Is Marvin really gone?

[HarleyDog]

(12-28-2017, 08:25 AM)Fan_in_Kettering Wrote: Marvin Lewis has stated he has heard nothing from the Front Office about his career ending in Cincinnati. I believe him. The stories we read on ESPN and PFT appear to have been “fake news” which doesn’t surprise me at all. We see some regular news as “fake” so why would the sports media be immune from this? The way the team found out via social media lends credence to my theory.

I’m not mad at Marvin over this. He’s a smart guy and he handles the press pretty well despite the giggles and such. There are plenty of coaches who are flat out embarrassing in front of a microphone but Marvin isn’t one of them.

Mike Brown likes Marvin a lot. This is obvious. However, does Mike like Marvin enough to break the mold and hire him as General Manager? Marvin might be the best GM in football on his first day on the job. I like Mike Brown because he’s done more for the community than people will ever know but he’s not his father. Paul Brown didn’t need a GM. Mike does.

Making Marvin GM would solve many issues at once. The league is looking for more minority representation in the Front Office and I support this idea 100% if the best qualified candidates can be found. Can anyone make a better case than Marvin? I can’t. He has years of head coaching experience with a winning record, he’s an excellent judge of talent, and the players see him as a father figure. Most of all, Mike trusts Marvin. That’s YUGE in this business. Marvin is an overall positive influence for the Cincinnati Bengals and if I had my way, he would remain part of the organization — just not on the sideline.

The other reason I believe Marvin might be the head coach in 2018 involves Hue Jackson. We know how both Mike and Marvin feel about Hue — much respect — and I think a Hue is terrific as well but only as an offensive coordinator. Hue has had two head coach jobs and he was mediocre in Oakland and he’s about to go 1-31 in Cleveland — and the stupid Browns are retaining him for 2018! If Hue had been released by Cleveland I think Mike Brown would have brought him to Cincinnati but exchanging a losing coach for one who loses even more seems to be a move made for sentimental reasons, not for logical reasons.

The Bengals are a family business and this family has been “extended” to include Marvin, Hue, and the crazy uncle in the room no one acknowledges, Paul Alexander. Mike Brown’s loyalty to his players is admirable and if more business owners loved their people like Mike loves his, this would be a better world — but Mike should never give that degree of loyalty to his coaches. Mike is a Harvard lawyer and exceedingly smart but knowledge of the law doesn’t always translate to knowledge of football. It’s so easy to get caught up in watching the skill players on offense when the game begins and ends with those five or six guys up front. I’ve heard Mike comment on Andy Dalton from time to time but I distinctly remember Paul Brown talking more about line play. The same went for Vince Lombardi; he and Paul knew more than anyone else.

We will know in a few days what Marvin’s future will be. I hope he exchanges his headphones for a suit and becomes Mike Brown’s first GM.

I truly can’t predict what kind of job Marvin might do as a GM. My fear is it would be more of the same. Having an ex coach who couldn’t win a playoff game to save his life does not lend favor to possible success? Think about it? The failure is still present in the organization. It’s bad enough having Mike B. As the puppet master but consider now two puppet masters who can’t win a playoff game controlling the season. I feel failure would be even more so deeply rooted in our organization than it already is? I could be wrong but nothing feels right even considering such a move. In addition, this is the perfect setup for promoting a coach within because I wouldn’t think even 1 coach would consider coming to Cincinnati under them circumstances.