Mike Brown (American football executive): Difference between revisions
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==Controversy== |
==Controversy== |
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===Stadium Deal=== |
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Claiming that his team could not remain competitive without a new stadium because Riverfront Stadium has “virtually no luxury seating and the league’s smallest seating capacity,” JA 2579, Bengals’ owner Mike Brown (the son of Paul Brown) threatened to move the team if Cincinnati or Hamilton County would not build a new stadium. At an owners’ meeting in 1995, Brown announced that Cincinnati had breached its lease agreement when it was late by one week in paying $167,000 in concession receipts. According to Brown, this breach entitled the Bengals to relocate to a different city. At an owners’ meeting the following month, Brown declared that if the city failed to provide the team with a new stadium, the Bengals would consider moving to Los Angeles. Brown later visited Baltimore, which offered to build the team a $200 million stadium with a practice facility and a pledge of $44 million in income. On June 24, 1995, Brown gave Cincinnati what amounted to an ultimatum: If the city did not agree to a new stadium deal within five days, the Bengals would start negotiating with Baltimore. Cincinnati’s City Council and the Hamilton County Commissioners relented, opting to fund the new stadium with a proposed county sales-tax increase. In March 1996, the sales-tax referendum passed with 61% support. |
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During negotiations over the new stadium lease, the County retained two national experts in developing and leasing professional-sports stadiums. As negotiations proceeded, it became clear to the County that the Bengals’ goal was to acquire sufficient revenue under the new lease to move the team from the last quartile of NFL teams in revenue to the second quartile. County officials asked to see the Bengals’ financial records during the negotiations but the team refused, explaining that the disclosure of this information would violate league policy. The parties executed a lease for the new stadium in May 1997. Four years later, in May 2001, the Los Angeles Times published an article disclosing the revenues and profits of NFL teams, which it had obtained from the record in a lawsuit between the NFL and the owner of the Oakland Raiders. The data showed that the Bengals ranked eighth in profits in 1996 and ninth in 1997 out of 31 teams. On May 16, 2003, six years after the parties signed the stadium lease, Hamilton County Commissioner Todd Portune (a former Cincinnati City Council member, though not a Hamilton County Commissioner at the time the parties executed the lease), filed this lawsuit in federal district court against the NFL, the Bengals and the other 31 NFL teams. The Hamilton County Board of Commissioners eventually was substituted as the plaintiff in the case. [http://www.ca6.uscourts.gov/opinions.pdf/07a0229p-06.pdf Legal Findings] |
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===Loyalty Clause=== |
===Loyalty Clause=== |
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Much has been said and written on the Bengals' “loyalty clause.” This is about (1) encouraging people to honor contractual commitments, (2) encouraging them, if they are under contract, to put their teammates above themselves and (3) conserving scarce salary cap resources to apply to players who want to be with a team. To read this article in its entirety, as written by the subject of this page in the editorial section of the Cincinnati Enquirer, click *[http://bengals.enquirer.com/2000/07/18/ben_loyalty_clause_is.html Mike Brown Editorial]. |
Much has been said and written on the Bengals' “loyalty clause.” This is about (1) encouraging people to honor contractual commitments, (2) encouraging them, if they are under contract, to put their teammates above themselves and (3) conserving scarce salary cap resources to apply to players who want to be with a team. To read this article in its entirety, as written by the subject of this page in the editorial section of the Cincinnati Enquirer, click *[http://bengals.enquirer.com/2000/07/18/ben_loyalty_clause_is.html Mike Brown Editorial]. |
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Revision as of 23:52, 11 November 2007
Michael "Mike" Brown (born 1937) is the son of former Cleveland Browns, Ohio State University and Cincinnati Bengals coach, Paul Brown. Paul Brown was the co-founder of the Cincinnati Bengals, and since his death in 1991, Mike Brown has taken the responsibilities as the franchise owner.Paul Brown
Controversy
Stadium Deal
Claiming that his team could not remain competitive without a new stadium because Riverfront Stadium has “virtually no luxury seating and the league’s smallest seating capacity,” JA 2579, Bengals’ owner Mike Brown (the son of Paul Brown) threatened to move the team if Cincinnati or Hamilton County would not build a new stadium. At an owners’ meeting in 1995, Brown announced that Cincinnati had breached its lease agreement when it was late by one week in paying $167,000 in concession receipts. According to Brown, this breach entitled the Bengals to relocate to a different city. At an owners’ meeting the following month, Brown declared that if the city failed to provide the team with a new stadium, the Bengals would consider moving to Los Angeles. Brown later visited Baltimore, which offered to build the team a $200 million stadium with a practice facility and a pledge of $44 million in income. On June 24, 1995, Brown gave Cincinnati what amounted to an ultimatum: If the city did not agree to a new stadium deal within five days, the Bengals would start negotiating with Baltimore. Cincinnati’s City Council and the Hamilton County Commissioners relented, opting to fund the new stadium with a proposed county sales-tax increase. In March 1996, the sales-tax referendum passed with 61% support.
During negotiations over the new stadium lease, the County retained two national experts in developing and leasing professional-sports stadiums. As negotiations proceeded, it became clear to the County that the Bengals’ goal was to acquire sufficient revenue under the new lease to move the team from the last quartile of NFL teams in revenue to the second quartile. County officials asked to see the Bengals’ financial records during the negotiations but the team refused, explaining that the disclosure of this information would violate league policy. The parties executed a lease for the new stadium in May 1997. Four years later, in May 2001, the Los Angeles Times published an article disclosing the revenues and profits of NFL teams, which it had obtained from the record in a lawsuit between the NFL and the owner of the Oakland Raiders. The data showed that the Bengals ranked eighth in profits in 1996 and ninth in 1997 out of 31 teams. On May 16, 2003, six years after the parties signed the stadium lease, Hamilton County Commissioner Todd Portune (a former Cincinnati City Council member, though not a Hamilton County Commissioner at the time the parties executed the lease), filed this lawsuit in federal district court against the NFL, the Bengals and the other 31 NFL teams. The Hamilton County Board of Commissioners eventually was substituted as the plaintiff in the case. Legal Findings
Loyalty Clause
Much has been said and written on the Bengals' “loyalty clause.” This is about (1) encouraging people to honor contractual commitments, (2) encouraging them, if they are under contract, to put their teammates above themselves and (3) conserving scarce salary cap resources to apply to players who want to be with a team. To read this article in its entirety, as written by the subject of this page in the editorial section of the Cincinnati Enquirer, click *Mike Brown Editorial.
Family Run Team
The team's president is Mike Brown, its senior vice president is Pete Brown (Mike's brother), its executive vice president is Katie Blackburn (Mike's daughter), its vice president is Paul Brown (Mike's son) and its director of business development is Troy Blackburn (Katie's husband).Front Office Roster
Legal troubles
During the 2006 offseason and season, nine different Bengals players (drafted by Mike Brown as general manager) were either arrested or suspended for their actions off the playing field. The sports media wrote extensively on the legal woes and character questions of some of the Bengals players. The following is a list: Player Legal Problems
- Chris Henry: marijuana charges, charged with pulling a gun on a group in Orlando, speeding and drunken driving, charged with providing alcohol to minors, over the course of several months in 4 different incidents over that time.
- Odell Thurman: suspended for the first four games of the 2006-2007 regular season due to a drug-test related suspension which Odell stated was due to him skipping a test, not failing one. He chalked it up to being immature. In addition to Thurmans's drug-related suspension, he was also arrested for drunk driving early Monday morning after the Bengal's victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers. Thurman is scheduled to be in court on Oct. 2, 2006.
- Frostee Rucker: charged with two counts of spousal abuse and vandalism (the alleged incident occurred prior to Cincinnati drafting him)
- A.J. Nicholson: charged with burglary; previously arrested twice on suspicion of alcohol-related offenses (the alleged incident occurred prior to Cincinnati drafting him)
- Matthias Askew: subdued by a taser after refusing to move his allegedly illegally parked car (Askew was cut from the team during the preason games. He is currently seeking legal action against the officers responsible for his being tasered in a lawsuit worth $50 million after the charges were proven unfounded).
- Eric Steinbach: charged with boating under the influence.
- Reggie McNeal: charged with resisting arrest and drug possession (Dec. 3rd, 2006)
- Deltha O'Neal: charged with driving while intoxicated following a traffic stop (Dec. 9, 2006).
Ownership Timeline
1991: Coach: Sam Wyche (3-13). The Bengals ranked 28th(last) in defense and 14th on offense in the NFL. Paul Brown dies in August from pneumonia. Mike Brown usurps his father. 1 player goes to the Pro Bowl (Anthony Muñoz). Sam Wyche is replaced with Dave Shula at the end of this year but there is a long drawn out dispute over if Sam was fired or quit which involved payment for the remaining contract. In the end Sam was fired because of interests of both men were conflicting. Mike Brown reportedly wanted to run the organization with no football experience and refused to hire a general manager because his fear he would lose control of the Bengals like his father did in Cleveland.
1992: Coach: Dave Shula (5-11). The Bengals ranked 26th in defense and 26th on offense in the NFL. Anthony Muñoz plays his final game. 1 player goes to the Pro Bowl (Harold Green).
1993: Coach: Dave Shula (3-13). The Bengals ranked 16th in defense and 27th on offense in the NFL. Boomer Esiason traded to the Jets. Bengals lose their first ten games. No players go to the Pro Bowl.
1994: Coach: Dave Shula (3-13). The Bengals ranked 15th in defense and 18th on offense in the NFL. Jeff Blake earns starting QB responsibilities. No players go to the Pro Bowl.
1995: Coach: Dave Shula (7-9). The Bengals ranked 30th(last) in defense and 17th on offense in the NFL. 1st round draft pick Ki-Jana Carter suffers knee injury, misses entire rookie season (essentially ending his career). 2 players go to the Pro Bowl (Jeff Blake & Carl Pickens).
1996: Coach: Dave Shula (1-6). The Bengals ranked 25th in defense and 10th on offense in the NFL. Bruce Coslet (7-2). A half-cent tax increase was made to fund two new stadiums to replace Cinergy Field (Home of the Cincinnati Reds and Bengals). After a horrible start by head coach Dave Shula, Mike Brown replaces him with Offensive Coordinator Bruce Coslet. Coslet leads them to their first .500 or better season since 1990. 2 players go to the Pro Bowl (Ashley Ambrose & Carl Pickens).
1997: Coach: Bruce Coslet (7-9). The Bengals ranked 28th in defense and 10th on offense in the NFL. Mike Brown signs the team to stay in Cincinnati through the 2026 season. Boomer Esiason returns and starts the last 5 games of the season, benching Jeff Blake. He posts 13 touchdowns, 2 interceptions, and has a passer rating of 106.9. Corey Dillon rushes for 1,129 yards and sets a single game rookie rushing record with 246 yards. No players go to the Pro Bowl.
1998: Coach: Bruce Coslet (3-13). The Bengals ranked 28th in defense and 17th on offense in the NFL. Mid-Season losing streak of 9 games. Construction for Paul Brown Stadium begins. No players go to the Pro Bowl.
1999: Coach: Bruce Coslet (4-12). The Bengals ranked 25th in defense and 15th on offense in the NFL. 1-10 start but team comes back to finish 4-12. Fans severely urge for a coaching change after enduring two horrible seasons in a row. Brown and Coslet select Akili Smith as the 3rd player selected in the draft. 2 players go to the Pro Bowl (Corey Dillon and Tremain Mack).
2000: Coach: Bruce Coslet (0-3). The Bengals ranked 22nd in defense and 29th on offense in the NFL. Dick Lebeau (4-9) Akili Smith named starting quarterback. Paul Brown Stadium's grand opening holds, a team record, 64,006 fans attend to see the Bengals lose to the Browns 24-7. Mike Brown makes coaching changes after brutal loses being outscored 7 to 74 in three games and shut out for two. Dick Lebeau signs a multi-year deal. 1 player goes to the Pro Bowl (Corey Dillon).
2001: Coach: Dick Lebeau (6-10). The Bengals ranked 9th in defense and 23rd on offense in the NFL. Two game improvement from the year before. Defense is ranked 9th in the NFL. 1 player goes to the Pro Bowl (Corey Dillon).
2002: Coach: Dick Lebeau (2-14). The Bengals ranked 17th in defense and 18th on offense in the NFL. Team is decimated by injuries. Mike Brown fires Lebeau after learning his lessons with Coslet and Shula. Mike Brown hires Marvin Lewis in the off season. Bengals select Carson Palmer as the first overall pick in the draft after the season. 1 player goes to the Pro Bowl (Lorenzo Neal).
2003: Coach: Marvin Lewis (8-8). The Bengals had the 28th ranked defense and the 13th ranked offense in the NFL. Marvin Lewis decides to bench Carson Palmer for the entirety of his rookie season, leaving Jon Kitna as the starting QB. Lewis comes in second in Coach of the Year voting behind Bill Belichick. Fans make record appearances in response to the 8 wins and a large amount of hope is brought upon by Marvin Lewis. 2 players go to the Pro Bowl (Willie Anderson and Chad Johnson).
2004: Coach: Marvin Lewis (8-8). The Bengals had the 19th ranked defense and 18th ranked offense in the NFL. Carson Palmer was named starting QB. Undergoing growing pains, he puts up 18 TDs and 18 interceptions. After making improvement over his next few games, Palmer is injured in a hard fought loss to the New England Patriots. Jon Kitna finishes the season as the regular QB. 4 players go to the Pro Bowl (Willie Anderson, Tory James, Chad Johnson, and Rudi Johnson).
2005: Coach: Marvin Lewis (11-5). The Bengals had the 28th ranked defense and the 6th ranked offense in the NFL. Carson Palmer becomes an extremely proficient passer. Lewis leads the Bengals to their first winning season, and playoff berth since 1990. After Palmer's season-ending ACL injury (distributed by former Bengal Kimo Von Oelhoffen) in the first round of the playoffs, backup QB Jon Kitna's 17 points weren't enough to stop the eventual Super Bowl champs, the Pittsburgh Steelers. Five players go to the Pro Bowl after the season's end (Willie Anderson, Shayne Graham, Chad Johnson, Carson Palmer, and Deltha O'Neal).
2006: Coach: Marvin Lewis (8-8). The Bengals had the 30th ranked defense and the 8th ranked offense in the NFL. Carson Palmer returns from surgery and the season starts at 3-0. But then disappointing close losses to the Buccaneers, Falcons, Ravens, and Chargers bring the season to a halt. The team gets a prime position to make the playoffs with a victory over Denver in the 15th game, but a bad snap on a game-tying extra point lost the game for the Bengals. Though unlikely, with a win over the Steelers and a Broncos' loss(which ended up occurring) the Bengals would make the playoffs, but an overtime touchdown pass from Ben Roethlisberger to Santonio Holmes sent Cincinnati home. Three players go to the Pro Bowl (Willie Anderson, Carson Palmer, and Chad Johnson).
2007: Coach: Marvin Lewis (2-6)(through week 9). The Defense is currently ranked 31st in the NFL out of 32 teams. The Offense is currently ranked 5th out of 32 teams. The defensive line is giving up 139 rushing yards a game with a 4.7 average per rush. The defense has allowed 30.1 points a game, the most allowed in the NFL with seven games played(one bye week). *This is the citation of everything in this Owners time line; it's not my problem you can't use the team stats page. Don't erase!