With Henry to Return, is Lewis running for the exit?

It is a dark, dark day to be a Bengals fan.

Our worst fears were confirmed late Monday night as James Walker of ESPN.com reports that Chris Henry is en route to Cincinnati to finalize an inexplicable return to the Bengals.

In a move that will no doubt strip all remaining leverage that Marvin Lewis had left in the locker room, Henry's return marks another chapter in this franchise's insane refusal to run a NFL organization with any sign of intelligence. 

Following a night when the Bengals struggled to run the ball, failed to rush the passer, and saw Carson Palmer sitting his ass more than Spencer Pratt, how does management respond?  By bringing back a "one-man crime wave" to play third receiver starting in Week 5. 

I find it strange that the Bengals continue to believe that Henry will 'change'.  Henry did some very, very bad things at West Virginia.  Some you read about in the papers, and some you didn't.  The NFL Draft isn't like the sorority rush process.  People talk, and every team in the league MUST have known that this was someone who had talent, but was going to be a danger to any team (and the community) that drafted him.  In Cincinnati, Henry has done some more bad things.  Again, some you heard about, some you didn't.  This guy got a chance to play with an all-pro quarterback, in the prime of his career, in the NFL AND with two other all-pros handling all the double teams from the opposing defense.  And still, this did not cause Chris Henry to change his lifestyle. 

Cancer, going to jail for 10 years, getting married...these are things that can change a man's life.  What has happened to Chris Henry to make you believe that he has changed?  Since he was cut from the Bengals, Henry has:  escaped assault charges, got to hang out at home for a few months, somehow avoided a severe suspension from the NFL, and missed all of training camp.  Doesn't exactly sound like the guy had an epiphany to me.

Answer me this question:  What incentive does Chris Henry have to change his ways?  He has committed crime after crime...becoming a player that clearly Marvin Lewis cannot trust to be on the field...and the Bengals are bringing him back.  Again.   

I'm sure more will be posted on this site about how idiotic, ridiculous, and utterly amazing this signing is, but don't forget to watch for another situation that will be soon boiling over.

It is safe to say that the Bengals are headed down the barrel of another 7-9, 8-8 type season.  Sunday night's dreadful performance assured that eight wins might be a small miracle for this team.  That being said, if another season filled with turmoil, off-field embarrassment and a season without a playoff berth becomes a reality, Lewis will resign.  I can guarantee you that.  I think he would resign tomorrow morning, but Lewis isn't the kind of coach that would abandon his players two weeks before the season.  However, if he does quit tomorrow, I wouldn't be surprised...nor would I blame him. 

I only hope the Cincinnati media (Mark Curnutte, Doc, Lance, C.Trent, the arrogant, disrespectful Alan Cutler, etc) understands that Marvin Lewis's quotes from the Bengals Luncheon and during training camp were HIS quotes, and that he cannot be held accountable for re-signing Henry.  Mike Brown is hell-bent on running his ship the way he wants to run his ship (see #30).  And he will be absolutely damned for anyone to tell him otherwise. 

Lewis knows that there are 31 other jobs out there in the NFL, but just one owner like Mike Brown.  Lewis will make the right decision. 

The Bengals will promote from within, giving someone like long-time running backs coach Jim Anderson a shot at the big-time.  He'll be a head coach, making the minimum for any HC in the NFL.  Without the power to be any kind of force in the locker room, Anderson will be well-liked, but ultimately run over by the team.  Ever heard of Dick LeBeau?

And the circle of (Bengal-ed) life continues...

Comments

[KY6]

With all due respect to the author, stop being such a wuss and attempt to look at this through a business sense. The league has allowed him to play football again, his teammates want him back, and he has potential #1 receiver talent. On top of that, we can have him for a league minimum. If it doesn't work out, what have we lost? Some righteous inner sense of morality? Do we feel as if we owe it to the 'good of the game' to pass on him? What a bunch of crap. This is football and the guy can play. If he screws up again, he will be expelled from the league... then it's over. Risk free for us. Spare us the sob story about how he is tarnishing the reputation of the organization. You think anyone is going to be saying that if we win the super bowl? And if we don't, still who really cares? Do what it takes to win. Come on.

[Sleeping With Bieniemy]

KY6,

There are consequences to decisions like this with ramifications more important than the fact that, yes, Henry might be a bargain if he never gets in trouble again (a huge if).

The main one, which you are ignoring, is that Mike Brown is literally shitting on the head of Marvin Lewis. This creates a poisonous dynamic between the two most important people involved in running the Bengals and portends only ominous things for the future.

Being the laughingstock of the NFL already, it does not help to further tarnish our reputation...we've had a tough enough time getting free agents to come here, and we just made it harder.

Also, which teammates really want him back? Chad says so but that's it. You're kidding yourself if you think he doesn't carry a scarlet letter with him everywhere he goes (deservedly or not). TJ openly said something along the lines of, "sure he's good, but bringing him in means someone is out of job, and that's a tough thing to tell a guy who has been here busting his butt." Makes me think his teammates aren't all that excited to have him back.

Besides, we're getting him til after the first month. So for the rest of august and all of september, we get to take the all the heat and outrage for signing him with none of the benefit. In all likelihood we wont even need him with the addition of the young draft picks and Utecht.

This will be a bad decision 999 out of 1000 times.

[John A. Schizzle]

The man is an alien sent from a distant planet to help all Bengals fans. He doesn't understand our civil laws and curtious behavior. He is a warrior alien sent to run fly patterns and drop catchable balls. He doesn't understand your "disgruntled fan" attitude nor the "rules" of some man called "Roger". He is here to save us all.

I'm just saying the guy looks like an alien.

[Bekim Swolb]

I am really pissed about this crap with Henry. This is a Mike Brown decision, 100%. I know Marvin is smart enough to know how these constant distractions hurt the team but the idiot owner is too stupid to see this. He is by far the worst owner in all of sports!!!!!!!!! It is just ridiculous. The team was coming together and now they have to add this head case in week five. They need to be more concerned with actually fielding a decent defensive team than being so worried about the third receiver spot. This is not going to make or break them especially since Marvin stated that he wants to be a power running team and also the addition of Utecht.

AAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Who Don't]

The Chickster raises a very good point. 31 other NFL teams had the opportunity to do this. 31 other NFL teams did not.

[Andrew Simon]

Marvin Lewis risks ruining his reputation with the other 31 NFL teams the longer he associates himself with the Bengals. I love Marvin Lewis, and because I love him, I am going to have to let him go. Fly away Marvin, fly away.

[KY6]

I have never heard a BIGGER bunch of whining SISSIES in my LIFE! Are you guys serious? Quit it with the self pitting, Bengals-hating attitude. This is about WINNING FOOTBALL GAMES, pure and simple. Not appeasing whiney fans who are overly concerned with being politically correct and developing a glistening image. And it just might be the case the Lewis and Brown came to agreement on this before it was said and done.

Point taken that if this is a dissention between Brown and Lewis it would be bad for the organization in some regards. However, that point is pure speculation based on public comments Lewis has made. What Lewis says in press conferences and what he actually thinks are often two different things. He's not going to come out and say, "God I wish we had Henry back. Damn he's good." He knows that contributes to Chris' ego and sense that he doesn't have to reform to get back on the team. End of the day, no one knows for sure if this was condoned by Marvin- we will see how it plays out.

Based on economics of this deal though, you can't make an argument that this makes you worse off.

Read John Thorton's comments about Henry on bengals.com - these guys all recognize how good he is and that he has one more chance then he's gone (by league expulsion). Everyone's good with it. ROLL JUNGLE, CATS ARE BACK!!!!!

[Andrew Simon]

KY6 - I LOVE the Bengals. I just HATE Mike Brown and this entire Henry situation. Can you see the difference?

ps: I can do more pushups than you.

[Bekim Swolb]

Mr. Simon, you are correct in that it is about winning football games but you must have just arrived from another planet and unfortunately chose the Bengals as your team to root for, otherwise you would see how this relates to the previous 18 years of losing. Other teams can sign the Chris Henrys of the world and reap any possible benefits while dealing with the negative issues, but the Bengals don't have that luxury because the owner commands so little respect from the players, any little problem explodes into a huge problem.

[Bekim Swolb]

My bad, I meant to reference KY6 instead of Andrew Simon.

[Jimmy D.]

I did not want to believe it was true when you first brought up the subject. I thought with Marvin saying it publicly Mike Brown would just let it be. (I gave way too much credit to Mikey.) No third receiver is worth up staging your coach and destroying his authority. I think from a strictly football standpoint, Chris Henry is great. He adds a much need dimension to the offense. And I do not put too much stalk in the chemistry factor. But none of that matters. There are very very few instances when an owner should back a player over the head coach and this is not one of those times. Chris Henry is a number three receiver with a record that would put a normal person behind bars, even if Marvin never made any public comments against this signing you would think Mike would use some discretion.

I used to be hesitant to believe your constant harassment and sky is falling attitude towards the Bengals. I like to be an optimist when it comes to sports. I mean being a fan is supposed to be a pleasurable experience and I will be damned if I don't enjoy looking at the Reds roster and hoping every player on the roster has a career year and they win the world series. I used to hold out the same hope for the Bengals. But now until Mike Brown is forced out, I will never be able to trully cherish any success they have. Because in it will benefit Mike Brown. I can't walk away from the Bengals quite yet. I have spent too much energy trying to make this work to quit now. But I wish I could become a fan of another team.

The issue here isn't Chris Henry, he is just some punk who is really fast and a decent football player. The issue is Mike Brown routinely fucking the city from the Stadium Deal to the lost decade to the lack of a real front office to screwing over Marvin Lewis. Outside of Carson, Marvin Lewis was probably the second best thing the Bengals had going for them. I hope he resigns in short order, and I wish him the best.

Consider me part of the revolution. All my optimism will now be focused on a coup of the front office. Some saviour will come along and force Mike out.