(11-30-2018, 11:09 AM)Wyche Wrote: I agree.....it's abundantly clear.  That being the case, it's nice to see guys like Joe, AJ, and Uzomah talking about this and holding teammates accountable....and to see Tyler Boyd putting forth maximum effort no matter the circumstances.  I like the way Boyd handles himself and his belief that the team is never out of it....even if it is.  These are good guys to have on the team, and they need more of them, and a coach they can rally around.  It's common sense....how hard must it be to buy in when a guy hasn't delivered in 16 years?

You notice how the only players seeming to be the ones talking about this are all offensive players? Perhaps it's (mostly) the defense who has thrown in the towel.

Ehh, every week there is a new locker room sound byte (bite?) from Joe Mixon and Pig Ben for everyone to pick apart.  On the one hand, he's got a point, on the other hand he's only been a Bengal for a year and a half.  If he has to play under the rule of Marvin Lewis for years on end and/or his entire career like some players he might lose the burning desire to sound off.

(11-30-2018, 12:23 PM)ochocincos Wrote: You notice how the only players seeming to be the ones talking about this are all offensive players? Perhaps it's (mostly) the defense who has thrown in the towel.

It's a shame the defensive players haven't spent the entire season whining to the media about how much Marvin Lewis and his hand-picked loser of a DC suck.  Again, there is a fine line between Mixon calling people out and Corey Dillon being "detrimentally negative."  Time will tell, but we all know the issue is Marvin and Mike and the 4th tier coaches they employ.  Complain about players all you want, Joe.  Let 'em have it.

(11-30-2018, 11:17 AM)SunsetBengal Wrote: Hmm, if only we had a locker room enforcer on the defensive side of the ball..  

That guy is playing for Denver Sunday. 

(11-30-2018, 12:23 PM)ochocincos Wrote: You notice how the only players seeming to be the ones talking about this are all offensive players? Perhaps it's (mostly) the defense who has thrown in the towel.

Sadly they threw the towel many weeks back.

I am not going to criticize Mixon for this. I have no idea how he behaves in the locker room. But anyone who thinks that he is doing some great thing by "holding teammates accountable" are falling for some sound and fury signifying nothing. There is not one single player who is going to work any harder just because Mixon runs his mouth to the press. And in fact there might be some guys who are giving 100% who resent his implication that they are not.

(11-30-2018, 12:27 PM)Go Cards Wrote: Sadly they threw the towel many weeks back.

Amazing how players have been "throwing in the towel" for Mike Brown for nearly 30 years.  If only [PLAYER A] would have grabbed [PLAYER B] by the [BODY PART] in [YEAR] and got in his face then maybe the team wouldn't have quit that year.  Oh well. 

He took the opportunity to say this now that Andy is out.

(11-30-2018, 12:09 PM)fredtoast Wrote: Calling out the team in the media is the opposite of being a leader.  Unless he names specific players and is willing to tell them to their face he is just talk.

It is easy to say stuff like this to suck up to the fans and media.  REAL LEADERS do it in the locker room face to face.

You're in the locker room? 

(11-30-2018, 11:05 AM)Whatever Wrote: I respect him for standing up and saying this.  At the same time, it's become crystal clear that Marvin has totally lost the locker room.

(11-30-2018, 12:14 PM)corpjet Wrote: Glad he's doing this.......however when this happens Marvin has lost the locker room.....reason #135 we need a whole coaching staff change........the culture is becoming toxic

No, it isn't "Crystal Clear," about anything.

Sorry, but this whole, "losing the lockerrom," BS is completely dumbfounded; we don't know how things are and, while I don't disagree about Mixon saying what he did, what Fred said below is exactly true; real leaders DO NOT call out in public and air things out in public, as it is super unprofessional; if any of us did that at our jobs, we'd be fired immediately.

(11-30-2018, 12:09 PM)fredtoast Wrote: Calling out the team in the media is the opposite of being a leader. Unless he names specific players and is willing to tell them to their face he is just talk.

It is easy to say stuff like this to suck up to the fans and media. REAL LEADERS do it in the locker room face to face.

And that's exactly it; its good that he's willing to take a stand and want everyone around him to be up to his level, but doing it in the public arena is not what leaders do.

Whitworth and Peko NEVER did that.

(11-30-2018, 12:36 PM)SladeX Wrote: You're in the locker room? 

He doesn't need to be in the locker room if people are willing to just air their grievances to the media.  I'm neither too high nor too wary of this, but I have to say it's hard to keep track of whether complaining to the media is a good thing or a bad thing.  I guess it mostly depends on who is saying it and when. This is going on at the same time as Pig Ben is saying he's earned the right to call out his players publicly. I'd imagine there is at least one Bengals fan saying that he's being a diva crybaby about it and passing the blame.

It's all subjective, I spose.

(11-30-2018, 12:36 PM)SladeX Wrote: You're in the locker room? 

As much as everyone here fawning over Mixon.

If he said it in the locker room then why would he even have to say it to a reporter?

Their is no "leadership" in playing up to the fans and media.

Joe Mixon seems like a good team player.

That's helpful.

(11-30-2018, 12:36 PM)SladeX Wrote: You're in the locker room? 

He isn't, but you are?

(11-30-2018, 12:40 PM)Crazyjdawg Wrote: Joe Mixon seems like a good team player.

That's helpful.

I like Mixon.  It may sound like I am bashing him here, but all I am really saying is that these type of comments to the media has nothing to do with "holding players accountable" or motivating them to play better.

(11-30-2018, 12:43 PM)fredtoast Wrote: I like Mixon.  It may sound like I am bashing him here, but all I am really saying is that these type of comments to the media has nothing to do with "holding players accountable" or motivating them to play better.

Well, I guess we will see how much Mixon calling out the team helps things.  If the team still looks craptastic and lazy and dead then I guess they respect Mixon as much as they respect Marvin?  Who knows.  I'm not important and I'm not a football player, but I do know what it's like to work for a crap organization with massive turnover and management issues and see new people show up all bright-eyed and full of the company "come on guys...get positive and we can do this."  

The cynic in me thinks Mixon may be a little too volatile to stick with the Bengals long-term if he can't accept the way it is.  Look at this message board, we have a threads praising Mixon for being pissed and unhappy and we have threads praising AJ Green for saying that he's going to be here for life win, or lose.  We're just grasping at things to be positive about right now, but I'd support a full fledged walkout if/when Marvin and/or Hue sticks around as HC for the next X number of years.

Side note, which players complained to the media last year about Mixon and his whizzbang 3.5 average?

If you look at the entirety of what Mixon said in the overall context of the article, I don't see an issue:

“You're going to know who is going to let up and (who will) go play 100 percent,” Mixon said, asked about the next five games. “You're going to know who's shutting it down. At the end of the day, it's how bad do you want it? Either go out and give it 100 or stay home. Don't show up.”

“I came from Oklahoma and we don't lose much there, two games at most that I lost there, and at the end of the day, at this point, where we're at in the locker room, how bad do you want it? “ Mixon said. “You either go out and give it your all, leave everything out on the field or you might as well stay in the locker room or don't come or suit up or whatever it is. Everybody knows what time it is. We're sitting at 5-6. We've got five games left. I'm going to give it my all these next five games, I'm going to do whatever I can to put us in the best position possible, but everybody gotta want the same thing and I want it. I'm going to do whatever I can to take it.”

(11-30-2018, 12:43 PM)fredtoast Wrote: I like Mixon.  It may sound like I am bashing him here, but all I am really saying is that these type of comments to the media has nothing to do with "holding players accountable" or motivating them to play better.

I think it's more that he's challenging his teammates...similar to what Uzomah did with his fellow tight ends:

'Uzomah said he challenged the other tight ends to chase down every play no matter what and go over the top in setting the example to make sure people are going all out along with them.'

(11-30-2018, 12:30 PM)Nately120 Wrote: Amazing how players have been "throwing in the towel" for Mike Brown for nearly 30 years.  If only [PLAYER A] would have grabbed [PLAYER B] by the [BODY PART] in [YEAR] and got in his face then maybe the team wouldn't have quit that year.  Oh well. 

This madlib could get really inappropriate real fast...

(11-30-2018, 12:37 PM)Truck_1_0_1_ Wrote: No, it isn't "Crystal Clear," about anything.

Sorry, but this whole, "losing the lockerrom," BS is completely dumbfounded; we don't know how things are and, while I don't disagree about Mixon saying what he did, what Fred said below is exactly true; real leaders DO NOT call out in public and air things out in public, as it is super unprofessional; if any of us did that at our jobs, we'd be fired immediately.


And that's exactly it; its good that he's willing to take a stand and want everyone around him to be up to his level, but doing it in the public arena is not what leaders do.

Whitworth and Peko NEVER did that.

This guy calls guys out in the media all the time...

https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2018/11/28/ben-roethlisberger-calling-people-out-is-part-of-being-a-captain/

As much as I like Peko and Whit, what did their brand of leadership win for us?  

The reality is, different personality types respond to different leadership styles and different types of motivation.  As much as Ray Lewis is lauded for being a fiery leader, he has teammates that have said they didn't understand WTF he was saying half the time and his speeches were just gibberish.  Some guys respond to the quiet, lead by example types.  Other guys need to be put on blast publicly and essentially shamed into improving.  

Another byproduct of this is that while locker room call outs can easily be swept under the rug by Marvin, this kind of public statement is definitely going to be heard Mike Brown, and is going to get him wondering why the effort is so poor.

I dont know how anything said below can be misconstrued as being negative:

“You’re going to know who is going to let up and [who will] go play 100 percent,” Mixon said, via the Cincinnati Enquirer. “You’re going to know who’s shutting it down. At the end of the day, it’s how bad do you want it? Either go out and give it 100 or stay home. Don’t show up.”


He's not calling out teammates for not working or playing hard in past games, he's saying they still need to show up and work hard..and if they don't, people will notice.

Maybe this team needs a little "positive reinforcement"...for the love of God we all know the Marvin hand clapping on the sidelines isnt working.