CONFIRMED: Brat Fired

[HoosierCat]

OK, so I think we have a concensus that the team has decided that with the impending lockout, they don't want to install a new offense. With that in mind, would you go for a rearranging of the deck chairs? Would you like to see Zampese given the OC keys to run the same offense with his own tweaks or would another year of Brat be preferable with Childress looking over his shoulder?

Given our options, I still want Brat gone.

I think that if you're going to adopt continuity as your strategy in this, the Year of the CBA, then you might as well go whole hog. So you keep Brat and focus on addition-by-subtraction on the field. More Dunlap, Atkins, Simpson and Caldwell, less TO, Chad, Tank and Odom. You look to the draft for a new bell cow back, secondary help and reinforcements for the o-line.

FWIW, I believe this is basically what they are doing. All the talk about possible changes, dinner with Chilly, in-depth reviews, blah blah blah is just so much noise. IF something changes soon enough with the CBA, then MAYBE they make some moves.

[DC_Bengals_Fan]

FWIW, I believe this is basically what they are doing. All the talk about possible changes, dinner with Chilly, in-depth reviews, blah blah blah is just so much noise. IF something changes soon enough with the CBA, then MAYBE they make some moves.

Well, it would certainly fit Mike Brown's MO of never paying two people to do the same job, with Brat signed through 2011 (I believe?). If that's the case, here's some more speculation, since it's January and I have little else to live for:

Marvin doesn't seem like the kind of guy to have dinner with other guys for no reason. Further, if I was going to have dinner with somebody, Chilly is way down the list. Seems to have the personality of a pile of pigeon crap. And I don't know of Marvin and Chilly having any prior connection, though I'd be interested in learning otherwise. So there's gotta be something going on there, even if it's not about this year's job.

What if Marvin came back with the promise that he has to keep the band together for 1 year due to the CBA and Mikey's cheapness but made Chilly an interesting offer as follows:

(Marvin) Hey Chilly - come on as a consultant for 2011 [as Thornton says], take Zygi's money so it's free for Mike Brown, then I give you the OC job in 2012. Unless, of course, you get a HC offer [when hell freezes over].

No evidence, obviously, but if makes more sense than anything else. Unless Marvin wanted to have dinner with the one coach whose life probably sucks worse than his does right now.

[Sea Ray]

Interesting that Marvin decided to do this at a Ruby restaurant...that's hardly the Area 51 of Cincinnati. To the contrary it's the most visible and predictable place(s) for local sports figures to dine.

[Kazkal]

Chilly is perfect for Mike Browns cheapness because Vikings still have to pay his tab.

[jjakq27]

And I don't know of Marvin and Chilly having any prior connection, though I'd be interested in learning otherwise. So there's gotta be something going on there, even if it's not about this year's job.

They were both part of the USO/NFL tour last summer to Afghanistan. I don't think they have ever been on the same staff though.

One of the article mentions that he is friends with Mike Zimmer and knew Zimmer's dad too.

[ArmyBengal]

Back to the Space Monkey considerations...

I will conceded that the space monkeys from mainly the 50's have passed away, but it has been noted that these great (and as Hair put it, "delicious") space monkeys have indeed reproduced. So we could get the children of former great Space Monkey's and still be in this thing.

Then again, children of former greats haven't really worked out for the Bengals to this point has it ??

Are the children equally delicious ?? Hmmmmm...

On the serious, Chilly isn't the worst thing that could happen to this offense.

Not the best either, but change in almost any form wouldn't hurt...

[volcom69]

Well i guess this wont happen before the senior bowl, which i find very stupid. So i think the chances of him coming here are pretty bad now, if the browns go after him. Why would they wait so long, or even wait till after the senior bowl if they were going to fire Brat, you would think they would have done it by now.

[COB]

Well i guess this wont happen before the senior bowl, which i find very stupid. So i think the chances of him coming here are pretty bad now, if the browns go after him. Why would they wait so long, or even wait till after the senior bowl if they were going to fire Brat, you would think they would have done it by now.

Agreed. It looks like Brat survived.

Depression sets in.

[BengalszoneBilly]

Well i guess this wont happen before the senior bowl, which i find very stupid. So i think the chances of him coming here are pretty bad now, if the browns go after him. Why would they wait so long, or even wait till after the senior bowl if they were going to fire Brat, you would think they would have done it by now.

It ain't happening! The staff we have is the staff we will have whenever the NFL starts up again. (I'm not getting my hopes real high on the 2011 season.) If any fan here is looking for substantial change anywhere on this team, well wish in one hand and s**t in the other and see which one fills up first.

Never gonna happen.

[Kazkal]

Well i guess this wont happen before the senior bowl, which i find very stupid. So i think the chances of him coming here are pretty bad now, if the browns go after him. Why would they wait so long, or even wait till after the senior bowl if they were going to fire Brat, you would think they would have done it by now.

It ain't happening! The staff we have is the staff we will have whenever the NFL starts up again. (I'm not getting my hopes real high on the 2011 season.) If any fan here is looking for substantial change anywhere on this team, well wish in one hand and s**t in the other and see which one fills up first.

Never gonna happen.

Ya not much hope for next season even if we have a winning record it's because we have a easy scheadule.

[BengalszoneBilly]

Well i guess this wont happen before the senior bowl, which i find very stupid. So i think the chances of him coming here are pretty bad now, if the browns go after him. Why would they wait so long, or even wait till after the senior bowl if they were going to fire Brat, you would think they would have done it by now.

It ain't happening! The staff we have is the staff we will have whenever the NFL starts up again. (I'm not getting my hopes real high on the 2011 season.) If any fan here is looking for substantial change anywhere on this team, well wish in one hand and s**t in the other and see which one fills up first.

Never gonna happen.

Ya not much hope for next season even if we have a winning record it's because we have a easy scheadule.

I never said there was no hope, just no changes in players and coaches if there is a season at all.

[Kazkal]

Well i guess this wont happen before the senior bowl, which i find very stupid. So i think the chances of him coming here are pretty bad now, if the browns go after him. Why would they wait so long, or even wait till after the senior bowl if they were going to fire Brat, you would think they would have done it by now.

It ain't happening! The staff we have is the staff we will have whenever the NFL starts up again. (I'm not getting my hopes real high on the 2011 season.) If any fan here is looking for substantial change anywhere on this team, well wish in one hand and s**t in the other and see which one fills up first.

Never gonna happen.

Just saying I dont have much hope :| because even if we somehow squeeked in to playoffs just seeing it being another one and done ....

I've become a chicken little ><

Ya not much hope for next season even if we have a winning record it's because we have a easy scheadule.

I never said there was no hope, just no changes in players and coaches if there is a season at all.

[jjakq27]

Back to the Space Monkey considerations...

I will conceded that the space monkeys from mainly the 50's have passed away, but it has been noted that these great (and as Hair put it, "delicious") space monkeys have indeed reproduced. So we could get the children of former great Space Monkey's and still be in this thing.

What about Sea Monkeys? Do they still make those?

[BengalszoneBilly]

Back to the Space Monkey considerations...

I will conceded that the space monkeys from mainly the 50's have passed away, but it has been noted that these great (and as Hair put it, "delicious") space monkeys have indeed reproduced. So we could get the children of former great Space Monkey's and still be in this thing.

What about Sea Monkeys? Do they still make those?

They're brine shrimp. Still food for many fresh water aquarium fish.

[DC_Bengals_Fan]

And I don't know of Marvin and Chilly having any prior connection, though I'd be interested in learning otherwise. So there's gotta be something going on there, even if it's not about this year's job.

They were both part of the USO/NFL tour last summer to Afghanistan. I don't think they have ever been on the same staff though.

One of the article mentions that he is friends with Mike Zimmer and knew Zimmer's dad too.

Ah, good call, I forgot that trip to Afghanistan.

It does make one wonder why he's in Cincinnati, though. While it's a lovely city, not so much in January.

[ShulaSteakhouse]

http://www.allproblo...1/chilly-rumor/

Thornton says.....

Since everyone is getting worked up over this Brad Childress eating dinner with Marvin Lewis rumor, I thought I'd give my two cents on it. I asked someone from the Bengals their thoughts and they said it was the first they heard about it. So if they didn't hear, Marvin could be just getting ideas from Chilly. Or my peeps could just be keeping quiet. But given the loyalty that the Bengals show their employees, I doubt Brat would get fired at this point. Why take him to Senior Bowl, make him coach, then fire him? If Chilly came in, I see him as a offensive consultant, kinda like Tom Moore is in Indy. Childress is still getting paid for the next few years by the Vikings, he signed a big extension last season. So coming to Cincy would have to be a good situation for him, stepping stone for next job.

Thorton has been wrong so many times, he said Marvin wouldnt be back..........well Marvin is still here. So much of what Thorton says i just dont believe. He may be right this time, but ill just wait and see before i believe him

I find Thorton to be highly non-enlightening and cliche. For a former player, he never offers anything more than what I already know or could guess at, he's just as bland and uninformative on the radio.

[jjakq27]

Back to the Space Monkey considerations...

I will conceded that the space monkeys from mainly the 50's have passed away, but it has been noted that these great (and as Hair put it, "delicious") space monkeys have indeed reproduced. So we could get the children of former great Space Monkey's and still be in this thing.

What about Sea Monkeys? Do they still make those?

They're brine shrimp. Still food for many fresh water aquarium fish.

Thanks Bill. No wonder my mom would never let me buy them. I never really knew what they were but remember the ads on the back of comic books when I was a kid.

[volcom69]

I wonder if they would fire Brat at senior bowl LOL LOL LOL!!!!!!

[jjakq27]

http://bengals.enqui...engals_tap.html

Happy Anniversary Brat. From 2001....

Bob Bratkowski, hired Wednesday as the Bengals' offensive coordinator, is being counted on to revive the team's NFL-worst passing game. Most impressive on Bratkowski's resume is the No.1 ranking achieved by Seattle's pass offense in 1997 when he was the Seahawks' coordinator.

Cincinnati's pass offense averaged only 122 yards a game last season, and franchise quarterback Akili Smith lost his job after 10 games and compiled the worst passer rating (52.8) of any regular NFL starter.

Bratkowski was Seattle's offensive coordinator for four seasons before coaching the Steelers' receivers for the past two. Reviving Smith's career clearly is a priority.

"It has to be determined where he is, where his head's at right now," Bratkowski said Wednesday night from his Pittsburgh home. "But everything goes hand in hand. A quarterback has to have help from his tight ends and receivers. It helps to have a solid running game, so the quarterback doesn't have to do everything on every snap."

[volcom69]

Well i guess Childress isnt coming here either, what a joke. Nothing will ever change!!!!

[jjakq27]

Well i guess Childress isnt coming here either, what a joke. Nothing will ever change!!!!

Did we ever really want Childress? I know I didn't.

[jjakq27]

This little snippet from the general manager of the team about bringing the Chilly-man here......
/>http://cincinnati.com/blogs/bengals/2011/01/24/mike-brown-on-palmer-we-arent-looking-for-offers/

One other thing that Brown did say is that he didn’t expect Brad Childress to be coming to Cincinnati. The former Vikings head coach had dinner with Marvin Lewis on Thursday and met with Brown on Friday. “I think that he has other plans than us,” Brown said.

[volcom69]

This little snippet from the general manager of the team about bringing the Chilly-man here......
/>http://cincinnati.com/blogs/bengals/2011/01/24/mike-brown-on-palmer-we-arent-looking-for-offers/

One other thing that Brown did say is that he didn’t expect Brad Childress to be coming to Cincinnati. The former Vikings head coach had dinner with Marvin Lewis on Thursday and met with Brown on Friday. “I think that he has other plans than us,” Brown said.

One thing in the article i found interesting is when he said that maybe there are things they can do that will appeal Carson??? What does that mean they will do whatever it takes to keep Carson here, like hire a new coaching staff lol.

I wonder though if he dosnt want to be here, because he dosnt like Marvin anymore

[HoosierCat]

Well i guess Childress isnt coming here either, what a joke. Nothing will ever change!!!!

Did we ever really want Childress? I know I didn't.

Given the post-season timeline that's emerged in the wake of Carson's "trade me" campaign, I've begun to suspect that the dalliance with Chilly was intended to sooth Carson.

If reports are accurate, Carson met with mike early last week to ask for a trade. This would be after all the no-changes piled up: Marvin back, Brat still here, Chad coming back, etc. While Palmer gets denied by The Boss, his request causes enough concern that Marvin gets the OK to talk to Childress. Probably not to replace Brat, at least immediately, but maybe about coming on board in a consulting role.

This would help explain why the Marvin/Chilly dinner was so strangely public -- to ensure that word would get to Palmer without making it seem like they were giving in to him in any way.

Either Chilly wasn't interested or Carson wasn't impressed, because Camp Palmer went ahead and launched its campaign. Either way, no Chilly.

So no, in hindsight I don't think the front office was very interested in Chilly. He may have just been caught up in a budding battle between ownership and the franchise QB.

[jjakq27]

Well i guess Childress isnt coming here either, what a joke. Nothing will ever change!!!!

Did we ever really want Childress? I know I didn't.

Given the post-season timeline that's emerged in the wake of Carson's "trade me" campaign, I've begun to suspect that the dalliance with Chilly was intended to sooth Carson.

If reports are accurate, Carson met with mike early last week to ask for a trade. This would be after all the no-changes piled up: Marvin back, Brat still here, Chad coming back, etc. While Palmer gets denied by The Boss, his request causes enough concern that Marvin gets the OK to talk to Childress. Probably not to replace Brat, at least immediately, but maybe about coming on board in a consulting role.

This would help explain why the Marvin/Chilly dinner was so strangely public -- to ensure that word would get to Palmer without making it seem like they were giving in to him in any way.

Either Chilly wasn't interested or Carson wasn't impressed, because Camp Palmer went ahead and launched its campaign. Either way, no Chilly.

So no, in hindsight I don't think the front office was very interested in Chilly. He may have just been caught up in a budding battle between ownership and the franchise QB.

To go along with your timeline, late last week Marvin made some reference to Carson being the focus of the team, etc. This would have been after this supposed meeting between Carson and MB. Based on the events of the last month and last week, you are right. After seeing these feeble attempts at "doing something", Carson's camp dutifully leaked the trade request. And who said agents only use the media and experts to promote just college guys?