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August 2009
Tight end Utecht out for year
The Bengals have officially ended the season for tight ends Ben Utecht and Matt Sherry, according to a press release from the team.
Utecht, who suffered a concussion on Aug. 5 in training camp, has been put on the Reserve/Injured list. Sherry injured his shoulder in camp Aug. 10 and has been released via the waived/injured category.
If Sherry clears waivers Tuesday, Sept. 1, he will revert to the Bengals’ Reserve/Injured list. The moves reduce the Bengals roster to 75 players, in advance of the league-mandated cut to 75 on Sept. 1.
The Bengals’ top tight ends on the roster now are rookie Chase Coffman and third-year player Daniel Coats.
The question now is: do the Bengals grab a veteran tight end once one becomes available after mandatory cut-downs?
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TweetNo live TV for Bengals vs. Rams
You’ll have to stay up late tonight if you want to watch the St. Louis Rams play the Cincinnati Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium.
The game did not sell out in time to lift the local blackout, so the 7:30 p.m. game will be shown on tape-delay at 11:30 p.m.
You can watch it in the Dayton area on Ch. 22 and in the Cincinnati area on Ch. 12.
You can, however, hear the game live on radio.
Dayton area: WTUE-FM (104.7)
Cincinnati area: WLW-AM (700), WCKY-AM (1530), WEBN-FM (102.7)
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TweetBengal rookies, Ocho and Smith talks take over Hard Knocks
The rookies, Chad Ochocinco and the Andre Smith negotiations stole the show Wednesday during the third installment of HBO’s “Hard Knocks: Training camp with the Cincinnati Bengals.”
I also think I know who the Bengals’ next coach will be if/when Marvin is finished.
Talent show
Cameras gave us an inside look at the yearly rookie talent show, which is held each year the night before training camp ends. The funniest part, I thought, was offensive lineman Gus Parrish mocking holdout first-round pick Andre Smith.
Parrish re-enacted Smith’s poor decision to take his shirt off and run a drill during a pre-draft workout — the actual act was funny in a turn-your-head kind of way. You have to see it to know what I mean.
He also spoofed Smith’s brief appearance on “Hard Knocks,” doing drills at some high school in Alabama. Both impersonations brought down the house with laughter.
Kiss Da Baby
On to Chad, who got some publicity for another phrase he’s been pushing on Twitter for some time — “Kiss Da Baby.” What does this one mean? It’s a little more appropriate than “Child Please.”
In Ocho’s words, “Kiss Da Baby” means “it’s over” or the “fat lady is about to sing.” Chad is shown during the preseason win at New England telling a Patriot defensive back: “You’re about to kiss da baby.”
Seeing how the decision was made behind the scenes to allow Ocho to kick an extra point and kickoff was entertaining too. The coaches in the booth weren’t sure what to make of it, with someone noting “he will be impossible to live with now.”
As a side note, if you’d like to follow Chad on Twitter, make sure you follow OGOchoCinco and not one of the many imposters. I’m not sure if it’s worth your time, but he’s entertaining. The Ocho recently announced a new line of clothing (see it at ochocinco.com) and makes sure to let followers know when “The Ochocinco Show” is streaming on the Web.
Smith Negotiations
Smith’s agent, Alvin Keels, is shown arriving in Cincinnati and meeting with Bengals’ lead negotiator Katie Blackburn. You hear from both before and after their 4-1/2 hour meeting, but don’t get a look or listen behind the closed doors.
It just blows my mind that two people can meet for that long and not come to some kind of agreement. I mean somebody — and I’m guessing it’s the Bengals — must be totally off-base on what they’re asking for.
The exchange after went like this:
Keels: “We’ll continue to talk. Hopefully we’ll come up with a deal in the near future.”
Blackburn: “We’re just in a tough spot. We both feel we’re justified in where we are.”
And finally Mike Brown during a meeting with coaches later: “I don’t know when he’s going to sign. We have no reason to believe it’s going to be any time soon.”
I’m starting to believe Smith may not sign before the regular season starts. And when he does, he’s going to weigh 400 pounds, hurt his knee and be the biggest bust this franchise has ever seen — and that’s saying something.
Zimmer: Next head coach?
Finally, the spotlight was on defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer quite a bit during the show. Zimmer is my kind of guy. Fiery, outspoken, intense. Come to think of it I think I used to say the same things about Marvin.
Last year, Zimmer pushed this defense to a rank of No. 12 and this year I expect it to move into the top 10. He looks, acts and sounds like head-coaching material to me. It’s good to know there’s someone like that on the staff should a move need to be made.
Missing the mark
As good as the show is, it once again missed some things.
I find it hard to believe, as the show suggests, that rookie Bernard Scott has won a roster spot behind starting running back Cedric Benson. I haven’t seen or heard anything like that.
The show paints Brian Leonard and De De Dorsey as fighting for the final running back spot on the roster. I have to believe it’s the rookie who needs to earn that final spot. The Bengals traded for Leonard and Dorsey is a veteran who has been spectacular on a few runs in preseason.
Again, where’s the update on the tight ends? The show focused heavily on that area in the first installment and hasn’t touched it since. Previews for next week made it look as though HBO will revisit the tight end issue in week four.
The show mentions Smith, but not how his replacement or fill-in Anthony Collins is doing. I’d like to hear from Collins and other linemen regarding the holdout and how they’re coming together without Smith.
Overall, though, another great show and I’m already dreading that it will come to an end in just two weeks.
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TweetOchocinco at kicker? Bengals need better back-up plan
Imagine this: Bengals vs. Steelers. Clock ticking down with time for one last-second field goal.
Uh-oh — Shayne “Chandelier” Graham re-injured his groin on the last kickoff and he can’t walk, much less kick.
Who ya gonna call? Chad Ochocinco?
In his own words — Child Please!
While watching The Ocho kick an extra point and kick off was great fun during Thursday night’s win over the Patriots, he’s not the one I want Marvin Lewis to rely on in an emergency.
I think it’s time the Bengals come up with a better back-up plan. New punter Kevin Huber may be a rookie, but his leg earned him a scholarship from the University of Cincinnati and a pretty big NFL paycheck.
With some practice, he should be able to handle placekicking duties in a pinch. Let Ocho serve as the holder if he wants to be involved in the kicking game.
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TweetHard Knocks: Bengals’ center can’t pass Palmer’s smell test
Center Kyle Cook may have questionable hygiene, safety Corey Lynch doubles as a superhero and Marvin Lewis is a volcanic Charles Schwab.
Oh, and Carson Palmer’s a pretty funny guy.
These are just a few of the insights gained from watching the second installment of HBO’s “Hard Knocks” series featuring the Cincinnati Bengals.
Episode 2 debuted Wednesday, Aug. 19 and chronicled the dog days of training camp in Georgetown, Ky., up to — and following — the 17-7 preseason loss at New Orleans.
Here are some of the highlights:
PALMER’S A COMEDIAN
Several cuts of Palmer bantering with teammates and camp personnel really showed his personality. There’s an extended moment with Cook, where Palmer says to his center, “I smelled the top of my hand two days ago, and I thought I stuck it in a toilet. I’m dead serious. Just make sure you’re taking care of yourself.”
They go back and forth with Cook defending his personal hygiene — good stuff. Later, Palmer brings it up again, this time saying: “It’s not bad today. I”m just saying, a little bit musty.”
Palmer also shows his finicky side, jokingly complaining to camp personnel about the Gatorade-to-water ratio in the drink dispensers.
LYNCH A HERO
Whether Lynch, a second-year safety, sticks with the team or not, this portion of the show will always stick with me and I’m rooting for him. Lynch saved a woman from a wreck on I-75 on Father’s Day. From what I could gather, he came upon the crash, broke into the car somehow, positioned the seat so the woman could breathe and pulled her to safety.
The woman and her family came to training camp and hung out with Lynch, tearfully calling him a ‘hero’ as they hugged and recalled the incident.
LEWIS: FINANCIAL ADVISOR, EMOTIONAL COACH
Just like most Bengal fans, I’m tired of seeing Lewis smile and clap his hands on the sidelines while the team is taking a beatdown. The coach can come across as not caring and not emotional enough for many fed-up fans.
“Hard Knocks” showed the fiery side of Lewis that I knew had to be there. After losing to the Saints, Lewis showed more emotion than I think he’s ever let fans or media see.
He erupted in the locker room: “Who the hell are we going to beat? We can’t beat anybody that way, guys. Now listen to me — Never will we accept losing. Never!”
Keep in mind, that was preseason game No. 1. That was good to see.
Then during a casual one-on-one moment with Chad Ochocinco, Lewis dished out some financial wisdom. With The Ocho asking how to invest his money, Lewis explained to him how banks take money and invest it and how to invest in what millionaires invest in.
If Chad listened as well during practice as he did during that exchange, he’d already have a few more 100-yard games under his belt.
ERRANT PASSES
HBO did miss a few things this time around.
The producers didn’t follow up on the tight end story line. What happened to Ben Utecht? I know he’s out with a concussion —still — but many viewers will have no idea about that. What about the two tight ends the Bengals signed?
The battle for a starting spot at safety was also discussed, but no mention ever made of Marvin White, who’s more established, but just as on the bubble as Lynch, who they focused on a bit after the piece on the crash.
Keith Rivers’ comeback from a broken jaw would be another intriguing storyline to follow, but not a peep yet on that from “Hard Knocks.”
Overall, though, the show delivered another entertaining and fast-paced episode that concluded with management (Katie Blackburn) on the phone with the agent for holdout first-round draft pick Andre Smith.
The show closed with her saying something like, “We just can’t do that right now.”
Don’t expect him to show up anytime soon.
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TweetBengals a bigger draw than Cowboys - at least on HBO
The Cincinnati Bengals are more popular than the Dallas Cowboys, at least in terms of ratings for HBO’s “Hard Knocks” series.
The Aug. 12 debut of “Hard Knocks ’09: Training Camp with the Cincinnati Bengals” delivered a 1.66 national household rating and 533,000 national household impressions, according to Nielsen Media Research.
That’s a 28 percent increase from 2008’s debut episode, which featured the Cowboys.
A Bengals’ press release pointed out that the premiere Bengals episode was especially strong among the key demographic of males ages 25-to-54, delivering a 1.99 coverage rating and 383,000 impressions. The rating in this group topped the 2008 premiere by 43 percent, and the impressions showed a 50 percent gain.
The ratings numbers above do not include replays of the show, which air eight-to-10 times weekly.
The show’s second episode airs for the first time at 10 p.m., Wednesday, Aug. 19.
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TweetBengals’ Palmer will not play Thursday, reports say
Carson Palmer missed practice Monday and multiple reports say the Bengals’ quarterback will not play in Thursday’s preseason game at New England.
Palmer suffered a high-ankle sprain during Friday’s game at New Orleans and was in a protective boot, according to ESPN’s Bob Holtzman. The team has officially said Palmer is “day-to-day” and has made no announcement regarding the QB’s status for Thursday.
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TweetBengals sign 2 tight ends
The Cincinnati Bengals signed free agent tight ends J.P. Foschi and Kolo Kapanui to help shore up a position decimated by injury this preseason, according to a press release from the team Monday, Aug. 17.
The Bengals, who lost their starter and top backup during training camp, were down to rookie first-year player Chase Coffman and TE/fulback Daniel Coats.
Foschi (6-3, 265; Georgia Tech) , who is classified as a third-year NFL player, first entered the NFL as a college free agent in 2004 with the New York Jets. He saw his first game action in 2005 with Oakland, playing 10 games with five starts and catching six passes for 37 yards. He played in one game for Oakland in 2006 and in seven games for Kansas City in 2008. He opened the 2009 preseason with Oakland, played (no statistics) in the Raiders’ preseason opener vs. Dallas and was waived this past Saturday.
Kapanui (6-3, 268; West Texas A&M), a first-year NFL player, first signed in the NFL with Cleveland in 2008 as a college free agent. He was waived by the Browns at the conclusion of preseason and spent a portion of the ’08 regular season on the New Orleans practice squad. He was waived by the Saints on May 6 of this year.
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TweetReport: Bengals first to offer Vick
FOXSports.com writer Jay Glazer reported on Twitter this morning that the Bengals were the first to offer a contract to MIchael Vick.
Glazer’s Tweet:
“1st team to jump into the fray on vick and make an offer? sources tell foxsports.com the bengals offered him firm 2yr deal for about 2.3mil”
If true, is anyone surprised?
Can you imagine how much HBO’s suits would have salivated had Vick ended up reporting to training camp at Georgetown?
Alas, Vick ended up signing with Philadelphia — a 1-year deal for a reported $1.6 million with a club option for the second year at a hefty $5.2 million.
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TweetChild Please! ‘Hard Knocks’ a must-see for Bengal fans
Get ready to hear this term all season long - “Child Please!”
Know what it means? Or at least how Chad Ochocinco defines it? You would if you had watched the debut of HBO’s “Hard Knocks” series following the Bengals as they prepare for the 2009 season.
Sorry I can’t go into detail about Ocho’s new mantra. His explanation during Wednesday’s debut of the show isn’t fit for anyone under 18, but you can expect to see “Child Please!” T-shirts and listen to Chad “Child Please!” opposing coaches, players and teams all season long.
While Chad was the reason for a couple laugh-out-loud moments - “I am pissed to the height of pissivity” (you had to be there) -“Hard Knocks” hardly gave Ocho the time of day during the first of what will be a 5-part series.
And that’s one reason why it’s so good.
I don’t know how non-Bengal fans will feel about the show. Cincinnati certainly won’t draw viewers like last year’s team, the Dallas Cowboys. But what I do know is that the show gives a look behind the curtain that I don’t think most of us ever thought president and owner Mike Brown would ever allow.
You do get to see Brown in all of his frumpy glory, but “Hard Knocks” producers rightly choose not to focus on the embattled team owner who I’m sure will stay out of the spotlight as much as possible.
It’s fascinating to me to watch the banter between offensive and defensive players as they scrimmage. There’s nothing funnier than watching Chad fume in silence as safety Chris Crocker calls him “Sugar” and talks smack about shutting down.
It’s great fun, but what it really does is shed light on the serious side of football. The first episode highlighted the struggles of players on the cusp of being cut, including fullback J.D. Runnels, who was awakened at 5:30 a.m. and told to hand in his playbook.
Injuries also are a harsh reality in football and it was hard to watch tight end Reggie Kelly as he received the news - his Achilles’ tendon was ruptured and he was done for the season. The camera lingered, catching his silence and tears as the trainer walked away.
Sad, but great theater.
There was much, much more and something for all kinds of fans in the hour-long episode. So, if you don’t have HBO, sign up or make friends with someone who does for the next 4 weeks. “Hard Knocks” is must-see TV for all Bengal fans.
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TweetBengals release Watson, Runnels
The Bengals have released one-time starting running back Kenny Watson, the team announced Monday, Aug. 10, 2009.
Watson is an eighth-year NFL player. He saw action in 10 games for the Bengals last season, with 55 rushing yards on 13 carries and three receptions for four yards. He has 83 career NFL games played, with 1,651 rushing yards and 1,015 receiving yards.
The Bengals also waived fullback J.D. Runnels, Jr. Runnels is a third-year NFL player. He did not see game action in 2008, but was on the Bengals practice squad for a portion of the season and was signed to the team’s 2009 offseason roster on Dec. 30, 2008.
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TweetInjury bug bites Bengals again
The injury bug bit the Cincinnati Bengals again Thursday when it was revealed on the team Web site that backup cornerback David Jones underwent surgery and will be out 4 to 6 weeks. The surgery was for a stress fracture of the foot, according to the Bengals.com report. Other notable injuries during this year’s training camp include tight end Reggie Kelly (out for season, ruptured Achilles’ tendon); tight end Ben Utecht (undergoing tests, concussion); and fullback/tight end Daniel Coats (sprained ankle). In response, the Bengals signed a familiar face in free agent Matt Sherry of Villanova. Sherry was a sixth-round pick last year and spent the season on injured reserve after suffering a shoulder injury in the preseason. The Bengals waived him on June 20.
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