrong all along."

(07-26-2021, 04:29 PM)Wes Mantooth Wrote: Man, he can be tough to listen to sometimes.

He says the fans wanted it, the media wanted it and most importantly, the former players wanted it.  He also says they're thrilled to be honored.  I mean, yeah, no kidding.  All of this has be true for years and years and years. 

Why would you have to be dragged to do anything that your fans and players want?  What could have possibly prevented you from trying to make these people happy?  It's not money, as this isn't really something that's even a blip on the radar that is the budget of an NFL team.  Why did he fight this for so long?

I'll never understand how someone can be this stubborn.  He knowingly dismissed fans and players wishes for years, all the while suffering in the media as a result.  Why?  Because he just didn't want to do it, and now he's being dragged along (forced to).

In my mind this is basically what he just said:  "There were plenty of good reasons to do it all along.  I knew that it would make the fans and former players happy but I just didn't feel like doing it.  I really don't care what anyone else wants or making my customers or employees happy.  I only really care about standing up for my principles.  But I'm doing to now because I'm being forced to.  And I actually quite enjoy it now that we're doing it, so I was wrong all along."

He also shared his thoughts on free agency: 'If I had my ideal situation, there wouldn't be free agency.' He literally hasn't budged on his opinion of free agency since it's inception 3 decades ago. 

(07-26-2021, 04:39 PM)Bengalholic Wrote: He also shared his thoughts on free agency: 'If I had my ideal situation, there wouldn't be free agency.' He literally hasn't budged on his opinion of free agency since it's inception 3 decades ago. 

I think this might be the last year they want to send him out there to do this.  Why would he bother even saying that?  

PS I've been trying to find more videos of the luncheon and have only been able to find a couple.  Is there somewhere that either has the entire thing on video, or has all of the videos broken up in a twitter thread?  It looks like a couple of local people have a few tweets with quotes and a video or two, but I can't find much else.

(07-26-2021, 04:51 PM)Wes Mantooth Wrote: I think this might be the last year they want to send him out there to do this.  Why would he bother even saying that?  

PS I've been trying to find more videos of the luncheon and have only been able to find a couple.  Is there somewhere that either has the entire thing on video, or has all of the videos broken up in a twitter thread?  It looks like a couple of local people have a few tweets with quotes and a video or two, but I can't find much else.

His comments on free agency were after being asked about the Bengals spending big the last 2 seasons. His full response:

https://twitter.com/Trags/status/1419730322078437376/photo/1

(07-26-2021, 04:29 PM)Wes Mantooth Wrote: Man, he can be tough to listen to sometimes.

Especially this last offseason with his, "We remain bullish on Zac, because you asked for a change and you got it now live with it"


Obviously not exact quote but that was the message.

(07-26-2021, 05:05 PM)Bengalholic Wrote: His comments on free agency were after being asked about the Bengals spending big the last 2 seasons. His full response:

https://twitter.com/Trags/status/1419730322078437376/photo/1

Lol passive aggressively mad about the spending…. I’m very excited for the day Mike finally retires… however that comes about…..

Nervous if Zac doesn’t prove it this year Mike is going to repull the purse strings tighter than ever before.

(07-26-2021, 04:39 PM)Bengalholic Wrote: He also shared his thoughts on free agency: 'If I had my ideal situation, there wouldn't be free agency.' He literally hasn't budged on his opinion of free agency since it's inception 3 decades ago. 

Did he really say that?  Being an NFL owner and GM who doesn't want to do free agency is like being a dentist who doesn't want to look in people's mouths. 

MB is just from a different era. He is an old guy who is set in his ways and the NFL world has changed drastically from when he started helping his dad until now. He has been blessed with a long/healthy life so he really doesn’t get/understand why things are the way they are now. His outdated way of thinking has certainly hurt the team.

I was shocked he publicly said that about his kids. That’s embarrassing for them. Elizabeth’s attitude is a breath of fresh air for this franchise and they should just pass over Katie and let Elizabeth be the head of the franchise.

(07-26-2021, 05:11 PM)GodFather Wrote: Especially this last offseason with his, "We remain bullish on Zac, because you asked for a change and you got it now live with it"


Obviously not exact quote but that was the message.

Well, that sure was one painful way to teach us a lesson.   

(07-26-2021, 07:44 PM)Awful Llama Wrote: Well, that sure was one painful way to teach us a lesson.   

And the lesson continues...  

(07-26-2021, 07:28 PM)Clark W Griswold Wrote: MB is just from a different era. He is an old guy who is set in his ways and the NFL world has changed drastically from when he started helping his dad until now.

Every NFL team except the Packers is owned by a royal family of sorts that has a fossil calling the shots OR in some cases electing to let others call the shots.  Yes, Mike Brown is 85, but he was 55 when he took over (same age Katie is now) and Robert Kraft is a spritely 80 years old so I'm not sure age is really the key factor, here.

(07-26-2021, 12:52 PM)pally Wrote: Maybe this says it all....

Mike on Ring of Honor: I have a granddaughter, who unlike my children, is not afraid of me. We look forward to this unfolding.

— Jay Morrison (@JayMorrisonATH) July 26, 2021

Dammit...i just saw this and posted it in another thread before i saw this one...

(07-26-2021, 04:29 PM)Wes Mantooth Wrote: Man, he can be tough to listen to sometimes.

He says the fans wanted it, the media wanted it and most importantly, the former players wanted it.  He also says they're thrilled to be honored.  I mean, yeah, no kidding.  All of this has be true for years and years and years. 

Why would you have to be dragged to do anything that your fans and players want?  What could have possibly prevented you from trying to make these people happy?  It's not money, as this isn't really something that's even a blip on the radar that is the budget of an NFL team.  Why did he fight this for so long?

I'll never understand how someone can be this stubborn.  He knowingly dismissed fans and players wishes for years, all the while suffering in the media as a result.  Why?  Because he just didn't want to do it, and now he's being dragged along (forced to).

In my mind this is basically what he just said:  "There were plenty of good reasons to do it all along.  I knew that it would make the fans and former players happy but I just didn't feel like doing it.  I really don't care what anyone else wants or making my customers or employees happy.  I only really care about standing up for my principles.  But I'm doing to now because I'm being forced to.  And I actually quite enjoy it now that we're doing it, so I was wrong all along."

Ebenezer Brown. Just about every damn thing he's done has been the opposite of what he should have done. It's almost like he wanted to do it his way 100%, right or wrong, damn the repercussions or results. 

Congrats, Mike. You got what you wanted. Not that anyone would ever want to be remembered like this. 

(07-26-2021, 09:03 PM)Nately120 Wrote: Every NFL team except the Packers is owned by a royal family of sorts that has a fossil calling the shots OR in some cases electing to let others call the shots.  Yes, Mike Brown is 85, but he was 55 when he took over (same age Katie is now) and Robert Kraft is a spritely 80 years old so I'm not sure age is really the key factor, here.

Yes but how many of them continue to run the football team? Most were smart or not interested enough to let others do it. MB still has a big voice in the Bengals organization. Kraft let BB run the show pretty much from day one.

Is this doesn’t explain the 90s as he was still young enough. I just think he’s too old now to (want to) understand how things should be done.
He’s also a former player so he thinks he really knows football. His record says otherwise. Jerry Jones success stopped when he started running the team. They were great when they had JJ in charge.

Hopefully Elizabeth can change the way this team is run.

(07-26-2021, 09:03 PM)Nately120 Wrote: Every NFL team except the Packers is owned by a royal family of sorts that has a fossil calling the shots OR in some cases electing to let others call the shots.  Yes, Mike Brown is 85, but he was 55 when he took over (same age Katie is now) and Robert Kraft is a spritely 80 years old so I'm not sure age is really the key factor, here.

I don't think it's an age thing. MB is just stuck in 1963 ! He's out to prove to the NFL world that Art Modell was wrong. His dad's ways were the best. He's gonna succeed old school come hell or high water. And when he does he's gonna rub all their noses in it. 

30 years pffttt if it takes a hundred he's not giving up.

It'll be interesting to see how the next 2-3 years unfold, and whether the energy and passion of the youngest generation make a real change or not. I've been one who's felt that Elizabeth's passion has been a bit of a bump into an otherwise stagnant and behind-the-times org, but equally not sure where that energy ends with the influence of the rest of the family. Hearing this gives some hope that maybe they're actually turning a corner. I do not believe that simply handing the reins from Mike to Katie is a game-changer. This seems to continue to indicate that.