ESPN DOWN GRADES BENGALS DUE TO HEAD COACH

[*SHRacerX*]

(07-21-2017, 12:51 PM)Shake n Blake Wrote: How much praise do you think they should get for a .533 record with record-setting playoff futility? The national media doesn't think Marv should even have a job...so why do you look at the same results and think he and the organization deserve praise?



Btw...there were way more problems in the 90's than just 4 busts (1 of which wasn't even that bad). Among the problems:

1. Impatience with QBs. Blake, O'Donnell and Boomer were good enough if they would've just built around them.
2. Hiring bad coaches. Shula for 5 years. Coslet was never a good HC anywhere. LeBeau wasn't a good HC either.
3. Ignoring free agency. 
4. Legendary cheapness (small towels, renting out TV's at camp, charging for drinks, etc). I can't imagine the negative impact on player mentality this would have.

That's just a portion of it, and it all traced back to MB. He's only changed some of it, and tbh I'm not going to be thankful that he's "getting closer" to running a legit NFL franchise. He's still behind the times on a lot of aspects, and that certainly doesn't help us in our quest to end the quarter-century long playoff drought. I'm also not going to be thankful to Marv for being thoroughly mediocre, getting owned by our chief rival and being incomprehensibly bad in playoffs/prime-time.

As I said, they went to five consecutive playoff appearances with Dalton.  That is saying something.  You can make it a % and try to diminish where they are now versus where they were in the 90s, but the truth of the matter is, in 2005 they were good enough to win a Super Bowl, but Palmer got Kimo'd.  In 2015, they were good enough to win a Super Bowl, but Dalton got himself injured.  Had those two seasons ended with Championships, I'm sure you would be singing a very different tune.  I know, I know....if ifs and butts were sugar and nuts, I'd own a candy store.  The bottom line is:  They have been contenders almost every year since Marv took over...only one team wins it all....and the Bengals are at least in the race.  

The cheif rival argument is lame because the Bengals have similarly owned the ratbirds....And I HATE the steelers.  

I hear everything you are saying, Shake, and I respect you, but you are seriously not going to let the national media that loves to kick a team when they are down influence what you know it the truth:  This team should be revered for what their original coach and owner brought to the NFL, for the innovation of the Ohio River Offense, and the fact that this year, they will FINALLY step on the ($&#@ throats of their opponents and win the whole #$(&@@ thing.