These are two of my favorite stories from this "50 most influential" series:

Sam Wyche: An original Bengal and the mad genius behind the no-huddle.
http://www.cincinnati.com/story/sports/nfl/bengals/2017/07/05/cincinnati-bengals-50-sam-wyche/366644001/

Bill Walsh: The pain it caused him to be passed over by Paul Brown stuck with him until he died. Heavy stuff. And perhaps the greatest "what if" in Bengals history.
http://www.cincinnati.com/story/sports/nfl/bengals/2017/07/05/cincinnati-bengals-50-bill-walsh/366653001/

(07-05-2017, 06:37 PM)jowczarski Wrote: These are two of my favorite stories from this "50 most influential" series:

Sam Wyche: An original Bengal and the mad genius behind the no-huddle.
http://www.cincinnati.com/story/sports/nfl/bengals/2017/07/05/cincinnati-bengals-50-sam-wyche/366644001/

Bill Walsh: The pain it caused him to be passed over by Paul Brown stuck with him until he died. Heavy stuff. And perhaps the greatest "what if" in Bengals history.
http://www.cincinnati.com/story/sports/nfl/bengals/2017/07/05/cincinnati-bengals-50-bill-walsh/366653001/

Walsh is definitely a top "what if?". But i wonder how much of his influence in drafting and implementing his system would have been curtailed under the thumb of Paul Brown, still being the owner. 

It's pretty common knowledge that PB thought Walsh was a little 'out there' with the way he planned and called games. 

(07-05-2017, 11:07 PM)rfaulk34 Wrote: Walsh is definitely a top "what if?". But i wonder how much of his influence in drafting and implementing his system would have been curtailed under the thumb of Paul Brown, still being the owner. 

It's pretty common knowledge that PB thought Walsh was a little 'out there' with the way he planned and called games. 

Bill did own the Bengals, so it's pretty clear who got the last laugh.

(07-05-2017, 11:27 PM)McC Wrote: Bill did own the Bengals, so it's pretty clear who got the last laugh.

So true. We beat the 49ers in 99, when he was GM. That's the only time we can say we bested Walsh.

0-5 against him when he was a coach.

@rfaulk34 - I wonder how much of his influence in drafting and implementing his system would have been curtailed under the thumb of Paul Brown, still being the owner. 

It's pretty common knowledge that PB thought Walsh was a little 'out there' with the way he planned and called games. 

That is a fair point. But they did draft and develop Ken Anderson and Dan Ross, etc. So I think there would have been some leeway. As for play-calling – again, who knows?

(07-13-2017, 04:30 PM)jowczarski Wrote: @rfaulk34 - I wonder how much of his influence in drafting and implementing his system would have been curtailed under the thumb of Paul Brown, still being the owner. 

It's pretty common knowledge that PB thought Walsh was a little 'out there' with the way he planned and called games. 

That is a fair point. But they did draft and develop Ken Anderson and Dan Ross, etc. So I think there would have been some leeway. As for play-calling – again, who knows?

True. It's hard to keep greatness down. I'm sure he would have found a way to be great here, regardless of any thumbs holding him down.