Is as bad as it's been since 2010.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2017/12/06/bengals-fail-to-sell-nearly-10000-tickets-for-steelers-game/

This is why Mike Brown will likely make the big change. It was painfully noticeable on Monday night, against the Steelers of all teams, with the playoffs on the line, and the media doesn't take into account the free tickets given away.

We used to always count on a sellout for Steelers games. During the worst of times. Even if 40% were Steeler fans.

The city just doesn't care anymore.

It's a sad state for the Franchise, but Brown has no one to blame but himself. His refusal to breathe life into this team, and make the change after the 2015 meltdown has turned fans off. This is a big offseason.

Apathy. And the refusal to buy anything Bengals related to avoid putting any of my hard earned money into the pockets of the son of Paul are my two biggest reasons.

I know it probably won't happen but I have a feeling that MB is going to step down after this season. Katie has been doing more the last few years and none of the coaches have contracts after this season. Mike is in his 80s now and having a clean slate staff wise will let Katie make it her team.

(12-06-2017, 05:16 PM)jj22 Wrote: Is as bad as it's been since 2010.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2017/12/06/bengals-fail-to-sell-nearly-10000-tickets-for-steelers-game/

This is why Mike Brown will likely make the big change. It was painfully noticeable on Monday night, against the Steelers of all teams, with the playoffs on the line, and the media doesn't take into account the free tickets given away.

We used to always count on a sellout for Steelers games. During the worst of times. Even if 40% were Steeler fans.

The city just doesn't care anymore.

It's a sad state for the Franchise, but Brown has no one to blame but himself. His refusal to breathe life into this team, and make the change after the 2015 meltdown has turned fans off. This is a big offseason.

There's been four distinct times it should have happened. After 08, 10, 13 and 15. Let's hope that finally his hand will be forced.

But the real culture change needed has to also include Mike stepping aside totally. And actually doing it this time !

Apathy is exactly where I'm at with this team and I'm far from alone. It's a losing culture he's created with zero discipline from the players and no accountability from top to bottom in the organization. 

I saw the empty seats Monday Night, surely he did to ?

Same as always, wait till next year!

(12-06-2017, 06:18 PM)bengalfan74 Wrote: There's been four distinct times it should have happened. After 08, 10, 13 and 15. Let's hope that finally his hand will be forced.

But the real culture change needed has to also include Mike stepping aside totally. And actually doing it this time !

Apathy is exactly where I'm at with this team and I'm far from alone. It's a losing culture he's created with zero discipline from the players and no accountability from top to bottom in the organization. 

I saw the empty seats Monday Night, surely he did to ?

Check out Mikey's letter to the fans. Talk about sad!

Yep. I quit monetarily supporting that pack of nitwits and it’s truly one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. Now, if anyone had any pointers on how to quit supporting them with my time, I’m all ears.

(12-06-2017, 10:36 PM)StoneTheCrow Wrote: Yep. I quit monetarily supporting that pack of nitwits and it’s truly one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. Now, if anyone had any pointers on how to quit supporting them with my time, I’m all ears.

You can help the Mrs with chores around the house on Sundays.

Nah... I'll just keep watching these jackasses.

(12-06-2017, 06:18 PM)bengalfan74 Wrote: There's been four distinct times it should have happened. After 08, 10, 13 and 15. Let's hope that finally his hand will be forced.

But the real culture change needed has to also include Mike stepping aside totally. And actually doing it this time !

Apathy is exactly where I'm at with this team and I'm far from alone. It's a losing culture he's created with zero discipline from the players and no accountability from top to bottom in the organization. 

I saw the empty seats Monday Night, surely he did to ?

2011 was the year of the half empty stadium, but it seems to me that they've consistently struggled to sell out for about 10 years. Mike Brown doesn't give a shit. Kraft, Jones, and Mara have to share their money with him.

We definitely axed our yearly trip up to Cincinnati. I wasn’t willing to drop a few grand on an inferior product when the producer of said product doesn’t care about the quality as long as the bottom line looks good.

Its the fans fault for not being positive enough.

While this is sad for the Bengals and a fault to the product on the field, this is also a NFL problem..........as posted in another thread this would have been a perfect time to change up the guy in charge aka "Commish"

State of franchise......Unfortunately Ohio. Ohio also has Cleveland. The hope is some year Ohio gets a real Pro Football Team, though many may argue Columbus has a Pro Football Team as do some other colleges in USA such as Alabama. Groucho Marx said a football player asked him if he should play football for money. Groucho said, " I don't see why not, it never stopped you in college ".

We want Gruden!

We've already decided not to renew our season tickets next year. Will just scalp the couple of decent games on schedule and still come out ahead money-wise. Can't justify the expense anymore.

(12-06-2017, 10:36 PM)StoneTheCrow Wrote: Yep. I quit monetarily supporting that pack of nitwits and it’s truly one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. Now, if anyone had any pointers on how to quit supporting them with my time, I’m all ears.

Mike Zimmer and his team.

(12-07-2017, 06:14 AM)Nati#1 Wrote: We want Gruden!

Which Gruden? 

(12-07-2017, 04:55 AM)kevin Wrote: State of franchise......Unfortunately Ohio.   Ohio also has Cleveland.  The hope is some year Ohio gets a real Pro Football Team, though many may argue Columbus has a Pro Football Team as do some other colleges in USA such as Alabama.

You unknowingly have touched on a large part of the problem.  After watching pathetically horrible officiating again Monday Night (you only get a taste of it through TV...you have to be there to see the entire shit storm....like Gio's holding flag coming out after AJ caught the ball and Geno being tackled to the ground at least 5 times with no flag) it has only reinforced the transparency of the NFL's bias.

Since the NFL became such huge dollars over the last 20 years, look at the teams that have won Super Bowls.  Do any of them come from states where there are college football powerhouses?  The answer is no.

The Patriots don't compete with ANY college football team.  There isn't a competitive team within hundreds of miles.  

The steelers have Penn State, but they haven't been in the running for a title in a long time, and the pitt panthers suck, which explains why so many steeler fans are also Buckeye fans. 

The Giants don't have any college competition. 

Broncos, Seahawks, Packers also have no college championship teams nearby. 

The NFL bags the state of Ohio, because they have the Buckeyes.  Ditto Alabama and Florida.  

The major focus is on the upper east coast (Pats, Ravens, Giants) and the steeler fans are everywhere because our country is overflowing with fat, uneducated losers.  But the real point is they don't have a college team to pull dollars (merchandise, viewership, etc).

It is so blatantly obvious when I watch games like I did on Monday.  

One of the main reasons I thought the Bengals would get a fair shake and win it all this year was because the NFL likes story lines, like the Saints after Katrina and the Pats after 9/11.  Being their 50 year anniversary, Marvin's (supposedly) last year, etc.  But right from week 1, I could see that wasn't going to happen.  

If Mike Brown actually gave a shit about winning, he would've looked at the 26 years of failure and ineptitude and had enough self awareness to say, "Wow, I am really doing something wrong here." For me, 2013 cemented his legacy. His team has another trademark playoff meltdown under Marvin Lewis' watch, it was the last year on Marvin's contract, and he had Mike Zimmer waiting in the wings. Mike Zimmer, whose players absolutely swear by him. Mike Zimmer, a coach with the passion and the fire to give this team a much-needed adrenaline shot in the arm.

And he let Zimmer walk, just so he could keep signing Marvin to these useless one-year deals. I simply cannot get over it.

I'm glad fans seem to have woken up this year. If Mike Brown doesn't care, why should we? Getting angry and worked up over their failure doesn't mean jack if fans are still showing up to games and selling out PBS. But pure apathy and indifference? That's the real killer. Especially when you have the "feel good" story of FC Cincinnati dominating local press. Nobody gives a shit about the Bengals right now. We simply know what to expect from a Marvin Lewis team by now, and it's a status quo that has finally run its course.

I remember back in 2007, I said "I will buy the jersey of whoever contributes to our first playoff win the most. Even if it's a bit player or a punter. Until then, I will not spend a dime on Bengals merchandise or attend any Bengals games. You can't feed the system that doesn't work."

10 years later, I cannot ***** believe I don't own a jersey yet.