Finally Another Owner Confirms Mike Brown's Laziness

[ShulaSteakhouse]

I've always said a lack of true effort is the major problem with Mike Brown and his cohorts/family. It isn't that he isn't "a football guy" or necessarily incompetent, he's just cheap AND lazy. All I've ever asked for is real effort, I can forgive losing or "bad luck" if someone's making a comparable effort to everyone else, to win.

For instance, when you lose 3 starting offensive lineman within a year's time, and have a fragile franchise QB with one winning season going into his 7th year, you don't sit back and rely on scrap heap guys like Kyle Cook, a couple of 4th/5th round draft picks who are rookies or in their 2nd year (who aren't showing much), and an average guy playing out of position to shore it up. You get off your ass and sign some someone solid or make trades, or at least make sure you get your #6 draft pick in on time. All I saw, again, was minimal effort to get better there, despite the ooing and awwwing over signing Tank, Roy and Coles - 2 of which no one else wanted any ways, and the other to make up for the loss of TJ.

2009 Owner Ratings

Yahoo

31. Cincinnati Bengals Mike Brown It's hard to put Brown's philosophy in its proper context, but here's a loaded attempt: He's the 21st century's answer to a Communist Party bigwig in the Soviet Union's heyday -- gaming a system steeped in shared revenues for his own benefit while setting new standards among his peers for brazen laziness. Says one owner: "Anything that's going to force him to do any extra work, he speaks out against it."

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Those who are tired of Mike Brown bashing, use your freedom of choice to ignore. My contention is that he's not just incompetent or cheap, he's just plain lazy - which is even worse in my book.

[TJJackson]

Unsuprising

The guy just flat out sucks except when he's out to steal tax dollars - then, he's a true champion, a thoroughbred, a winner.

[Ickey44]

Do we really need another Mike Brown thread? Everyone here wishes we had a real owner. Why do we keep beating a dead horse?

What's worse is Katie waiting in the wings. If you guys hate Mikey, wait for her to get the team.

[membengal]

I get as tired of it as anyone, but Shula's brought something new to this one. That insight from a fellow owner is interesting. Then again, it's hard to know what to make of it, give that Brown often is the outcast from his fellow owners on issues.

Still, interesting.

They certainly run the front office as minimally as possible. Perhaps it is lazy more than cheap. Not that that's better.

[HairOnFire]

Those who are tired of Mike Brown bashing, use your freedom of choice to ignore. My contention is that he's not just incompetent or cheap, he's just plain lazy - which is even worse in my book.

I think you've made about as much as can be made out of a fairly thin anonymous quote, but why quibble when it's not that different from the things I've been saying for years. In fact, I freely admit to reaching those same conclusions armed with as little ammunition as you.

For just a few examples, consider Hobson's remarks shortly after the Shaun Rogers trade fiasco about how difficult it is to reach anyone within the organization after hours. Or Marshall Faulks remarks made during a game two years ago about the Bengals poor reputation around the NFL not being based upon cheapness or incompetence, but rather...because other teams see the Bengals as a mom and pop shop that strictly adheres to an 8 to 5 schedule...while the rest of the corporate NFL operates on a 24/7 schedule.

All things considered, I may be tired of the Mike Brown bashing but only because I think so much of it badly misses the mark....deliberately. But there's the rub because you can't inflame a fanbase or sell newspapers by writing about when people go home at night.

[Bearcat1975]

I don't think it is laziness.

Mike Brown does not strike me as a lazy person.

Driven, stubborn, family oriented, sure.

But lazy? I just don't see it.

I think Mike Brown gets exactly what he pays for.

[kingwilly]

I don't think it is laziness.

Mike Brown does not strike me as a lazy person.

Driven, stubborn, family oriented, sure.

But lazy? I just don't see it.

I think Mike Brown gets exactly what he pays for.

I think I agree on this take.

I think most lazy people know they should put forth greater effort for greater gain. In some way, they justify their laziness by taking the postion that they are hapy with what they have, so why try harder?

SoP does not strike me as lazy. To me, I think he really believes that his method will work (despite results proving otherwise) and that if he just keeps staying the course, all will be well. That is not lazy, it is prideful ignorance. He simply does not recognize that teams like the Colts, Steelers, Patriots, among others, have found a better way to operate,iving them a greater chance at success.

I don;t think he is complacent, or satisfied with these results, but given his ownership postion and absolute power, there is no reason to take such risks in changing operations to be like the aforementioned modern franchises, when he truly believes he can win as things are.

Prideful Ignorance.

[TJJackson]

What's worse is Katie waiting in the wings. If you guys hate Mikey, wait for her to get the team.

There's no chance she could be worse. The bottom of the barrel is the bottom.

[Ickey44]

What's worse is Katie waiting in the wings. If you guys hate Mikey, wait for her to get the team.

There's no chance she could be worse. The bottom of the barrel is the bottom.

You'd be surprised how deep the rabbit hole is I bet.

[HairOnFire]

It's sorta funny how you guys never agree with me when I bash Mike Brown.

[Jet23]

I would argue that soP would be a solid #32 if not for Al's medical condition, which is he is completely crackers! soP would rather you believe that he is lazy and stupid than the truth, which is he is a greedy skin flint that only cares about the finances of his family. There are other Owners that carry the GM title, but they are trying to protect football decisions. soP only cares about protecting the money.

I would take Al Davis in one second over soP. At least he wants to win, he's just a complete loon. Lazy and stupid....come on. Ask his number one bestest employee (in the whole wide world) how lazy and stupid he is. Give me a freaking break.

[COB]

There's no chance she could be worse. The bottom of the barrel is the bottom.

Matt Millen's broadcasting gig won't last forever, so please don't tempt fate by making statements like this.

[HairOnFire]

Here's a question just begging to be asked.

Will it even be possible for the Brown family to retain financial control of the Bengals once the bald one passes on to his great reward?

[COB]

I would take Al Davis in one second over soP. At least he wants to win, he's just a complete loon.

What does Al want to win? Football games? I see no evidence of that. He wants to win every little personal squabble he gets into, and there are a lot of those.

Kingwilly hit it on the head. Prideful ingorance. Mike really thinks his method will work, and he just stays at it. I can't tell how lazy he is, or anything about his work ethic.

He's actually right about a lot of things - like the slotting system being advantageous only to the labor side of things, like the labor agreement only he voted against, like how he could own the Bengals by paying out huge money for years to the majority owner until the clause kicked in that let him buy the team, etc.

The problem is he's not running some start-up company somewhere. He's trying to be a maverick in a large, established business bureacracy, and that sort of behavior ends up hurting the won-loss column.

So you're right Mike, so what? I had a professor that used to say, "the graveyard is full of people who had the right of way." Sure, Mike has the power to do a lot of the stuff he does, and to run things the way he does. But in the end he just repeatedly steps in front of the moving car.

[COB]

Here's a question just begging to be asked.

Will it even be possible for the Brown family to retain financial control of the Bengals once the bald one passes on to his great reward?

I have a hunch that a lot of the stuff Mike does falls in line with an overall strategy to assure that, if nothing else, the family retains the majority share once Mike goes.

That might ruin a few parties.

[TJJackson]

There's no chance she could be worse. The bottom of the barrel is the bottom.

Matt Millen's broadcasting gig won't last forever, so please don't tempt fate by making statements like this.

Not talking about anyone other than Pumpkin, so Matt Millen does not enter into my statement - nor anyone else

[TJJackson]

when I bash Mike Brown.

I sorta miss(ed) where you bash Mike Brown....I am all but convinced you are on the family payroll, and was just about to ask to be cut in on the moolah

[Baraka]

Here's a question just begging to be asked.

Will it even be possible for the Brown family to retain financial control of the Bengals once the bald one passes on to his great reward?

I have a hunch that a lot of the stuff Mike does falls in line with an overall strategy to assure that, if nothing else, the family retains the majority share once Mike goes.

That might ruin a few parties.

i have no doubt that at this point in his life the focus is accumulating cash. and with the heirs actually intimately involved in the process it goes on to an even higher level. maybe katie et al. don't have any interest in maintaining ownership after mike dies and are simply using the team as a way out, kind of like an atm. ideally, someone with an intention to win would buy the team and not move it. hope springs eternal.

at least pbs isnt his, right? i mean its not, right?

[HairOnFire]

when I bash Mike Brown.

I sorta miss(ed) where you bash Mike Brown....

You always do, but that's on you.

....I am all but convinced you are on the family payroll, and was just about to ask to be cut in on the moolah

Well, I just checked and confirmed you're already on the family payroll. Sadly, you're currently being paid exactly what you're worth.

[HoosierCat]

I get as tired of it as anyone, but Shula's brought something new to this one. That insight from a fellow owner is interesting. Then again, it's hard to know what to make of it, give that Brown often is the outcast from his fellow owners on issues.

Given the context, it sounds to me like said anonymous owner is referring to Brown's unwillingness to bust his a$$ on the marketing side of the business and drive revenue. My guess is that most owners see Brown as a moocher, living off shared revenues while not contributing to the pot and complaining every time he's asked to do something like sell stadium naming rights. Certainly that's the impression I get every time Jerry Jones opens his mouth about Mikey.

[DC_Bengals_Fan]

Given the context, it sounds to me like said anonymous owner is referring to Brown's unwillingness to bust his a$$ on the marketing side of the business and drive revenue. My guess is that most owners see Brown as a moocher, living off shared revenues while not contributing to the pot and complaining every time he's asked to do something like sell stadium naming rights. Certainly that's the impression I get every time Jerry Jones opens his mouth about Mikey.

You're right, that sounds like Jerry. Now, here's one I can kinda sorta see Mikey on - if it was *my dad* whose name was on that stadium, and he was a football legend, and he was the guy who founded the franchise, his name stays on the stadium. Period. I have no problem with that. Jerry Jones' dad was probably some redneck goober from Arkansas who never did crap (no, I'm not looking it up). His name doesn't go on the stadium.

Another thing where I can see why Mikey does what he does, even if I wouldn't do it, even if it's self-defeating long term: the lotteries and such. He *doesn't* oppose those because he's lazy. He opposes them because they're a variable income that's worth more in large markets, while the TOTAL league lottery revenue counts towards the revenue pool that's used to calculate the players' 60% revenue share. Since lottery naming rights will be worth a lot less in Cinci than (say) New York and Massachussets, it is highly likely that 60% of the average lottery deal (the corresponding increase in salary cap due to the lotteries) will be more than what Mikey can get for Bengals lottery rights in Ohio. So the lottery move costs Mike money. In effect, *any* non-shared revenue that counts against the cap will probably cost Mikey money.

Now, that said, I think the man needs to pick his battles. With something like the lottery issue, that's going to go through anyway. By opposing it you just sound like an obstructionist (as he's referred to in the interview) that other owners learn to ignore. It will also make him seem like he doesn't want to make money (as you allude to). That's what Mike does - he makes the decision that's in his best interest on the narrow issue at hand while ignoring the big picture. Still, I don't think his opposition to new revenue streams is about laziness, it's because they'll literally cost him money.

Now, the whole 8-5 working environment is definitely laziness. I imagine your average GM (which Mikey is, like it or not) works 14 hour days or so. Our GM probably doesn't do that. Now, don't even get me started on how dumb it is to skimp on medical care and player evaluation when you're spending $100M per year on player salaries. I think there are enough dumb things that Mikey does, it sort of detracts from core issues when he gets blamed for things that aren't his fault, or when he has legitimate reasons (however myopic) for doing things he does.

[Jet23]

I would take Al Davis in one second over soP. At least he wants to win, he's just a complete loon.

What does Al want to win? Football games? I see no evidence of that. He wants to win every little personal squabble he gets into, and there are a lot of those.

Kingwilly hit it on the head. Prideful ingorance. Mike really thinks his method will work, and he just stays at it. I can't tell how lazy he is, or anything about his work ethic.

He's actually right about a lot of things - like the slotting system being advantageous only to the labor side of things, like the labor agreement only he voted against, like how he could own the Bengals by paying out huge money for years to the majority owner until the clause kicked in that let him buy the team, etc.

The problem is he's not running some start-up company somewhere. He's trying to be a maverick in a large, established business bureacracy, and that sort of behavior ends up hurting the won-loss column.

So you're right Mike, so what? I had a professor that used to say, "the graveyard is full of people who had the right of way." Sure, Mike has the power to do a lot of the stuff he does, and to run things the way he does. But in the end he just repeatedly steps in front of the moving car.

He's not lazy, he's not stupid and he's not a maverick. He's not even an Ice Man, a Goose or a Hollywood. Rather, he is an insanely successful business man. Lazy and stupid does not land you the most lucrative stadium deal in the history of professional sports, for the mere cost of exactly one salary. Lazy and stupid does not give you an 11,900% return on your Father's investment. If my last name was Brown or Blackburn, I would thank soP every day for the fact that my great, great, great, great, great, great grandchildren will be attending an Ivy League school. It just doesn't work out so well for us Bengal fans.

[gregstephens]

I would take Al Davis in one second over soP. At least he wants to win, he's just a complete loon.

What does Al want to win? Football games? I see no evidence of that. He wants to win every little personal squabble he gets into, and there are a lot of those.

Kingwilly hit it on the head. Prideful ingorance. Mike really thinks his method will work, and he just stays at it. I can't tell how lazy he is, or anything about his work ethic.

He's actually right about a lot of things - like the slotting system being advantageous only to the labor side of things, like the labor agreement only he voted against, like how he could own the Bengals by paying out huge money for years to the majority owner until the clause kicked in that let him buy the team, etc.

The problem is he's not running some start-up company somewhere. He's trying to be a maverick in a large, established business bureacracy, and that sort of behavior ends up hurting the won-loss column.

So you're right Mike, so what? I had a professor that used to say, "the graveyard is full of people who had the right of way." Sure, Mike has the power to do a lot of the stuff he does, and to run things the way he does. But in the end he just repeatedly steps in front of the moving car.

He's not lazy, he's not stupid and he's not a maverick. He's not even an Ice Man, a Goose or a Hollywood. Rather, he is an insanely successful business man. Lazy and stupid does not land you the most lucrative stadium deal in the history of professional sports, for the mere cost of exactly one salary. Lazy and stupid does not give you an 11,900% return on your Father's investment. If my last name was Brown or Blackburn, I would thank soP every day for the fact that my great, great, great, great, great, great grandchildren will be attending an Ivy League school. It just doesn't work out so well for us Bengal fans.

I think you give SoP a little too much credit. He's built everything off of what his dad started. Yeah, I'll concede he's been smart enough to not blow it all. He's operated the franchise on the cheap for years, absorbing the benefits of the shared revenue income, and blackmailing the fans to support a new stadium and come to games by threatening to leave town. Didn't hurt he had a certain then-county commissioner-turned Bengal employee in his pocket as to the stadium deal.

I personally think it's more a matter of looking up the word 'luck' in the dictionary and seeing his little ugly mug next to it.

[TJJackson]

With the sweetheart NFL revenue-sharing deal, even Joe Wrong and a staff of potty-trained monkeys could run this business profitably.

In essence, his profit is largely determined by the effort made by the league office and the other 31 teams.

[Jet23]

He's the one that conviced the Hamilton County Sheepherders to open their wallets on the off chance that he would actually change. Well, he did have quite an assist from his bestest employee (in the whole wide world).

Hamilton County will continue to crumble around him and he will never lift a finger (well, maybe one finger) to help them. Mike Brown is a lot of things, but he certainly is not stupid.