HoosierCat

I agree, it would be very unlike Mike to let anyone else in the door. But ultimately he may not have a choice. One thing that immediately occurred me when this news came out was that it just became a lot harder for the Bengals to argue they need $300-400-500 million or whatever in taxpayer money to upgrade the stadium. If anything, I think that's where the "no" came from: the NFL just kneecapped him in his stadium negotiations with the county.

Yeah, saw that. Apparently he's dealing with PTSD related to him shooting a guy during a robbery attempt back in 2018. I hope he gets the help he needs.

It's possible I suppose but it's kind of challenging fitting many more in. For example, San Antonio, Austin and Fort Worth are all among the top 12 cities by population, but I don't think Jerrah or the McNairs would be very keen on three more Texas teams. San Diego is the 8th-largest city in the US and just lost its team. Would San Jose, being NoCal, fare any better than SoCal SD? I dunno. How about Columbus? I'm gonna bet Mike sees that as his (and, no doubt grudgingly, the Buckeyes') territory. Omaha? Salt Lake City? Des Moines? Man, if you thought it used to be hard to get FAs to sign in Cincy, wait until you get a call from f**king Omaha. Trust me, I've been there.

Related: https://www.cnbc.com/2024/09/03/soaring-sports-team-values-pressure-owners-on-taxes-succession.html

The Brown family owns almost all of the team, iirc. I think there’s a couple percent held by some old friend of the family, but for all intents and purposes they own the whole shebang. I’ve seen the family’s net worth estimated in the $2.1 billion range. How much of that is liquid is anyone’s guess. Yeah, Mike spent the 90s buying back “shares” that Paul sold before his death as a scheme to avoid paying estate taxes. This let them pretend to be corporation, but the shares had to be sold back to the Brown family at a set price within a few years of Paul’s death. The IRS sued, of course, and the judge in the case ruled that it absolutely was a tax scam, but unfortunately for them was not actually illegal at the time. Some of the shareholders also sued, saying the set price didn’t reflect the increased value of the team, which was true, but that too got thrown out and they had to sell them back at the pre set price. And of course, Mike famously paid himself and his family members handsomely during the 90s, lots of fat salaries and bonuses while the team burned. NFL definitely wants to expand. Mexico City and London seem the two most likely spots to me right now.

Also Trent Brown getting the opening day start. I’m fully confident in him, but hope Mims’ injury is a fluke and not a taste of things to come.

Oh, they’re already working it. Apparently they want a kickback. They’re asking that a % of profits Wall St. makes be returned to the league. We’ll see how that goes.

It’s tough being a Brown, owning the least valuable NFL franchise. https://www.forbes.com/sites/justinteitelbaum/2024/08/29/the-nfls-most-valuable-teams-2024/ Worth just a measly $4 billion. I dunno how he puts food on the table.

I have a Jay Tufele out here, he’d like a word.

Yah that’s down in the bubble thread. Mike never changes.

Looks like McKinley Jackson is done for the year. Put on IR, used his spot to resign Trayveon because this team hates me. https://www.bengals.com/news/bengals-roster-move-x3410 Also finished filling up the PS: --G Tashawn Manning. Manning (6-4, 340), a first-year player out of the University of Kentucky, originally signed with Baltimore as a college free agent in 2023 and spent his entire rookie season on the Ravens' practice squad. He was waived by the Ravens on Tuesday. --HB Kendall Milton. Milton (6-1, 230), a rookie out of the University of Georgia, signed with Philadelphia as a college free agent in May and was waived by the Eagles on Tuesday. --DT Justin Rogers. Rogers (6-3, 335), a rookie out of Auburn University, was a seventh-round pick of Dallas in this year's draft. He was waived by the Cowboys on Tuesday. --DE Isaiah Thomas. Thomas (6-5, 270), a second-year player out of the University of Oklahoma, originally was a seventh-round pick of Cleveland in the 2022 NFL Draft. He played in 10 games as a rookie for the Browns and recorded nine tackles, one sack and two PDs, before spending the entire 2023 season on Cleveland's practice squad. He was waived by the Browns on Tuesday.

So, a little trip down memory lane. The Bengals have faced Brissett twice in his career, two years ago while he was in Cleveland, and back in the Year of Our Lord 2017 when he was a Colt. In an odd quirk, both games were that year's Halloween game, taking place Oct. 29 of 2017 and the 31st of 2022. In 2017, Jacoby went 25 of 39 for 233 yards, with 2 TDs and a pick. He was also sacked four times. However, Fat Randy helped keep Indy in the game with a blocked FG from the 16 yard line, and the difference in the game ended up being that interception, a pick-6 by Dunlap halfway through Q4 that gave Cincy a 24-23 win. The 2022 game in Cleveland was one of those nightmares best forgotten. Brissett was 17 of 23 for 278 yards, a TD and a pick. He also ran for a score and lost a fumble. None of it really mattered, however, as the Bengals couldn't find an offense with both hands, a spotlight and satellite GPS that day. Their first seven drives were INT, punt, punt, punt, fumble, missed FG, punt. Yeah, we all remember that one now, don't we? Ugh. So a little chance for payback here.

Pats have named Jacoby Brissett starter for the opener. https://www.nbc4i.com/sports/sports-illustrated/arena-nfl/si-cincinnati-bengals-nfl/b6d3796d/new-england-patriots-name-starting-qb-for-regular-season-opener-against-cincinnati-bengals/

D Jizzy Watson, the gift that keep on giving...laffs to the rest of the AFCN. The Clowns are already $44 million over next season's estimated cap, so most of that will be rolled over and soaked up without any other benefit to the team. The restructure also didn't add any additional years to Watson's contract (tho they did add a void year in last year's restructure), so yeah: Insane. Dumbest contract ever remains the dumbest contact ever.

Play, don’t play, I really don’t give a shit anymore.

NT added to the PS. https://www.nfl.com/prospects/justin-rogers/3200524f-4744-2916-1923-0e3e11415928 He was one of their top 30 visits before the draft so they’ve has their eye on him for a while. Wouldn’t be surprised if he is the other guy they do the call up/send down bit with.

Because he sucks. Seriously, that’s the reason. Williams has enough time that he doesn’t go to waivers, he’s just a FA. And since he sucks, no one is going to offer him a big contract. So he’s completely safe to release. After the waiting period they will bring him back on the PS, then over the next three weeks they will play the call him up/send him down game. By the time they have to open a roster spot for him in week four someone will likely have been hurt and gone to IR, so they’ll be a spot. (And in the happy event that doesn’t happen they will have a better idea of who they can live without.)

Boooooooooo! Gawd damnit he sucks! What the f does it take to get rid of this guy?

Taxi squad announced (4 spots left) CB Nate Brooks WR Cole Burgess OT Devin Cochran DT Domenique Davis CB Jalen Davis TE Cam Grandy LB Shaka Heyward C Trey Hill WR Shedrick Jackson S PJ Jules WR Kendric Pryor QB Logan Woodside

My bengals bookface group says Trayveon has been waived. They would have to make space for Henry but kind of odd this is who they’d let go…

Shedrick Jackson, Jalen Davis, Devin Cochran all back on the PS. Also they signed TE Cam Grandy to the PS, because you can never have enough tight ends.

Henry is a good pickup. I could see him sticking around even after Murphy returns.

Mike at every owners meeting.

Nick Vigil now available cheap!

Well, if you’re eating glass that might be your problem. I mean, I get that the Bengals’ cafeteria gets low grades but c’mon, you can always hit up Chad for a ride to Mickey D’s.