The year was 1996. Mike Brown was threatening to re-locate the Bengals if the county failed to provide him with a brand new, state-of-the-art stadium. Hamilton County voters were faced with a dilemma. Approve a 1/2 cent hike to their sales tax to fund a new stadium, or risk losing their professional football franchise. Brown had publicly stated that a new stadium was necessary to compete in the modern day NFL. The voters believed him, and they voted for the sales tax, guaranteeing the Bengals a new stadium. Two years later, the building of Paul Brown Stadium
was underway. This is where the business side of Brown, and the negotiating skills of his son-in-law, Troy Blackburn, took advantage of the gift they were given by negotiating one of the best stadium deals for any owner in any sport. Paul Brown Stadium receives 95% of its funding from the public. http://news.cincinnati.com/assets/AB57287114.PDF . Despite this, Mike Brown was still able to ensure that the team would receive almost all of the revenues derived from ticket sales and concessions. To Brown, it was never about winning, or putting together the facilities necessary to win. It was about securing the best deal possible for him to maximize his profits. Any other owner would take the money Brown has saved and re-invest it back into the team by making sure all of the other facilities are top notch. Brown has not done that, and the team has struggled as a result.It is already clear that Brown spends as little as possible on scouting and player development. It is also evident that he spends as little as possible on everything else revolving around the team. The Bengals do not have an indoor practice facility. Brown does not see the need for it. Unfortunately, this makes the team the
northern-most city in the NFL without an indoor practice facility. This affects the team on so many different levels.First, it affects all of the current players when November rolls around. Novembers and Decembers in Cincinnati can be cold and nasty. It is also the time of year when most teams are making their push towards the post season. Most owners would want their players practicing in prime conditions to make sure that they can get the most out of each and every practice session. The Bengals are left to deal with the elements, meaning that many of their practices are inefficient, and the players are at risk of sustaining injuries and sickness. Second, it deters any free agent who would consider Cincinnati as a destination. Imagine a relatively high profile free agent coming into Cincinnati to check out the facilities. The stadium is great, but they look around and fail to see an indoor practice facility. These players are not stupid. They know that the weather will get bad in the late fall, and they do not want to get stuck with having to deal with that weather for the duration of their contract. This, combined with Brown's reputation of having tight purse strings, is enough to keep any substantial free agent from coming here. Brown still just doesn't see the need. He got this feeling from his father.
I heard a story about Paul Brown when the Bengals used to practice at Spinney Field. A new television and new furniture was placed in the weight room and locker room. Paul Brown was upset because he did not believe the players needed these luxuries in their place of work. While it is true that the players don't need these things, it is the job of the owner to make his players happy to make sure they produce at the highest levels. It also reminds me of a story about Mark Cuban. When Cuban took over the Dallas Mavericks, one of the things players first noticed was that they each had big, soft, new towels all the time. It sounds silly, but it is the little things like this that make players feel wanted, and makes them appreciate the organization that much more. Contrast that with the way Brown treats his players. Another story involves Tony Siragusa. Siragusa was a free agent in 1996,
and the Bengals were set to fly him in for a visit. They sent him a plane ticket, and he canceled his visit immediately. The ticket was for coach. There is no better way for a 340 pound man to travel. Moves like these have crippled this franchise's ability to obtain top level talent, and it is a large reason why the organization remains the way it is today.One area that Brown did not attempt to make money in was the naming of the stadium. Most owners around the league sell the naming rights to their stadiums to corporations for upwards of hundreds of millions of dollars. Brown refused to do this, instead naming it after his father. This may seem admirable, but in the end that is money that could have been used to upgrade the facilities and the personnel inside.
Take a walk inside of Texas Stadium, and one will see the Ring of Honor, which
pays homage to all of the past Dallas Cowboy greats. Jerry Jones does everything he can for all of his players, past and present. He spares no expense in making sure that they have everything they need because he knows that in order to succeed in the NFL, an owner has to go that extra mile. This is why Jones and the Cowboys will be paying over $750 million for the new stadium that is to open up in Arlington next season. The city of Arlington approved an increase in its sales tax as well, but that will limit the City to having to pay only $325 million, no matter what the costs run to. Jones has agreed to pay for any overrun in costs in addition to the estimated $750 
million he is already paying. Why did he do this? He did this because he sees it as an investment into something he owns, something he engulfs himself in, something he has dedicated his life to. The Cowboys are not just his business, they are his way of life, and Jones will do whatever it takes to make sure they are successful. That is why the organization he purchased for $150 million is worth an estimated $1.5 billion today. Jones is willing to go after the high profile free agents, and he often lands them. They don't always pan out, but it certainly is not for a lack of effort. Players know that if they go to Dallas, they will be taken care of. They will be treated like kings by their owner, and they know that Jones will do everything in his power to put a winner on the field.Character Players and Free Agency: RESPECT
Jones and Brown share similar beliefs when it comes to selecting players or bringing in free agents. They are more than willing to give a troubled player a second chance, especially if that player possesses the kind of talent that is hard to find. The Bengals have been the laughing stock of the league the past few seasons, as their players were in trouble with the law, again and again. Many of these players were selected by Brown in the draft. Chris Henry, Odell Thurman, Jonathan Joseph, AJ Nicholson, Frostee Rucker, Matthias Askew, Eric Steinbach, Ahmad Brooks, Deltha O'Neal, and Reggie McNeal all come to mind when I think about players who either had shady pasts, or who had made a mistake that got them into trouble with the authorities. Now on an NFL roster, every team will have a player or two get into trouble, but to have so many guys getting into trouble shows problems that run deeper than just player behavior. It goes all the way to the top and is another example of a lack of institutional control from Mike Brown.
Brown is nearly invisible to the public, rarely granting interviews. He has also demonstrated a reluctance to back his coach's play when it comes to troubled players. This goes back to Carl Pickens who trashed the organization publicly. Brown's response was to include a clause in players' contracts, known as the "Carl Pickens clause", which stated that the players could not criticize the team publicly. It was again evident when Corey Dillon refused to go back into the game despite being told to do so by Bruce Coslet. Coslet resigned, meaning that Dillon and the other players knew that the coach did not have ultimate control. Since then, Brown has continued to undermine his coaches left and right, but unlike other owners and general managers, Brown is never available to answer questions from the media.
Instead, he throws his coaches to the wolves and lets them answer for HIS decisions. This was never more apparent than when Marvin Lewis was left to answer for Brown's decision to bring back Henry. This was months after the team had already released him and Lewis had emphatically stated that the team had no interest in bringing him back. Brown had hinted at the possibility stating that the world was made up of "redeemers and non-redeemers" and that he considered himself a redeemer. Lewis's comments at the press conference announcing Henry's return spoke volumes, "The owner has the final say," Lewis said. "Mike has wanted to give Chris this opportunity and asked we do the best job we can to prepare him and get him ready to play. That's what he asked me to do, and that's what we're going to do."
http://www.daytondailynews.com/sports/content/oh/story/sports/pro/bengals/2008/08/20/ddn082008spbengals.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=25&loc=interstitialskip
Notice that Lewis said "Mike has wanted to give Chris this opportunity." To me, this means that Brown had wanted to make the move for some time, and there was likely a power struggle between him and Lewis regarding the move. In the end, Brown had his way, and Lewis was left to answer to the angry mob at Paul Brown Stadium.
Jerry Jones has also never been shy about bringing in players with checkered pasts. All one has to do is look at the current Cowboys roster, and they will see the likes of Terrell Owens, Adam Jones, and Tank Johnson. All three of these guys either had trouble with the law, or, in Owens
case, a history of being a locker room cancer. Jones did not hesitate in bringing them in, because, like Brown, he is willing to take chances to secure the best talent available. The difference, however, is that Jones provides his players with a secure support staff. Jones is also available to the players all the time. He is regularly at practices and in the locker room, talking to the players, and making sure they are taken care of. The reason why Jones is successful at turning troubled players into key performers, and Brown is not, comes down to one thing. RESPECT. The Cowboys players respect Jones because they know that he will do whatever it takes to put a winner on the field. They also know that he will not tolerate their behavior if it keeps him from winning. The Cowboys players truly want to excel for Jones because they want to show him that he did not make a mistake in bringing them in. With Mike Brown, the players know he signs the checks, and that is about it. They feel no other commitment from him, and they are not worried about getting in trouble because he has shown a lack of action in dealing with it.The respect players have for Jones can be traced back to his original bad boys. Jones had players like Michael Irvin and Deion Sanders during the Cowboys dynasty in the early '90s. Irvin and Sanders were known for their flamboyant ways, on and off the field. Those players had their fair share of off the field incidents, but when it came to Sundays, there were few better. Irvin was famous for his post game fur coats and extracurricular activities, and Sanders did not get the nickname "Primetime" for nothing. Still, they respected Jones, and they wanted nothing more than to win as many rings as possible. This admiration for Jones could be seen when Irvin was inducted into
the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2007. The man Irvin chose to present him? Jerry Jones. Here is a quote from Irvin's induction speech,"Jerry, those were kind words. Thank you. You know, when I first met Jerry he had just purchased the Dallas Cowboys. He had a bit of a concerned look on his face. I said to him, I said, We will have fun and we will win Super Bowls. You see, I knew Jerry had put all he had into purchasing the Cowboys. That's the way I see Jerry. He's a man that's willing to give all he has and all he wants to bring the Cowboy family Super Bowls."
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/halloffame07/news/story?id=2961687
That pretty much sums it up. Do you think a Bengals player could say the same about Brown?
Any player on the open market can look at the Cowboys greats under Jones, and see why they should go to Dallas. From Aikman to Smith, from Irvin to Sanders, the list goes on and on. Free agents know that when they go to Dallas, they are going to a team dedicated to winning, no matter what. Players from every team respect Jones, and they know that if they sign with Dallas, money will never be an obstacle to team success. Mike Brown also has a reputation around the league. It is one of a penny pinching owner who does what he can to put money in his pocket. They know that if they sign in Cincinnati, they will be treated to a skin and bones organization that does not care about a player's comfort. To Brown, the goal is making money and putting butts in seats. He will only change his approach when the stadium is empty, and his pocket book is running light. This is why the Bengals are never able to land big name free agents. Instead, fans are treated to the likes of John Thornton, Kevin Hardy, Michael Westbrook, Antonio Chatman, Gus Frerotte.......you get the picture. Without the ability to land quality free agents, a team has to rely even more on its drafting ability. You have seen the make-up of the Bengals front office and scouting. Is there any wonder why this team is a miserable failure, year in and year out?
This is what separates men like Jones and Brown, a desire to win and a willingness to spend the necessary money to put the best product possible on the field. For Bengals fans, they can expect to see more of the same until Brown relinquishes control to someone who knows football and knows what it takes to win in the NFL. Until then, fans can continue to bang their heads against the wall, Sunday after Sunday each fall. This day may never come, as it is almost certain that Mike's daughter Katie will be taking over when he is gone. As for Cowboys fans and what they can expect, well in the words of Jerry Jones, "How 'bout them Cowboys!"
COWBOYS RECORD UNDER JONES: 167-140; 12-8 PLAYOFFS; 3 SUPER BOWL TITLES
BENGALS RECORD UNDER BROWN: 97-178; 0-1 PLAYOFFS.
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