Return of the GM Debate

[HoosierCat]

Do the Bengals need one? Lonnie Wheeler says yes.

Wheeler's column seems unusually incoherent to me, so I can't quite make out what he thinks the advantages of a GM would be, other than to provide more lively copy for him and his fellow sportswriters. And Marvin has already laid decisions like picking Odell and other character question marks at Mikey's feet, so I'm not sure he's the one a GM would need to be talking to...and Mikey is, famously, not much of a listener.

Wheeler does have a point on the lack of support staff, but that's a long-standing issue that appears unlikely to change.

[Stripes]

The thing is, Lewis isn't particularly good at the media part of being a head coach. It's probably what he does worst. It surely appears to be what he likes worst.

I think this is the complaint that inspired Lonnie to write that article. I disagree with nearly everything she had to say.

As for Marvin's interactions with the media, he's nearly identical to Bill Belichick. Horrible, I know.

[HairOnFire]

Wheeler's column seems unusually incoherent to me, so I can't quite make out what he thinks the advantages of a GM would be, other than to provide more lively copy for him and his fellow sportswriters.

"Hey Mike, the lobby restrooms need repainted...so maybe you should hire a GM."

Wheeler's argument for a nearly powerless GM to be hired strikes me as the latest in a series of demands that Mike Brown spend more money simply because seperating him from large amounts of money warms the hearts of some people.

Practice bubble? A puppet GM? An Official Minister of Disinformation? Well sure, who cares if any of them are needed or worthwhile. Just do something. In fact, do anything. Prove to us how much you care by spending money on symbolic displays of love and affection. Frankly, we hate to be a bother, but our minds are so badly wired that we can barely remember how sweet the 2005 season was. All we can remember is botched snaps and missed field goal attempts....two things that wouldn't happen if the Bengals had a GM.

[HoosierCat]

Wheeler's argument for a nearly powerless GM to be hired strikes me as the latest in a series of demands that Mike Brown spend more money simply because seperating him from large amounts of money warms the hearts of some people.

Could be. But like TDB, the most I can pull out of this column is that the Bengals should hire a GM because Marvin gives lousy press conferences. Which is absurd.

I've argued for the Bengals to hire a GM in the past, and while I think there remain good arguments in favor of it, it strikes me that this would be a very poor time to do so. Any GM is going to want to bring in his own people (read: head coach), and though I suspect Marvin's seat will be a bit warmer going into '07 than it was going into '06, we don't need a coaching change now.

Now, if it comes to January 2008 or 2009 and circumstances have been bad enough to warrant talk of a new coach -- then maybe you need to change the front office, too. Of course, that would require Mikey to fire himself, which seems unlikely to say the least.

[Kazkal]

Isen't katie,mikey and marvin preatty much our GM rolled in to one ?;p

Katie handles the contracts marvin and mikey do rest duties.

[ShulaSteakhouse]

Wow, more Mike Brown butt rumping from Hair with nothing to back it up with, but 1 playoff game in 15+ years. Go figure.

I'm waiting for the next thread which annoints all of the Bengals' current FA's as hot commodities that all deserve to be overpaid with new contracts, and if they're not, the Bengal's will be 3-13 next season.

Suprise me folks.

[Stripes]

Wow, more Mike Brown butt rumping from Hair with nothing to back it up with, but 1 playoff game in 15+ years. Go figure.

I'm waiting for the next thread which annoints all of the Bengals' current FA's as hot commodities that all deserve to be overpaid with new contracts, and if they're not, the Bengal's will be 3-13 next season.

Suprise me folks.

Wow, more doom and gloom sarcasm from Shula with nothing to back it up with other than his own Bungled up outlook on everything Bengals.

I'm waiting for the next post which denounces half the Bengals roster as garbage who should be cut immediately and sent to the wayside along with their head coach, and if they do, the Bengals won't be 3-13 next season.

Surprise me, man.

[jditty47]

cincy is a small market team and money has to be pinched somewhere. we do not need a gm with the system that we have in place.

[DC_Bengals_Fan]

cincy is a small market team and money has to be pinched somewhere. we do not need a gm with the system that we have in place.

This ain't baseball, any team that's well run can win. Also, unlike many other teams, Mikey isn't paying off part of a stadium. He also gets his 1/32 of the TV package like every other team. So I'm not buying the poverty argument.

I don't think they should hire a GM so hack reporters have someone to whom they can ask dumb questions. I think they need to beef up the talent evaluation people as a whole so we don't end up with crap like Rucker in the 3rd, and so they can find hidden late-round talent without having to roll the dice with felons. Whether that means hiring a GM, I dunno.

[BengalszoneBilly]

I think they need to beef up the talent evaluation people as a whole so we don't end up with crap like Rucker in the 3rd, and so they can find hidden late-round talent without having to roll the dice with felons. Whether that means hiring a GM, I dunno.

IMHO I think it does. We've been close, but I feel a competent GM to handle such matters will put us consistently into the playoffs, and ultimately the Super Bowl.

[TJJackson]

Anything that in any way lessens Mikey "I'm just as smart as my daddy, really, I am" Brown's role in the organization is a good thing.

A very good thing.

[jjakq27]

A year ago we weren't clamoring for a GM. We need a superstar on defense and the replacement of a few of the defensive coaches. Having a GM isn't going to guarantee that either one will happen.

There will be no practice bubble next to the stadium because it sits on a flood plain of a major North American river. Plus the Bengals aren't going to pay for it. With all of the bitterness about the stadium lease, I don't see Hamilton County ponying up the money for anything else for the Bengals.

[HairOnFire]

Wow, more Mike Brown butt rumping from Hair with nothing to back it up with, but 1 playoff game in 15+ years. Go figure.

Wow, more whining and bitching from a mostly uninformed Bengal fan who can't seem to form an opinion about the present day Bengals without first wallowing in the 15 years worth of built up negativity that defines what being a fan means to him. But I'm sure the next time Kid Steakhouse attends a Bengal game he'll have no trouble finding another Bengal doom and gloomer that he can very closely relate to and perhaps physically tailgate. (Who knew that team spirit so often smelled like anal lube?)

Surprise me? Well, that cuts both ways, right? How about just once Kid Steakhouse reads a thread and then responds to the actual topic. (Powerless GM) No kidding, if you read Steakhouses's response in this thread you'll find that it says nothing about the actual subject matter...which has become his habit. Then again, in order to respond intelligently Steakhouse would have to know actual facts ahead of time instead of relying on other posters to spoon feed him information after the fact.

No matter though. Everyone has their role to play in life and on message boards, and Kid Steakhouse has obviously assumed the role of the ignorant whiner who isn't pleased about anything. In short, a baby crying for constant attention...such as a comforting nipple or a much needed change of diaper.

And who amongst us doesn't love a baby?

[HairOnFire]

With all of the bitterness about the stadium lease, I don't see Hamilton County ponying up the money for anything else for the Bengals.

I thought it was very telling how Todd Portune and company recently admitted that the lease is legal, but one-sided. Thus, their justification for filing lawsuit after lawsuit against the Bengals is based entirely upon how inept were the negotiators for Hamilton County, and the resulting desire for a do-over.

Frankly, life rarely works that way and it's fair to say that it NEVER does in matters of business.

Unhappiness with a lease that was signed after fair negotiations isn't proper justification for filing an endless series of harrassing lawsuits that waste time and money.

[Spor_tees]

I'd have to agree hat I would rather see the money spent on more talent evaluators rather than overpaying a GM to do the same thing. Maybe even bring in another coach or so. At this point we may need 2 WR coaches with the group the Bengals have. Or maybe axe the TE's coach since obviously Marvin doesn't think they are important. Then they should hire a psychologist to handle some of the psyches on the team. Is Dr. Phil available? Maybe they could hire some chaperons for a cheap price to follow all the troubled players around and keep them out of trouble, or when they are about to get into trouble can give Marvin a call and tell him. I'd be willing to do that for $40,000 a year.

The whole point is, as long as Mikey owns the team, there is absolutely no reason to have a GM. BUT, the money he saves by not having one should spent somewhere on the team other than going into his pockets.