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Cincinnati Bengals and Their New Defense Poised for Greatness with Draft Luxury

April 25th, 2013 at 8:41 PM
By Tom Crouse

'NFL Draft' photo (c) 2011, Zennie Abraham - license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/2.0/
For over two decades, the Cincinnati Bengals have faced harsh organizational criticism, and have even been called one of the worst franchises in all of professional sports.  Whether it be for the "old-school" ways or frugality of owner Mike Brown and how he was able to acquire the entirety of the Cincinnati franchise for his family, or for the multitude of failed draft picks and lack of wins during the 1990's, the  Bengals remain the object of ridicule for many NFL pundits and gurus alike, despite the most recent success of the Marvin Lewis regime. 

Make no mistake about it folks, the 2013 Bengals are for real; young and hungry, extraordinarily talented, poised and determined.  Add in the recent addition of 2008 Defensive Player of the Year and seasoned veteran James Harrison to last year's sixth ranked NFL defense and you have the makings of a truly special year to come.  Harrison was quoted as saying that when he was released by rival the Pittsburgh Steelers, he felt the need to find his way to where he "had the best chance of winning another Super Bowl."  The NFL's most heavily fined player for supposed violations of the league's newest rules regarding player safety also brings a much needed, vicious bite to an already impressive pass rush led by third year defensive lineman Geno Atkins.  

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Cincinnati Would Be Smart to Open Paul Brown Stadium to Ohio State University

June 21st, 2012 at 11:17 AM
By Chuck Chapman

 

'OSU Aug 30 (22)' photo (c) 2008, Flickr mjurn - license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

Some Cincinnatians, most notably radio host Lance McAlister  are bristling over talks between the Cincinnati Bengals, the city and Ohio State University about the Buckeyes potentially traveling south to play their annual Spring game at Paul Brown Stadium. Others, like 1530 colleagues and University of Cincinnati (UC) graduate Mo Egger think it's a great idea. 

While it's obvious that Lance's ranting, including his farcical proposition that the city designate scarlet and gray as "gang colors" is designed to provoke OSU fans into calling his radio show, there are more than a few Bearcat fans legitimately up in arms over the thought of the Buckeyes holding their spring exhibition within the city limits. They shouldn't be.

First, this move would make total sense for Ohio State. Cincinnati has, within my lifetime, been a largely ignored recruiting target despite it being home to a considerable amount of talent. The Buckeyes have plucked a few from the Queen City, such as Greg Frey and Carlos Snow, but for the most part, 5-star football talent in Cincinnati has migrated elsewhere, even to the dreaded "state up north."

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Rodney Stewart Receives Injury Settlement from Cincinnati Bengals

June 20th, 2012 at 11:20 AM
By Chuck Chapman

Rodney Stewart, the running back out Colorado by way of Columbus, OH, was waived with an injury settlement on Tuesday. Stewart tore his ACL during the first day of rookie workouts with the Cincinnati Bengals.

Bengals 101 profiled Stewart here last month.

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Pac Man Jones Sharing Costly Lessons with NFL Rookies

June 18th, 2012 at 3:50 PM
By Chuck Chapman

Cincinnati Bengals' cornerback Adam "Pac Man" Jones has learned the hard way about how not to handle one's self as a professional athlete. Last week, a Las Vegas jury found Jones liable for $11 million in damages to two employees of a strip club who were shot by members of Jones' "entourage." 

While Jones will appeal the verdict, he's seen enough of the self-inflicted damage he's done to himself during his five years in the NFL to know things have to change in the way he lives his life. Jones not only has enacted those changes in his life, but he's volunteered to speak to the incoming NFL rookies next week at the NFL's rookie symposium to tell them how not to manage their newfound fame and fortune.

Jones told Bengals.com's Geoff Hobson that his poor decisions have already cost him around $6 million (not counting the Las Vegas verdict). Jones had bounced from being the first round draft choice of the Tennessee Titans to being the most recent Bengals' reclamation project, on the verge of losing his career forever. 

"I had no respect for the money I got," Jones told Hobson. "I had respect for football. (But) I acted like I was still hanging out in college. I didn't realize the scrutiny that came with it."

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What’s Behind the Lack of a Contract Extension for Marvin Lewis?

June 15th, 2012 at 11:32 AM
By Chuck Chapman

'Marvin Lewis' photo (c) 2006, tuttiazzurri - license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/

Cincinnati Bengals' head coach Marvin Lewis is headed into the final year of a contract extension he signed in 2010. While it's extremely rare for NFL coaches to head into a season with a "lame duck" status, keep in mind these are the Cincinnati Bengals we're talking about here. Rarely is business done as expected.

Lewis will roam the sidelines in Cincinnati for his 10th season this year, already the longest tenured coach in franchise history. Still, Lewis' record over the past nine years is a losing one (69-74-1) and the Bengals have yet to win a playoff game under him. If this was Dallas or New York instead of Cincinnati, Lewis would have been collecting unemployment a long time ago.

So what's holding up an extension of Marvin Lewis' deal? Is Mike Brown wanting to see what happens with the Bengals this season before committing more years to Lewis? Or is Lewis hoping to put together consecutive playoff appearances to boost his resume in hopes of opening up other options for himself?

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