Report: To Sign A Contract Extension, Marvin Lewis Wants Indoor Practice Facility

by Josh Kirkendall on Aug 9, 2010 2:44 PM EDT in Analysis

CANTON OH - AUGUST 8: Head coach Marvin Lewis of the Cincinnati Bengals looks on against the Dallas Cowboys during the 2010 Pro Football Hall of Fame Game at the Pro Football Hall of Fame Field at Fawcett Stadium on August 8 2010 in Canton Ohio. The Cowboys defeated the Bengals 16-7. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)

We had always assumed that one of the greater hurdles with the Bengals hoping to get head coach Marvin Lewis signed to a contract beyond this season is that Lewis' demand to have greater control over the team's personnel decisions. Or, if not him, someone else that can make those decisions -- ala, General Manager. While it's true, as far as we know, Lewis has a say in the matter. It's also true that Mike Brown, as owner and President, has the final word.

However, rest assured, having greater power or a general manager isn't the only thing.

According to James Walker, one issue is Lewis' demand for an indoor practice facility close to Paul Brown Stadium.

I'm also hearing an indoor practice facility appears to be one point of contention between Bengals ownership and head coach Marvin Lewis. It's no secret that it gets very cold in Ohio during the winter, and the Bengals' only options are to practice outside in inclement weather or travel approximately 20 miles each way to a training complex in Mason, Ohio. Usually these bus trips, which can be even more challenging during rush-hour traffic, happen late in the season when the stakes are the highest. Lewis also has one year left on his contract and spoke at the NFL combine about making sure the proper things are in place to maintain a winning culture.

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Having a indoor facility would also attract more FA to come to Cincy and play.

Kenneth Lewis Moore

by lightskin350 on Aug 9, 2010 2:50 PM EDT reply actions

But the Browns Didn't Have Any Newfangled Indoor Facility

When they won the AAFC West in 1949 under my Dad.

by Who dey in LA on Aug 9, 2010 3:07 PM EDT reply actions

How dare he??

What a pansy!

Still not a crook!

by TrickyD26 on Aug 9, 2010 3:32 PM EDT reply actions

Didn't UC offer to go halvsies on a practice bubble?

Then it comes to be that the soothing light at the end of your tunnel, is just a freight train coming your way...

by btcoop71 on Aug 9, 2010 3:35 PM EDT reply actions

Yep! sure did and MB turned it down..

by WHYUS!! on Aug 9, 2010 4:20 PM EDT up reply actions

Totally reasonable request

and one that ANY NFL team should grant, whose region is in a snowy area. I would say that this, coupled with more control over personnel decisions are Marvin’s biggest qualms. I still say that Marvin as a Head Coach anywhere else would be on track for a HOF coaching career.

by Anthony Cosenza on Aug 9, 2010 4:51 PM EDT reply actions

Okay, enough Brown bashing.

Been a bengal fan since inception and I continue to be amazed at how many fans are willing to bash MB for everything that goes wrong. Consider if you owned a business especially a corp with stockholders and your task is to be profitable. Wouldn’t you be fiscally responsible to achieve that goal. YES!

So, we have a small market team. Player salaries, medical insurance expenses, stadium expense, liability insurance, retirement benefits, hundreds of employees, travel expenses to and from games, etc, etc to contend with plus the incentive to be profitable, providing fans a team in Cincy. No prudent owner, CEO, or president of a company will allow deficits to exist for the sake of spending more than the budget allows. Guys its basic math.

All things considered the margin of profit is 5-10% which is fair. Just add up the salaries of team personnel including players, coaches, staff, etc, and i’ll bet its a huge nut every year without including the fixed costs of rent, travel, benefit insurance, etc. I bet the workers comp insurance cost is off the board.

I propose that instead of forever bashing ownership we all should rise to a higher plain and put some positive vibe on the issues. MB has probably made some errors in judgement in the past and will continue but thats human nature. Can anyone out there say they have not made poor judgements? The thing is MB has stepped up which is reflected in team rank of league salaries.

by sofakingood on Aug 9, 2010 6:08 PM EDT reply actions

the vast majority of expenses you listed above would be improved by the addition of an indoor practice facility.

actually, before i go into that, i should point out that stadium expense is on the county, not on the bengals, so that doesn’t cut into mikey boy’s profit margin. also, any shortfall mr. brown might have on his ledgers to cover things like medical expenses and retirement benefits for former players would be covered by the revenue-sharing pot the nfl has in place for just such an occurrence, so he doesn’t have to worry about losing money there.

player salaries are going to increase, and that won’t be stopped; funny thing about that, though, is that mikey is $20 million lower in that area than any other team in the division, and i’m pretty sure the only team in the division that might be considered large market is baltimore. so you can’t really say that salaries are preventing him from building the practice facility, either.

now, about that incentive to be profitable: from where i’m sitting, the teams that are the most profitable are the teams that either promote themselves vigorously (redskins, cowboys, etc.) or the teams that win (steelers, patriots, etc.), and mike brown doesn’t have an ownership history that includes either category, so it doesn’t seem that he’s doing the most he can to increase his profits; therefore, every ounce of criticism he receives for being cheap, not merely fiscally responsible, is completely valid.

i'm going to go america all over your ass!

by Raging Clue on Aug 10, 2010 2:15 AM EDT up reply actions

Maybe/Maybe Not

You make some valid points but in reality we just don’t know how the cash flows in and out of Bengal land. I might be wrong but I believe the Bengals have a lease on the stadium w/ cost per year. Sorry, I don’t see how expenses will be improved, or did you mean reduced, with an indoor practice facility. Remember two SB appearances by the Bengals, I do I was there. Players of those two teams practiced outdoors. Agreed player health will possibly improve indoors but cost increases.

The point I’m trying to make is; until we know the financial hard facts we will forever be making irresponsible MB comments, maybe unfairly(?), we may never know.

by sofakingood on Aug 10, 2010 7:12 AM EDT up reply actions

I don’t think its unfair to ask for the same facilities that other championship contenders and even pretenders already have. MIke has always been one to do anything he can on the cheap. Maybe the comments get out of control, but he has shown time and time again an unwillingness to become a modern franchise. No GM, no indoor facility, a lack of willingness (the last season or two it has dramatically improved) to spend in free agency or to retain some free agents. QB is the only position he will pay top dollar for. His daughter’s rant about money on Hard Knocks shows how ridiculous the organization is. Also, the Bengals have a laughable scouting budget. An indoor practice facility enables the Bengals to have immediate access to the modern training and medical equipment at PBS instead of having to bus a prospective injured player back to Cincinnati during rush hour. Scouting saves a lot of money on the back end if it is done properly as you don’t pay a Jabba the Hutt wannabe like Smith huge guaranteed money when he has barely played.
What it comes down to is that the value of the NFL and the franchise has increased several times over in the last couple decades. Other teams have reinvested that money into better facilities and other ways to help attract the best players, coaches, and establish a winning culture. From what we can see, Mike Brown has not reinvested into the franchise the same way his counterparts have.

by Jcon77 on Aug 10, 2010 9:00 AM EDT up reply actions

The only time this franchise becomes a decent spending one is when the Brown family is exterminated.

Or decides to sell, which will never happen.

"Before I write I let my mind go blind and let the Lord do His thing. " -Tupac Shakur

"Opportunity is missed by most people because it looks like work." -Thomas Edison

by sexsalad on Aug 10, 2010 10:08 AM EDT up reply actions

expenses would be improved because a practice facility shows a commitment to winning and reducing player injuries. fewer injuries mean lower injury costs, plain and simple. free agents are also more willing to sign with teams who have an indoor practice facility because of the lower injury risk, meaning mikey would be less likely to have to pay a premium to attract the better players, again lowering costs. cost increases would be minimal at best, as the team would no longer have to worry about maintenance on the grass practice field they currently use, because it would be replaced by turf in the practice facility.

as far as the stadium lease goes, the reason todd portune led his misguided lawsuit against the bengals was because of the very friendly deal the bengals got, which leaves the county on the hook for maintenance while giving the bengals the profits. jerry jones might be the only owner in the nfl with a deal as good as mike brown got on the stadium, and even he had to put up a bigger percentage of the cost than brown did.

i'm going to go america all over your ass!

by Raging Clue on Aug 10, 2010 11:13 AM EDT up reply actions

Great debate!

Thanks guys for the input. Believe in the end we have all made valid points.

On another subject: has anyone seen or heard if “Jelly” Smith is working out or is he still circling Golden Corral?

by sofakingood on Aug 10, 2010 3:34 PM EDT up reply actions

i hear he’s working with the conditioning staff, and allegedly he’ll be ready for the third preseason game. i hope he pulls a jeremi johnson and turns into a blocking machine when the games count.

i'm going to go america all over your ass!

by Raging Clue on Aug 11, 2010 12:22 AM EDT up reply actions