Interview with Mike Brown

[HoosierCat]

http://www.voiceamerica.com/show/1989/a-current-life

[Stripes]

I thoroughly enjoyed listening through the whole of that. I encourage everyone else to listen, at least in part, if y'all find the time. It's a great look at Mike's history, his role in the team's existence and structure, and his mindset regarding present controversy (thankfully only addressed minimally though, it was not a focus).

Thanks for the link, Hoosier.

[skyline]

Any chance you can give some of the highlights?

[Dimster28]

I thoroughly enjoyed listening through the whole of that. I encourage everyone else to listen, at least in part, if y'all find the time. It's a great look at Mike's history, his role in the team's existence and structure, and his mindset regarding present controversy (thankfully only addressed minimally though, it was not a focus).

Thanks for the link, Hoosier.

too bad u will never be able to encourage me to listen, simply because i am deaf

[HoosierCat]

Any chance you can give some of the highlights?

It's kind of a rambling conversation. The host is clearly a long-time friend and alludes to being an agent. They start off by talking about Brown's childhood and just move forward through time. Mike talks about his childhood and how the family was constantly on the move as Paul went from one coaching gig to another, how his mom was the rock of the family, and how his dad would not let him go into coaching even though he loved football because Paul wanted his son to have a better life, so he sent him to law school.

Mike mentions he wasn't a very good QB at Dartmouth and considers himself lucky he got to play. Notes that his dad never saw any of his games because he was obviously coaching at the same time.

He talked a little about the founding of the Bengals, how it was at a disadvantage vs. the rest of the league because of the expansion rules that time around and how in a nod to Cincy's German heritage the team was almost named the Rhinos. (Rhine, get it?) The name was nixed when it was pointed out that rhinos were seen as big, fat and slow.

Mike was asked his most and least favorite parts of his job. Most favorite was watching practice, least favorite was listening to all us idiots spouting off on things they have no idea about.

They talked a little bit about Chris Henry. Mike said Henry was a good kid and that all the stuff in the media was way overblown ("you would have thought he was John Dillinger"). Talked a bit about how the Bengals try to help these kids grow up and how he cuts them slack because he was young and dumb once too.

It's a total fluff interview but Mike comes off as a pretty nice guy.

[TJJackson]

Mike was asked his most and least favorite parts of his job. Most favorite was watching practice, least favorite was listening to all us idiots spouting off on things they have no idea about.

The fans are aware that he views us all as idiots - despite being the biggest idiot of them all when it comes to football matters - and this is no small part of why he is near universally despised by the fanbase

[derekshank]

Mike comes off as a pretty nice guy.

There is no doubt in my mind that he is a nice guy.

In fact, I would say that the vast majority of the mistakes he has made has been because he is a nice guy who is loyal to a fault.

The fans are aware that he views us all as idiots

In fairness to him... most fans are idiots.

[BengalszoneBilly]

Mike comes off as a pretty nice guy.

There is no doubt in my mind that he is a nice guy.

In fact, I would say that the vast majority of the mistakes he has made has been because he is a nice guy who is loyal to a fault.

The fans are aware that he views us all as idiots

In fairness to him... most fans are idiots.

In fairness to fan we fans, his handling of the team during his first 15 or so years in charge can induce idiocy. Calling his career record dismal would be putting it nicely. He seems to be getting things in order now, but I've never seen a longer learning curve in my life.

[derekshank]

The fans are aware that he views us all as idiots

In fairness to him... most fans are idiots.

In fairness to fans, his handling of the team during his first 15 or so years in charge can induce idiocy.

Just for the sake of clarity... I wasn't talking specifically about Bengal fans.

Read the comments on any messageboard for any team, or better yet, over at PFT, and you'll see that the vast majority of vocal opinions are lunacy.

Right now, as we speak, there are Broncos fans who want John Elway's head on a platter because he has been critical of Tim Tebow. I'm sure every front office views the "fans" as a group of stark raving idiots. And it's not wrong to view them that way, because that is more often than not how fans represent themselves.

So, with that in mind... why would any front office make any decision based on what the fanbase thinks?

[BengalszoneBilly]

So, with that in mind... why would any front office make any decision based on what the fanbase thinks?

I feel the Bengals front office offered the recent ticket promotion based on this very thing. I also feel it was a factor in why Tebow is starting at QB in Denver right now. Granted, it doesn't work often, but it does happen.

[TJJackson]

In fairness to him... most fans are idiots.

In fairness to you....no one wants to be called or thought of as an idiot, even if it is pure and simple truth; and further still, no one wants to give their hard earned money to a person who thinks of and/or calls them an idiot

[HoosierCat]

Just to be clear, "idiot" was my word, not Mike's. And he was not speaking of fans in general, but of those who criticize without the experience or knowledge of what's actually going on inside the team.

An analogy might be a doctor being criticized by some guy who read some medical sites on the internet.

I don't think Mike's reaction is unfair. I think most of us, if questioned in our area of expertise by someone who clearly had less or no training/experience in our field, would probably have a less-than-charitable reaction.

What was disappointing to me about his answer to the favorite/least favorite question was that you would think he answers would be something along the lines of "winning" and "losing." Instead, Mike's answers are "practice" and "criticism." And Brown has long been criticized as being satisfied with a "competitive" team. That his favorite thing is "practice" does nothing to dispel that particular allegation.

[derekshank]

no one wants to be called or thought of as an idiot

As Hoosier said, it's pretty natural to think harsh critics who have no experience or expertise are ignorant.

As fans who do nothing but observe... we're kind of in one of those "better to be silent and thought a fool" situations.

[derekshank]

I feel the Bengals front office offered the recent ticket promotion based on this very thing. I also feel it was a factor in why Tebow is starting at QB in Denver right now. Granted, it doesn't work often, but it does happen.

The ticket promotion is more or less a marketing issue. And any time marketing is involved, the opinion of the fans must be considered.

But when it comes to the product on the field, and personell decisions, I'd be disappointed if I thought our front office was listening to fan outcry. Most fans are short sighted and want instant gratification. They want the team to be run like the Yankees... and if the Redskins are any indication, that business model doesn't work in the NFL.

[BengalszoneBilly]

Most fans are short sighted and want instant gratification. They want the team to be run like the Yankees... and if the Redskins are any indication, that business model doesn't work in the NFL.

Won't argue that.

[Arkansas Bengal]

Just to be clear, "idiot" was my word, not Mike's. And he was not speaking of fans in general, but of those who criticize without the experience or knowledge of what's actually going on inside the team.

An analogy might be a doctor being criticized by some guy who read some medical sites on the internet.

I don't think Mike's reaction is unfair. I think most of us, if questioned in our area of expertise by someone who clearly had less or no training/experience in our field, would probably have a less-than-charitable reaction.

What was disappointing to me about his answer to the favorite/least favorite question was that you would think he answers would be something along the lines of "winning" and "losing." Instead, Mike's answers are "practice" and "criticism." And Brown has long been criticized as being satisfied with a "competitive" team. That his favorite thing is "practice" does nothing to dispel that particular allegation.

Using that same medical analogy, Mike Brown would have a track record of killing several of his patients over the past 20 years...

[Stripes]

What was disappointing to me about his answer to the favorite/least favorite question was that you would think he answers would be something along the lines of "winning" and "losing." Instead, Mike's answers are "practice" and "criticism." And Brown has long been criticized as being satisfied with a "competitive" team. That his favorite thing is "practice" does nothing to dispel that particular allegation.

I honestly think he was just trying to produce a relevant answer without spending too much interview time mulling over it. He spat out the first "positive" thing about his job that came to mind. It was an extremely vague question.

[derekshank]

What was disappointing to me about his answer to the favorite/least favorite question was that you would think he answers would be something along the lines of "winning" and "losing." Instead, Mike's answers are "practice" and "criticism." And Brown has long been criticized as being satisfied with a "competitive" team. That his favorite thing is "practice" does nothing to dispel that particular allegation.

Wouldn't that go hand in hand with the feeling that the critics don't know what they're talking about?

He cares about winning... and probably feels like anyone who would question that desire doesn't deserve a response.

[HoosierCat]

He cares about winning... and probably feels like anyone who would question that desire doesn't deserve a response.

I'm sure he does. Practice being his favorite thing and caring about winning aren't mutually exclusive. And I'm sure Mike was being honest. It just struck me as...odd. Can you see Jerry Jones saying his favorite thing is practice? Or would you expect him to say something like "hoisting Lombardi trophies"?

FWIW I think Mike Brown primarily enjoys the team. Winning and losing is part of that...but it's only a little piece of the football world for people on the inside. Their job is football, so there are meetings and practices and plane trips and group events and on and on. It's the difference between, say, working for Campbell Soup and buying a can of Campbell soup. If I work there, there are a lot of things other than whether the soup is good that occupy my time. If I'm buying a can of Campbell soup, though, that's all I really care about.

To a great extent, Mike Brown and the fans are talking past one another.