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Chick Ludwig covers the Cincinnati Bengals. He also writes about his other passions: college football, basketball and golf.Home > Blogs > Chick Ludwig At Large > Archives > 2008 > July > 06 > Entry
Marvin Lewis is not on the hot seat
WHEN IN DOUBT,
BLAME THE MEDIA
Please allow me to repeat myself.
Cincinnati Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis is NOT on the hot seat.
Oh, he’s on my hot seat. He’s on Mike Florio’s hot seat (Florio writes and edits ProFootballTalk.com and is a regular contributor to Sporting News). And he should be on your hot seat.
But he’s not on Bengals owner Mike Brown’s hot seat, and that’s the only one that matters.
When it comes to his head coaches, Brown is a very patient man. Extremely patient. Too patient.
Why else would he put up with the overmatched Dave Shula (19-52-0, .268) for nearly four-and-a-half seasons from 1992-96?
Brown remembers how shabbily his father — Pro Football Hall of Fame coaching immortal Paul Brown — was treated by Art Modell in Cleveland. And Brown promised he’d never abuse his loyal subjects in a similar manner.
The problem is the perception that that philosophy fosters. Even if it’s not true, Bengals fans believe that Mike Brown is content with mediocrity.
Let’s go back to 1999. After the season ended, Green Bay fired first-year head coach Ray Rhodes, who went 8-8 as the Packers failed to make the NFL playoffs for the first time in seven years.
Marvin Lewis went 8-8 his first season in Cincinnati (2003) and Bengals fans were celebrating on Fountain Square.
Lewis told his players in a team meeting this spring there’s enough talent here to win the Super Bowl this season.
So who’s to blame if that doesn’t happen … if the Bengals don’t reach the playoffs let alone the Super Bowl?
Brown? Lewis? The players?
Perhaps all three.
But here’s a brainstorm solution that gets ‘em all off the hook.
Blame the media.
Yup, it’s our fault the club has reached the postseason just once in 17 seasons.
We’re simply too negative.
Contact Chick Ludwig at cludwig@daytondailynews.com
Who’s on the hot seat? Go to:
http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=429295
Permalink | Comments (33) | Post your comment | Categories: Bengals
Comments
By psychostats
July 7, 2008 12:23 AM | Link to this
Well, Chickster, that’s one thing I have to give you. Without a doubt, you absolutely, positively, undeniably are not too negative! Okay, I’d say that overall you’re pretty balanced with an occasional lean towards the Pollyanna side of things. I suppose sports writers are allowed to be optimists, but that must be really hard to do when you cover the Bengals. Concerning Marvin Lewis, I think it’s impossible to judge his performance as a head coach. Mike Brown clearly believes in austerity and loyalty. More than anything else, though, he is supremely patient. Add that all up, and you have a man “content with mediocrity”.By DALE 78
July 7, 2008 5:32 AM | Link to this
Well Chick itis not the medias fault you just report on what you see . The Bngals problem is bad drafting and an owner who only cares about the money as long as the money keeps rolling in he couldnt care less. MR Brown is not going to pay MR Lewis money just to stay at home . With MR Brown it isnt loyalty its just being cheap .By boxter
July 7, 2008 7:42 AM | Link to this
Lewis has been there long enough to have a winning record. He brings in thugs and does not have the guts to coach them. This team is a joke on & off the field under Lewis.By Ft. Myers Foursome
July 7, 2008 7:43 AM | Link to this
Teams with a winning tradition have good ownership, good management, and good players all working toward a common goal. That’s why they call it a Team. With a salary cap, being cheap isn’t an issue. Teams have to budget for the future in order to resign valued players. When Chad Johnson types want to renegotiate their contracts, it means there is less money to pay and resign other players. I don’t believe for a moment that Mike Brown or Marvin Lewis don’t care about winning. I can’t say the same for all the players.By tammy
July 7, 2008 8:18 AM | Link to this
Marvin Lewis is an awful, awful, pittyful coach!By joe
July 7, 2008 8:21 AM | Link to this
tammy says Lewis is a bad coach, I think Ludwig is as bad a writer!By GFM
July 7, 2008 11:12 AM | Link to this
Yeah, lets get rid of Marvin and Dusty. And you wonder why Cincinnati is the joke around the nation.By tom
July 7, 2008 11:41 AM | Link to this
With the Bengals, what will be will be. We should be used to it by now.By carsick
July 7, 2008 12:28 PM | Link to this
Mike Brown does not accept mediocrity. His franchise’s value and income go up every year and his operating costs have gone down. Sure, each win costs more than any other team in the NFL but that’s not the point. The point is Mike Brown is regularly in the play-offs of money management. Little debt and a team soon to be considered worth $1billion.By Steven Ross
July 7, 2008 2:58 PM | Link to this
Mike Brown is a shrewd businesman. Unfortunately, he’s an awful NFL owner. He should sell the team and ride-off into the Ohio River. Bengals will never win with him in charge. NEVER!By islebfrank
July 7, 2008 3:02 PM | Link to this
It amazes me that when asked “Who’s to blame if the Bengals don’t make the playoffs in 2008?” only about 15% of fans in the survey voted,”Too Early To Tell.” Apparently the other 85% can predict the future!? What if the team goes down in a plane crash, God forbid, wouldn’t that alter a few votes? I guess some Bengal fans (85%)are scarred even worse than I realized.By Dan
July 7, 2008 3:46 PM | Link to this
If anyone should be on the hotseat, it’s you “Chickster”. You are the laughingstock of all the football message boards, “stud”.By Ft. Myers Foursome
July 7, 2008 7:07 PM | Link to this
If it were our money, would we spend that kind of cash on unproven players? Every time they fire a coach, general manager, or change owners, how come none of us are chosen. Could it be fans don’t have the money or skills to do the job. All I know is that I like the Bengals. As a fan I hope and pray every year they make it to the Super Bowl. It’s been so long. The Cubs haven’t won a World Series in a 100 years, but the fans sell out every game every year. Why, because they are fans. I love the Bengals and wish they’d win every game. Win or lose, I’ll keep watching them. That’s what fans do. On a side note, as a former Cincinnatian, you provide much more coverage than your Cincinnati counterparts. Keep up the good work.By Jason
July 7, 2008 8:52 PM | Link to this
You have nothing to do with it. Don’t flatter yourself. No one cares what the media has to say, ESPECIALLY in Cincinnati. The media here is terrible. The national media for the NFL is terrible too. Marvin Lewis isn’t on the hot seat because he is a good coach who turned a TERRIBLE franchise into one with high expectations. He also does all of this while having to let Mike Brown make certain decisions and not having the full control that the head coach should have. Marvin isn’t the best coach in the NFL, but he is a good one and there is NO ONE available or been available since his hiring that would be a better choice.By psychostats
July 7, 2008 9:55 PM | Link to this
So what if Mike Brown spends money adequately against the salary cap? That doesn’t mean he can’t find numerous ways to be cheap. NFL owners have control over all kinds of discretionary spending. And you better believe that can make a big difference. My favorite example goes back to the 2006 season again. Bengal players were getting arrested like crazy as team management did very little to stem the tide. What could they possibly have done, you ask? Exactly what the league finally forced them to do — counseling, seminars, designated driver programs, etc. Spending a relative pittance early on might have salvaged the season. Just think of the benefit another playoff appearance would have brought the team. But Mike Brown didn’t want to do it, apparently for philosophical reasons. Call it being cheap, stodgy, minimalistic, or whatever, it still comes down to weak ownership.By Dan
July 7, 2008 10:45 PM | Link to this
Yeah psychostats, I remember Mike Brown running on the field and blocking the Shayne Graham field goal that would have put us in the playoffs for the second year in a row in 06. And then last year he went around injuring everyone just so he could keep the team mired in the mediocrity that he’s so content with. People who only know the Bengals through what is written by “The Chickster” should really just STFU.By Dan
July 7, 2008 11:13 PM | Link to this
And “Chickster”. Explain this. Right before the draft, you posted this; Folks, I’m here to tell ya that I’m absolutely, positively convinced the Bengals should-must-will draft an offensive tackle with the No. 9 overall pick in the first round of the 2008 NFL draft on April 26. Then on July 1st, you posted this; I’m giving the Cincinnati Bengals’ offensive line an offseason grade of B+ because I like what I’ve seen so far from the unit. It’s big, powerful and experienced with the ability to blow defenders off the ball when everything is clicking. I’ve read you ever since you started writing for the DDN, and I used to like your writing. Recently you’ve lost your mind. I don’t know if it’s because of your obvious feud with Marvin, or if you see your future as some sort of a shock journalist or what, but you’ve become a cartoon character recently with your “studs” and “cats” and “strawberry fields forever” and all that crap. It’s really quite odd, and only entertaining from a “man that guy’s creepy” standpoint. Just sayin’.By JT
July 7, 2008 11:52 PM | Link to this
Mike Brown is indifferent to winning or loosing…strictly a business to him. The dream season is 8-8…winning all 8 at home to assure sellouts next year…repeat customers…leave them perpetually wanting more. Marvin Lewis is good coach and excellant talent evaluator. But, gambles way too much on suspect character. Very few draft picks were void of talent just void of character.By Sam
July 8, 2008 8:35 AM | Link to this
Marvin NOT on the hot seat? Well, he should be. One winning season.Total loss of control of the team. Obviously, no discipline of players. A defensive guru,whose Bengals defenses have been near the worst in the NFL. Only in Cincinnati can a coach continue to keep his job.By Bob Punta Gorda
July 8, 2008 10:24 AM | Link to this
It would be bgetter if Mike Brown’s daughter ran the club. We never get any good free agents whild the rest of the division improves. There does not seem to be any disciplinhe on this team. How long do we have to wait to rebuild the defense. By the time we get an average defense the offense will be ready to retireBy Bob Punta Gorda
July 8, 2008 10:24 AM | Link to this
It would be bgetter if Mike Brown’s daughter ran the club. We never get any good free agents whild the rest of the division improves. There does not seem to be any disciplinhe on this team. How long do we have to wait to rebuild the defense. By the time we get an average defense the offense will be ready to retireBy tony
July 8, 2008 10:43 AM | Link to this
Thank God Marvin coaches football instead of baseball like Dusty Baker. Football fans dont have the same racial hangups as baseball fans, thank god. baseball is crapBy tony
July 8, 2008 10:43 AM | Link to this
Thank God Marvin coaches football instead of baseball like Dusty Baker. Football fans dont have the same racial hangups as baseball fans, thank god. baseball is crapBy dave
July 8, 2008 11:24 AM | Link to this
Marvin my not be in the hot seat with the Browns, but he got to go. When a player makes a bonehead play on the feild and the camera shows him clapping his damn hands yelling “come on now!” time after time it shows he doesn’t have the balls to coach effectivly in the NFL. Punishing a player for a couple minutes by not letting him start a game but sends him in on the third play isn’t sending any message to these over valued whining punks. Start with holding game checks and placing players on the ” Too stupid to have millions of dollars list” and let them set on the bench to ensure they don’t earn the incentive money for games played or yardage gained and they might look at it different. When I see a player jump in a coach’s face on the sideline and he’s right back there the next Sunday playing football, it makes me puke. How many times did Tom Landry or Bill Walsh have to put up with this crap? None that I can remember. Why? Because they didn’t allow it to get so out of control during the week that players felt like it was ok to become an a$$hole when the cameras were on them come Sunday. Take the team back or give it back either one but stop playing both sides of your carreer. You have enough money to step aside and retire comfortable already. Do your job, win a SuperBowl, or get out of town and quit milking the fans of Cincinnati out of their chance to watch a winning team because you accept the yes man life you’re living for the cash. He’s as sorry as the rest of those crying bastards that can’t play because no-one is kissing their a$$es or their check books!!!!By Sam
July 8, 2008 11:33 AM | Link to this
What’s race got to do with it? In fact, you’re the only poster who’s mentioned it. Fans want results(wins). I don’t think it matters what race the coach is. And if one of these guys were fired, you would probably the first to claim it was racially motivated. Just win.By Dan
July 8, 2008 2:53 PM | Link to this
From espn: Chick Ludwig of the Dayton Daily News says Cincinnati Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis is not on the hot seat, but he should be. Walker’s take: When your career record is 42-38 AND you’re head coach of the Bengals, I would say Lewis is getting a bad rap with all of this hot-seat talk. Obviously there is negativity in Cincinnati. But Lewis’ career winning percentage (.525) is much better than Cleveland Browns counterpart Romeo Crennel’s (.417), who is revered and well respected in Ohio. Sometimes perception gets in the way of the facts.By psychostats
July 8, 2008 8:02 PM | Link to this
Dan, are you actually trying to defend Mike Brown with creaky old sports cliches!? No, the owner doesn’t block or tackle. (Oh, brother.) So where, pray tell, did you obtain such sage wisdom, ESPN? My, my, aren’t you just so plugged in with the exalted tribunals of truth! Well good for you. Now go away and get back to whatever it was you were doing before you found this blog. Like tossing eggs at passing motor vehicles. For anyone else reluctant to direct blame at the top of the Bengals food chain, I have a few questions: Has your performance ever suffered from adverse working conditions? Has your boss ever set you up for failure? Do you work better under certain circumstances than others? I have no way to prove it, but my guess is that its the ownership that holds the team back.By DawgPound alum
July 8, 2008 8:15 PM | Link to this
Just an fyi on why Romeo Crennel is revered and respected in Ohio…he’s the coach of the Cleveland Browns for crying out loud! The fans of the Cleveland Browns are unique, they never lose hope, even after all these years without a ring. We always see the glass half full, not half empty. And as far as who is to blame for all of the Bengals problems, I thought it was settled that it is all Chick’s fault !! Chick-I am sure you would be well respected by the Browns fans, c’mon over and write for the Dawgs. Just think, you could get all of the Cotton Club Ginger Ale you want. Oh and does “STFU” (as one of your earlier bloggers quoted) mean “starting to finally understand”why it’s much better to be in the Dawg Pound than the Jungle.By Dan
July 8, 2008 9:49 PM | Link to this
Psycho. Mike Brown deserves criticism for a lot of things, but your rant sounded like you were blaming him for not sending a limo to take Henry out to the clubs,maybe have someone help him put on a condom when he’s bangin’ the ho’s, and pointing to that as the reason why we missed the playoffs in 06. We missed the playoffs because of two fluke special teams plays in two different games. As far as where I get my knowledge, I have listened to, watched or attended all but maybe 4 or 5 games the Bengals have EVER played. I read virtually everything that is written about them, I’m a moderator of a Bengals messageboard that gets about two million hits a month, and I some have sources on the inside. I probably watch less than an hour of espn a month. As far as tossing eggs at passing vehicles, I would say I’ve probably read everything Chick has EVER written about the Bengals. I see him starting to cater to people like you who love to just smugly point the finger at Mike Brown and Marvin Lewis. It’s easy to be intellectually lazy about something. All you have to do is point out a scapegoat or two. Just understand that there are a lot of reasons for most things, including the way Mike Brown runs the team. I stand up and blast him when I think he f’s up, but I’m not going to blame him for crap that he doesn’t deserve to be blamed for.By psychostats
July 9, 2008 12:36 AM | Link to this
Dan, I much prefer the tone of your latest post over the others, where I thought you came across like a steamroller trying to flatten everything in your path. I can readily appreciate your passion and knowledge of the Bengals. But on the flip side, I think you could have a little more appreciation for the opinions of others. It’s another tired old cliche, but each person brings his or her unique experiences to the table, whether or not they’ve moderated a message board or watched almost every Bengals game, etc. To be honest, I don’t think it’s fair to call people “intellectually lazy” because you happen to disagree with their conclusions. And I hope you realize it’s possible to caricature anybody’s opinion on this issue. To take one example, blaming the players sounds a lot like saying, “the car won’t start because the engine doesn’t turn over”. Well, why doesn’t the engine turn over? For me personally, I didn’t just pop out of bed one morning thinking that Mike Brown was a lousy owner. I came to that conclusion reluctantly over many years by considering many incidents. And I still stand by my take on the 2006 season. Things didn’t have come down to a couple of special teams plays. Thurman and Henry (and other players) probably could have been kept out of trouble for a while. Long enough to get another win or two. No limos or condoms necessary.By blindeye
July 9, 2008 9:49 PM | Link to this
Chick, In review of these comments, I must say I feel sorry for you because you have some pretty stupid people posting here. Since when is it a sport to bash sportswriters. I think the Cincy fans give understanding to why this franchise operates the way it does. Most of the fans think things are okay and perenninal losing is okay.By diablo-gamer
July 15, 2008 9:05 PM | Link to this
lewis needs to take over as defence coordinater and take out the trash bengals would winBy diablo-gamer
July 15, 2008 9:05 PM | Link to this
lewis needs to take over as defence coordinater and take out the trash bengals would win