Former Bengal great Boomer Esiason isn’t buying what Chad Ochocinco is selling.
I happened to briefly tune-in to the Pro Bowl on radio Sunday night just as Esiason was talking about the Bengals and Ochocinco.
Boomer said that he’s “not a fan of Ochocinco” and that Chad is all about Chad — not the team. He went on to say how he believes Chad’s antics leading up to games each week — like trash-talking defensive backs — get other teams focused because they don’t want to be shown up.
He said the Bengals should part ways with Ochocinco now, but pointed out that head coach Marvin Lewis probably doesn’t have the authority to cut or even properly discipline Chad because of heavy handed owner Mike Brown.
Boomer talked about how teams like the Cowboys and Eagles got better after they got rid of a wide receiver with a similar personality, Terrell Owens.
I’m not sure if I agree with Boomer on this, but I have always valued and respected his opinion. He had a weekly radio show on 700 WLW for years that I listened to religiously.
Boomer always defended the Bengals and came across as someone who truly wants what’s best for the club and its fans. That makes me wonder how much of an asset or liability the Ocho really is.
Technology has allowed social-networking sites to change the dynamic between player and fan. In particular, the emergence of smart phones has brought fans and athletes even closer. But there are no guarantees with this evolving mode of communication, either. Ochocinco, who has more than 700,000 people following him on Twitter, can be besieged with hundreds of messages in a matter of minutes, so there is no guarantee he will see a specific message; it could be wedged in the pile — just like that piece of snail mail.
During his time in the hospital, Kernich received support from many in the athletic world, as DDN reporter Margo Rutledge Kissell reported the day after his death:
Hearing that Kernich was a huge Buckeye fan, Ohio State University football coach Jim Tressel called his hospital room Friday and they put the phone to his ear, according to Kelley Kunkle-Grody, a Fairborn parent who has known Kernich’s parents, John and Sherry, for 30 years.
Cincinnati Bengals star receiver Chad Ochocinco called Kernich’s room Saturday night, unaware that Kernich had died, and spoke to his mother, she said.
It was Ochocinco’s call that likely meant the most to family, as the receiver was by far Kernich’s favorite player.
And, with the existence of social media, they were able to reach him.
The University of Kentucky announced today that Ray Oliver, Bengals associate strength and conditioning coach, has accepted a position as director of strength and conditioning for the UK football program, according to a press release from the Bengals.
Oliver, a Cincinnati native, has been on the Bengals staff since 2004, working with head strength and conditioning coach Chip Morton. Oliver has maintained strong ties with the UK community since 1988-91, when he was director of strength and conditioning for the UK basketball program.
“The Bengals gave me a great chance to work for the team I’ve loved all my life,” Oliver said in the press release. “I owe a lot to Mike Brown (Bengals president) and Marvin Lewis (Bengals head coach), and I learned a lot working with Chip Morton. To leave the NFL, it had to be for a place that is special in my heart, and UK is truly special to me and my family. I wish everyone at the Bengals nothing but the very best.”
Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Rey Maualuga was arrested for drunk driving early Friday morning, according to Cincinnati news sources.
Maualuga, 23, who broke his ankle against Kansas City in week 15, was booked around 3 a.m. in Kenton County jail on a DUI charge after being pulled over by Covington police, the Cincinnati Enquirer and WLWT.com are reporting.
Terrell Owens is a free agent and would look good in orange and black.
Sounds crazy, right?
I thought so too … at first.
A friend of mine suggested this scenario and I laughed it off initially, but the more I think about it, the more I believe he would be a good fit - even if it is just for one year.
In reality, I realize there are a lot of obstacles, like the Bengals being stuck with Laverneous Coles (Ugh!), who signed a 4-year, $27.5 million contract before the 2009 season.
There’s also the salary Owens may demand, but his numbers were down this year (55 catches, 5 TDs), and he is now 37 years old. He may not get his asking price and might have to take less than the one-year, $6.5 million contract he played for in Buffalo this season.
Regardless, put aside the red tape and suspend reality for a moment.
Can you imagine the antics, celebrations and trash-talk that would ensue?
Some of you will only see how this could negatively affect the team. But, I think you’d be wrong, just like many of you wrongly believe Chad Ochocinco negatively affects the team.
Owens would bring some needed excitement to town and help ignite the Bengals’ lifeless passing game. He may be closing in on 40, but Owens is still a very skilled player with good hands— and he’s a big target at 6-foot-3, 224 pounds. Note that T.J. Houshmandzadeh checks in at 6-2, 203.
He’s a perfect one-year fill-in while the Bengals draft and develop replacements for Henry and Housh.
Would owner Mike Brown object? Not a chance. We all know how Brown likes to play the role of “redeemer” (Larry Johnson, Chris Henry, Cedric Benson). The often-troubled Owens would seem to fit right into that category.
One of my colleagues, Greg Billing, wrote a story for print Tuesday, Jan. 19, in defense of Carson Palmer that I completely agree with.
A small snippet from his story:
“…the blame for the NFL’s 24th-ranked offense shouldn’t fall on Palmer’s shoulders only. The play calling is blah and often predictable. The receivers, outside of Pro Bowler Chad Ochocinco, leave much to be desired. And where is that pass-catching tight end? That would be a nice safety net and another offensive weapon for defenses to game-plan against.”
Here’s what the Cincinnati Bengals need to do to fix their passing game for 2010.
First on my to-do list would be firing offensive coordinator Bob Bratkowski, but all indications are that the coaching staff is coming back in-tact. I don’t think “Brat” is a bad coach, but he’s just been running the offense too long. The plays are predictable and the schemes are stale. There’s little innovation and he often seems to get out-coached, especially after halftime adjustments are made.
But, since firing him appears to be a pipe-dream, here’s a look at some realistic moves that I believe would provide this offense with an improved passing game and get the Bengals back to the playoffs.
No. 1: Bye, bye Coles
Sometimes age catches up with athletes in a hurry and that appears to have happened to Laverneous Coles. Even if that’s not the case, do you want to bet on QB Carson Palmer and Coles developing chemistry in 2010? I don’t. Trade him. Cut him. Just move on.
No. 2: Release Jerome Simpson
I hate to see this happen, but the kid is a second-round draft pick who was barely able to get on the field even after wide receivers started falling like flies. He’s officially a bust in my book.
No. 3: Target a proven wide receiver in free agency
I don’t think the Bengals have to land the best wideout available in free agency, but they do need a proven route-runner who they can mold into a third-down threat. Our in-house draft guru Carlos “Big C” Holmes pointed out that former Bengal Kevin Walter will be available. He’s a reliable third-down receiver with good hands who had 53 catches for over 600 yards in Houston this season. I put him at the top of my list.
No. 4: Pick a burner in the first round
Move up if need be, but grab a wide receiver who can stretch the field like the late Chris Henry. Again, the Bengals don’t need to get THE superstar of the draft, but they do need to make sure their choice can come in and help right away. Forget about flash and flare. Go for consistency, smarts and speed.
No. 5: Depth at tight end
Those of us on the outside can’t know for sure what the team thinks of Chase Coffman, who it drafted in the third round and had to expect to contribute in 2009. That didn’t happen. From what I can gather, part of the reason was Coffman’s inability to figure out how to do anything other than catch passes from the tight end position. The other part was a nagging injury.
Regardless, the Bengals need to decide what they expect from Coffman in 2010 and draft accordingly. An ESPN mock draft has the Bengals taking TE Jermaine Gresham out of Oklahoma in the first round, so that appears to be a possibility.
There are other outstanding issues — like re-signing guard Bobbie Williams — but if the Bengals can address these 5 points in the offseason I think we could see a revived offense in 2010.
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Ace: Boomer is an idiot? That’s saying a lot coming from a guy who can’t spell “paid”.