(01-26-2023, 07:11 PM)Shake n Blake Wrote: Yeah, some of our players get love, but let's be honest, hardly anyone who isn't a huge fan knows who guys like Hendrickson and Reader are. We have a lot of players who should be national names with how key they are to our success.

Joe is just so amazing that he is usually all that gets talked about. Does he deserve it? Absolutely. I just hate when stars get so big that people lose their minds and forget that it's a team game.

It kinda reminds me of how Chad got all the love but no one knew about Willie or some of the other great players we had. Or how Atkins had a HOF career in relative obscurity. People knew about AJ Green though.

I understand your thoughts. My opinion is our players will get name recognition with fans if they keep winning playoff games and go to the Super Bowl. Our guys like Geno were unknown by other fans due to us being a losing team (playoffs) being 1 and done.

These players can write a different script, but it starts with continuing to win and also show up in these big games by doing special things. Our Dalton teams had some great players, but when the lights came on (playoffs or National games), they were nowhere to be found.

(01-27-2023, 12:01 PM)Graphicguy Wrote: Yeah…he mentioned he had been courted by other teams, although during the interview he didn’t mention who they were. And yes, he said his wife loves (loved?) Cincinnati from their time here before UC fired him. You would think that would have left them with a bad taste.

But, he said his wife made a lot of friends in that 9 month period in Cincinnati. Given they were in LA for 2 years, that’s pretty telling.

It was good revisiting that interview. It gave insight to how this all transpired and how we are where we are today. He said he was fired from UC via text while he was watching a Bengals game at PBS (now Paycor).

He said it happened pretty quickly. While he was still in LA, there was some sort of what he called a “slip” that coaches are given telling them who wants to interview them and for what positions. He interviewed but had to make his mind up quickly because once you linger, NFL teams move on to their next candidates pretty quickly. He said he accepted the Bengals job immediately because of the reputation of the Brown family for being loyal, patient (he knew the turnaround was going to take a bit), and honest. Plus, as mentioned, his wife loved it here.

I think he said it was a round table discussion interview with Mike Brown, his brother, Katie, her husband, and Duke Tobin. Who knows what they spoke about. But, I can imagine it was a look into the future without Dalton and/or AJ Green, as well as some of the others from the previous “regime’”. I doubt they had any inkling Burrow would have turned into the #1 pick at that time as the incredible season he had at LSU hadn’t happened yet. But, he knew there would be some incredible QB talent coming out of that class….Tua, Justin Herbert, Jordan Love, etc.

I remember being in Miami the summer before that draft. I had an UBER pick up me and my GF to take us to the cruise terminal. That was when the “Tank for Tua” was at its height. And, the debate was raging about Sewell vs Burrow here. UBER driver was a huge Dolphins fan and a Tua fan. Telling him I was from Cincinnati, he wondered if we would draft Tua or Joe or Sewell. Told him I’d rather have Joe. He disagreed and wanted Tua.

The rest, as they say, is history.

Zac liked Andy a lot. But after he benched him to find out how good Ryan Finley was it was tough. Andy was a casualty but Zac wasn’t necessarily trying to get rid of him at any juncture. Andy wanted out as much as anything

And then, there's this....

While Lamar Jackson is flopping around trying to get a big money contract and may or may not be using his health status as a bargaining tool, some are saying as good as Joe Burrow is, he's still underrated.

https://www.nfl.com/news/joe-burrow-headlines-10-nfl-players-who-have-earned-big-money-contracts-in-the-c

(01-27-2023, 12:51 PM)Soonerpeace Wrote: Zac liked Andy a lot. But after he benched him to find out how good Ryan Finley was it was tough. Andy was a casualty but Zac wasn’t necessarily trying to get rid of him at any juncture. Andy wanted out as much as anything

Maybe he did like Andy.  I don't recall him mentioning him one way or the other.  However, in the interview, he said he was looking at leaders on the team when he was hired.  He specifically mentioned Mixon, Bates, Pratt, Boyd.  He didn't mention Dalton or Green, at all.  Maybe I read too much into it.  But, given they didn't resign AJ nor Andy and some of the other guys like Dunlap and Atkins, it was clear to me they were only keeping guys who they felt would buy into a total rebuild.

It took way less time to do the rebuild than any of us dreamed (and probably believed in the Bengals front office), but here we are playing for another AFC Championship and, I firmly believe, back to back Super Bowls...this time, we win!

I have zero disappointment or have any resentment in Joe Burrow, or this team overall.  There is nothing I have seen which would lead me to resent anything.  Now if he turns into a jerk like Aaron Rodgers, I may change my tune.  But, I don't get the impression he will.  He's had to struggle too much to get here.  No one believed in him but him.  He doesn't seem to forget that.  Want to dress in Sponge Bob t-shirts?  Or, wear bling?  I got no issues with that.  I will draw the line at a "man bun", though.

(01-27-2023, 01:53 PM)Graphicguy Wrote: Maybe he did like Andy.  I don't recall him mentioning him one way or the other.  However, in the interview, he said he was looking at leaders on the team when he was hired.  He specifically mentioned Mixon, Bates, Pratt, Boyd.  He didn't mention Dalton or Green, at all.  Maybe I read too much into it.  But, given they didn't resign AJ nor Andy and some of the other guys like Dunlap and Atkins, it was clear to me they were only keeping guys who they felt would buy into a total rebuild.

It took way less time to do the rebuild than any of us dreamed (and probably believed in the Bengals front office), but here we are playing for another AFC Championship and, I firmly believe, back to back Super Bowls...this time, we win!

I have zero disappointment or have any resentment in Joe Burrow, or this team overall.  There is nothing I have seen which would lead me to resent anything.  Now if he turns into a jerk like Aaron Rodgers, I may change my tune.  But, I don't get the impression he will.  He's had to struggle too much to get here.  No one believed in him but him.  He doesn't seem to forget that.  Want to dress in Sponge Bob t-shirts?  Or, wear bling?  I got no issues with that.  I will draw the line at a "man bun", though.

Andy had been the team leader for several years. He wanted out and everybody wanted to accommodate him. But once he got benched it just wasn’t going to work out. The Bengals knew they were drafting a QB in the draft. Both parties moved on.

I think we essentially agree. Although, I can’t see Mike Brown letting Dalton go if he didn’t really want to (see Carson Palmer, Cory Dillon).

I do believe Zac was eyeing the draft for the QB he could build around.

I appreciate the things Zac has done here. He's who I'd pick to be Joe's coach. That being said Joe could make a lot of coaches look very good

(01-26-2023, 10:21 PM)TheLeonardLeap Wrote: There's rebuilding, and then there's going 4-17 without Burrow. If he had gone even 8-13 without Burrow he'd probably get more credit.

Lets put it in these terms. Zac Taylor's winning % without Burrow is worse than Hue Jackson's winning % as a HC. That's not me burying Zac, but just pointing out the reality that when that's the case, you aren't giving a ton of reason to believe otherwise.

I think looking at the record without any context is very misleading. I personally think we outright tanked. Baseball teams started that trend, then it moved to the NBA, now NFL teams are doing it.

They are never going to admit it for obvious reasons, but it seems pretty clear to me. Before anyone says it, I don't think the players and coaches try to lose. I just think they go into seasons with a bad roster knowing full well they won't win many games.

Benching Dalton that one year certainly wasn't a winning move, either.

(01-27-2023, 04:57 AM)wanga Wrote: Nah nothing about Joey B I can resent.

Please don't get hung up on that word. I just didn't really know how to title this. It was a pretty complex statement I was trying to make. It was impossible to sum it up in a short title.

A more accurate title would be "what I resent about the fan base when one player becomes amazing".