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[url="http://www.bengals.com/news/news.asp?story_id=6930"]http://www.bengals.com/news/news.asp?story_id=6930[/url]



[quote]Rivers already rolling
By GEOFF HOBSON
August 6, 2008
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TRAINING CAMP 2008 INDEX: Features, news, notes, video, photos, schedule and more

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Posted: 11:30 a.m.

Besides some ribbing from his teammates, first-round pick Keith Rivers came out of his first Bengals practice in pads unscathed and should get some snaps in Monday night's preseason opener in Green Bay even though he won't be running with the first team right away.

Linebackers coach Jeff FitzGerald, celebrating his first first-round pick in 15 years of NFL coaching, couldn't contain his excitement.

"He looked good. He looked like he'd been working out," FitzGerald said. "It's well worth the wait. He's a great guy and a dedicated football player. It will make such a difference."


Rivers
A scene Tuesday night in the linebackers meeting room shortly after he signed what amounts to a five-year $23 million deal showed why the Bengals don't think the 12-practice holdout is going to keep Rivers out of the starting WILL linebacker spot very long:

[b]"He had just came in and said, 'I know what that call is,' " said middle linebacker Dhani Jones. "I said, 'How do you know? We didn't call it out yet.' He said, 'I can tell what it looks like on film.' He's aware and he's understanding. He's not a first-round draft pick for nothing. He didn't go to Michigan, he went to USC. That's all right." [/b]
Jones, the Michigan product, may find himself on the field at times with Rivers and Brandon Johnson, the guy that has played so well at Rivers' spot at WILL. FitzGerald said the Bengals have talked about putting Rivers and Johnson on the field together.

"The three best linebackers are going to play," FitzGerald said. "Brandon Johnson is a candidate to be one of the three best."

FitzGerald worked under Ravens defensive coordinator Rex Ryan the past four years and Ryan would sometimes have 12 or 13 defensive starters announced because of the different packages.

"Oh yeah, I could see that," said FitzGerald of a possible lineup that would have both Rivers and Johnson.

Rivers kept in touch with teammates such as Frostee Rucker, John Thornton and Pat Sims via text messaging ("Carson hit me up once," he said) and has a pretty good idea what's going on defensively.

"Practice is everything; even the first meeting is missing too much time," Rivers said. "But at this level it's a business and you have to let things run its course."

Defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer said Rivers' efforts to play Monday night will be aided by the fact there is only one day of installation left this week.[/quote]
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Wow, a few weeks back Chad was talking about this being a business first and he was called a cocksucker for it. Now I see this

[quote]"Practice is everything; even the first meeting is missing too much time," Rivers said. "But at this level it's a business and you have to let things run its course."[/quote]

and everyone is glad he's got his shit together and ready to play. We just need to face facts, kids, no one is in Cincinnati because they want to be.
MULLY
and this punk held out to get his. I'm still very excited to see him play for us though.
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[quote][size=5][b]The Blueprint[/b][/size]
By GEOFF HOBSON
August 6, 2008


GEORGETOWN, Ky. - Jeff FitzGerald tinkers with race cars and molds NFL linebackers.

With Keith Rivers in camp, now he's got a little bit of both because the guy fits the factory specs for the middle lane of breakneck, careering up-on-the-wall football known as defense.

Call Keith Rivers "The Blueprint."

"He fits the criteria almost to a tee," said FitzGerald after he worked Rivers in pads for the first time Wednesday morning.

FitzGerald, the Bengals new peppery and seasoned linebackers coach as well as a part-time instructor for the Richard Petty Driving Experience, imagines a scale of 1-10 in the different categories that make up linebacking.

"There's usually an imbalance somewhere and that's OK because imbalance is not a bad thing," said FitzGerald, who has coached Ray Lewis' death ray intensity and Terrell Suggs' rubbery athleticism during his 15 seasons on the job. "But from top to bottom, Keith is even keeled. His numbers would look pretty good across the board.

"Those things don't make a guy a great player, but when you look at things initially, you like those tools. You like a guy that's got good size. A guy at the WILL linebacker position that plays typically between the 238 to 245 (pound) range. Speed is always a great asset at that position. But most of all a guy who can think, learn the system and have football make sense to him from a schematic and a concept standpoint. Good vision. Good movement skills. Great heart."

But even though the 6-2, 241-pound Rivers fits the specs, it is still only paper.

"It's up to him," he said, "because there are guys that don't have some of Keith's qualities and they're great players."

The Bengals know it's also up to them because they'll decide how to use him and with whom. Even Rivers acknowledged it's too early to know exactly what his role is.

"Hope so," he said, when asked if he'll be a playmaker. "Right now I'm just trying to figure it out and get it right. We'll see."

Spoken from the textbook. He's got the degree from USC. He's got the thousands of big-time college snaps and his school's legendary No. 55. For a kid that turned 22 the week of rookie minicamp, there isn't anything he hasn't already seen.

Leave it to a Michigan alum, middle linebacker Dhani Jones, to put the right hit on it.

"At a fine institution like USC, they breed individuals that understand the pressure, that play with pressure and can apply pressure," Jones said. "They're smart football players that understand and love the game. Know how it's to be played."

Or as head coach Marvin Lewis reads it, "I think it's pretty true that most of the guys who have graduated from college become successful players. Particularly when they're high picks, because they have taken care of business on and off the field. They generally have a higher success rate at anything they touch in life, and Keith would fall into that category."

The Blueprint had a pretty typical first practice Wednesday morning. Defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer corrected him on one misalignment and FitzGerald went over his shoulder placement during the tackling fit drill.

"We're not looking for chest to chest," FitzGerald told him.

And the old questions on the day of a rookie deal, especially one ending in a 12-practice holdout.

"Right away from day one, huh," he said when asked about the business side.

In the end, was the holdout good business for Rivers? He's not that far behind given that he made all the spring workouts, he's playing the same position he did in college, and it's a linebacker role. And, according to reports, he gets $15.6 million guaranteed, which is more than a 10 percent hike over No. 9 in 2007.

Of course, it all depends when the guts of all that was on the table to determine if the holdout paid off. But his agents certainly got him a good deal.

And, certainly the team's compromise of a voidable year that shrinks the $23 million deal from six to five years reflects the Bengals thought it was good business to get one of their defensive leaders in here before the season got any closer without giving away the store.

Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com observed on his pages Wednesday morning that there was some give and take:

"The Bengals kept the contract from featuring the ridiculous increases we've seen this year in the sixth and seventh slots; but they'll still pay a lot more for Rivers than the Pats will pay for (Jerrod) Mayo (at No. 10). In the end, Rivers will potentially earn more than $5 million more than Mayo over five years.

"Mayo received an increase in the neighborhood of eight percent over the 10th overall pick in 2007, and the Bengals believed the same increase should apply to Rivers. (Frankly, we agree - eight percent is a more-than-fair increase, given that the salary cap increased by less than eight percent from 2007 to 2008.) "

But on Wednesday, Rivers went to work like he had no guarantee of anything.

"Just keep on motoring. Get in the film room and watch today's practice and correct my mistakes," Rivers said. "The biggest thing is not to take any steps backward. Keep taking big steps forward."

Rivers admits the 22 practices he logged between rookie camp, the voluntary camps, and mandatory minicamps before Wednesday made things easier. He's familiar with his teammates and the system, but "it's still a little different just for the fact I haven't had the pads on and I have been gone and these guys been jelling and they have been working together to get things right," he said.

Rivers doesn't think he's too far behind. He's been working out in Cincinnati where there have been 'a few scorchers," and FitzGerald said you can tell.

Rivers had a little help from his friends on defense in the last 10 days, namely guys like end Frostee Rucker, and tackles Pat Sims and John Thornton. At the end of some days, they would text him about what was being installed and he'd check it out in his playbook.

Dhani Jones may have already supplied the defining story of Rivers' rookie season by painting a scene in the linebackers room Tuesday night shortly after he signed.

"He had just came in and said, 'I know what that call is,' " Jones said. "I said, 'How do you know? We didn't call it out yet.' He said, 'I can tell what it looks like on film.' He's aware and he's understanding. He's not a first-round draft pick for nothing. He didn't go to Michigan, he went to USC. That's all right."

When it came to texting, Rivers didn't mention the name of Brandon Johnson, the guy that played so well taking Rivers' spot on the depth chart. Johnson won't have it for long, but he will no doubt help and FitzGerald thinks the Bengals may have found a guy that can be on the field with Rivers in certain packages.

"This has worked out really well for everybody as well as Brandon," FitzGerald said. "He showed us something. It's not like he's going to go on the shelf by any stretch of the imagination. As a matter of fact, we've got to try and get him on the field some kind of way."

FitzGerald is talking specialty packages because Johnson isn't the kind of guy that could move to the other side and play the classic SAM backer over the tight end. But FitzGerald can envision three linebackers playing on the second level and somebody else on the tight end in the right formation.

"The three best linebackers are going to play," FitzGerald said. "Brandon Johnson is a candidate to be one of the three best."

This was a heck of a day for the 48-year-old FitzGerald. Here's a guy that has coached NFL linebackers since the early '90s and a few years ago sent everyone of his starters in Baltimore to the Pro Bowl. And Wednesday was the first day he actually worked with a rookie first-round linebacker in pads.

Not only that, another rookie, this one from the IRL named Jaime Camara stopped by practice to visit him and kicker Shayne Graham to promote his appearance at Kentucky Speedway this weekend. Graham got a chance to bust FitzGerald about beating him when the team had an outing at a Cincinnati speedway back in June.

And FitzGerald thinks The Blueprint is on the fast track, too.

"The expectations are high and I really feel like they're going to be met in a very short period of time," FitzGerald said.

FitzGerald picked his foot up off the ground before jamming it back down.

"Same thing," he said of his two current passions with Rivers running through them.

"Pedal all the way down."[/quote]







[url="http://www.bengals.com/news/news.asp?story_id=6931"]http://www.bengals.com/news/news.asp?story_id=6931[/url]
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[quote name='Fulcher_33' post='685021' date='Aug 6 2008, 08:33 PM']Wow, a few weeks back Chad was talking about this being a business first and he was called a cocksucker for it. Now I see this



and everyone is glad he's got his shit together and ready to play. We just need to face facts, kids, no one is in Cincinnati because they want to be.
MULLY
and this punk held out to get his. I'm still very excited to see him play for us though.[/quote]



bitter, party for 1?



You miss one crucial difference. Chad already had a contract in place he was ditching out on. Rivers didn't.
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[quote name='Fulcher_33' post='685021' date='Aug 6 2008, 07:33 PM']Wow, a few weeks back Chad was talking about this being a business first and he was called a cocksucker for it. Now I see this



and everyone is glad he's got his shit together and ready to play. We just need to face facts, kids, no one is in Cincinnati because they want to be.
MULLY
and this punk held out to get his. I'm still very excited to see him play for us though.[/quote]


Ahh for fuck's sake. Why the hell did you even try to bring
Chad into the conversation?

The two don't equate.

Rivers never went on Nationally broadcast (World broadcast in some cases) shows,
and trashed the team. Acted like a little bitch that lost her Barbie, or any of the
shit that Chad did. Also, Rivers was trying to get his first contract ever. Not trying
to get more money again for the 3rd time in 4 years.

Why the hell you are so tore up about the fact that people got pissed about
how Chad went about his 'business' is beyond me.

I also like how you called Rivers a 'punk", yet defend Chad to the death . . .
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[quote][size=5][b]Glad to be back[/b][/size]
By Mark Curnutte • mcurnutte@enquirer.com • August 6, 2008


GEORGETOWN, Ky. -- Rookie linebacker Keith Rivers took the field this morning for practice after signing a five-year contract Tuesday night.


He missed 10 days of training camp and 12 on-field practices.

He spoke with reporters afterward.

"It was first day, first practice, and I'll get in there and look at the film," he said. "There are a few new things, and there have been some changes, but that's football and adjustments. I think (he can get caught up). It's just overtime with my study, just doing what I'm used to doing. I feel like there were a few plays that I wasn't up to speed on, but that's what nighttime is for, getting in my book and studying."

Rivers said he was in Cincinnati and worked out and studied. Teammates Frostee Rucker, John Thornton, Pat Sims and Carson Palmer were teammates in contact with him.

Defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer said Rivers messed up just one time that he saw.

Linebackers coach Jeff FitzGerald could hardly contain his enthusiasm. He was like a child with a new toy.

"It's a real pleasure, well worth waiting for," FitzGerald said of Rivers. "Great person, dedicated football player … I know he's glad to be back."

Coaches had Rivers run with the second set of linebackers in practice, but FitzGerald said he anticipates that Rivers will be promoted back to starting outside linebacker (the Will position) sooner than later and that coaches would like to see Rivers play a few snaps in the preseason opener Monday night at Green Bay.

"He looked like he'd been working out ... he has a good memory, he remembered things," FitzGerald said. "He took good notes in the spring. He comes back with knowledge."

Middle linebacker Dhani Jones cautioned against too much enthusiasm because "it was only one practice."

Still, Jones, in his ninth NFL season, likes what he sees from Rivers.

"There is a certain business side of football that comes into play, and no one is going to fault him for taking care of his business," Jones said. "Like he said in the paper, `It's time to move forward and move forward fast,' and I can respect that. How did he look? I don't know. ... He's smart. He's aware. He's not a first-round draft pick for nothing."

Rivers, though he just turned 22 May 5, is mature beyond his years.

"When you play at a fine institution like (Southern Cal, Rivers' alma mater), they breed individuals who understand pressure and can apply pressure. They are smart football players who understand the game and know how it is to be played.”[/quote]


[url="http://news.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080806/SPT02/308060068/1066/rss07"]http://news.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dll/a...0068/1066/rss07[/url]
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[quote name='oldschooler' post='685034' date='Aug 6 2008, 08:45 PM']Ahh for fuck's sake. Why the hell did you even try to bring
Chad into the conversation?

The two don't equate.

Rivers never went on Nationally broadcast (World broadcast in some cases) shows,
and trashed the team. Acted like a little bitch that lost her Barbie, or any of the
shit that Chad did. Also, Rivers was trying to get his first contract ever. Not trying
to get more money again for the 3rd time in 4 years.

Why the hell you are so tore up about the fact that people got pissed about
how Chad went about his 'business' is beyond me.

I also like how you called Rivers a 'punk", yet defend Chad to the death . . .[/quote]



Rivers' situation was complicated by the deal Ellis signed at #7. That was completely out of his control. Sure, he could have stuck to his slot and what the Bengals were offering for that slot (an 8% increase in signing bonus and total value). His agent knew he could get more and he did get more at the end of the day. It still could have been worse, IMO. I thought Rivers might ask for incentives that could max his deal at $30 million or over. Instead, he ended up at $24 million, which was still a nice 22% increase over Ted Ginn's $19.6 million last year at #9. His guaranteed money of $15.6 million is also an 11% increase from the $14 million Ginn received. I can't fault Rivers too much for listening to his agent and for his agent to want a bigger deal after what happened with the contracts signed by earlier picks. It's what people call smart business, as much as I hate to say it. There wasn't any public nastiness that I can recall and Rivers never said anything negative about the staff or organization even though both Marvin and Zimmer expressed frustration with his holdout.

Chad's situation is completely different. His PR campaign was clownish and he almost became the new TO. I'm in favor of keeping him around and keeping him happy, but he should have went about things VERY differently that the route he took. He an elite talent and he does get his own set of rules to a certain extent. I just think he has to use better judgment to get what he wants rather than using a soapbox to blast his team.
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[quote name='oldschooler' post='685034' date='Aug 6 2008, 08:45 PM']Ahh for fuck's sake. Why the hell did you even try to bring
Chad into the conversation?

The two don't equate.

Rivers never went on Nationally broadcast (World broadcast in some cases) shows,
and trashed the team. Acted like a little bitch that lost her Barbie, or any of the
shit that Chad did. Also, Rivers was trying to get his first contract ever. Not trying
to get more money again for the 3rd time in 4 years.

Why the hell you are so tore up about the fact that people got pissed about
how Chad went about his 'business' is beyond me.

I also like how you called Rivers a 'punk", yet defend Chad to the death . . .[/quote]

x2 to everything said there.

Bringing up Chad is random and not at all applicable to this situation :thumbsdown:

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[quote name='oldschooler' post='685034' date='Aug 6 2008, 08:45 PM']Ahh for fuck's sake. Why the hell did you even try to bring
Chad into the conversation?

The two don't equate.

Rivers never went on Nationally broadcast (World broadcast in some cases) shows,
and trashed the team. Acted like a little bitch that lost her Barbie, or any of the
shit that Chad did. Also, Rivers was trying to get his first contract ever. Not trying
to get more money again for the 3rd time in 4 years.

Why the hell you are so tore up about the fact that people got pissed about
how Chad went about his 'business' is beyond me.

I also like how you called Rivers a 'punk", yet defend Chad to the death . . .[/quote]
Yeah, pretty much this. It sucked that Rivers held out even for a little bit I suppose, but in the end, we all know we need him.
We need Chad too, but the comparison is apples and oranges. And not just because they play on opposite sides of the ball.
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[quote][size=5][b]Rivers Q&A: He’s quickly & totally immersed[/b][/size]
By Chick Ludwig | Wednesday, August 6, 2008, 01:56 PM

[b]$23 MILLION MAN GETS

READY TO ‘ROCK ‘N’ ROLL’[/b]

===Keith Rivers’ contract is a six-year deal that voids to five years if he reaches certain incentives, which are designed to be reasonably attainable. The Bengals’ team-owned Web site claims Rivers’ contract is worth $23 million over five years.===

[b]Q. How much have you missed?

A.[/b] There were a few new things. There’s been some changes a little bit to some of the things. But that’s football. That’s adjustments. You’ve just got to get used to them and get ready to rock ‘n’ roll.

[b]Q. Can you get up to speed quickly?

A.[/b] I think so. I’ve just got to (work) overtime with my studying and do what I’m used to doing.

[b]Q. Did you feel behind at any time today?

A.[/b] I feel like there are a few plays I wasn’t up to speed on, but that’s what my night time is for, for studying and getting in my book and getting ready to go.

[b]Q. Glad to see your teammates?

A. [/b]Yeah. It’s good to see your teammates. It’s good. Everybody congratulates you and it’s great to be here. I’m bummed I missed out on the bonding time with my team during camp. That’s a big part of it. It is what it is. I’m here now and ready to rock ‘n’ roll.

[b]Q. Were you staying in Cincinnati?

A.[/b] Yeah. I came a week early and I’ve been here just waiting for everything to get finalized.

[b]Q. How tough was the holdout on you mentally?

A.[/b] It’s a wear, but I’ve been hitting up my buddies around the league and buddies around here, trying to get up on instillation and study my notes. Just finding out, one of my buddies, Thomas Williams up in Jacksonville was asking, ‘You ever going to come to the League?’ I’m here now, I’m ready to go.

[b]Q. What do you think about Brandon Johnson?

A.[/b] He’s doing a great job as we knew he would, He’s a great player. I’m just trying to catch up and compete with him. It’s all about competing and he’s doing well. I want to get back, get right and compete against him.

[b]Q. How did you keep up?

A.[/b] I texted my teammates each night about what was the instillation the next day, took a gander at it and tried to keep up to date.

[b]Q. Who were your texting buddies?

A.[/b] Frotsee Rucker, Pat Sims, John Thornton, Carson hit me up one time. A number of guys.

[b]Q. Have you missed too much practice?

A.[/b] Practice is everything. Missing the first meeting was missing too much time. At this level, it’s a business and I had to let things run its course.

[b]Q. Will you play Monday?

A.[/b] We’re just going to see how this week goes, I’m going to work like I am and hopefully I do (play).

[b]Q. How was the first practice?

A.[/b] It was good, I felt a little rusty, but that’s to be expected. Once I get back rockin’ and rollin’, hopefully things will be running smoothly.

[b]Q. Was it tougher mentally or physically?

A.[/b] I felt all right. Today wasn’t has hot as it has been. I’ve been in Cincinnati and there’s been some scorchers. A little but of both. You can’t get into football shape until you get in pads and running.

[b]Q. Is it a relief to get into camp?

A.[/b] It was great to get here and be with my teammates and I had a chance to sit in on a little bit of meetings and meet with the guys. I’m just ready to go.

[b]Q. The National Football League is a business, isn’t it?

A.[/b] I learned that from Day 1.

[b]Q. Did your system at USC help you?

A.[/b] The last four years, I played the weakside backer, it’s pretty similar, just a little different terminology. I’ve just got to motor through and pick up on the new stuff and just press on.

[b]Q. What do you hope to accomplish as a rookie?

A.[/b] I’m just going to come in try to compete and contribute, wherever the team sees me fit to help the best. If I can be All-World, that’d be great, everyone wants to, but it is the National Football League and you have to do the best you can.

[b]Q. Are you in a playmaking role?

A. [/b]I hope so. Right now, I’m trying to figure it out, the first day back.

[b]Q. You’ll rush the passer?

A.[/b] I hope so. We’ll see when everything gets fully installed. And everything’s ready to go.

[b]Q. Are you more comfortable now than right after you were drafted?

A.[/b] It’s a little more comforting. I’ve been here for OTAs, I know people, I know my teammates. I feel pretty comfortable, it’s still a little different just for the fact that I have been gone, I haven’t had the pads on and these guys have been gelling and working together.

[b]Q. Seems your teammates got on you pretty quick when you screwed up the end of the warm-ups.

A.[/b] It shows I haven’t been here for a while. I forgot how that rolls. Hopefully next time I’ll get that right.[/quote]



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[quote][size=5][b]Rivers gets a practice under his belt[/b][/size]
[size=3][b]Keith Rivers looked a little rusty in his first practice of training camp on Wednesday, but he's expected to catch up quickly.[/b][/size]
By C. Trent Rosecrans
Wednesday, August 6, 2008



GEORGETOWN, Ky. -- It didn’t take long for Keith Rivers to show his rust. As the team finished its stretching, Rivers took the lead to end the session with jumping jacks. However, he got the team's traditional wording wrong and was booed by his teammates.

"It shows I haven't been here for a while," Rivers said with a laugh. "I forgot how that rolls. Hopefully next time I'll get that right."

He got it right on the second try and the team went on to practice, including their new linebacker, who worked with the second team but should ascend to the starting spot soon enough, linebackers coach Jeff FitzGerald said.

"He looked like he's been working out, he looks like he's in fair shape right now, we cut his reps a little bit, we let him run with the second bunch to get filled in a little bit," FitzGerald said. "He remembers. He's got a good memory. He took good notes, he did a good job in spring, so he comes back with some knowledge from the install we had this spring."

As much as anything, Rivers said he was excited to be back with his team. He had been in Cincinnati during his holdout, awaiting word from his agent when he could get on I-75 and head south to Georgetown College.

That call arrived Tuesday night, and he got to the Bengals’ camp around 9 p.m. to sign his contract, which the Bengals' team-owned website listed as a five-year deal worth $23 million.

Rivers immediately joined his teammates in a linebackers meeting and right off the bat he impressed middle linebacker Dhani Jones with his knowledge of the Bengals' defense.

"Last night we were in meetings and he had just come in and he was like, 'I know that call,'" Jones said. "'‘How do you know, we didn't call it out yet?' He said, 'I saw it on film.' He's aware and understanding. He's not a first-round pick for nothing."

Rivers worked with the second defense in most of Wednesday's morning practice, but should be with the first team soon enough. He'll also likely get a chance to play in the team's preseason opener on Monday in Green Bay.

Rivers will be playing the same position he played at Southern California, which also has a similar defense to Mike Zimmer's, easing Rivers' transition from the college game to the pro game.

"He'll catch up very quickly and assume the opportunity very quickly," Marvin Lewis said. "We'll see how we go through the week and see whether we play him, or how much. unless I can find something major, I expect him to play some (in Green Bay)."

As much as anything, though, Rivers said he’s happy to be back playing football and being a member of the team -- even if that means the occasional razzing.

Before he messed up the end of the team’s calisthenics, receiver Chad Johnson got on him a little bit while the team was stretching.

"58, Keith? Why, I haven't seen you in two weeks," Johnson yelled from across the field. "You all right? You holding out? You trying to get that money? I don't blame you, gas is high."

Even though Johnson joked about his holdout, his teammates understood. Jones, a nine-year veteran, said nobody will hold the holdout against Rivers.

"You have to take care of yourself, there’s a certain business side to football and that comes into play and you have to take care of that as well," Jones said. "Nobody's going to fault anybody for handling business. And like he said in the paper, now it’s time to move forward and move forward fast, and I respect that."

For now, everyone -- especially Rivers -- is just glad he's here, with his team and in pads.

"It's good. Everybody congratulates you and it's great to be here," Rivers said. "I'm bummed I missed out on the bonding time with my team during camp. That's a big part of it. It is what it is. I'm here now and ready to rock 'n' roll."[/quote]



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[quote name='oldschooler' post='685034' date='Aug 6 2008, 08:45 PM']Ahh for fuck's sake. Why the hell did you even try to bring
Chad into the conversation?

The two don't equate.

Rivers never went on Nationally broadcast (World broadcast in some cases) shows,
and trashed the team. Acted like a little bitch that lost her Barbie, or any of the
shit that Chad did. Also, Rivers was trying to get his first contract ever. Not trying
to get more money again for the 3rd time in 4 years.

Why the hell you are so tore up about the fact that people got pissed about
how Chad went about his 'business' is beyond me.

I also like how you called Rivers a 'punk", yet defend Chad to the death . . .[/quote]


:applaud:
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[quote name='Fulcher_33' post='685021' date='Aug 6 2008, 09:33 PM']Wow, a few weeks back Chad was talking about this being a business first and he was called a cocksucker for it. Now I see this



and everyone is glad he's got his shit together and ready to play. We just need to face facts, kids, no one is in Cincinnati because they want to be.
MULLY
and this punk held out to get his. I'm still very excited to see him play for us though.[/quote]


ill assume this is a joke of some sort. cause this doesnt make sense in the least...

soooo..... in YOUR world...


guy who has made already over 30 million dolalrs, already had a long term deal, who called out his team, teammates, coaches, and friends to the media, made a fool of himself over greed, on national television and radio...

is equal to........

a player whos situation was a guy 2 picks up contract tops at 40 mil-ish and the next guy down tops at like 19, and it took a week, 7-8 days, to iron it out, all the while he said nothing but good things, and did the right theing to make him and his team the best they can be while it was worked out, mind you with no cash, no contract, just out of school...


whut?!?!?1/1
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[quote name='GoBengals' post='685075' date='Aug 7 2008, 12:21 PM']ill assume this is a joke of some sort. cause this doesnt make sense in the least...

soooo..... in YOUR world...


guy who has made already over 30 million dolalrs, already had a long term deal, who called out his team, teammates, coaches, and friends to the media, made a fool of himself over greed, on national television and radio...

is equal to........

a player whos situation was a guy 2 picks up contract tops at 40 mil-ish and the next guy down tops at like 19, and it took a week, 7-8 days, to iron it out, all the while he said nothing but good things, and did the right theing to make him and his team the best they can be while it was worked out, mind you with no cash, no contract, just out of school...


whut?!?!?1/1[/quote]

It's got nothing to do with being in "my world". All I'm saying is that these guys are right, it's a business, and Chad has every right to get his nut as much as the next squirrel. The situation is exactly the same. Rivers held out to get paid and if he does it now it should be interesting when contract negotiations come up if he's really an impact player. I've got not problem with it, more power to 'em. All I'm saying is that 85 didn't deserve to be crucified for it.
MULLY
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[quote name='GoBengals' post='685075' date='Aug 6 2008, 11:21 PM']ill assume this is a joke of some sort. cause this doesnt make sense in the least...

soooo..... in YOUR world...


guy who has made already over 30 million dolalrs, already had a long term deal, who called out his team, teammates, coaches, and friends to the media, made a fool of himself over greed, on national television and radio...

is equal to........

a player whos situation was a guy 2 picks up contract tops at 40 mil-ish and the next guy down tops at like 19, and it took a week, 7-8 days, to iron it out, all the while he said nothing but good things, and did the right theing to make him and his team the best they can be while it was worked out, mind you with no cash, no contract, just out of school...


whut?!?!?1/1[/quote]

Exactly. Keith Rivers did NOT create this cluster fudk of a rookie system and this is PRO Football. It you can legitimately get more then your agent BETTER get it. Your one play away from retirement. And yes, Rivers has been a model citizen during this process unlike number 85.
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[quote name='Fulcher_33' post='685081' date='Aug 6 2008, 11:33 PM']It's got nothing to do with being in "my world". All I'm saying is that these guys are right, it's a business, and Chad has every right to get his nut as much as the next squirrel. The situation is exactly the same. Rivers held out to get paid and if he does it now it should be interesting when contract negotiations come up if he's really an impact player. I've got not problem with it, more power to 'em. All I'm saying is that 85 didn't deserve to be crucified for it.
MULLY[/quote]


your fuckin crazy

chad got paid 3 times in 5 years.. and is bitching AGAIN... the guys got more "nut" than tia bella at this point,

it couldnt possibly be further from the same thing. not even remotely even kinda almost close, not even the slightest bit.

your man lust for ocho fucko is reaching unhealthy levels.
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