A note from Browns fan about the Bengals
Mark, I just finished reading your article "Bengals in a three-fall" that starts off describing how Marvin Lewis was berating his team in "a profanity laced tirade."
In my opinion, Marvin Lewis has absolutely no right whatsoever to berate anyone. Preparing a team mentally for a football game is the coaching staff's responsibility, and the Bengals were not the least bit prepared. One small example of this is when the Bengals were called for having too many men on the field during the first play of a quarter. There is no excuse for that, and Marvin Lewis needs to be held accountable for his failures, rather than passing all of the blame off to his players.
A friend of mine who went to the game sent me an email this morning describing the general frustration of the fans at the game and how he fears fans are starting to lose hope. He even joked about becoming a Browns fan like me! In his email he reminded me of the Steelers game we had attended together the year before, a game I describe in detail in my response back to him below. This game last year really represents the turning point where the Bengals went from potential contenders to the kind of team that starts 1-3. My point is that Marvin Lewis needs to be held accountable for the lack of leadership he has provided to this team. Someone should question his competency as coach and give him the chance to defend himself. Print my email in the Enquirer or give it to Marvin and ask him for an explanation. The fans who financed a new stadium and pour their heart and soul out for this team deserve one.
-- Bob Stephens
posted by Mark at 6:49 PM
17 Comments:
at 10/02/2007 8:50 PM 
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at 10/03/2007 12:02 AM 
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at 10/03/2007 2:07 AM 
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at 10/03/2007 2:16 AM 
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at 10/03/2007 7:17 AM 
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at 10/03/2007 8:37 AM 
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at 10/05/2007 12:29 PM 
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Post a Comment*Mark, seriously, this is your lamest blog post ever.
I don't give one hoot what another fan has to say about our team, nor do I care to hear about some outsider pointing fingers at the Head Coach who has done so much for this city.
As a Hamilton County Resident myself, it iritates me that someone who lives 240 miles away is given a sounding post to lecture me & my fellow Hamilton County Residents about how we spend our taxes.
-jd
I think the Brown's fans comments regarding Marvin Lewis are dead on! To indicate that someone is incorrect because they are a fan of another team is an example of what we call in logic the genetic fallacy. it does not matter if even a Steeler fan makes these comments. They are true! And that is what is important. Marvin Lewis has lost complete control of this team. He is the typical "permisive parent" who is shocked when the children misbehave. Instead of holding players accountable for their actions, he allows them to do what they want. I remind everyone that Marvin Lewis is on record for not forcing Chad Johnson's curfew. This pre-madonna is also someone else that must go. His talent matters little if he is selfish and only seeking his own stardom. In short, the Bengals party off the field, while the Patoriots work and behave. This is why the Patriots will be in the playoffs and the Bengals, yet again,will be sitting the playoffs out! And the person who ultimately is to blame is Marvin Lewis. He picked delinquent playeres, he fails to discipline them, and now he is reaping what he has sowed. The only thing Marvin Lewis should be getting this season is a pink slip out of Cincinnati!
This is absolutely pathetic. "Note from a Browns fan"? What's next Mark? Comments from Steeler fans? The Raven point of view? Ridiculous. Let's see, Romeo Crennel is 10-22. You haven't had a head coach without a severe losing record since 1988. Hey "Browns Fan", here's some names for you to focus on: Terry Robiske, Butch Davis, Chris Palmer, Jim Shofner, and Bud Carson. Who are these guys? The same group of clowns who went a combined 53-112 (winning percentage of .321) as Browns head coaches since 1988. Heck, even the "genius" Bellichick was a loser (37-45) with the Browns. Since Shottenheimer left, the Browns have won games at the astounding rate of .364, peachy. Maybe "Browns Fan" should focus on his on pathetic existence. Since Marvin arrived, the Bengals have not had a losing season. Can't really say the same thing for the Browns. Since Marvin became the head coach of the Bengals, the Browns are 19-45 for a stunning .297 winning percentage. Boy, we should all become Browns fans, what a franchise, they have awesome coaches! Get lost "Browns Fan". You know nothing about what Coach Lewis has done for the city and the franchise. Any fan who is pathetic engough to bail on the Bengals after the 15 years of misery pre-Coach Lewis, go on ahead. The Browns welcome you with open arms. Maybe Mark will post the news of your defection.
Not at all a lame post Mark. A very fair statement, even if it did come from Cleveland. Proper preparation eliminates most mental mistakes and preparation IS the responsibility of the coach.
A Browns fan commenting on the state of the Bengals. What a joke. Worry about your own sorry franchise.
When I want an opinion from a Brownies fan I'll rattle his cage.
While I don't necessarily care what Brown's fans think, he's not wrong. People want to point fingers at the selfish players, but it all falls on Marvin and his staff. From the obvious lack of discipline to the play calling–you mean to tell me we don't have equal or more talent on offense as New England (last year or this year). Not to say New England doesn't have it's share of studs, but some how they are able to make their average players on the team look like pro-bowlers. That has everything to with intelligent coaching. And it's a ridiculous argument to say "But look at what Marvin has done for the franchise since he took over." Yes, average is better than terrible, but shouldn't we expect more. As a season ticket holder, I've spent thousands of dollars on tickets and licenses. As a community we've spent millions to provide the team with a facility to play in (which most of the teams in the NFL pay for themselves) and I'm supposed to aspire for mediocracy because it was even worse before Marvin? Excuse me if I don't buy into that argument or the coaching philosophies (or ownership for that matter).
Who cares what a Browns fan thinks anyway. And mark dont get it twisted. Real fans dont care if marvin "berates the media". most fans dont like the media anyway. If given a chose. the fans would rather keep marvin and get rid of the hack media in a minute. the truth is, if the media decides to go after Marvin, they will have a whole community on Marvins side because most of us realize just how biased and bigoted the media really is.
For all the Bengals fans who were upset with my email to Mark, this is the email I sent to my friend outlining how Marvin Lewis cost the Bengals a playoff berth last year by botching the management of the Steelers game in Week 17.
EMAIL:
There were at least two false starts coming out of timeouts, there was a Willie Parker TD scored when the Bengals defense only had 10 players on the field, and there was significant mismanagement of the clock by Marvin Lewis. If I'm not mistaken, he took a timeout in the first quarter because the Bengal D had too many players on the field within the first 5 minutes of the game. (I just took two minutes to find the game summary, here is the link: http://scores.espn.go.com/nfl/playbyplay?gameId=261231004 ) The first timeout was taken at 13:37 in the first. He took the team's first timeout within the first 3 minutes! Just take the five yard penalty, the Steelers were on their own 29! Ah ha, at the end of the second quarter, the Bengals had a 1st and Goal on the Pittsburgh 4, ran up the middle for negative 2, used their last timeout. Then they had CONSECUTIVE false starts coming out of this timeout. Result, FG on what should have been a TD.
First play from scrimmage in the 3rd Qtr - False start Bengals.
1st and 10 on Bengals 20 (First play from scrimmage following a Bengals fumble recovery in their own endzone) - False start Bengals.
Ah, the fourth quarter. This is where I remember becoming infuriated at ML's management of the clock.
Pittsburgh ball, 3rd and 10 on the CIN 17. Pass incomplete followed by a CIN Timeout.
The pass was incomplete so clock was stopped. ML took a timeout to "freeze the kicker." As the clock was already stopped, there was no purpose in wasting this timeout other than to give the kicker time to think about the 35 yard chip shot he was about to make. FG good on the next play. Bengals start their drive on their own 33, Palmer deep to Felon Number 1 (Henry) down to the Pitt 20. Spike ball, followed by timeout. WHAT? Why not just take the timeout instead of wasting the down?????? Maybe because you wasted one trying to ice the kicker and hoped to get by with just stopping the clock. This is where it gets REALLY interesting. Palmer kneels for negative 1 yards. Then spikes the ball again. Marvin Lewis, YOU WERE ON THE STEELER 20 WITH ONE TIMEOUT AND 0:22 ON THE CLOCK, DON'T PANIC. Spike, Timeout, Kneel, Spike is the best gameplan you can come up with?!?!?!?!?!!?!?!?!
We all know what happens next, Bengals FG unit rushes onto the field to attempt a last minute 39 yard FG (a timeout here would have been nice, Marvin. Too bad you wasted one trying to freeze the Steeler's kicker). Missed FG, Steelers win in OT.
In summary, this game featured a coaching staff that absolutely FAILED in their job to prepare the team mentally for the matchup. Teams should never take false starts out of timeouts or on the first play from scrimmage on a new drive - just TELL the O-Line what the count is! (as in, "Offensive Line, the snap will be ON TWO ( '2' holding up two fingers)) Teams should never waste a timeout in the first five minutes of play unless they are totally baffled by an offensive package and fear giving up a TD. And teams should be confident about going in to kick a last minute fg to win the game, but Lewis made them scramble and completely botched the Bengals chances.
I'm a Browns fan, but I can't stand sloppy football.
Good post Mark. There is one constant in all of this lack of preparation,
accountability, draft picks with a shady background, and waste of overall talent, and that is Marvin.
The Bungles started to become the laughinstock of the NFL last year and now once again it has become solidified. I would imagine that Andre Frazier is glad that he was cut and in now once again a Steeler.
Seriously people. Browns fans should know a think or two about coaches and lack of accountability. Remember the dark days of Butch? We in Baltimore don't even look for accountability from our coach - wins are a good start. If we can't have that - we just ask him to shut his mouth and get ready for the next game.
Sincerely , and Im trying to be impartial here but I think the attack on the Browns fan is unnecessary and reflects the general anger and frustration that all of us Bengals fans are feeling lately. How can we make fun of a franchise that a couple of weeks humiliated and embarassed us?? Im a Bengal fan from Puerto Rico of all places and I am sick and tired of Marvin Lewis. What has he done for this city you ask?? Nothing, basically the only thing he's done is increase everyone's blood pressure and spoil our Sunday's night sleep. How embarassing is it when on Monday Night Football they quote your defensive captain as saying that the Bengal defense doesn't handle pressure really well and collapses when the going gets tough?? How can you have a captain like that on your team?? Speaks a lot about the team general!
I think everyone likes Marvin as a person and believes that he is trying to turn this team around. It's hard to be critical of him when we have SO MANY injuries. Every year it seems to be something.
But there are a few complaints about some of his game management skills. He needs to learn when to challenge a play, or he needs to get someone more capable of reviewing from the booth. There was no reason to throw a red flag on that long pass gainer in Monday's gane.
Also, what is the deal with going for field goals at the stage of the game that we were in. I understand the rational of getting yourself into a one or two score situation; but EVERYONE could see taht unless the D was going to force a turnover, the pats were going to march right down the field and get a field goal (at least) out of their drives. Late in the game and losing badly, you need to gamble. If you can't get 2 yards, you don't deserve to win anyway.
That being said, the offense moved pretty well monday night, but as usual couldn't finish off drives. Everyone points to the interception but i think the real culprit was the 2 minute warning stoppage at the end of the half. Carson was driving and had that defense on their heels, but the break really let the pats off the hook and allowed them to set the right personnel.
Overall dismal performance, but this team can still rebound this year. The question is with teams like the Pats and the Colts waiting for us...is there much fo a point in turning the season around?
Mark,
Here's a classic case of shooting the messenger, who happens to be a Browns fan. The Browns fans has hit the Marvin on the head: this pathetic team is his responsibility, and he has obviously failed miserably as a head coach. However, local sports media need to resurrect a more fundamental question: can ANYONE succeed as a head coach without a GM, without a full Scouting Department, and without being able to spend $$ on big names for the defense?
Remember kids, even God hates the Steelers...
What dissapoints me is you could tell from the body language during pre game that the Pats were ready to play and the Bengals were not...almost anticipating getting beat just as they did a year ago by NE.
If we had a healthy O-Line and Linebacking core, I think Marvin's lack of preparation, game planning, and discipline gets masked by our talent. For example, when have we ever made successfull halftime adjustments? Certainly not against Cleveland on defense. Not this past week against NE on offense. Where is the creativity on offense? Yeah I get it that you miss Chris Henry but nobody else can catch a deep ball? Does Marvin Harrison not run deep routes? I thought Chad was fast?
Now that we are dropping like flies, our coaching and player flaws have been exposed.
We're done for the season. The schedule may be entirely easy, but when TJ says that they look at it and think they can beat all of these remaining teams...that is just the wrong approach. Fix yourself first, get it together, win a game at a time...then we can talk about playoffs.
So am I right in thinking that the injuries are more than just bad luck? Could it be lack of training and prep? This can't be hard to figure out.
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