You know why incompetent owners like Mike Brown maintain their position? Two reasons:

1) Because the term “bandwagon fan” has such a huge cultural currency and “real sports fans” are scared $#!+less that they might be accused of being one. Hence, even when logic dictates that you should stop financially supporting, ergo being complicit in continuing, an historically incompetent operation, you keep going because you don’t want to be the one that’s accused of being a “bandwagoner” if/when the team wins again.

2) Because for some reason, the POTENTIAL of a team winning (in this case, the Bengals) leaves certain fans going “what if I’m not there when it happens? What if I don’t go to the games? I’ll feel like I missed out!”

I’m still going to watch the Bengals on TV but pay for anything with a Bengals logo on it (including tickets)? Not on your life. One (possibly) good draft in 19 years and you’re ready to buy tickets again? Stop and review that. Are you “less of a fan” if you decide NOT to buy the tickets? Or are you a saavy demanding fan that wants to be sure the organization has changed before he provides his full support?

Don’t buy into this B.S. that if you don’t buy tickets that you’re a fairweather fan. What you are is saavy fan.

This is a tech-saavy universe. I’m not condoning anything illegal, but there are easily ways to check out games even when they are blacked out. You can also suck it up and just listen to the games. Or go to a sports bar that purchase NFL Direct Ticket.
No one said that trying to send a message wouldn’t require a little bit of nuts. To me, ultimately, you have to ask yourself “If I have to be a slave to THIS owner’s demands, is it even worth watching the games at all? Would I rather just watch other NFL teams, or not watch the NFL at all, than to stick with this undeserved-bonus-receiving-owner?”

If the answer is “I’d rather have this team to cheer for than no team,” that tells me you’re content to support a loser for the rest of your life, even if loser isn’t trying to win by changing things up. Either that or you’re not really a Bengals fan, you’re just a NFL fan and you like the Bengals as a conduit to bringing those games to you in person. In that case, by all means keep going to the games but don’t get pi$$ed at the losing when you’re facilitating it.

You couldn’t say it any better. I agree with you whole heartedly. On nearly every point.

Addressing SmoorDaddy’s comments about blackouts. Who cares? If it’s blacked out, you telling me you don’t have a sports bar that’s, I don’t know, a quarter mile from your house that you can’t go to and enjoy the games at?? And if Mike Brown threatens to move the team? Well that’s not happening. What other city in America would put up with this nonsense? Or suck into paying for his B.S. lease. That and he’s committed to it until 2025.

I can’t be a total hyprocrite. My family and I sit in club seats and we collectively make the decision to do so. I’m one of 6. I tried to lobby to the rest of the fam to “cut the cord” but no one was listening. We reupped. I was shocked. I was all pissed. Apparently my family, though all incredible die hards since the early 80’s, sees the game day experience for the tailgaiting and family cromraderie as much as they do for the pain and misery that we endure between 1pm and 4pm. Apparently they don’t seem to remember that dreadful feeling walking to the car after another Sunday of being kicked in the groin for 3 hours.

My stance though is that I’m not buying any Bengals gear, nor am I willing to make any monetary commitment to Mike Brwon until he makes “Material” changes.

Am I impressed by this offseason? YES. Am I impressed with the draft? YES. Would a full time GM or 10 more scouts have done a better job the past 2 months? NO. However, has that made me forget the last 19 years? Hell no.

The real question though that everyone I think has failed to address is this:

Would Mike Brown have been as aggressive this past off season had he not realized that 5 of every 8 season ticket holders were in severe jeopardy of cancelling? These off season moves by him are out of desperation. He understand sthere’s a lot of fence sitters. He’s trying to keep us “on the fence.” Right now, he thinks he’s done that. He’s not interested in getting back on his side. No sir. THAT, he doesn’t care about. Just don’t leave.

I’m tired of “reactionary” owning/managing as opposed to “proactive” owning/managing.

How about you make an effort to win every year…and not just when you think we’re all gunna crap out on you?

Mmmkay…Cedric Benson has proven to be reliable(12 games, 3.5 YPC, only played well against horrible teams)…a GM couldn’t have done better than Mike Brown this offseason(maybe not overpay for Coles, maybe hold some coaches accountable for a 4-11-1 season). When the season ends, let’s revisit these ideas, shall we?

1) I don’t advocate jumping ship and supporting another team. Don’t assume that you have to “betray” your team and jump ship to send the message…..that’s a false dichotomy and another tool that the Mikeys of the world use to psychologically trick sucker fans into their recidivist ways. Stop creating an either/or situation where there isn’t one.

Every time I go on a messageboard and tell people “STOP PUTTING MONEY INTO MIKE BROWN’S POCKET,” there’s always somebody that counters “I’m not gonna jump ship and become a Steelers fan………” NO ONE is suggesting you become a Steelers fan. I loathe the Steelers. I despise the Steelers.

2) If winning’s not a priority, that’s fine…it’s just sports after all and you’re entitled to get whatever you want out of it. But it strikes me as willfully offensive that Mike Brown would pay himself bonuses for 18 years for a job he did poorly. That’s an owner that enjoys spitting on his customers, metaphorically at least.

3) I never said the Bengals didn’t have a good offseason. In fact, I’d give it a B bordering on a B+ thus far. Do I want the Bengals to win? Definitely. Will I be happy if they do? Sure. But if they do, will I regret boycotting games and merchandise? Not at all!

We want long-term systemic change, not just a good year or two. We want the Cincinnati Bengals to not be a laughing stock. One year in the playoffs isn’t going to make that happen. Heck, winning the Super Bowl wouldn’t even make that happen, it’d just be seen as a lucky year.

During Mike Brown’s time as owner, the team has had a .351 winning percentage while the Steelers won two Super Bowls and the Ravens won one. I would thrill at the sight of one Super Bowl year from afar, but I still wouldn’t regret not buying any tickets to the games or any merch. Heck, best as I see it, he owes the fans more than one measly good year to prove he’s the right man for the job. We’ve had to suffer through the Steelers making the AFC title game six times while he willfully continues to run the team the same way……does that not inflame you?

…rooting for the Bengals, whether you pay for them or not, is sadism in its purest form! :-p