Damned if we do, Damned if we don't

goffchile — Tue, 20 May 2008 15:45:37 -0000

The recent Odell Thurman controversy demonstrates that the Bengals can't win in the public mind, or even with their own fans. If the Bengals hold on to Odell, it is proof that they coddle "thugs"--and God forbid if their had been another incident--proof that the Bengals are "out of control." Of course, when the Bengals released Thurman, it makes the Bengals look hard hearted because Thurman had been reinstated and was "back on track"—and, of course, his grandma died.

There is no doubt that the Bengals are partially responsible. The team has had its share of off the field problems (mainly Chris Henry). But other teams have had just as many problems and more severe ones---the difference is that they aren't blamed as an organization for the problem---where the Bengals typically are. The media has made the Bengals stand for everything that is wrong with professional football--we are the Barry Bonds of the NFL.

This seems to make Bengals fans hyper sensitive to so called "character concerns." I live in Pittsburgh, and you can imagine the kind of abuse I take, having to be the official Bengals spokesman, accounting for every piece of bad press. There has been a lot of criticism by Bengals fans about some of our draft picks and FA signings because these guys got in fights, had DUIs, etc. My attitude has become "So what?" Every team signs guys with problems, but its only the Bengals that catch hell, and only Bengals fans which seem to have a complex about it.

The bigger problem the Bengals have is not winning in the public mind, but winning on the field. A lot of Bengals fans are upset with the Thurman release because they had made Thurman the "feel good story of 2008-2009." Not only was he going to make the team, he was going to be back in 2005 form and be the savior of the defense. He was "hope."

Well, reality is a harsh mistress. If the Bengals had a winning season last year, I don't think anyone would really care all that much. But for a fan base desperate to grasp at anything, even if it is the unlikely prospect that Odell Thurman can make a comeback, his release seems much more devastating than it actually is.

We may never know exactly why he was released, but I suspect that he still hadn't learned to play by the rules and Lewis had had enough. Marvin Lewis said two years ago that Thurman "wasn't on the team" and I think he meant it. Last year, he also said that he only wanted players who wanted to play football. I don't think this was particularly targeted at Odell, but it suggests that there were guys in the lock room who didn't want to play football. In other words, if you don't play by the rules, you're gone. I am sure Odell knew this and he got burned.

A lot of this will go away if the Bengals simply put together a couple of winning seasons with a nice playoff run. But until then, they will be damned if they do, and damned if they don't.

SB Nation User Blog: goffchile

Damned if we do, Damned if we don't