God bless Mike Brown

[walzav29]

He gets alot of crap for his GM skills and maybe deservedly so. But, 99.9 % of the Nation. Including us fans (me included), Marvin Lewis, every sports outlet in America. We all piled on Mike Brown for giving Chris Henry another chance, and because of that chance we got to look at Chris Henry in a different light. If this happend and Mike Brown didn't give him that chance we would just have said, "No surprise". It's a shame, but he seemed to turn his life around at the end. So when guys make mistakes and someone gives them a chance to turn their life around maybe we shouldn't be so quick to judge. The fact that Mike Brown looked at Chris as a person and not just a commodity should be commended. Rest in Peace Chris Henry and I pray for your children.

[Pidge]

Nice sentiment. Gotta say, I was one of the heartless saying no to the move. It seems like Slim was a well liked member of the team by most. Thankfully Mike Brown knew him personally, and not just from articles and soundbites.

[Pidge]

I know Mike is considered cheap, not arguing for or against that sentiment, but I wouldn't be surprised to learn in the future that he's done something help his children out in some capacity.

[Ickey44]

I know Mike is considered cheap, not arguing for or against that sentiment, but I wouldn't be surprised to learn in the future that he's done something help his children out in some capacity.

I'm sure he will. He considers this team a family business and Slim was a member of the family. His fiancee and kids will be taken care of.

[skyline]

Yeah, good post.

I know you can't really dwell on things like this since it'll drive you crazy, but just imagine how different things might be had he not suffered that stupid forearm injury. Something like this may have happened eventually, anyway...who knows. But I'd think there's a chance he may have been in town working with the team instead of out where he was.

Anyway, hats off to Mike Brown for giving him a shot. I'm glad he did.

[Ickey44]

I know you can't really dwell on things like this since it'll drive you crazy, but just imagine how different things might be had he not suffered that stupid forearm injury. Something like this may have happened eventually, anyway...who knows. But I'd think there's a chance he may have been in town working with the team instead of out where he was.

I was thinking the same thing just a few minutes ago...

[jonf45uk]

and after all the talk of standings/ useless offence etc in the last few weeks, it all pales into insignificance really

[COB]

We all mock Mike for being the redeemer, but we don't know these guys as human beings. Mike did a good thing for Chris Henry and by all accounts Chris really appreciated it.

[101Airborne]

The criticisms of Mike Brown, even when hyperbolic, are only meant to be critical in the light of football. I think we all understand that when we talk bad about players, coaches, owners ect. we are specifically talking about them with regard to the franchise and not at all intending to be offensive to them as people. There are guys we "hate" for their failures on the field, who are probably stand up guys who would be your best friend if you knew them. But that's it, it's football talk and outside of football they are people just like us. I dog Mike for his decisions regarding the team, but I respect his dedication to the people. I think we all do.

[NYBengalfan]

Personally thanks to Mike Brown for giving him another chance. everybody makes mistakes. mike brown did the right thing by giving him another chance. he would have been a star, now he is our star above Paul brown stadium watching over our bengals.I just hope that he is in a happy place. REST IN PEACE #15

[kingwilly]

I am a pretty big critic of SoP. I was against bringing Chris back. I think this whole tragedy has helped me see a part of this game I tend to ignore, the human side of it.

For background, I spent the better part of the 90's as a professional athlete in a sport that gets little attention here in the US. I lived my sport. I saw the business side of it, from the inside, and ended up on both sides of the employment decision making process, hiring and firing. From this, my view of bringing Chris back seemed like a huge waste of time and money. I generally ignored the human side of it, as I enjoyed many things I have come to understand Chris lacked very much; strong family, strong role models, access to an elite education and mentors who helped form me from a boy into a man. These are things i previously had taken for granted.

To SoP, Chris needed more than a job, he needed a purpose. SoP has the authority, power and money to make the kind of effort needed to give guys like Chris chance after chance, where most wouldn't, in an effort to help Chris find purpose, and ultimately mature, grow and learn how to be a responsible man. It showed, through this process with Chris, that SoP is more than the butt of our jokes, and really can and does make a difference in the lives of those who end up in the Brown family. It is this part of SoP where he can be little criticized and where his efforts transcend and overcome much of his shortcoming in areas where we all beat him up.

Chris Henry got those extra chances and support, in a concentrated and focused way, much like so many of us experience over a decade or more growing up. SoP is the one who made the investment first in Chris Henry the man, father and family member, and then in him as an employee, player and teammate. In the wake of this tragedy, I hold far more respect for SoP and his willingness to make this effort. From a human standpoint, the world needs more of what Mike Brown is selling.

[HoosierCat]

To SoP, Chris needed more than a job, he needed a purpose. SoP has the authority, power and money to make the kind of effort needed to give guys like Chris chance after chance, where most wouldn't, in an effort to help Chris find purpose, and ultimately mature, grow and learn how to be a responsible man. It showed, through this process with Chris, that SoP is more than the butt of our jokes, and really can and does make a difference in the lives of those who end up in the Brown family. It is this part of SoP where he can be little criticized and where his efforts transcend and overcome much of his shortcoming in areas where we all beat him up.

Agreed. Completely. I think Brown takes to many chances, and it drives me crazy as a fan of the team, but I never thought it was because of some plot to wring maximum profits out of a "competitive" team. His father didn't give a damn about "off-field" issues, either. Of course, that was a different era, but that's the era Mike grew up in. I didn't like when he brought Henry back, but I understood why he did it. Mike is a throwback to a bygone era. In may ways, that stinks...but it's not without its virtues, either. Which only makes Henry's death tougher to swallow. No other team in the league would have given him this chance, and he was, by all reports, making the most of it. Damn, damn, damn...