I fail to understand why Marvin Lewis owes anything to the media. Whatever do you mean, Josh?
Dustin Dow in Mark Curnutte's blog responds after Marvin Lewis said "I'm not going to try to explain it. That's our business" after being asked why the defense was so bad Sunday: "So apparently it's everybody's business when things go well. But when they don't, it's only the Bengals' private business."
Yes. Yes, it is. If your business is going swell, you promote it. If it's not going swell, you avoid talking about it. If your personal life is going swell, you dance like a fool around pessimists. If it's not swell, you are the pessimist. It's simple. Dow is a good one -- one of our best area writers. But I didn't see the point of reacting to that quote.
What exactly should Lewis say that would break the ground you're standing on? What could Lewis possibly say that you didn't see on Sunday? Bad tackling, lack of pass rush, absent pass coverage, etc... what else do you need to hear that would counter-argue the performance seen Sunday? Perhaps I tired of coach speak. Would it be better if Lewis had said, "we gave 110% and just came up short?" Not to fans. Not to me.
Furthermore: Who cares about a press conference? Who cares what Lewis says? If you don't want condescending answers, don't ask questions that would invite condescending answers.
I only ask of Marvin: Just fix it.
Lewis' position as an NFL head coach with a .500 record (minus 2005, of course) having giving up 51 points to the Browns is a difficult one. You remember how you, the reader, reacted when they lost knowing how awful the defense played. If Lewis wasn't ticked off about it with condescending answers about relentless questions that were clearly there on television, then I'd have a problem. Then I'd ask, doesn't he care. Fortunately, we know he does.
There's no doubt Lewis is showing his heart on his sleeve. Great. Fine. Wonderful. Whatever. But the media getting all bent out of shape for Lewis' attitude seems very ticky-tac to me. What difference does it make if he's pissed off and condescending or personally puts roses in a golden vase on each chair for the press conference? The fact remains that the defense looked more bloated than Britney Spears -- I know, that was bad. Sorry. How Lewis reacts has no bearing on that game. It has even less bearing against Seattle. Just fix it.
Paul Daugherty, who I believe is a fine columnist, was very condescending.
Personally, I think he took it way too personal.
Chick wrote about it. Apparently Lance spoke about it. He definitely wrote about it on his blog: "The 24-hour+ period from the game Sunday to the end of his news conference Monday, will be remembered as the most damaging of the Marvin Lewis era." Lance goes on to remind us of Lewis' insult against fans a thousand memories ago. This has nothing to do with fans. We're just as bitter about the loss as Lewis. This has everything to do with an over-action by the media because Lewis didn't treat the questions with respect.So we egg a guy that's already down and kick him in the ribs? Bullocks.
Lance, who's my favorite area sports personality, goes on to question: "How is it that Marvin still doesn't understand the media is the NFL's extension to the fans?"
I hate to say this, but they're not. Not anymore. The extension is there. That's true. But that extension goes beyond the Cincinnati Enquirer, The Cincinnati Post, The Dayton Daily News, WLW or Homer. That extension includes blogs and forums -- of which there's rarely a good word spoken about anyone in the mainstream media these days. It says something that sites like Deadspin smoke a newspaper's or a radio's blog. That doesn't speak a thing about the quality of their blogs. They are good in their own right. But fans are finding plenty of alternative avenues on the internet that doesn't include the mainstream media -- who's no longer any more of an extension to the fans than simple internet websites.
I'd be willing to say that the only things fans want is roster updates, actual quotes and other information from the mainstream media. Then they go to forums or blogs like this one to read the opinions of like-minded fans that sometimes want their own voice to be heard. It's why I started blogging the Bengals over five years ago. Do fans want opinion anymore from the mainstream media?
I've said this for years as a proponent of the blogging revolution that I've been apart of for over a decade now: There's a reason why blogging has taken off. And a lot of it has to do with the media not fulfilling the hunger of knowledge hungry people -- be it politics, celebrity gossip, science, nature or sports.
I happily admit, on this issue -- this little itty-bitty non-issue -- I'm a Lewis apologist. I'm as bitter from Sunday's loss and Lewis' performance. But I don't over-react for the sake of reaction about a few comments from a coach that's pissed off from his Sunday performance. If you must evoke professionalism, go for it. There's probably truth to that. But who cares? Just fix it
Then again, I know the Cincinnati mainstream media doesn't care for me or people like me. I guess we are a voice that's best served silent. Or perhaps they just react negatively when we criticize them. You know, like Lewis against the mainstream.