I say slower. I want there to be enough time for the Colts to win the Super Bowl and take over the #1 spot.
_________________ "Socialism never took root in America because the poor see themselves not as an exploited proletariat but as temporarily embarrassed millionaires." -- John Steinbeck
Ever since the death of the legendary Paul Brown, there haven’t been many good things to say about the Bengals under the control of son Mike Brown. On first blush, the past decade appears to be a relief from the 1990s. Since the arrival of Marvin Lewis, the Bengals suffered only one truly bad season (4-11-1 in 2008), while they have never lost more than nine games in any other, including a pair of AFC North titles in 2005 and 2009.
So why do we see the Bengals at this position? Lack of playoff success is certainly one, as is a poor start to the decade, particularly a league worst 2-14 in 2002. It should also be kept in mind that no team likely had as dubious of a decade off the field as what happening in Cincinnati. The team has developed a reputation for housing more players of “bad character” than anywhere else. At one point around 2006, ten Bengals were arrested in a span of 14 months, with names like Chris Henry, Odell Thurman, Frostee Rucker, and AJ Nicholson making the headlines for the wrong reasons.
Have the Bengals turned the corner with their latest playoff appearance? Carson Palmer is still generally regarded as a reliable franchise quarterback, and the defense has added some key cogs and an excellent leader in coordinator Mike Zimmer. The goal for Brown will be to be able to do what it takes to keep those cogs in place—even if it costs him monetarily.
Sadness opened the decade for the team from Arrowhead when star linebacker Derrick Thomas died from injuries suffered in a car accident. The Chiefs looked to build upon fairly good times in the 1990s beyond the Marty Schottenheimer era, and there were flashes of glory here and there, particularly under Dick Vermeil. Trent Green went from east to west in Missouri to resurrect a wrecked career from the Rams, Tony Gonzalez continued to build a Hall of Fame career, and Dante Hall set the new standard for returners in the NFL.
Despite the massive offensive power this team had, they just couldn’t put it together into a consistent success. They were rudely bounced by the Colts in their two playoff appearances, as it was often the defense that led this team down under Vermeil’s tenure. Once Herm Edwards replaced Vermeil, and a once elite offensive line featuring the likes of Willie Roaf and Will Shields started to deteriorate, the downward spiral in Kansas City was stunning. Closing out the decade with three straight 12+ losing seasons is not what Chiefs fans expect.
The Chiefs have now thrown all their chips into the New England Central pot, hiring Scott Pioli as general manager, acquiring Matt Cassel and Mike Vrabel, and now bringing on Bill Belichick’s henchmen from the Super Bowl days, coordinators Charlie Weis and Romeo Crennel. It is obviously yet to be seen whether or not the aggressive moves pay off, but there is still a lot of conversion work to be done.
Eh, sort of, I stopped after it seemed like there wasn't much commenting. because I'm a lazy college kid that was in Connecticut getting laid by my fiancee
Joined: Sat Oct 16, 2004 10:53 pm Posts: 20537 Location: The City Of Trees
#26: Washington Redskins Record: 70-90 (.438) (T23rd) Playoff Appearances: 2 (T24th) Playoff Wins: 1 (T21st or T22nd) Consistency Rank: 31st
Give owner Dan Snyder a sliver of credit: at least he’s trying. With GM Vinny Cerrato as his right hand man for most of the decade, Snyder and the ‘Skins would become notorious more making huge and expensive splashes in the offseason. They took on high profile coaches (Marty Schottenheimer, Steve Spurrier, the return of Joe Gibbs) and were no stranger in making blockbuster free agent acquisitions (most recently Albert Haynesworth) and trades (such as shipping Champ Bailey to Denver for Clinton Portis).
In spite of the effort, the Redskins’ offseason lauding never translated into the fall, where their decadal record was plainly mediocre. It consisted of only two winning seasons and playoff berths, and while there were few times where the Redskins were truly awful, that characteristic just implied how much the major changes are actually the status quo in Washington, as observed by their second to last ranking in consistency.
Snyder has yet to change his ways, as his latest incarnation of the Redskins will be led by two huge names in head coach Mike Shanahan and GM Bruce Allen. It will be up to these two men to show that in the NFL, the winners aren’t necessarily those who have the biggest wallets.
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