Does this make anyone nervous?

[walzav29]

http://www.fannation.com/truth_and_rumors/...usc?eref=fromSI

[James_Brooks21]

http://www.fannation.com/truth_and_rumors/...usc?eref=fromSI

I was qualified to write that article in Kindergarten; it’s garbage reporting when you throw out accusations with unnamed sources and no evidence to back it up. I look at Maualuga and his personality reminds me of John Riggins, just a free spirit crazy guy who is looking for a good time and not meaning to do harm to anyone. Let him do his thing and not bottle him up but still control him and you probably will get a hell of a player just like Riggins. What's great about him coming to the Bengals is that he not only has his USC brothers on the team, he also has his Polynesian brothers on the team that will show him how to be a professional. I think him dropping to the second round was the best thing for him, I think in the end it will humble him. So in essence that article does not scare me at all.

[Ickey44]

http://www.fannation.com/truth_and_rumors/...usc?eref=fromSI

That article couldn't have been more vague. He wasn't specific about any supposed "off-the-field" issues and really only said that he was a handful. This looks as if it was written by a hater.

[HoTbOy]

Until something really happens you have to give him the benefit of the doubt that he will be on his best behavoir...

[Wraith]

The draft process is really good about bringing out the skeletons in the closet.

We know about the fight at the party when he was a freshman and his dad was dying of cancer. We know about the Oregon St. game as a senior when the coaches lit a fire under him after he started believing his hype. We know about the Erin Andrews incident...if that is what you want to call it. Ken Norton said "this guy has the potential to be the best linebacker ever, he is better than me right now" That is what I need to know.

[mgilgris]

i am just tired of hearing about all the BS that we are still the problem child of the league.... apparently they havent looked at the numbers lately.... of course mike brown adds to this by his attempts at being the redemer.

[ArmyBengal]

Winning and stopping the yearly reoccurance of signing/drafting at least one if not more criminals is the only thing that will change that...

Agree that there are other teams with greater issues, but it is what it is and the Bengals made this bed.

[DC_Bengals_Fan]

My girlfriend's roommate's sister's cousin's dog's baby mama's owner knows a GM, and he says Rey is a serial killer. Are we worried?

I've been pretty impressed with his attitude so far. Until there's something real, then I'll take landing a 1st round pick in the 2nd thanks to some crackheaded rumors.

[cincy9275]

i really don't care what some s**t head thinks.

[derekshank]

He's got nowhere near the red flags that came with Odell Thurman. Had any team but the Bengals drafted him, these concerns would not have even been mentioned, as I never heard any serious concerns prior to the draft.

It is what it is. The Bengals are now the bad boys of the NFL. I say... embrace it.

[HAPPYJAQ]

He's got nowhere near the red flags that came with Odell Thurman. Had any team but the Bengals drafted him, these concerns would not have even been mentioned, as I never heard any serious concerns prior to the draft.

It is what it is. The Bengals are now the bad boys of the NFL. I say... embrace it.

Marvin has officially said "screw character", and that's fine by me. Look at all the off-field issues that teams like Pittsbugh and New England deal with and it gets swept under the rug because they win every year. This whole draft process is a gamble because nobody knows for sure how a guy will turn out in the NFL...and that's just on the field. The Cowboys had a team full of future convicts and overall "questionable" personalities in the 90's and they were still considered "America's Team".

I'm not advocating drating players who might have questions coming in like Rey, Scott and others, but if you take away guys like Odell and Henry from the '05 team, Marvin is likely gone and the attitude of Bengals fans from the Marvin era might be similar to the attitudes of fans during the Dave Shula era.

[themaninblack]

Rey might have had some maturity issues at USC but I think given where he was drafted that they are pretty negligible. It seems as though we tend to forget that these players really are still kids and in Rey's case it seemed as though he matured each year as a Trojan. I think having high character guys such as Rivers and Dhani surrounding him will also be helpful in continuing that maturation process. He also has a HUGE chip on his shoulder due to his slip in the draft and I think that will make him supremely focused.

[walzav29]

I asked Pat and Tim from Sirius yesterday who was rated higher coming out of college Odell or Rey and they said Rey hands down. I think the Bengals are in a great position this season and I can't wait. Pitt vs Cincy will be the season setter. Hines needs to get his ass mopped, and the defense has to look nasty. That with Marvin and Palmer's 1st home win against the Steelers will launch them.

[DC_Bengals_Fan]

Look at all the off-field issues that teams like Pittsbugh and New England deal with and it gets swept under the rug because they win every year.

I thought it was because Kraft and the Rooneys made sure to stay tight with the league office, something Mikey's never been good at.

Case in point: the CBA. Was it a dumb deal for the owners? Yes. Was Mikey actually right in opposing it? Yes. When it was clear the thing was going to get passed, should he have just endorsed it to avoid making the commish look bad? Probably so.

[ArmyBengal]

Rey might have had some maturity issues at USC but I think given where he was drafted that they are pretty negligible. It seems as though we tend to forget that these players really are still kids and in Rey's case it seemed as though he matured each year as a Trojan. I think having high character guys such as Rivers and Dhani surrounding him will also be helpful in continuing that maturation process. He also has a HUGE chip on his shoulder due to his slip in the draft and I think that will make him supremely focused.

Good points about these guys being young and Rey having the benefit of having Dhani and his friend in Rivers to help him along.

Oh yeah, WELCOME TO THE ZONE "themaninblack" !!!

[HairOnFire]

Case in point: the CBA. Was it a dumb deal for the owners? Yes. Was Mikey actually right in opposing it? Yes. When it was clear the thing was going to get passed, should he have just endorsed it to avoid making the commish look bad? Probably so.

Frankly, I appreciated the symbolic gesture and if I have a problem with anyone it might be Ralph Wilson, who admitted he changed his vote only after receiving revenue sharing concessions that were no longer available to the Bengals.

If a unanimous vote was that important to Goodell he should have offered something of value in return.

[COB]

I thought it was because Kraft and the Rooneys made sure to stay tight with the league office, something Mikey's never been good at.

Case in point: the CBA.

I'll give you another case in point. I've never mentioned this, but it irked me to no end when it happened.

Last spring, I think it was, the Rooney brothers were fighting over money. Dan couldn't come up with enough cash to keep his partners happy. They wanted to cash out.

I read a long article in the WSJ that said the Steelers would likely be heading for new ownership because of the impasse. The other owners would sell their shares to the highest bidder, and Dan Rooney, and the Rooney family, would lose control of the Steelers as they'd only hold a minority share. I thought it was Christmas, my birthday, and the day I lost my virginity, all rolled into one.

Not so fast. In steps known f**khead Roger Goodell. He declares that it would be really bad for the league if anyone but Dan Rooney ends up owning the Steelers. So he sticks his nose in, acts as mediator or money-finder, or some bulls**t, and the deal gets done thanks to Roger.

We could have had some new-money dimwitted Dan Snyder wannabe running the Steelers into the ground. Instead Goodell shows his true colors and does everything he can to prop up our biggest rival.

I'm still pissed about it. Think he'd ever do anything to help the Bengals if we were in trouble? Hell no, he'd probably act as a catalyst for the crisis.

[DC_Bengals_Fan]

If a unanimous vote was that important to Goodell he should have offered something of value in return.

What does a symbolic statement gain you, though? The ability to say 'I told you so?' Perhaps a little goodwill by Mikey might have gained future considerations. Like not having a player suspended for 28 games for a parking ticket. Quid pro quo, Clairise.

Not so fast. In steps known f**khead Roger Goodell. He declares that it would be really bad for the league if anyone but Dan Rooney ends up owning the Steelers. So he sticks his nose in, acts as mediator or money-finder, or some bulls**t, and the deal gets done thanks to Roger.

I'm still pissed about it. Think he'd ever do anything to help the Bengals if we were in trouble? Hell no, he'd probably act as a catalyst for the crisis.

Agreed, that's definitely Exhibit A on how the rules differ if you're perceived as an ally or an enemy. For instance, you can bet the commish wouldn't do anything to help Al Davis. I have a feeling that after years of being a parasite to the league and generally not being a team player, Mike Brown is down toward the end of the commish's Christmas card list too. The CBA issue pr

[HairOnFire]

What does a symbolic statement gain you, though? The ability to say 'I told you so?'

Yeah, for starters. It's also a handy way of saying I'm not the same breed of sheep as these other guys are. A way of making it clear that you're a businessman and a lawyer who actually understands the ramifications of signing a poorly crafted labor agreement.

But let's be clear about something. You're mocking the symbolic gesture Mike Brown made simply because you'd prefer a different type of symbolic gesture be made. You'd prefer a "Yes Man" response because those types never feel the bosses scorn.

[HairOnFire]

Not so fast. In steps known f**khead Roger Goodell. He declares that it would be really bad for the league if anyone but Dan Rooney ends up owning the Steelers. So he sticks his nose in, acts as mediator or money-finder, or some bulls**t, and the deal gets done thanks to Roger.

I'm still pissed about it. Think he'd ever do anything to help the Bengals if we were in trouble? Hell no, he'd probably act as a catalyst for the crisis.

Agreed, that's definitely Exhibit A on how the rules differ if you're perceived as an ally or an enemy. For instance, you can bet the commish wouldn't do anything to help Al Davis. I have a feeling that after years of being a parasite to the league and generally not being a team player, Mike Brown is down toward the end of the commish's Christmas card list too.

Who cares about Christmas cards when you're debating the merits of a CBA contract you'll have to live with for years and years OR until it's invalidated?

[DC_Bengals_Fan]

Who cares about Christmas cards when you're debating the merits of a CBA contract you'll have to live with for years and years OR until it's invalidated?

You start caring when you realize that it's 30-2, and you're not Henry Fonda so you're not going to convince everybody else to change their mind. At that point, you think maybe ingratiating yourself with the king might be better than being petulant.

Unless you enjoy getting the shaft every chance Goodell gets.

[gregstephens]

Who cares about Christmas cards when you're debating the merits of a CBA contract you'll have to live with for years and years OR until it's invalidated?

You start caring when you realize that it's 30-2, and you're not Henry Fonda so you're not going to convince everybody else to change their mind. At that point, you think maybe ingratiating yourself with the king might be better than being petulant.

Unless you enjoy getting the shaft every chance Goodell gets.

memo to DC--you're the Bengals, and you're SoP. You're gonna get shafted anyway. The Bengals are a liability to the markets, not a benefit. New York, Dallas, Washington, New England, Pittsburgh--those markets subsidize the Bengals of the world. Therefore, you're never gonna get the breaks in anything.

Therefore, vote conscience. You may not convince everyone like Fonda did in 12 Angry Men (because that was scripted btw, not real life), but let's assume all eleven of those other guys held their ground for guilty. Fonda wasn't about to do what you suggest and ingratiate. There ultimately is no need. SoP wasn't going to get anything out of going the Commish's way.

Screw it--be petulant.

[COB]

In my eyes, if I'm an NFL owner, I now look to Mike Brown for good input on the labor deal they'll be negotiating. He completely called this one. Those owners who voted for it all now admit it was a big mistake, precisely the outcome Mike Brown predicted.

Mike Brown knows how to negotiate contracts. The ones he signs (stadium deal with the county) leaves the other side crying about it for years. The ones he refuses to sign (current CBA with union) leaves his side crying about it for years.

The owners should put him in charge of the committee that negotiaties the new CBA. I guarantee he will hoodwink that new union head. Mike Brown vs. fairly green rookie union leader? Get serious.