Open Letter to Mike Brown

Bengals fans are encouraged to print and mail this letter to Paul Brown Stadium to display your extreme dissatisfaction with the direction and management of the team.

Mike Brown
Cincinnati Bengals
Owner and President
1 Paul Brown Stadium
Cincinnati, OH 45202

Dear Mr. Brown:

As I hope you acknowledge, you are a lucky man.  You remain an NFL owner and a very rich man despite taking your father's legacy and tarnishing it, taking your city's pride and abusing it and accomplishing  nothing in your professional life on your own merit.   

I, on the other hand, am an unlucky man.  I am a Bengals fan.  For reasons of loyalty or geography or stupidity, I remain a Bengals fan after 18 years without a playoff win under your leadership. For reasons that are inexplicable to me, I continue to ruin my Sunday's in the fall by watching your team lose.   Because of you, I have even brought this burden of being a Bengals fan onto my friends and family.  I spend money on Bengals merchandise I don't need. I help sell out your stadium (actually, my stadium since you extorted taxpayers to pay for it).  I waste countless hours following and debating the smallest details of your team.

And how have you thanked me?  You take my hard-earned money and stuff it into your pockets instead of signing free agents, bulking up our scouting department or upgrading training facilities.  You take my loyalty and refuse to hire a General Manager.  You take my devotion and game after game, year after year, put a team on the field that has no chance of really competing for a Super Bowl. 

But why would you want to put in the extra effort to give Cincinnati a winner?  The NFL's revenue sharing policy means that you are going to profit regardless of the Bengals competitiveness.  So basically, you are taking advantage of a system designed to give every team a fair chance of winning and intentionally not winning.  There is no real legal obligation to try and compete.  But you would think that a man such as yourself, who prides himself so much on fulfilling his father's legacy, would be concerned with the staggering lack of professionalism that has characterized the franchise under your stewardship.

At its base, you simply do not care if the Bengals win or lose.  All things being equal, would you like to see the Bengals win?  Of course.  But are you willing to do whatever it takes to reward me and my fellow Bengals fans by putting a Bengals team on the field that are Super Bowl contenders?  If the past is any indication, the answer is a resounding, "NO!"  Well, if you will not run the Bengals with the respect they deserve, then we as fans and citizens of Cincinnati will take matters into our own hands.

As Bengals fans, we demand: 

THAT the you, Katie Blackburn, Marvin Lewis, along with every other member of the Bengals management, staff and personnel, state publicly to all Bengals fans, "I will do everything in my power to help the Cincinnati Bengals win a Super Bowl;"

THAT you, Mike Brown will hire a general manager, drastically expand the scouting department and relinquish all control of player personnel;

THAT all training, rehabilitation and medical facilities are considered best-in-class compared to other NFL teams;

THAT the management fills the team only with players who fit the system, both mentally and physically, and are not reluctant to makes changes to player personnel when needed, regardless of cost or loyalty concerns;

THAT offensive and defensive line depth is considered the top priority for all player personnel decisions;

THAT all decisions made by ownership, management, staff and players, both on and off the field, are judged only by this criterion: "Does this help the  Cincinnati Bengals win a Super Bowl?"

These are all common sense demands that any successful franchise would have realized already. 

Perhaps you could put a call into Jim Irsay, the owner of the Colts.  Much like you, he inherited an NFL Franchise upon the death of his father.  Not being a football man, like yourself, he decided to hire a GM and let people who understand football make football decisions.  The results?  The Colts are the first team in NFL history to have five consecutive seasons of 12 wins or more and have won a Super Bowl.

I wish for one week you could try and see things from my perspective.  I have to compete for my living on a level playing field with no special favors or handouts.  You get a check from the NFL every month just for having a successful father and for not dying.  I have to make hard decisions on how to spend my disposable income, and for some reason I continue to waste it on your Bengals.  Even the slightest acknowledgment from the Bengals for my irrational spending would be nice at this point.  But never has so much as a single gesture of gratitude been uttered or showed by you for the foolishly loyal fans or the community at large that bestows your wealth upon you.  I have the pride to always thank and reward those who support me.  You would rather make a  few extra bucks than maintain any respect among your fans and your city.

At the end of the day, you own the Cincinnati Bengals - a business.  And you can run your business as you see fit.  But it is a unique type of business model into which you have unwittingly stumbled.  One in which you cannot fail no matter how hard you try (and you have made a valiant effort).  But it is also a business with implications beyond your family's personal wealth and for the greater Cincinnati community.  So yes, the NFL has made it easy for you to turn a buck, but if you really want to run this organization as something bigger than yourself (and it is), then give up control of player personnel and spend a few bucks on free agents and coaching. 

And if you don't have enough pride to give us a winner, we will hit you in the only place where you might react - in the pocketbook.

Sincerely,

__________________________________
ENTER NAME

Comments

[boriskat]

You forgot to mention an outdoor covered practice facility. But don't worry, when I print this out and send it, I'll mention that. Great letter!

[Rich]

I like this approach.
Until we can get a perfect Disney movie type scenario where angels come down from heaven and help a young Bengals fan make his dying douche bag father's dream of the Bengals winning the super bowl come true, then I am going to have to go with manipulation. I am going to pay kindergarteners to draw little crayon pictures of Mike Brown hoisted upon Chris Henry's shoulders after the Bengals just won the super bowl with the caption "Pleaz, Mr. Broun, help the Bengals win the supr bule" Surely he will be so moved by this tactic that he will get a gm.

[Paul Katz]

Mike Brown gulps on kindergartners tears every night before he goes to bed.

[JMo]

I'm seeing a therapist due to depression directly caused by Mike Brown's incompetence. Can I file a lawsuit or at least have him pay for meds?

[JMo]

he's trying to see if he can rent a tent from ringling bros. to cover our indoor practice facility.

[Scott Ricketts]

Mike Brown's heart doesn't pump blood like yours and mine, but a thick viscous black ooze that seeps into every pore of his sore-ridden body infusing it with even more sadistic desires for ripping out the hearts of every Bengals fan.

[IgnatiusJReilly]

That scratching sound you hear is Paul Brown clawing madly at the inside of his coffin, trying to get out and kill his idiot son.

[JonnyB]

You guys are f*cking hilarious!

[Nate]

Is there any chance the Who Dey Revolution can organize the boycott of the first quarter of what we deem to be the biggest game of the season (e.g. Pittsburgh) as a statement for change? Maybe there are other ideas, but it would be great to make a statement this year.

Big fan of the revoultion...

[Tim VanHook]

I like the idea of a protest or walk out.The only thing is if we do it against the steelers it will still be half full of the DAMN yellow towels.
ITs needs to be a game where the whole stadium is empty and everyone just stand outside of the stadium and protest.
How about if everyone goes to the game and no one buys one item from the concession stand.
I think instead of renewing my tix new year Ia m going to buy NFL ticket and start following the Buccaneers

[PR Osterhage]

Anyone else send this letter and get a response?

[dave]

this team frickin stinks and mike brown is a pile of scum..so what if u have a bunch of money mike..your a loser and your team shows it..LOSER!!!

[Jim]

How your unused Bengal tickets could be worth $100's even $1000's more than they are now.

With the finacial state of America in distress, how can the tax payers in Cincinnati afford the Bengals?

I suggest the fans force a real football team use the stadium the tax payers of Cincinnati are paying for. As long as Mike Brown or any one related to him owns a team here, the team will fail.

People simply quit attending games even if you paid for tickets. You are only insulting people by asking someone else to attend in your place. Your unused tickets will be worth hundreds more in the future when they are unused, by being the ticket to the NFL game where no one attended.

[Jim]

The only way to get Mike Brown out of here is to not show up to games and stop buying anything Bengal related. I am glad that my tax dollars don't pay for this crap.

[mike]

It's stunning to me that a man who wishes to build his franchise through the draft spends so little on his scouting department. For years he has said, "We have the same information that everybody else has." WOW.

Maybe on firstrounders, Mike. But even an appliance salesman like myself knows that teams are BUILT in the later rounds. Because it's the later rounds that provide offensive and defensive linemen, many of which are "diamonds in the rough." But with few scouts and few connections as a result of having few scouts, those picks are simply not made by the Bengals. Nope, we take "project receivers" in rounds 2 and 3. To Hell with linemen.

[Todd Wright]

Jimmy Johnson was talking about how during the draft, all team owner's and coach's were arriving in limo's Mikey boy and his staff showed up in a economy rental car. Also heard a story about when Paul Brown was still alive, Mikey boy was bitchin about the expense and cost that were involved with making the playoff's. We will overcome!!

[Jeff]

It might be more effective if we send it to his home address...searching the county auditor sites now...

[Brad Kohler]

PLEASE HIRE FOOTBALL PEOPLE TO RUN FOOTBALL OPERATIONS. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE. 40 YEAR BENGALS FAN

[Paul Brown]

Brandon Hammer
11/11/08
Management
The group I am analyzing is the Cincinnati Bengals team and front office. The Cincinnati Bengals are the professional football team in the city of Cincinnati, Ohio. They are a prime example of a command group with the players reporting to the same coach, Marvin Lewis. The Bengals front office and management report directly to the owner and general manager, Mike Brown. The players practice 5 days a week and play their games on Sundays. I chose this group because I am a disgruntled Bengals fan.
The Bengals were a very successful franchise in the 1980’s going to two super bowls. When Paul Brown died in 1991, the Bengals franchise has never been the same. They have had one winning season, 2005, since his death. They have shuffled through more than five head coaches. The Bengals are currently in the performing stage, but once the season is over, they need to start all over at the forming stage.
The Bengals franchise has roles from top to bottom from Mike Brown to Carson Palmer. I have many suggestions for the management of the Bengals. First, they need to hire a general manager. Mike Brown, the owner, is the current General Manager, which is unacceptable because the franchise is always behind in the scouting department. Mike Brown inherited the Bengals from his father, legendary football coach, Paul Brown. The Bengals have very poor management and they need drastic changes to every department. The Bengals need to change so many aspects of their management; it will take a complete overhaul. I think the Bengals are a prime example of a groupthink, their management comes up with an idea, a bad one, and they stick to it.
In the 1990’s and 2000’s the Bengals have been the absolute worst franchise in the National Football League. The Bengals have been drafting bad college players for too long and it needs to stop. They need to start drafting offensive and defensive linemen; they are the cornerstone of every successful football team. The 2007 Super Bowl Champion New York Giants had the best offensive and defensive line in football. I would focus on team building for the players. Player morale has been very low due to a 0-8 start to the 2008 season. There are numerous examples of deviance and social loafing on the roster. In 2006, there were 10 separate player arrests. That is unacceptable; players need to be held responsible for their actions on and off the football field.
The Bengals team has virtually no cohesiveness. They need a coach who will enhance team building. Marvin Lewis has been here since 2003 and the losing culture still has not been remedied. A new head coach who has been in the NFL as a tough defensive coordinator would be a great start. The Bengals need stronger leadership from top to bottom. They need the owner to not have anything to do with the football operations. They need to hire a general manager who can make decisions on player personnel with an expanded scouting department. The scouting department needs to have open and honest communication with the head coach on position needs and draft possibilities. The power and politics that Mike Brown has over the Bengals needs to be relinquished so that the head coach and general manager can work together to field a successful 53 man roster without looking over their shoulder. All of the changes I have suggested will help the Bengals reform their goals and maybe they will have a winning formula for once.

[REX SOWARDS]

Dear Mr. Brown,please hire a GM. I AM TIRED OF LOOSING, YOU SORRY BASTARD. YOUR killing me on sundays, so please do somthing,

[SCSR-Prez]

I really do not think that the Bengals fortunes would ever change if Mike Brown hires a general manager...Mike Brown would not hire a quality football guy to be the GM. He'd most likely hire some lackey to do his bidding and we would be stuck in the same situation...

Regretably as long as Mike Brown owns the team, they will always be losers with or without a GM....

[Cindy Rabe]

I have had season tickets since 1980. I own more Bengal stuff than the Pro shop along with a Bengal bus.I take the bantering of co-workers weekly. I can't help myself- I LOVE THE BENGALS!!! That being said, I can't take it anymore!!!. I just want to watch my team be competative in this league. I spend thousands a year to support my team and I'm not rich. I don't know what to do or how to feel anymore. Mike Brown is not a football person. He should honor his father,s legacy and hire someone who is. I think he is the cancer of the team. Sincerely, Cindy Rabe

[Greg Craig]

That letter is great. I am making a copy of it and I send it once a week.

Jeff, did you ever find his home address from the county auditors site? I want to send it there as well.

[J.Smith]

What address do we send this to?

[Dee Kay]

We are tired of being Pittburgh's bitch

[Larry Leavitt]

Great web sight! I have suffered more than most regarding the Bengals. Not only have I been sucked in as a Bengals Fan, I have season tickets as well & debating wether to renew or not. I have a business that sells novelties & have lost hundreds & even thousands of dollars in un-sold or just un-wanted merchandise. I cannot give away hats, license plates & even player card team sets. The Bengals have done me no favors so why should I do them any. They are a farce as far as an NFL Team goes & I really don't even think Mike Brown cares. He is just laughing all the way to the bank!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Matt Callahan]

In the late 1970's then Commissioner Pete Rozelle made the NY Giants hire a GM by the name of George Young. Since then the Giants have won 3 Super Bowls and have been to the playoffs many times. Can't Commish Roger Goodell do something similar here?

[pat slattery]

You are like Royalty in a Kingdom country. You have inherited a position of ownership from your bloodline but have no ability to run the country (team) as your father did. You suck.

Pat

[B Purdie]

The fact that Mike Brown actually cares about football or the fans is one of the greatest farces in sports. I honestly think he was one of those unfortunate socially inept kids in school who was bullied by the jocks so now he's taking revenge on his team of jocks and you, the fans of jocks, and giggling with his socially inept friends while counting the piles of money from tickets, licensing, parking, concessions, and everything else.

[andy]

hey

[andy]

The reason the Bengals suck is because of the stupid fans. The FANS are as much to blame as Mike Brown. They continue to support this idiot who owns the team by going to the games, buying tickets, buying merchandise, wearing the jerseys even though they suck, etc. The only way the Bengals will EVER be a winning team is if the stadium is EMPTY week after week and then maybe Mike Brown will wake up. Mike Brown only cares about money. He doesn't care if they win or lose. Therefore, the only way to change things is to reduce his money by NON support of this team in EVERY way!! Wake up Bengal fans! You are the laughing stock of the nation. Do you not get this? Or maybe the problem is the fans are stupider than Mike Brown.

[andrew deeter]

If you dumbass Bengal Fans support them this year again like you have done for 20 years and then continue to bitch cause they suck every year then I guess you are all still dumbasses and the reason Mike brown is laughing his way to the bank. You guys are idiots and mike brown knows it. He is getting rich off of you because you support a suckass team year after year, after year, after year,after year, etc., etc., Get a freaking life Bengal fans.....You are more pitiful than the bengals are!!!!

[Bryce]

I'm mad as hell, and I'm not going to take it anymore!

You're right. The ONLY way to get thru to Mike Brown is to hit him financially. If you truly love the Bengals then you'll have to go the route of tough love and stay away from the team. Don't drop a single dollar on them until Mike Brown changes his ways.

[Public Administration Dissertation]

Blogs are so informative where we get lots of information on any topic. Nice job keep it up!!