PFT at it again

[bengalboomer7]

Persona;;y, I was one of the guys that enjoyed PFT. I thought thier site was cool and I thought they got it right more than they were credited for. I glanced on there today and this was their main story. Looks to me Florio is getting desparate and I thought this was a bit of a cheap shot. Plus, it'll get you all RILED UP!!

MARVIN SHOULD LOOK IN THE MIRROR

On Wednesday, Bengals coach Marvin Lewis said that the recent arrests of receiver Chris Henry and linebacker A.J. Nicholson are an embarrassment to the team.

"I told the people that yes, you embarrass us as an organization, myself and the coaches when these things occur," Lewis said, according to the Associated Press. "Right, wrong or indifferent, there are certain things that you're asked not to be a part of or around."

Added Lewis: "That bothers me when someone doesn't quite understand social laws. No question that bothers me."

Yeah, it bothers him. Except, of course, on draft day, when Lewis has shown that he doesn't quite understand human nature.

It's not as if Nicholson and/or Henry woke up on respective recent mornings and decides to turn into turds. Lewis knew -- or should have known -- what he was getting himself into when he selected Henry in round three of the 2005 draft and Nicholson in round five of the 2006 draft.

Both were taken off of multiple teams' draft boards due to bad reputations and/or a history of misdeeds. Henry was widely known within and around the West Virginia football program as a talent-rich but character-poor punk. Ditto for Nicholson, who had more red flags than a Soviet street fair.

So it's you, Marvin, who embarrasses the organization by bringing into it guys who already have shown, on multiple occasions, that they don't "get it."

Meanwhile, Lewis hinted that Henry and Nicholson could ultimately be jettisoned by the team. "[A]t some point, you have to make a decision whether this guy is good enough for our football team, and decisions can be made that way, as well. Because if you can't function, then obviously you may not be good enough because I can't count on you."

Technically, teams can't release a player because of an arrest or other off-field conduct. Instead, discipline for criminal behavior falls within the scope of the Personal Conduct Policy, and only the Commissioner may smack a guy's sack for running afoul of the law. But if Henry is included in, for example, the final wave of preseason roster cuts, it will be hard for the NFLPA to prove that he was dumped because of his three arrests in less than six months.

As to Nicholson, Lewis would be doing the right thing by dumping his draft rights now. But our guess is that Lewis fears someone else would make a waiver claim for the guy who was regarded as having first-round talent, and that with yet another "second chance" in a new town Nicholson would finally get his crap together.

So we don't put much stock in Marvin's words. If he was serious about dealing with these guys, he'd take action. Especially as to Nicholson.

[BengalByTheBay]

You can still enjoy PFT -- just know that any Bengals mention is going to include jabs like this. Whatever. There is certainly a point to be made if one wishes to that the Bengals are taking chances on some guys. The thing that seems to get this camp's panties most bunched up is the statements by ML before the draft about begin careful about such issues. What anyone who follows the Bengals would know is that ML always says the PC thing, but does exactly what he damn well pleases anyway. He's like the Iraqi information minister. He can say anything with a straight face. Trying to get info. from him is impossible. IMO, while it is frustrating from a fan standpoint to not be able to take anything away from his interviews, it also makes him difficult for other teams to predict as well. And is it really any different from such things as "votes of confidence" for Kyle Boller while the ink is still drying on McNair contract? That was a rhetorical question -- the answer is no.

[DC_Bengals_Fan]

Thing about that guy, once he gets his teeth in something, he doesn't let go. Notice the runnng diatribe about the league and union ignoring the blatant violations of the non-contact restrictions in the OTAs. So it's not like the Bengals' players criminal situation is the only thing he's beating into the ground.

That said, as long as Bengals players keep getting arrested, he'll keep having new material.

[Kazkal]

They blast him for not doing anything right away yet they admitted he coulden't with henry,persnolly henry should be msg and if AJ messes up again cut his arse too

[ChadJohnson-85]

http://www.nfl.com/teams/story/CIN/9485448

[Stripes]

Florio is a clown. Screw 'em.

[7/11]

it's pretty much true, guys....

yeah, we all love marvin, but he's always proclaimed himself as a "character" guy. we all know he won't cut chris henry. he may not sign nicholson, but he will let henry slide AGAIN, because he is young, and very talented. i love c. henry. i like the upside of a.j. on the field, but the media has a legitimate right to slam marvin for not living up to his self-proclaimed label of a "character guy". it's part of being an NFL head coach...

[cincy9275]

these ass hat's act as if the Bengals are the only team in history to take on problem players . to me this guy is just a hater for what ever reason . i hear no one calling bill parcells names for terrell the most problemmatic ass in the whole league. or taking shot at gibbs for taylor or billick for jamal and ray. the artical holds no credibility if he is only pointing fingers at marvin while these other coaches don't even get mentioned

[redsbengalsbucks]

these ass hat's act as if the Bengals are the only team in history to take on problem players . to me this guy is just a hater for what ever reason . i hear no one calling bill parcells names for terrell the most problemmatic ass in the whole league. or taking shot at gibbs for taylor or billick for jamal and ray. the artical holds no credibility if he is only pointing fingers at marvin while these other coaches don't even get mentioned

Cant argue with that.

I want to see the Bengals win a SB, if it takes a team full of young men not smart enough to stay out of trouble off the feild to do it, so be it.

We can join the jailbirds and the kneecappers from our division to have won with some unscrupulous players aboard.

[schweinhart]

It's too bad Marv had to even speak about Henry and Nicholson and their problems. I kind of like that the Bengals take the risk on draft picks sometimes to see if they can't get top talent out of black marked players. For a 3rd and 5th rounder? Those are easy decisions, especially since the rest of the organization is as well in tact as it is character wise and from a focus standpoint. The direction of the team does not change because of a couple of potentially bad apples. Maybe the public message by the organization is one of embarrassment about all of this but privately I hope they still keep at-risk players on the boards as an option.

The bigger concern IMO should be how the team evaluates talent on the defensive side of the football. The defense has been one load of crap after another. The free agent signings and progress of young talent looks more encouraging this year than the Marvin years past but that's where my patience is growing thin.

[Oldcat]

If PFT doesn't print 1000 words criticizing TO and the Cowboys for every word written about Henry and Nicholson, they are hypocrites.

Let me know when CH and Nick destroy a SuperBowl team's season like TO did. And that doesn't even mention the problems in SF and the Ravens trade antics.

[membengal]

For the record, if Owens had come to the Bengals, Florio would have. His position as rabid Steelers fan and his inability to acknowledge that bias when it comes to the Bengals broadsides makes his stuff even more suspect than it already is. Which is saying something.