What's Black & Orange & Liberal All Over?

[HoosierCat]

Why...The New York Times, of course...

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/02/sports/f.../02bengals.html

There's No Shame in Being a Bengal Anymore

By CLIFTON BROWN

Published: October 2, 2005

CINCINNATI, Sept. 28 - The Bengals have a new problem: how to handle success.

Since the 1990 season, the Bengals have been the N.F.L.'s most futile franchise, with no playoff appearances and no seasons above .500. How bad were the Bengals, sometimes referred to as the Bungles? When Marvin Lewis was looking to become a head coach three years ago, one of his friends warned him to avoid Cincinnati.

"The colleague shall remain nameless, but he told me, 'If you're not careful, you're going to wind up coaching the Cincinnati Bengals,' " said Lewis, laughing in his office Wednesday.

Lewis was not scared away. He took the Cincinnati job, and the Bengals have taken off. Cincinnati (3-0) is one

of only four unbeaten N.F.L. teams heading into Sunday's home game against the Houston Texans, joining Indianapolis (3-0), Tampa Bay (3-0) and Washington (2-0).

Their blossoming young quarterback, Carson Palmer, leads the American Football Conference with eight touchdown passes. Their extroverted wide receiver, Chad Johnson, leads the league in creative end-zone celebrations. The offense leads the league in time of possession. And their opportunistic defense, molded by Lewis, leads the league with 16 takeaways, including 12 interceptions.

The energy in the Bengals' locker room starts with Lewis, an intense 47-year-old football fanatic who was a successful assistant for 11 years with Pittsburgh, Baltimore and Washington.

Lewis thought for sure he would become a head coach after the 2000 season, when as defensive coordinator for the Baltimore Ravens, he orchestrated the dominant unit that led the Ravens to a 34-7 victory over the Giants in Super Bowl XXXV. Those Ravens set the league record for fewest points allowed in a 16-game season (165), and Lewis was a hot commodity.

But none of the 10 N.F.L. head-coaching jobs that became available after that season went to Lewis. Was it because he lacked head-coaching experience? Were some teams hesitant to hire an African-American head coach? Was he stereotyped as a defensive guru who would be too conservative offensively?

Lewis no longer worries about it, and after back-to-back 8-8 seasons in Cincinnati, his team appears ready to make a playoff run. From the moment the Bengals' president, Mike Brown, selected Lewis to replace Dick LeBeau after a 2-14 season, players sensed that being a Bengal was about to feel different.

"When Marvin came, it shocked the team," said the starting offensive tackle Willie Anderson, who has been with the Bengals since 1996, suffering through the gory days. "Marvin had no previous dealings with this organization. He was African-American. Both of those things were huge for the city of Cincinnati, for this organization.

"There used to be a feeling around here that if you coached or played under the legendary Paul Brown, that meant you knew how to coach," said Anderson, referring to the Hall of Fame coach who founded the Bengals, who was their first coach and for whom their stadium is named.

"Paul Brown was a great coach, and I'm sure he taught some guys how to do a great job. But every guy that played and coached under him doesn't know how to run a $500 million operation. Coaches today have to be like C.E.O.'s. They brought in a guy who coached under the Rooney family in Pittsburgh, who coached in Baltimore when they won a Super Bowl, who coached a tough defense in Washington. The players he brought in were better. The draft picks got better. The things Marvin brought were what we needed."

Thirteen of Cincinnati's 22 starters, including eight on defense, were acquired after Lewis arrived, including cornerback Deltha O'Neal, who leads the N.F.L. with four interceptions. The defense is physical, fast, and aggressive, the style Lewis likes.

"To win in this league, you've got to have guys who will lay it on the line for you on Sundays," Lewis said. "That's the kind of team we have now."

Blessed with a strong arm and admirable poise, Palmer, the first player chosen in the 2003 draft, has become the centerpiece of Cincinnati's offense. Instead of starting right away, Palmer did not play a snap his rookie season, learning from the bench as Jon Kitna started and mentored Palmer.

Unlike David Carr of Houston, the No. 1 pick in the 2002 draft, who started every game as a rookie, Palmer had the luxury of learning the Bengals' offense from the sideline before being thrown into action. Carr has struggled lately, rekindling the debate about how much a young quarterback should play in his first year.

"I don't think there is a right or wrong way to do it," Palmer said, when asked if a young quarterback should play right away. "In Dave's situation, they didn't have quarterback, so he had to play. He's going through some tough stuff right now. He'll fight through it."

Palmer has developed quickly, because he has talent, and because he is surrounded by it, much like Ben Roethlisberger in Pittsburgh. Johnson and T. J. Houshmandzadeh are deep threats at wide receiver, running back Rudi Johnson rushed for 1,454 yards last season, and the offensive line has allowed Palmer to be sacked only twice. Meanwhile, Palmer has gained command of the offense, giving him leeway to make throws he would not have made last season.

"There's nothing you can do out there defensively to make him flinch," said Chad Johnson, speaking of Palmer. "That's why we're hitting on all cylinders."

Johnson, a cousin of Dallas wide receiver Keyshawn Johnson, has joined the fraternity of flamboyant receivers. Whenever he scores, people wonder how he will celebrate. In last week's 24-7 victory at Chicago, Johnson did his version of the Riverdance after one touchdown, and he did push-ups after another. What's next?

"You'll see," Johnson said. "Fans in Cincinnati, those around the world, Oprah, watch. I'll probably practice in the hotel Saturday night."

The team's quick start has Cincinnati abuzz, and Lewis does not mind the heightened expectations. After an 0-3 start in 2003, followed by a 1-4 start last season, Lewis challenged his players to play better in September, and they responded.

"Guys might think we're working too hard, but when you start 3-0, guys don't have nothing to argue about," said Kitna, now the backup quarterback. "Marv knows how to push the right buttons. He's like one of us. He's in the mix, in the locker room joking around, but nobody tries him, because he has that respect. He came here with it, because he brought the credibility of the defenses he had in the past.

"Are we going to win every game on our schedule? No. But we feel like we have an opportunity to win every game. And I don't think about us getting overconfident. With this team, the more confidence, the better. When you've been beaten down for so long, you want to be confident, and right now, we have that swagger."

The Bengals still have doubters who are unimpressed with their victories over three 1-2 teams - Cleveland, Minnesota and Chicago. But the Bengals face two games against their A.F.C. North rival Pittsburgh (Oct. 23, Dec. 4), a home game against Indianapolis (Nov. 20) and a game at Jacksonville (Oct. 9), giving them ample opportunity to prove their worth.

For the moment, the Bengals are concentrating on Houston, and trying to go 4-0 for the first time since 1988, their last Super Bowl season. Lewis walked around the locker room Wednesday wearing a T-shirt that read "Do Your Job." So far, the players have done theirs.

"I've told our guys, don't be afraid to sit in the front row," Lewis said. "If we're going to be good, we've got to sit in the front row.

[duus]

Good read ... and a small political jab on the Bengals Forum ... nice. (couldn't agree more!)

[Whur CHad At?]

I love the liberal side...

[Stripes]

Very good read. Says a lot of the same things that recent articles have said, but it delves deeper into the team's attitude surounding the season. I'm pumped up even more, bring on the Texans!

[UofLnMU]

And here I thought this thread was going to be about me.

[Lita]

It's always nice to read something like that and to think that such an important and influencial newspaper is saying such nice things about us, though... I suppose that was more of a recent history lesson than anything... I find it annoying that people still don't want to give CJ props for being one of the top receivers in the NFL.

[redsbengalsbucks]

It's always nice to read something like that and to think that such an important and influencial newspaper is saying such nice things about us, though... I suppose that was more of a recent history lesson than anything... I find it annoying that people still don't want to give CJ props for being one of the top receivers in the NFL.

The NY Times is not an important and influencial newspaper anymore that is why it has laid off a large percentage of it's workforce in recent weeks. I just hope that the facts stated in this report turn out to actually be true.

[UofLnMU]

If the NY Times is no longer the paper of record, then what is? The Chicago Tribune? Boston Globe? Washington Post?

[BengalszoneBilly]

It's always nice to read something like that and to think that such an important and influencial newspaper is saying such nice things about us, though... I suppose that was more of a recent history lesson than anything... I find it annoying that people still don't want to give CJ props for being one of the top receivers in the NFL.

The NY Times is not an important and influencial newspaper anymore

No offense redsbengalsbucks, but you've topped many fine people on this climb to the top of "The Single Most Rediculous Comment Ever Posted In A Bengalszone Forum" list. Congrats sir. You are#1!! Would you care to go double or nuthin' and tell us which paper in this good ol' U.S. of A. you think is a more important and influencial newspaper than the New York Times? Go ahead. We're waiting. Should I wager a guess for you and say you'll pick that journalistic icon USA Today, the pioneer of the pie chart?

[smith288]

No offense redsbengalsbucks, but you've topped many fine people on this climb to the top of "The Single Most Rediculous Comment Ever Posted In A Bengalszone Forum" list. Congrats sir. You are#1!! Would you care to go double or nuthin' and tell us which paper in this good ol' U.S. of A. you think is a more important and influencial newspaper than the New York Times? Go ahead. We're waiting. Should I wager a guess for you and say you'll pick that journalistic icon USA Today, the pioneer of the pie chart?

No offense to you...but no paper news is really influencial anymore. Actually, polls show that most find the media to be more and more irrelevent with the advent of independant sources of information no longer giving a few editors of some big media conglomerates monopolies on opinions.

Example:

http://extension.missouri.edu/swregion/new...earchbias.shtml

[BengalszoneBilly]

No offense redsbengalsbucks, but you've topped many fine people on this climb to the top of "The Single Most Rediculous Comment Ever Posted In A Bengalszone Forum" list. Congrats sir. You are#1!! Would you care to go double or nuthin' and tell us which paper in this good ol' U.S. of A. you think is a more important and influencial newspaper than the New York Times? Go ahead. We're waiting. Should I wager a guess for you and say you'll pick that journalistic icon USA Today, the pioneer of the pie chart?

No offense to you...but no paper news is really influencial anymore. Actually, polls show that most find the media to be more and more irrelevent with the advent of independant sources of information no longer giving a few editors of some big media conglomerates monopolies on opinions.

Example:

http://extension.missouri.edu/swregion/new...earchbias.shtml

None taken. But if I'm not mistaken, I believe we were talking about newspapers. Hence my comment:

Would you care to go double or nuthin' and tell us which paper in this good ol' U.S. of A. you think is a more important and influencial newspaper than the New York Times?

We were not speaking of or about about polls from unquestionably distinctive educational intstitutions such as the

. You can find a poll to support anything you like. As soon as we start a topic about polls from hayseed community colleges, be sure to chime in then.

Jesus...when did reading comprehension vacate this forum?

[smith288]

No offense redsbengalsbucks, but you've topped many fine people on this climb to the top of "The Single Most Rediculous Comment Ever Posted In A Bengalszone Forum" list. Congrats sir. You are#1!! Would you care to go double or nuthin' and tell us which paper in this good ol' U.S. of A. you think is a more important and influencial newspaper than the New York Times? Go ahead. We're waiting. Should I wager a guess for you and say you'll pick that journalistic icon USA Today, the pioneer of the pie chart?

No offense to you...but no paper news is really influencial anymore. Actually, polls show that most find the media to be more and more irrelevent with the advent of independant sources of information no longer giving a few editors of some big media conglomerates monopolies on opinions.

Example:

http://extension.missouri.edu/swregion/new...earchbias.shtml

None taken. But if I'm not mistaken, I believe we were talking about newspapers. Hence my comment:

Would you care to go double or nuthin' and tell us which paper in this good ol' U.S. of A. you think is a more important and influencial newspaper than the New York Times?

We were not speaking of or about about polls from unquestionably distinctive educational intstitutions such as the

. You can find a poll to support anything you like. As soon as we start a topic about polls from hayseed community colleges, be sure to chime in then.

Jesus...when did reading comprehension vacate this forum?

About the time you put that pic in your sig.

[HairOnFire]

You've got to forgive Redsbengalsbucks. He's a devoted Bush apologist and a right-wing wacko, and that means he has to stay away from most newspapers, news magazines, network news, television programs in general, etcetera....because most major media outlets show disdain for the things he treasures. Thus, he's left with here-today-gone-tomorrow blogs and minor news outlets.

Seriously, the more obscure the news source...the more insightful he'll claim it to be.

BTW, what was this thread about?

[smith288]

You've got to forgive Redsbengalsbucks. He's a devoted Bush apologist and a right-wing wacko, and that means he has to stay away from most newspapers, news magazines, network news, television programs in general, etcetera....because most major media outlets show disdain for the things he treasures. Thus, he's left with here-today-gone-tomorrow blogs and minor news outlets.

Seriously, the more obscure the news source...the more insightful he'll claim it to be.

BTW, what was this thread about?

[BengalszoneBilly]

No offense redsbengalsbucks, but you've topped many fine people on this climb to the top of "The Single Most Rediculous Comment Ever Posted In A Bengalszone Forum" list. Congrats sir. You are#1!! Would you care to go double or nuthin' and tell us which paper in this good ol' U.S. of A. you think is a more important and influencial newspaper than the New York Times? Go ahead. We're waiting. Should I wager a guess for you and say you'll pick that journalistic icon USA Today, the pioneer of the pie chart?

No offense to you...but no paper news is really influencial anymore. Actually, polls show that most find the media to be more and more irrelevent with the advent of independant sources of information no longer giving a few editors of some big media conglomerates monopolies on opinions.

Example:

http://extension.missouri.edu/swregion/new...earchbias.shtml

None taken. But if I'm not mistaken, I believe we were talking about newspapers. Hence my comment:

Would you care to go double or nuthin' and tell us which paper in this good ol' U.S. of A. you think is a more important and influencial newspaper than the New York Times?

We were not speaking of or about about polls from unquestionably distinctive educational intstitutions such as the

. You can find a poll to support anything you like. As soon as we start a topic about polls from hayseed community colleges, be sure to chime in then.

Jesus...when did reading comprehension vacate this forum?

About the time you put that pic in your sig.

Yet we both continue to post unabated.

Oh hair...I hope the big thumbs down you got from Smitty didn't hurt your feeling too bad.

[HairOnFire]

Oh hair...I hope the big thumbs down you got from Smitty didn't hurt your feeling too bad.

Not at all. In fact, I considered it a predictable but restrained response when you consider our respective avatars. BTW, the little flaming fellow is starting to grow on me. He sure seems confident, ehh?

Sadly, if there's a finger to be pointed then I must blame Joisey for introducing politics on the main board. The article he found was a good one, but his choice of thread titles opened the way for Redsbengalsbucks to brag about another major media outlet he doesn't read. That led to my response...which provoked a thumbs down from the man draped in the flag and the bald eagle. All of which begs the question, where's the apple pie?

We move on.