Been Awhile...This Franchise is Still a Circus...What else is New?

[Wes Mantooth]

(02-15-2018, 11:33 PM)Gamma Ray Tan Wrote: Is your mother, Dorothy, still a Saint?

She is...

[Wes Mantooth]

(02-15-2018, 02:24 PM)Shake n Blake Wrote: Welcome back Toast.  

6. I'm ready to laugh at the inevitable Hobspin article that magically whittles down our cap space. It's pure comedy gold. I'm sure there will be plenty of tire kicking with tier D free agents though. Should be exciting to see all the visits we line up in week 3 of free agency.

Hey, Shakers. Thanks!

Yeah, we all know it's coming.  Good news is we can all enjoy those funny pics of the tire kicking in the offseason  I don't why, but for some reason I always chuckle every single time a single foot kicking the tire .jpeg makes an appearance. Even more so when it's posted alone, with no words.  There's just something funny about it.

Like the poor guy churns out 300-500 words of his car pamphlet, numerous posters offer up their own efforts to discuss it, yet that one single image sums it all up. The guy could poor his heart and soul out into his work, do the very best he has to work with, and no matter what, it can all be dismissed by that one silly image.

True story, which leaves wondering whether or not I feel sorry for Geoff.....

My dad goes to a Senior Center for lunch every day here on the East Side of Cincinnati.  Occasionally they have different speakers or events for the old farts, before or after the meal.  So anyways, a few weeks they had Marty Brenneman come in and speak for an hour or so.  The turnout was really high, compared to a normal lunch crowd.  I think my dad said he was told that 250 people showed for Marty, which is quite a lot for a smaller place like this.

Well, Geoff Hopbson was scheduling to speak shortly thereafter. Apparently his turnout was pretty pathetic.  Maybe 25 people total. I guess even the people that were there for their regular lunch didn't bother taking the time to walk over and check it out.  Bear in mind, these are almost all retired people, many of which have virtually nothing to do all day.  That's a pretty sad turnout given the case.

I know Marty is a much bigger icon than someone like GH. Of course he is. And older people are bigger baseball fans than football fans, but still... I guess I can't help but feel a little bad for him.  His accent alone tells me he cares very little about this franchise from an actual fan perspective.  I'm not saying he doesn't care at all, or doesn't believe anything he writes, but I'm guessing it's a job more than anything.

I just can't decide if the image of Geoff having to suck it up and publish his regularly scheduled fluff and misdirection piece is one that would show him miserable in his job, or confident in his work.  I personally can't imagine having to write the same garbage, over and over, over, knowing full well that a lot of people know it's pure bs.  To know that people routinely mock and laugh at your work.  Then, only to have to go Senior Centers, to speak to 25 old people, who have absolute no interest in hearing obvious BS from anyone about anything.  That doesn't sound fun or enjoyable.

I can't imagine being the team writer paying that damn well.  For the love of God, Geoff, go write somewhere else, find a new career, retire, do something.  Have some self-respect. Why are you still doing this? 

[Bengal Dude]

I don't have any hopes for this upcoming season. We changed a few position coaches, but Marvin is still here and it's still the same spiel over and over and over again. This team needs to be active in free agency to reinvigorate the fan base, but we'll continue to sit on our hands and sign bottom of the barrel players. It's just tough to see this team making the postseason any time season. 

[*rfaulk34*]

(02-15-2018, 11:57 PM)Wes Mantooth Wrote: I'm sure I'll get flack for saying this, but the game had passed his old man by too. He's a legend, he deserves all the credit he gets, but Paul Brown, HC of the Browns, vs. Paul Brown, HC and GM of the Bengals, are two completely different animals. Paul Brown - Browns is a legend, a HOF'er if there ever was one, and most importantly, he was ahead of his time.  He won, and he won a lot.  Paul Brown of the Bengals, while still a legend, and still a capable coach, had average to below average success here, and rather continue to post above seasons, and show innovation, slowly became a little bit of old grouch, a little a cheap, a little stubborn... (Sound like anyone?)  And that's ok, it happens to pretty much everyone at some point. It doesn't nothing to diminish his career or contributions.  I only point all of this out to illustrate that some of this is either learned or expected behavior.

Truth. The evidence that the game had passed him by was when he passed on the innovation of Bill Walsh and went all friend-zone and promoted old-school Tiger Johnson as HC. 

[Luvnit2]

(02-16-2018, 12:49 AM)Wes Mantooth Wrote: Luvnit2
Welcome back. I like some others in the forum gave up my tickets. I am not optimistic which is a major change from the past. I am not going to become a negative Nancy like some blasting every move or non move made. But, like many very frustrated with the results the past few years when we were coming off hopeful years.

I will always be a fan and not jump to the Steeler's bandwagon or the newest great team. I hope I am wrong about 2018, but my guess is others who are not optimistic hope they are right so they can continue their rants and say "I told you guys" versus eating crow as some just can't take the taste.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hey, I appreciate the welcome back!  That goes for a number of you who were nice to enough to say as such, btw!

I guess I just wanted to single out this post, basically to offer up an apology or a truce, or what-have-you, to Luvnit2 here. While I think I owe him a virtual shake of the hand specifically, I'm hoping that some others will read it as a bit of a "my bad" catch-all.  This kind of goes out to everyone.

I don't know if it's just the time away, or the fact the bald spot on my head is growing by the day (getting older), but in looking back I think I handled myself rather poorly at times on here.  As much as I still believe much of what I previously said regarding the team, I think my approach was all wrong. I hope at times it was funny and insightful, but I fear it was also douchey and unnecessary

So, yeah, uh, I wanted to say sorry for butting heads with you so often in the past.  More specifically, I'm sorry for the way I went about it, with Luvnit and others. In retrospect, I think a lot of what I wrote and the back-and-forth I found myself in, was entirely way to mean-spirited, I'm sure at times incredibly condescending, and just did very little to contribute to soladarity as Bengals fans, or good-natured fun. As often as mocked the idea of fake internet points and sides, I, without a doubt, fell into a mess of petty arguments that had more to do with personal disagreements and one-up-manship than actually driving a friendly conversation.  Simply put, I think I was as many times a bit of an asshole. To you specfically.

I just wanted to say sorry for that, and sorry for clogging the boards with bs between me and the fake Toast or the turd B-fine who booted me from the fantasy league. The players, participants and dialogue was stale and unnecessary and I, more than most, contributed to it.  For that, and just allowing myself to get so worked up about something the means very little to me in the grand scheme of things, I'm a little embarrassed.  I never thought I'd be the message board guy with rivalries, who posts every 2 secs, and whores himself and time for rep points and pats on the back.  But I mostly certainly did, I got way too caught up in internet bs to realize how just how stupid it was.

So, look... We may not agree on everything, or even very little.  We may strongly disagree. And That's ok. I'm going to try my best to leave it to that simple idea if find myself in an argument here in the future. If it seemed like I went out of way to bicker or single you out, or anyone else, please consider this a friendly apology.

I don't think I'll be on here much just because I have little left to say and my interest continues to dwindle. But if and when I am I'm going to attempt to do more civil and treat people with more respect than I did with you previously. I'll bring my thoughts and leave any agenda at the door.  There is no winning or influences to be done here, just dudes talking sports. I need to do more to remind myself of that.

I do appreciate the welcome back. I think you probably just said everything I did, with taking the time to write those two simple words. But hey, reformed a-hole or not, I still talk way more than I should.

No hard feelings, buddy...

PS The fact you unloaded you tickets is a surprise to me. I'm thinking of starting the old club again if you ever want to join. We meet on Tues night. The only requirements are you must HATE this team, and be willing to express that hate both vocally and physically. We don't just talk and spread the hate, but we burn jerseys, fight eachother over hates the team more, and Shake has a 4 wheeler he brings.  Sometimes we call that Havean guy and prank him.  All good, clean fun.  You're more than welcome come over to this side. Just get ahold of CornerBlitz, he handles the initiation process. There will be some de-programming, followed by some punch. Everyone has to drink the kool-aid.

I definitely need programmed or deprogrammed or something. No apology was needed, but TY. Over the years we both were guilty of taking things too far at times so my apologies as well. I too have tried to be a better person not only in the forum, but in life in general. Glad you are back as I always respected most of what you had to say and you have already added some great posts in the thread capturing the thoughts of a lot of us who just want to believe, but feel duped so only producing a champion will get us back to fanatical again.

[Shake n Blake]

(02-15-2018, 03:16 PM)sandwedge Wrote: Can you translate into english? 

I don't think there is an english translation.

(02-15-2018, 05:50 PM)Wyche Wrote: Not that awful.....this place is probably the only reason I'm still a fan.

Troof. At this point, I enjoy talking to you guys more than the team itself...which is a hope-sucking pit of misery.

(02-16-2018, 02:06 AM)Wes Mantooth Wrote: Hey, Shakers. Thanks!

Yeah, we all know it's coming.  Good news is we can all enjoy those funny pics of the tire kicking in the offseason  I don't why, but for some reason I always chuckle every single time a single foot kicking the tire .jpeg makes an appearance. Even more so when it's posted alone, with no words.  There's just something funny about it.

Like the poor guy churns out 300-500 words of his car pamphlet, numerous posters offer up their own efforts to discuss it, yet that one single image sums it all up. The guy could poor his heart and soul out into his work, do the very best he has to work with, and no matter what, it can all be dismissed by that one silly image.

True story, which leaves wondering whether or not I feel sorry for Geoff.....

My dad goes to a Senior Center for lunch every day here on the East Side of Cincinnati.  Occasionally they have different speakers or events for the old farts, before or after the meal.  So anyways, a few weeks they had Marty Brenneman come in and speak for an hour or so.  The turnout was really high, compared to a normal lunch crowd.  I think my dad said he was told that 250 people showed for Marty, which is quite a lot for a smaller place like this.

Well, Geoff Hopbson was scheduling to speak shortly thereafter. Apparently his turnout was pretty pathetic.  Maybe 25 people total. I guess even the people that were there for their regular lunch didn't bother taking the time to walk over and check it out.  Bear in mind, these are almost all retired people, many of which have virtually nothing to do all day.  That's a pretty sad turnout given the case.

I know Marty is a much bigger icon than someone like GH. Of course he is. And older people are bigger baseball fans than football fans, but still... I guess I can't help but feel a little bad for him.  His accent alone tells me he cares very little about this franchise from an actual fan perspective.  I'm not saying he doesn't care at all, or doesn't believe anything he writes, but I'm guessing it's a job more than anything.

I just can't decide if the image of Geoff having to suck it up and publish his regularly scheduled fluff and misdirection piece is one that would show him miserable in his job, or confident in his work.  I personally can't imagine having to write the same garbage, over and over, over, knowing full well that a lot of people know it's pure bs.  To know that people routinely mock and laugh at your work.  Then, only to have to go Senior Centers, to speak to 25 old people, who have absolute no interest in hearing obvious BS from anyone about anything.  That doesn't sound fun or enjoyable.

I can't imagine being the team writer paying that damn well.  For the love of God, Geoff, go write somewhere else, find a new career, retire, do something.  Have some self-respect. Why are you still doing this? 

You paint a sad picture, but maybe he likes making a fat check doing a cake job while getting very little public attention. His off-season routine is certainly set, and it's very easy to take any bit of news and just put a positive spin on it. It's probably a fun little game for him that keeps him engaged and focused. Personally, I think it'd be very easy (and fun) to take any negative news and put it through a Hobspin translator.

[*Nate (formerly eliminate08)*]

I didn't read that entire giant post from you Wes but i just disagree with you about Mikey Boy knowing football just
cause he has been around it all of his life. Sure, some HAS to rub off but just as of late you can see that even a regular
Joe would know to not hold onto coaches like PA for 24 years.

Also i think the regular Joe would know to re-sign players like Whit and Reggie. Let players go like Adam and Maualuga.

I mean it is not crazy complicated stuff, hang on to the good players and coaches, let the other guys go and replace
them. Basic high grading, in the end just doing this will sort itself out and you will have a good team that has a chance
at a Playoff win. Not this stale shit we got going on now where we just have to hope rookies pan out cause we do not
get proven players in Free Agency.

Maybe a guy like Pollack and a guy like Austin can coach up our rookies and our worst players, we will see.

[CornerBlitz]

Welcome back homie. I also took a few years off and typically don't participate as much as before.

As others have said, most of us agree on 85% of the issues with this franchise....no point in continuing to debate the same few disagreements over and over again!

[*Wyche'sWarrior*]

(02-16-2018, 02:42 AM)rfaulk34 Wrote: Truth. The evidence that the game had passed him by was when he passed on the innovation of Bill Walsh and went all friend-zone and promoted old-school Tiger Johnson as HC. 

That was pretty stupid, and stubborn.  That said, the man took an expansion team in an era when it was hard to do, went the playoffs relatively quickly (in an era with fewer berths), and within 20 years made it to two Super Bowls.  Under his leadership, a whole brand new offensive scheme was developed (the West Coast), as well as the zone blitz defense.  He realized his folly with Walsh, and hired a very innovative Walsh disciple in Sam Wyche.  It was 34 seconds away from the promised land.  Paul also made some very productive trades....Bacon, Joiner, Brooks, etc.  Mike Brown does none of this.

[*rfaulk34*]

(02-16-2018, 03:34 PM)Wyche Wrote: That was pretty stupid, and stubborn.  That said, the man took an expansion team in an era when it was hard to do, went the playoffs relatively quickly (in an era with fewer berths), and within 20 years made it to two Super Bowls.  Under his leadership, a whole brand new offensive scheme was developed (the West Coast), as well as the zone blitz defense.  He realized his folly with Walsh, and hired a very innovative Walsh disciple in Sam Wyche.  It was 34 seconds away from the promised land.  Paul also made some very productive trades....Bacon, Joiner, Brooks, etc.  Mike Brown does none of this.

True. It illustrates that PB was willing and able to adapt after failure while MB is not. 

[*Nate (formerly eliminate08)*]

(02-16-2018, 03:34 PM)Wyche Wrote: That was pretty stupid, and stubborn.  That said, the man took an expansion team in an era when it was hard to do, went the playoffs relatively quickly (in an era with fewer berths), and within 20 years made it to two Super Bowls.  Under his leadership, a whole brand new offensive scheme was developed (the West Coast), as well as the zone blitz defense.  He realized his folly with Walsh, and hired a very innovative Walsh disciple in Sam Wyche.  It was 34 seconds away from the promised land.  Paul also made some very productive trades....Bacon, Joiner, Brooks, etc.  Mike Brown does none of this.

For sure, Mike has the same blood but that pretty much is where the similarities end.

Paul Brown was a great owner, Mike Brown is a terrible one and is stubbornly stupid in not admitting that someone out there
just might know more about football then himself. The proof is right in front of his nose with the lack of a Playoff win in all of 
his time as owner. If he was so smart he would of hired a real GM by now and this team would of won a Playoff game or two.

[*Wyche'sWarrior*]

(02-16-2018, 03:40 PM)rfaulk34 Wrote: True. It illustrates that PB was willing and able to adapt after failure while MB is not. 

Yes sir......that's the whole point I was driving at.  He was certainly not infallible, but he had enough football knowledge to try and rectify his blunders.  It damn near worked.  Forrest Gregg was a solid and GREAT hire.  An authoritarian that came in and righted the ship right away.  Wyche was a huge gamble that paid off rather handsomely as well.  We have.....Merv.

(02-16-2018, 03:43 PM)Nate (formerly eliminate08) Wrote: For sure, Mike has the same blood but that pretty much is where the similarities end.

Paul Brown was a great owner, Mike Brown is a terrible one and is stubbornly stupid in not admitting that someone out there
just might know more about football then himself. The proof is right in front of his nose with the lack of a Playoff win in all of 
his time as owner. If he was so smart he would of hired a real GM by now and this team would of won a Playoff game or two.

......and he might should have listened to some of what Sammie had to say instead of unceremoniously canning him.

[*Nate (formerly eliminate08)*]

(02-16-2018, 04:05 PM)Wyche Wrote: Yes sir......that's the whole point I was driving at.  He was certainly not infallible, but he had enough football knowledge to try and rectify his blunders.  It damn near worked.  Forrest Gregg was a solid and GREAT hire.  An authoritarian that came in and righted the ship right away.  Wyche was a huge gamble that paid off rather handsomely as well.  We have.....Merv.



......and he might should have listened to some of what Sammie had to say instead of unceremoniously canning him.

You know it.

If you don't like a little fire in your Head Coach i don't know what to say, except hire.... Merv.

Guess this Merv thing has finally grew on me lol

[bambino5130]

(02-15-2018, 11:54 PM)Luvnit2 Wrote: I went from crazy about team to numb. So good news is I removed my emotional investment and my financial investment at one time. I am now at peace. 

I find myself in the same boat Luvnit, it seems that that something has happened year after year to bring me to a point where I am just numb to it all. I am not surprised by stupid moves, or being stupid by not making moves. I have come to the acceptance stage of grief that this franchise is inept and is happy in a world of mediocrity. I am still a fan, and will watch every game, just not excited about this team as I once was. I didn't go to a single game last year for maybe the first time in 15 years, and I felt ok about that. I just didn't feel the passion to go. I think our window closed after I was at the 2015 Shatsburgh Playoff loss, and I haven't been right since.

Then last year you really think going into the year with Ced and Fisher was going to replace Whitt and Zietler, and things would just work itself out? That could have been the straw that broke the camel's back for me.

[Wes Mantooth]

(02-16-2018, 03:21 PM)CornerBlitz Wrote: Welcome back homie.  I also took a few years off and typically don't participate as much as before.

As others have said, most of us agree on 85% of the issues with this franchise....no point in continuing to debate the same few disagreements over and over again!

Hey there, brother!  Yup, we're in the same boat. And if this team slips up in the slightest way, I think that boat will become filled to capacity.

Apathy is a dangerous thing for any business. And it just seems to me that Mike's going to be reminded of that in a big way this season. I can't remember seeing less interest or faith in this team than I do right now. And that includes much of the 90's.  I just get the impression, even outside of here, that most people are thinking "Who cares?".  That's not good. lol

[BengalsRocker]

[*bfine32*]

(02-15-2018, 03:33 AM)Wes Mantooth Wrote: How is everybody doing, here? Anything new, other than this franchise still being a dumpster fire of clown shoes and full blown AID's?

Really the only thing new is that Jungle Noise is no longer a place for an optimistic Bengal fan. You will fit right in, but I find myself venturing more and more into the other forums. 

[HarleyDog]

(02-17-2018, 08:49 AM)bfine32 Wrote: Really the only thing new is that Jungle Noise is no longer a place for an optimistic Bengal fan. 

Yeah I agree but to be expected. 

[Fan_in_Kettering]

(02-16-2018, 03:34 PM)WychesWarrior Wrote: That was pretty stupid, and stubborn.  That said, the man took an expansion team in an era when it was hard to do, went the playoffs relatively quickly (in an era with fewer berths), and within 20 years made it to two Super Bowls.  Under his leadership, a whole brand new offensive scheme was developed (the West Coast), as well as the zone blitz defense.  He realized his folly with Walsh, and hired a very innovative Walsh disciple in Sam Wyche.  It was 34 seconds away from the promised land.  Paul also made some very productive trades....Bacon, Joiner, Brooks, etc.  Mike Brown does none of this.

This post drips with awesome sauce!

[BengalsRocker]

(02-17-2018, 08:49 AM)bfine32 Wrote: Really the only thing new is that Jungle Noise is no longer a place for an optimistic Bengal fan. You will fit right in, but I find myself venturing more and more into the other forums. 

Well, to be fair...

When you have a fan base that loathes long standing ownership, tenured head coach, and the franchise QB...  yeah, it's gonna be negative in there.

Plus.  Like Toast said.  It's the same go around year in and out.

Only the firing Alexander and future draft picks get the ol' needle moving in terms of enthusiasm.

To be honest with you the draft has lost it's luster as well for many.

II seems like WJ Iii may be the only one that has stood out recently and perhaps Lawson.

That's a lot of striking out on picks.

Being a team that doesn't splash in FA that doesn't bring much hope to many posters.