$10 Buys Bengals A Lot Of Grief

I feel all of the pain that comes with the Bengals over the past 21 years.  I understand how people feel about Mike Brown and the way he runs the team.  I'm still mystified that he continues to be stubborn when it comes to an indoor practice facility.  We could go on and on and on and on.  Over two decades of poking eyes and knocking noggins like The Three Stooges has brought us to the point where Mike Brown and The Family can do nothing right, even when they do.  The reaction to this pep-rally to kickoff training camp at Paul Brown Stadium is Through the Looking-Glass.  Season ticket holders were invited and the entry fee is 10 dollars.  That's just a little more than season ticket holders pay for one beer at a game.  Fans who pay up will hear an address from head coach Marvin Lewis and some players, hear a local band play music, and see a fireworks show.  No one is forcing anyone to do anything.  If it sounds like it is worth $10, then fine.  If not, then find something else to do that evening.  But this outcry that the Bengals are fleecing their season ticket holders is borderline lunacy.  The best thing about the outcry was a column by The Enquirer's Paul Daugherty that brought about some hearty laughs.  I may not agree with the overall message but there was some excellent comedy in that piece.  But that piece also reflects what is really the root of the issue: Mike Brown Fatigue.  It reared its ugly head in earnest about 12 years ago.  The hiring of Marvin Lewis was supposed to cure Mike Brown Fatigue, but it was nothing more than a children's aspirin for a concussion.  There has been so much damage over the years that there may not be a cure.  But there is no sense in finding issues where none exist.  There's plenty to slam Brown about over the years, but this is not one of them.  Consider that a one-day ticket at Redsfest is $17.  The pep-rally is hardly Redsfest but it is a nice start by the organization.  Just be patient fans, Brown will probably give you something legitimate to complain about soon enough.