So glad I don't live in Cincy...

**Crean N Crimson** · 08-16-2011, 04:16 PM

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/story...reilly-bengals

Great article by Rick Reilly about the rift between Carson Palmer and Bengal's owner Mike Brown.. Interesting idea towards the end of the article:

"If I'm Palmer, I watch the signing wires like a hawk. As soon as the Bengals climb to within $11.5 million of the hard salary cap, I beeline it to Cincinnati and sign. That would force Brown to either cut five or six players to be able to pay me -- or sign my freedom papers."

On the bright side, there is some really good young talent in Cincy.. Just might take a few years to for them to figure things out.

**Irish Raven** · 08-16-2011, 04:21 PM

Mike Brown is so stubborn he'd damage his franchise just to avoid backing down

Same man who turned down two first rounds picks for Chad Johnson

**Crean N Crimson** · 08-16-2011, 04:23 PM

Originally Posted by Irish Raven

Mike Brown is so stubborn he'd damage his franchise just to avoid backing down

Same man who turned down two first rounds picks for Chad Johnson

It's really pretty unbelievable.. The guy would rather prove a point than have a chance to win some extra games for the city and it's fans.

**festivus** · 08-16-2011, 04:29 PM

Originally Posted by Irish Raven

Mike Brown is so stubborn he'd damage his franchise just to avoid backing down

He already has.

I feel for those fans. Very similar to Orioles fans; an owner who has doomed the team to perpetual losing, and a fanbase so desperate and eager for something better it can't accept that its ship has sailed, owner at the helm.

Very sad.

**zing!** · 08-16-2011, 04:33 PM

Mike Brown is a disgrace to his family name and has pretty much destroyed the great legacy his father built.

**Crean N Crimson** · 08-16-2011, 04:37 PM

Originally Posted by festivus

He already has.

I feel for those fans. Very similar to Orioles fans; an owner who has doomed the team to perpetual losing, and a fanbase so desperate and eager for something better it can't accept that its ship has sailed, owner at the helm.

Very sad.

Good analogy.. reminds me a lot of the O's situation.

**Shas** · 08-16-2011, 04:47 PM

From the story...

Yes, Palmer has four years left on his nine-year, $118 million deal. You signed the contract, you say. Live up to it. In fact, that's what Brown has said. "He gave his word. … He's going to walk away from his commitment. We aren't going to reward him for doing it."

But Brown is a hypocrite. He has cut hundreds of players before their contract was up and given them nothing. Why should Palmer live up to a deal that works only one way?

As a personal aside, way back when T.O. was trying to get a better deal in Philly, and the owner was throwing out the idea that "a contract is a contract" I wrote Reilly and suggested to him that owners are full of crap because they can cut players any time but players have no such leverage. Reilly replied that I had "an interesting perspective."

One thing I don't understand in Reilly's argument is the bit about Carson running back into town to sign. He's already under contract. So what is there for him to sign? Doesn't it come down to Carson waiting to sign his retirement papers, and then at that point the Bengals have the cap room? At some point, they force him to retire by fining him for not being in camp, right? So I'm not sure how Reilly's strategy of screwing the Bengals could work.

**Ravens75** · 08-16-2011, 04:52 PM

Originally Posted by festivus

He already has.

I feel for those fans. Very similar to Orioles fans; an owner who has doomed the team to perpetual losing, and a fanbase so desperate and eager for something better it can't accept that its ship has sailed, owner at the helm.

Very sad.

Great analogy however in this case I will blame some of this on Carson.

He's never been a leader and largely was absolved of all blame in Cincy when he's been very mediocre the last 2-3 years (yes he was hurt in 2008).

Now he takes his ball and goes home when the team has rid itself of some of the malcontents? Not too good of a way to show leadership.

BTW, Mike Brown is still a money whore. He lets a really good young corner in Jonathan Joseph go and then signs a declining veteran in Nate Clemens. BTW, they are still far under the cap.

I remember on Hard knocks thinking to myself how cold and impersonal he and his daughter are.

It really must suck to be a Bengals fan.

**Captain Silver** · 08-16-2011, 05:15 PM

I don't blame Carson, but at the same time, he did ink an extension; I think he thought the fine print somewhere guaranteed that the Ravens and Steelers would suck. The Browns... well, anything with a Brown in it is bound to suck: See Mike Brown, or what the dog left on the front lawn; they are in fact, indistinguishable.

**Greg** · 08-16-2011, 08:46 PM

Originally Posted by Crean N Crimson

Good analogy.. reminds me a lot of the O's situation.

Angelos has at times spent money, just very unwisely because he knows shit about baseball but thinks he does. He gave Albert Belle a boat load of cash, for example.

**The Excellector** · 08-17-2011, 10:05 PM

If it were any team other than the Bengals, I would blame Carson for signing the deal. However, you would think that a man would sign that contract, with the idea that the team will actually work to improve, with him playing a major role.