Lewis spars with reporter

[redsfandan]

Lewis spars with reporter Enquirer staff report December 17, 2008

At his news conference today, Bengals coach Marvin Lewis took exception to a line of questioning from Enquirer reporter Dustin Dow.

Dow: If you guys finish this out winning three in a row, or even two of three, how much will it show that improvement has been made, versus covering up improvements that still need to be made?

Lewis: "Oh, I don't think it covers anything up that we feel interiorly, and that's the only thing that matters. Dustin, all your angles and so forth, I'm going to ask other people questions because I really don't like the angles you take in here each and every week."

Dow: What's wrong with that?

Lewis: "I just think it's disrespectful for what we're doing. I really do. So I'll tend to answer the other guys' questions. Anything else?"

Dow: People who that is important to are the fans who are reading.

Lewis: "What we're trying to do is win football games. Maybe you should answer for them, because you seem to do that, anyway."

Dow: I don't know the answers. That's why I'm asking you.

Lewis: "I'm not going to get into a debate with you. All right?"

Dow: (inaudible)

Lewis: "I just told you I'm not going to answer your questions any more. All right? They might have to send somebody else over to do your job. All right?"

[redsfandan]

How much longer is he under contract??

With another team he probably would have had more success. And maybe he'll do better with another team after he has a break. But I'm not sure this can last for a couple more seasons.

[redsfanmia]

Why is ok for a reporter to dress down a coach or athlete in print or on air but its not ok when a coach or player responds negatively? If the question he asked set Marvin off then he was wrong but what kind of columns does this guy write? Was it strictly this question or is there a history of negativity?

[WMR]

The media in Cincinnati is so lame. I wish they'd take a page from the NY Post and really go after the Bengals/Reds when they screw around.

[redsfandan]

It doesn't matter who you are if you're a 'celebrity' you'll be asked all kinds of stuff by the press and you have to be prepared for it even stupid questions.

[Blimpie]

That was a pretty benign question IMO...this sounds like a boil that has festered for some time.

[GoReds33]

I am on Dow's side here. It's his job to ask questions, and to get awnsers. He seems to do a good job, and I commend him for it. He's one of the few class acts in that joint. Marvin has been nothing but hostile with the media since he got here.

[guttle11]

Marvin's just breakin in the new guy.

[redsfandan]

That may be so but it doesn't exactly help the public perception of Marvin or the team. When the team wins or people like you stuff like this is just laughed at but the honeymoon has been over for awhile now. I'm kinda surprised it lasted as long as it did.

[Redhook]

You can listen to this on Mo's blog at 1530. It's incredible how much of a horse's arse Marvin is. What an arrogant, ignorant, out-of-touch s.o.b. I flat out cannot stand the guy. He pays absolutely no respect to the people that pay his salary, the fans. Plus, he sucks as a coach. I can't wait to quote Ken "The Hawk" Harrelson and say, "He gone!", when Marvin gets canned. I just wish Mikey Boy would follow him out the door.

[Chip R]

I don 't have a dog in this hunt but it seemed like a fair question to me.

[macro]

It was a very fair question. This season has the makings of the typical Dead Cat Bounce like the Bungles of the 90s would pull off. They'd start 1-13 and then win a couple to finish the season 3-13, then soP would use that as evidence that things weren't so bad, after all.

I'm not sure what Marvin expects of the guy or any writer, for that matter. His pathetic team had won one game before Sunday, and most of the losses were blowouts. The franchise is in as bad a shape as it has ever been, and that's saying quite a bit. Are the writers just supposed to blow sunshine? I don't get it.

I really wish this franchise would have moved to Baltimore or LA back in the 90s and saved some of us a lot of frustration. It's an embarrassment to the city and its fans.

[camisadelgolf]

I don't think it's fair to make any judgments until we know more of the context.

"Dustin, all your angles and so forth, I'm going to ask other people questions because I really don't like the angles you take in here each and every week."

It sounds like there's more of a story behind this. Even if Dow had very good questions, saying something like, "I'm not going to answer your questions anymore," isn't necessarily a bad response. I've never read anything about Dow, but I'm guessing he has fabricated a few things that made people look bad and criticized some people he has no idea about.

[cincrazy]

I don't think it's fair to make any judgments until we know more of the context.

"Dustin, all your angles and so forth, I'm going to ask other people questions because I really don't like the angles you take in here each and every week."

It sounds like there's more of a story behind this. Even if Dow had very good questions, saying something like, "I'm not going to answer your questions anymore," isn't necessarily a bad response. I've never read anything about Dow, but I'm guessing he has fabricated a few things that made people look bad and criticized some people he has no idea about.

Whhooooaaaaaa, that's going a little overboard I think. I don't think it's fair to say that about Dow. I don't even know who the guy is, truthfully. But he was doing nothing more than his job. If Marvin doesn't like being asked tough questions (and IMO, that wasn't even a tough question) he should find another business to make money in.

[Mario-Rijo]

Whhooooaaaaaa, that's going a little overboard I think. I don't think it's fair to say that about Dow. I don't even know who the guy is, truthfully. But he was doing nothing more than his job. If Marvin doesn't like being asked tough questions (and IMO, that wasn't even a tough question) he should find another business to make money in.

And Marvin doesn't like the tough questions and practically refuses to answer any, ever. He doesn't feel the need and that's partly due to his knowledge that SoP has his back, but mainly due to the fact that he's decided for better or worse he's gonna do things his way. I generally watch his press conferences quite often and I have never seen Dow be a problem. Usually Marvin's issues are strictly with one guy, Chick Ludwig who always grills Marvin. And as always Marvin poo poos those questions from Chick or gets offended real quick. I always felt that this would stop when the coaster was on the way down but apparently not.