I think I know what might be really hindering this franchise. ( I might be wrong)

[BengalsRocker]

(12-29-2018, 07:47 PM)Whatever Wrote: Taxpayer funded stadiums were the standard when PBS was built.  It would be different if the current standard of privately funded stadiums was in place at that time.  Hamilton County broke the Riverfront lease when they fell behind on concession payments to the team, which gave Mike all the leverage he needed to get a taxpayer funded stadium before the tide turned.  The County built an insanely overpriced PoS stadium.  Look at other NFL stadiums built around that time.  Raymond James Stadium in Tampa was like $190 mil.  Baltimore's stadium was like $225 mil.  Cleveland's was around $275 mil.  PBS was $450 mil and is worse than all of those.  People keep using this as a rationale, but they should really be blaming the politicians.  They've broken the PBS lease on multiple occasions, too.

I'm not giving ownership a pass at all.  Mikey should step down.  Katie should hire a GM and clean house on the coaching staff.  Hiring a GM and replacing Marvin are the two biggest things they can do to change the culture.  My point was that we are part of the problem.  We are not the whole problem.

Do you think any player would read this board and be like "Yeah...I want to go there and do my best to win for those guys.  They're so entitled compared to other NFL fans because that stadium cost them a 1/2 cent on the dollar sales tax increase.  I think it's great that they won't show up to support me or the team even when we're playing well because they haven't won a playoff game in 20 some years.  I mean, the fact that they haven't isn't my fault, but somebody has to be the whipping boy for all those years of frustration and I'd love to be that guy!"?

You have to look at from outside the bubble of being a Bengals fan.  

That is why fans feel the way they do.  That is why you'd be an idiot to not understand why.

It's not their fault that they're jaded.  It's the ownership.

They own that dubious reputation 100%.

This is ridiculous to place blame on culture of the fans.

Boo hoo a player wants to think our fans are terrible.

Let them play for a winner that misses the playoffs one year and they want their coach and themselves strung up in public.

Put together a winner that doesn't embarrass themselves in prime-time and playoff games that are epic failures.

That would turn this fan base and perhaps put fans back in the stadium.

It's just a wild and crazy thought.