Doucherty's Lumps of Coal

[|High School Harry|]

https://www.cincinnati.com/story/sports/blogs/daugherty-blog/2018/12/24/tml-marvin-lewis-bengals-vontaze-burfict-reds-trade-puig-kemp/2406009002/

 

I couldn’t let the weekend craziness go without saying something, yeah?

 

I asked off the Cleveland trip. My ask was granted. Christmas came early. Another dispiriting result for Team Lame. (And I mean that literally and metaphorically.) Then I read the Schefter item saying the BrownTrust is allowing MLewis to call his own shot when it comes to retiring.

 

Oh, my.

And then I kept reading how Vance Joseph is a candidate for something, either HC or D-coordinator. And that the ‘Trust is pondering a Vance-Hue tandem.

 

Oh, why?

And though that speculation very likely would come from nowhere but the agents for Marv-Hue-Vance, it doesn’t strike me as all that surprising, nor should it you.

 

Oh, well.

The Schefter rumor (though it should be noted he was wrong re Marvin last year) is more than troubling. If Lewis is allowed to decide his local future, that’s the biggest middle-finger salute to a fan base ever, anywhere, and I’m not even researching it.

If it’s Jackson-Joseph, well, I have to go to the games. It’s my job. You don’t.

 

What is it with Cincinnati recycling coaches, families and players? It isn’t because their success has been historically overwhelming. What makes anyone think Hue-Vance would be a memorable success? Joseph didn’t work out in Denver. He has one year of DC experience. Hue, we know about.

The best outcome would be for Marvin to excuse himself from the sideline and for Jackson and Joseph to take their talents elsewhere. I’ll take bets on that happening.

Remember when rooting for your favorite football team was fun?

Without further ado. . .

 

TEN THINGS. . .

 

If this Lost Season has revealed anything, it is that the fans have finally had enough. The sheep have left the meadow. You’re always going to have 30K diehards willing to give their cash to the Bengals. But those on the fence have jumped off. It won’t be easy getting them back.

 

Burfict is done. I’m not a doctor, but I know a fried football player when I see one. Seven concussions-that-we-know-about should tell someone something. If so, his final act was to slap away the hand of a guy trying to help him off the field, trainer Paul Sparling.

Classy to the end.

 

How come the Bengals kicked it deep at 18-26?

 

Baker Mayfield is potentially a great NFL QB. He’s already a Hall of Fame jackass. Dissing Jackson like that was strictly bush league. Son, you are not yet All That. Even if you were, that would be a very bad look. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I don’t recall seeing Brady-Brees-Rivers-Ben do something like that. Nor the generation before them.

Time to grow up, big guy. What goes around comes around.

Mayfield compounded it by feigning ignorance when asked about it afterward. Williams the head coach said he didn’t see it. Way to own it.

 

It’s safe to say J. Driskel won’t be challenging A. Dalton for his spot next July.

 

This team needs a right side of the O-line, at least. Hart and Redmond? Yikes. Price has not had a good rookie year. Boling is a pro, Glenn is OK. That won’t cut it.

This team needs a whole new set of linebackers. None can cover anyone.

That’s eight things. Best I could do..

 

OFFICIATING. WOW. That PI v the Stillers Joe Haden was among the worst calls I’ve ever seen. From PKing’s column today:

 

 I was sitting here in a San Francisco hotel writing early this morning when a prominent NFL club official sent me a text. This source is unemotional, even-tempered and a total, absolute league guy. In part, he wrote:

“Something has to give on the officiating in our league. The random nature of things week to week, the volume of penalties that breaks up the game. I hear Joe Buck and Troy [Aikman] on FOX and Cris [Collinsworth] and Al [Michaels] on Sunday night confused. Everyone is at a loss. There is no consistency. The game is choppy. It’s obvious that something is broke. Teams, coaches, GMs are at a loss for what will be emphasized week to week. At the same time, officials feel like they have been betrayed by the league and no one has their back. I’ve been around this league for over 25 years. This is as bad as I have seen it.”

 

 

[Shebengal]

Thanks for printing this. I couldn’t access it. Also, I couldn’t give a crap if Joe Haden had a bad PI call against him.

[Le Tigre]

For once, a semi-interesting Doc piece....once you get past the expected, usual, pissing on the Bengals. 

 

How long has yours truly been pointing out rules, and inability to consistently enforce them? The league needs to seriously address this, but somehow I figure St. Roger will double down if anything. 

[Madieu Superstar]

7 minutes ago, Le Tigre said:

For once, a semi-interesting Doc piece....once you get past the expected, usual, pissing on the Bengals. 

 

How long has yours truly been pointing out rules, and inability to consistently enforce them? The league needs to seriously address this, but somehow I figure St. Roger will double down if anything. 

Whatever the wrong decision is, Goodell will make it. That’s how the league has crumbled to what it is now:

 

Choppy, slow, utterly boring, filled with tedious replay reviews, a rulebook longer than the Declaration of Independence, no hitting, TDs that come easier than a lady of the night, and grown men who play duck duck goose on the field in some sort of shallow, tired act of “spontaneous”celebration.