It's Time To Reach Out: Understanding James Walker's Obsession
by Josh Kirkendall on May 6, 2010 11:59 PM EDT
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PrintThere are days that I can stand James Walker. There are times that I can't stand James Walker. Today is one of those days. While the writer with extensive knowledge on building NFL franchises -- the same writer that spent countless posts obsessing about Ben Roethlisberger off the field issues for weeks -- he literally takes the Bengals to task writing:
But also show me a team that consistently cuts corners and ignores character and I'll show you the Bengals -- a franchise that's never won a Super Bowl and hasn't posted back-to-back winning seasons in 28 years. If the goal is winning championships, there's more than enough evidence Cincinnati's way of doing business doesn't work.
You know, I could go into one of my rants. I could say that Walker's overreaction that, apparently in his mind, Adam Jones is suddenly the face of the franchise and the team's only defensive player. But I won't. I could compare Walker's obvious favoritsm with the Ravens and Steelers, all the while not giving the Bengals much of a fair shake. But I won't. I could say that Adam Jones is really pointless in the grand scheme of things with the foundation that's already built with this defense. But I won't.
You know why I won't? Because I think Walker has a problem. An addiction. An obsession. And there's no one in the world that sees it like we do. There's no one in the world that's willing to help. And we should be more accepting of his problem and be willing to help him, rather than reacting to his blanket pieces that disregards everything else about this team.
In his mind, the Bengals are literally terrorists. I'm not certain, but I'm sure that when he goes to Cincinnati, he has Jack Bauer on speed dial and Chloe O'Brien tracking the team's movements after practice. "Damn it Chloe," Walker shouts in his cell phone. "I need you to hack into Carson Palmer's computer. I'm sure his all-around good guy persona is a front for illegal business operations that trades black market weapons and heroin."
So while you see, or read Walker, just shake your head and maybe, just maybe, reach out to the troubled man and let him know that we're here for him. We want him to get better. That's how we do it in Cincinnati. We want to help. And Mr. Walker, we want to help you.
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he just needs somethin to write stories...
And usually he writes about bad teams,.. Its gonna take a while for him to consider us a good team,.. MAybe when we make it all the way baby!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Man i cant wait for the season…
really if you look at the Bengals issues over the years, their ability to draft talent consistently was poor along with some bad luck. They say the Raider will suffer for 5 yrs for J Russell. We had the nineties fo 92’ Klingler, 93’ John Copeland, 94’ big daddy,95 Kijna Carter 97 renard Wilson 99 Akili Smith. . We Should of Theoretically recovered in 2025
lol
Great writeup Josh. Per your usual, you calmly talk us all down off of the high building that we are about to jump off for being Bengals fans. I for one, after reading J Dubs article wanted to resort to violence – you know – put on some pads and tackle Mr. Walker in his fancy business suit. Or better yet, I’d rather have Rey Maualuga do it for me. Yep, that would do the trick. You however give us better counsel – and that is to pity the man. So get well James! May you finally break the vicious cycle of one-dimensional thinking and Steelers Ass-Kissing that has plagued you for so long!
This is our year!
by Paul Cannon on May 7, 2010 1:07 AM EDT reply actions 1 recs
Let's see...
But also show me a team that consistently cuts corners and ignores character and I’ll show you the Bengals — a franchise that’s never won a Super Bowl and hasn’t posted back-to-back winning seasons in 28 years. If the goal is winning championships, there’s more than enough evidence Cincinnati’s way of doing business doesn’t work.
And which part of this isn’t true? Please debunk.
The Steelers and Ravens are well run, consistently successful franchises. Ass kissing? It’s called “the better you are, the more positive things there are to write”. (Gotta love the Raider fans at PFT bitching that Mike Florio never has anything positive to say about their team. Really? You don’t say.) The Bengals go to the playoffs twice in a 5 year stretch and you demand the same kind of respect? Mike Brown’s bumbling and a history of character issues biting them in the tail is suddenly to be ignored? Honestly, what the hell do you expect? We signed Matt Jones and Pacman Jones in the same offseason. No one should find this ridiculous? We offered Mike Vick a contract last year. Does this franchise not ignore character issues?
No one said the Bengals don't ignore character issues.
He’s just saying that character issues don’t equate to failure. There’s no evidence for that. The Bengals have been known for character problems since 2005. Also since 2005, they’ve had vastly more success than in the previous 14 years.
“If the goal is winning championships, there’s more than enough evidence Cincinnati’s way of doing business doesn’t work.”
That’s the part I’d debunk. To which way of doing business does he refer? The team had a great 2009 season and made a lot of other (good) offseason moves that nobody focuses on. To not consider this team a contender is plain ignorant.
If you’re looking for evidence, maybe you should consider that this strategy is working. After all, we should compare the current Bengals’ front office decisions to past Bengals’ decisions, and the more recent decision-making process has obviously been better. It’s been a long climb uphill, but I believe this team just swept its division…
by Pardon_My_French on May 7, 2010 3:31 AM EDT up reply actions
A recall MANY "Journalists" questioning the way the Bengals do things
Remember the masses who wanted to watch Hard Knocks to get a glimpse of how horribly run the Bengals are?
That didn’t work in their favor. We came out of it looking like the hard working team we have, trying to win ball games.
Hmm…and yet hard knocks won some awards last year. go figure.
No, don’t get it wrong. Brown has been cutting corners for years, and bringing guys in the rest of the league won’t touch is only the latest twist.
Look at how little the Bengals fan expects: the strategy is working. Yes, if you’re happy with making the playoffs every few years(this is considered a failure by legitimately good NFL franchises). Just swept the division, but got absolutely embarrassed two weeks in a row by the Jets and a rookie QB. You act like we won the Super Bowl, but James Walker won’t admit to it.
Were starting to get it together
The reason we havent been good is more drafting issues of the past than anything else. Untill Lewis got here the Bengals had bad drafting for the most part, Akili Smith, Kijana Carter, Carl Pickens. We are expecting a good playoff run this year or this year will be a dissapointment. Last year was considered a good year because everyone expected maybe 8-8 from the Bengals and they surpassed expectations. This year we expect big things so another one and done in the playoffs is going to be a huge failure.
Hey, you lay off my man, Pickens. Favorite Bengal of all time. You might have him confused with someone else. Multiple Pro Bowls out of a 2nd round pick is pretty tasty.
Otherwise, your higher standards are commendable. Mike Brown could string along too many Bengal fans for years with seasons like 2009. Swept the division! Won the division! Laid a huge egg when it counted. Good enough, dudes!
No but we weren't expected to do anything close to that
We made the playoffs and got beat by a team that was very close to the Superbowl. Oh and we had a lot of injuries as well. I’m not going to use that as an excuse but nobody expected us to be where we were last year. Add to that what I consider a VERY productive offseason and we are on the right path. Oh and while we may have only made the playoffs 2 times in the last few years we barely missed in other years playing to the last week. Not all Franchises make the playoffs every year. We do expect a good run this year and we continue to build towards that. If we make the playoffs this year there will just be another excuse. While the fact of the matter is we play in possibly the toughest division in football. Our Franchise has continued in the right direction ever since the hiring of Marvin Lewis. I see no reason to think we will not continue to build on that.
I agree with much of what you say, but there was one hell of a letdown from 2006-2008. Not good teams. I know better than to think it can’t happen again.
Not the same team
We had aging players then, now we have young guys. Alot of our D is still playing out their rookie contracts. And our Oline had people like Levi Jones and Willie Anderson who were old and Injured, now besides Bobby Williams the oline is young and probably not even playing there best ball yet. Palmers injury hurt 2 of the 3 seasons also. As long as this team protects Palmer and keeps him healthy all year they will once again be a contender in the AFC north, and a threat and the playoffs.
If you followed a team that was so bad for so long....
…you too would applaud any way of doing business that gets winning results no matter what it was. In order to fully understand the Bengals fan complicated and damaged psyche, you must first be a Bengals fan, which, judging by the tone of your comments, doesn’t seem to be the case. Way to rile up the crowd though; we need to argue sometimes.
B. Clifton Burke
Jesus, you guys are good. Anytime someone makes a point you don’t agree with: 1. Not a real Bengal fan, 2. Biased against the Bengals in some way(Like James Walker, who has the nerve to state the obvious).
Trust me, I’ve followed the team since I was 6 or 7 and I don’t buy into all of the boohoo and misery. The fans continue to set “mediocrity” as the high bar and that’s the best we’ll ever get. 10-6 and it’s all fixed, right? How many people thought they’d never see a 2008 again back in 2005?
But back to my original point...
But also show me a team that consistently cuts corners and ignores character and I’ll show you the Bengals — a franchise that’s never won a Super Bowl and hasn’t posted back-to-back winning seasons in 28 years. If the goal is winning championships, there’s more than enough evidence Cincinnati’s way of doing business doesn’t work.
What about this is false?
I think its false because
The way the Bengals have signed trouble free agents is not the reason they have not had back to back winning seasons in 28 years. Its the failed drafting attempts that have hurt them. I do not think that the character issues have much to do with the Bengals inabilty to consistantly be good.
It’s not just one thing. An overall philosophy. The Brown Family does a lot of things different from the rest of the NFL and the record speaks for itself. Walker is 100% justified in bringing this up.
"cut corners" ???
If you research the Bengals since MB took over the approach has almost always been fill the holes with draft picks and last round of wavier cuts. Occasionally they would over pay for an over the hill vet (Richmond Webb). I have to believe the last couple of years the approach has changed and I think Zimmer has had a hand in it. Bring in vets that fit into the system. Last year they signed Tank and Roy. The results weren’t great, but they did help and if they are healthy this year their contributions will be better. Part of the problem with putting too much emphasis on the draft is a lack of experience.
False
How did the Bengals ignore the character ? Are they clueless on Jones’ history. Didn’t Zim say he makes one false move he’s out. To me, their is little risk in signing him. The Jets trade for Holmes and the media is complaining that the Steelers gave him away. If the Patriots had signed Jones, it would have been a shrewd move my Bill. The Bengals aren’t going to get much respect until they win.
+1 Agreed
If this were Bill or Tony Dungy they would be praised for this for one reason or another. Totally true.
Well crud….the media just must have a bias against guys named “Marvin”. Or they probably just hate all of Ohio, right?
Or…The Patriots and Colts are both consistently excellent franchises with Lombardi Trophies. The Bengals haven’t won a playoff game in over 20 years. Why in the world don’t we get the same respect?
Oh let me add a little bit more Cyanide
If he is referring to winning championships with character issue guys, I dare to say that the Cowboys championship teams had a “few” character issue guys. In fact the Patriots have character issue guys as did the Giants championship team. They all have character issue guys. Whats the difference? The Patriots bring in players like Randy Moss and Corey Dillon and are praised for it. I say let the national media say what they want.
The Bengals are the team that gets the bad rep for bringing in people who have character issues because they seem to do it every chance they get, but so far it hasnt turned out to bad exept for first time with Henry, and Odell. Hopefully Jones follows the example set by the rest of the guys in the locker room and keeps his head on strait, even though im not counting on it.
in future include links to the article you are citing
—
as for what walker is saying. tar and feather me if you want, i agree with walker. here’s the meat of his take on the pacman situation:
“1) Bengals love a good reclamation project — especially on the cheap.
2) Bengals feel Adam “Pacman” Jones is a good fit for their franchise – at the league minimum.
3) no secret that football is a rough sport. Show me a team with 53 choirboys and I’ll show you a team that cannot make the playoffs
4) show me a team that consistently cuts corners and ignores character and I’ll show you the Bengals"
you can agree or argue against his 4 main points all you want. just take a minute to consider them first. you might be shocked how many of those points you can concede to.
"wherever Brad St. Louis is and Shayne Graham is about to be." -R.F. Mehl
HIring criminals dont work?
The Steelers got their superbowl with a kicker whos arrested as much as the Bengals team as a whole and a rapist QB, and the Ravens got their superbowl with a middle linebacker who murders people. I think the problem is the Bengals never went for the hardcore criminals, maybe Pacmans the missing piece then.
+1
Lets not forget to add in the GREAT Cowboys teams of the 90’s. The fact is that many many NFL Superbowls are won with questionable character guys. Its just for some reason they want to look at the Bengals as the team that shouldn’t take these guys on. I could care less what the Ravens and Steelers fans think or the National Media. Oh and another point that they are biased against the Bengals. How many times have you heard that Rex Ryan was responsible for the Greatest Defense in league history? Marvin never gets that credit. Not since he came to Cincy. The fact is he was the architect behind that Defense, but he will never get the credit for it again.
How many of the Cowboys were arrested before or during their championship run? A team can plead ignorance if a player runs into trouble, but has no prior history. The Bengals, however, cannot.
Michael Irvin had many run-ins with the law DURING his tenure with the Cowboys....
its just that getting in trouble 15 years ago didnt have the same consequences that it does now.
I think what the Bengals are doing is actually pretty smart. Get good players that are troubled for dirt cheap and sign them to contracts that can evaporate as soon as they do something dumb. Also, have those players play positions that the team is DEEP at so the team isnt seriously affected is something bad should happen.
Not only that, but the defense last year was built on guys that other teams didnt want and Zimmer has often stated that he rather have a group of hungry guys that were left on the shelf than a bunch of guys that think they are entitled to something. Pac man will be hungry to play so I dont expect the worst to happen.
Hi fans it Brandon Roy.
And ME.....LaMarcus Aldridge
Irvin was first arrested in 1996. After the Cowboys won their last Super Bowl. If you’re going to suggest that team didn’t go to hell in a handbasket quick with all of the legal trouble…I’ll politely disagree.
Overall, poor analogy. The Cowboys were already on top, then things went to sh*t with some high profile arrests. The Bengals have sucked forever(save 2005 and 2009) and they’re trying to climb to the top with players who have repeatedly let teammates down by getting suspended for moronic behavior.
Hilarious this has turned into a referendum on the way Mike Brown runs the club. Who knew he had so many supporters. A 6-10 season would likely change that….just as it does every time the fans buy in and get kicked in the teeth.
Marvin and the Ravens
Not to diminish his contributions in Baltimore but one of the reasons Marvin never gets the credit for that ferocious defense is that, in his tenure here, he’s shown not even a glimmer of whatever it was he supposedly had up there, in terms of defensive genius. It’s only been these last two years under Zimmer that we’ve shown any signs of life on the defensive side of the ball. I mean, sure, Baltimore’s management is light years beyond Mike Brown’s but you’d think that defensive guru Marvin could at least have had his underscouted and undertalented squad playing with some remedial facsimile of the swarming Ravens. For now? TGIZ.
by IgnatiusJReilly on May 7, 2010 12:45 PM EDT up reply actions
He's got Pat Forde disease
Then it comes to be that the soothing light at the end of your tunnel
is just a freight train coming your way.
thank you Josh
He equates signing these checkered players as are demise for the past 28years.Redic .
What player have we signed in this catergory has been a problem? oh yeah, none of them. JW doesn’t see the forest through the trees. Adam Jones was a first round top five pick. He was out of shape most of the year in Dallas. Hes part of the stockpile of cb and safties to compete for us against the passing teams we face this year.
She always looks like someone just farted
"If we always agree, one of us is not necessary"
Walker's post pisses me to no end
James Walker is a hack
Walker
Outside of ‘character issues’ columns his assessments about the Bengals are pretty good and solid reads. He does go a bit overboard when taking them to task for arrests and bringing in guys with troubled pasts.
Outside of most Bengal fans, people who read about the NFL seem to eat it up which may explain this. Another vibe I get from the bulk of the media assigned to cover the Bengals is they never seem to have anything positive to say. My guess is MB and Co. don’t treat the media as well as other teams and it shapes the media’s view. I think this helps explain why guys from Peter King, who as we all know was a Bengal’s beat writer many moons ago to James Walker always seem like they have a chip on their shoulder when talking about the organization.
by Cedric Benson Boat Party on May 7, 2010 10:38 AM EDT reply actions
For the people who are claiming that JW is not biased then....
Lets see IF we have no problem out of either Matt or Adam Jone or the other players we brought in, in the past, if he will do an article about how they have straightened their lives out and a big part of that is because of the environment they surrounded themselves in Cincy. I bet money we won’t get an article about this, even though we should. In fact he should bring these things up in an article like the one we are discussing. How many players have came here with legal issue’s and while here have become model players in the locker room, on the field, and off the field. Many of them contribute a lot of time and money to charities, and a lot of things in the community. Until we see an article on this then I will be of the opinion that he is biased. They got their second chance and made the most of it. Even if 1 of them does get in trouble then our success rate would still be very very high. over 80 % atleast. Not bad on players that should never get a second chance.
Oh and another thing
If this was Tony Dungy then it would have an entirely different spin on it. It would be the article that I think we should see. It would be how he is helping young men turn their lives around and give them their second chance. Why is that not the case here? I really believe there is more behind these types of signings then simply getting a player for cheap. I think that Mike Brown, Marvin Lewis, and Mike Zimmer are trying to make a difference in these young mens lives and if they can do that while helping the team win then they are going to do just that.
Walker Just Got A Raise...
thanks to everybody on here. Stopping giving the man so much coverage. Who cares what he thinks? Who cares what you think? Who cares what I think?
I’m a Bengals fan and I say stop your whining, you big babies. We haven’t won anything yet. And NO, winning the division does not count! We are still the laughing stock of the NFL and it’s not because the Bengals aren’t competitive or contenders. It’s because we have a fan base comprised of a bunch of crying babies who want people to stop making fun of us and run their mouths about going to the Super Bowl when we can’t even get out of the 1st round. GROW UP! GROW A PAIR! ROOT FOR YOUR TEAM AND STOP, PLEASE STOP YOUR CRYING!
by MISUNDERESTIMATED on May 7, 2010 11:13 AM EDT reply actions
BEST THINK TO DO:
Write the ombudsman, each month he reviews issues of sloppy reporting and potential bias and makes recommendations to ESPN management, if he gets a flood of emails there is a real chance Walker will get some unwanted attention around the office:
Are you kidding?!
In a business where they are looking to get as many viewers/readers as possible, do you think telling a supervisor, “Hey I ALWAYS read James Walker’s articles and just don’t agree with him. The guy upsets me so much I make sure I read EVERYTHING he says about my team just to keep him in check. In fact, they just devoted a whole article to him on another blog.” is really going to get the guy in trouble? Get real. There’s no such thing as UNWANTED ATTENTION in the entertainment industry.
by MISUNDERESTIMATED on May 7, 2010 11:38 AM EDT up reply actions
Walker is wrong that the Bengals ignore character issues...
but the reality isn’t any better: the Bengals perceive character issues as a business opportunity. The decisions on Adam Jones, Matt Jones, et al are like penny-stock investments. Thanks to the reduced market value these issues confer, small amounts of money are wagered on risky commodities on the understanding that several of them will self-destruct, but that the one that pays off (Cedric Benson, anyone?) generates a huge return, ie. a 2009 home playoff game.
I suspect that what gets the general football media up in arms about the franchise is not the history of arrests, because most teams have had that at some point. Instead, it’s the above attitude, and the broader cheapness of the management that it is but one element of, that really gets under the skin of Walker et al. I can’t say that I blame them.
The part that is over the line IMO:
…is him extrapolating this signing, and the 2006 arrests, to the lack of Superbowls for a franchise that is 40 years old. He’s painting recklessly with a very broad brush, and that shouldn’t be accepted as a legitimate viewpoint for ESPN’s main AFC North reporter.
in fairness to Walker
while he references the arrest / character concerns in respect to this, he identifies the broader pattern of “cutting corners” as a big part of the lack of on-field success. The cheap reclamation projects are just one example. In order to have a better article, he could / should have cited everything else that goes into this: no GM, minimal scouting staff, refusal to invest wisely in free agency, etc., etc. Nor do I agree with him that the low-risk / high-reward strategy is without merit here. However, that doesn’t make his critiques completely out of line.
The Brown Family are simply giving players another opportunity to live their dreams.....
most of thease players are young and rich and alot of free time on their hands. That combination can lead to decisions that are not smart and sometimes seems stupid. We all did dumb things when we where 21-22. Alot of NFL teams choose players with shaky past and big talent…..this is pro football baby…..a very violent game that you need gladiators if you want to win. No one has been more critical of Mike Brown in the past than me but he has gone out this year and filled holes using the draft and FA. JW nevers gives the Bengals any shine what so ever. Cincy has never had back to back winning seasons but this team is returning 21/22 starters and added some nice pieces to an offense that held the team back last year. As far as character goes…..the bengals chose Gresham over Bryant…and as far as player arrest in Cincinatti…..when is the last time you heard of a bengal getting arrested……3 years ago.
Kenneth Lewis Moore
+11111111111111111
I agree with you. If this were Tony Dungy and he was still a coach everyone would praise him for giving players a second chance. How do we honestly know that the Coaches do not truly believe in giving players second chances and trying to help them get their lives straight. Do we have any proof this is not the reason? If you can do this while saving some money then why not? I would also like to point out that if they did save money then that money may have been the money that we used to get a player like Gibril Wilson. We don’t have any proof its Mike Brown being cheap. Seems to me that this all got of the ground by not Mike Brown but Mike Zimmer. If you read the reports it was Zimmer who had him come in for the workout. So for everyone that is painting the picture that Mike Brown sits around bringing in people who are arrested just to save money that is not accurate, atleast in this case. Mike Zimmer saw an oppurtunity to upgrade his D and he took a chance.
The ultimate question is:
Who gives a shit what James Walker has to say about us- or about anything? The Bengals already have us- those who live here locally and the diaspora’d few out in the world. We’re not a national story. We’re not gonna be the Dallas Cowboys, with dumbass bandwagon jumpers sporting our gear everywhere. Walker’s disparaging remarks aren’t gonna lose us ballgames, prevent us from playing in primetime slots when we earn them, or somehow block our access to the Super Bowl should we make it that far. To paraphrase Thomas Jefferson; James Walker’s opinions neither pick my pocket or break my leg. If he raises your blood pressure so much, don’t click the link.
by IgnatiusJReilly on May 7, 2010 12:56 PM EDT reply actions
I'm pretty sure Walker went back and changed the article...
Some one could double check to confirm. But, I don’t think it listed the other free agents before. Also, it now talks about the Bengals misguided approach resulting in them not winning championships, where as before it simply said we weren’t a successful franchise at all. Also added this: “It’s no secret that football is a rough sport. Show me a team with 53 choirboys and I’ll show you a team that cannot make the playoffs.”
a possible interpretation
I don’t know for sure what MB’s ultimate goal is, but the line:
“If the goal is winning championships, there’s more than enough evidence Cincinnati’s way of doing business doesn’t work.”
assumes the goal is, as stated, winning championships. Call me crazy, but couldn’t his goal be making money? If that’s the case, as much as it pains me to say it as a Bengal fan whose spirits have been crushed again and again, he is “successful”, i.e., making money. Just a thought.
If a media guy doesn't like the Bengals I don't like him. It is as simple as that.
In almost all areas of my life I need to be honest, logical and fair. Being a fan in the purist sense none of that applies. Walker can kiss my ass.
"If we always agree, one of us is not necessary"
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