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View Full Version : Why can't Chad Johnson just shut his mouth?



WMR
10-23-2007, 06:35 PM
On offseason trade rumors:

"There are 31 different teams out there... I guarantee you, every coach and every player loves 85 ... Every coach and every player would love to have Chad Johnson on their team."

I dunno... I'm just really sick of Chad running his mouth.

GoReds33
10-23-2007, 06:58 PM
I agree, he needs to shut up...now. He is just a huge distraction. If the Bengals won't comment his response to the questions should include that he doesn't know anything, and right now he is just trying to do the best he can to win games. Sadly, we have ego crazed people on our team (basically just Chad) that just don't know when to shut up. So we win a game and you can start talking. I'll take all the talking in the world if we win a Super Bowl. Until then, shut up.

guttle11
10-23-2007, 07:04 PM
Chad was talking before they won the game.

I'm sick of the story. I just plain don't care, because it's WAY down the list of what's really wrong. Chad is Chad (for lack of a better phrase). The upper management in PBS could care less as long as butts are in the seats, and the media is constantly on a hunt for another Chad story.

When you're running up to Chad in the parking lot, you can't say you're not trying to create a story.

Bip Roberts
10-23-2007, 07:04 PM
Yea lets trade the best player on our team and one of the best WR in football. Not to mention the money problems in doing so. Chad has never said one thing negative about a team mate, never flips out when we win and doesnt ever get into trouble. I think we should worry about fixing out problems not making them.

WMR
10-23-2007, 07:13 PM
Yea lets trade the best player on our team and one of the best WR in football. Not to mention the money problems in doing so. Chad has never said one thing negative about a team mate, never flips out when we win and doesnt ever get into trouble. I think we should worry about fixing out problems not making them.

Not according to reports of what he said in the locker-room during the halftime playoff game that we ended up losing to the Steelers ... what about when he mouths off to Marvin on the sidelines and jerks away when Marvin tries to coach him? .... what about when he yells at his QB when he doesn't get the ball when and/or where he wants it?

WMR
10-23-2007, 07:14 PM
Chad was talking before they won the game.

I'm sick of the story. I just plain don't care, because it's WAY down the list of what's really wrong. Chad is Chad (for lack of a better phrase). The upper management in PBS could care less as long as butts are in the seats, and the media is constantly on a hunt for another Chad story.

When you're running up to Chad in the parking lot, you can't say you're not trying to create a story.

I think this locker-room is much closer to becoming poisoned than many people want to believe.

GoReds33
10-23-2007, 07:15 PM
Yea lets trade the best player on our team and one of the best WR in football. Not to mention the money problems in doing so. Chad has never said one thing negative about a team mate, never flips out when we win and doesnt ever get into trouble. I think we should worry about fixing out problems not making them.He doesn't flip out when we lose because he doesn't care about winning. He cares about good old number 1, or number 85 in his case. He only flips out when he doesn't get the ball.

guttle11
10-23-2007, 07:18 PM
I think this locker-room is much closer to becoming poisoned than many people want to believe.

By Chad himself? I doubt it.

By a head coach who has let ALL of the inmates run the asylum for 5 years and now says he's "in charge", and by a front office who can't see over the piles of money they swim in? Yeah, you're probably right.

WMR
10-23-2007, 07:19 PM
By Chad himself? I doubt it.

By a head coach who has let ALL of the inmates run the asylum for 5 years, and by a front office who can't see over the piles of money they swim in? Yeah, you're probably right.

Is Chad part of the problem or part of the solution?

I don't think Chad Johnson constantly running his mouth can have NO effect whatsoever on this locker-room.

WMR
10-23-2007, 07:21 PM
I agree wholeheartedly that Chad is far from the biggest problem on this team... however, he IS the most visible player on this roster and I think his off-field contributions are becoming more and more negative and less the "innocuous fun" that they used to be viewed as.

Yachtzee
10-23-2007, 07:24 PM
gotta link for that quote? I would think Bengals message boards would go ape over that comment, but I haven't seen anything yet.

WMR
10-23-2007, 07:26 PM
gotta link for that quote? I would think Bengals message boards would go ape over that comment, but I haven't seen anything yet.

I paused SportsCenter on my DVR and wrote it down from there...

guttle11
10-23-2007, 07:31 PM
Is Chad part of the problem or part of the solution?

I don't think Chad Johnson constantly running his mouth can have NO effect whatsoever on this locker-room.

Didn't say it had zero effect, just not as much as the people who've sat back and allowed it, and much worse, to go on for years.

All I know is Chad is one of the top 3 or 4 receivers in the game. Without him, TJ rarely gets open and the offense scores 17 points a game. Unless they suddenly have a defense that only gives up 16, they'll lose more games than they are now.

What they need is a coach who can handle different egos effectively to build a solid unit, not a coach with a bigger and softer ego than the supposed locker room cancer.

WMR
10-23-2007, 07:32 PM
Didn't say it had zero effect, just not as much as the people who've sat back and allowed it, and much worse, to go on for years.

All I know is Chad is one of the top 3 or 4 receivers in the game. Without him, TJ rarely gets open and the offense scores 17 points a game. Unless they suddenly have a defense that only gives up 16, they'll lose more games than they are now.

What they need is a coach who can handle different egos effectively to build a solid unit, not one with a bigger and softer ego than the supposed locker room cancer.

I don't disagree with anything you say here.

Maybe what Chad needs is a Marty Schottenheimer type coach who will grab him by the face mask and tell him to grow up.

Chip R
10-23-2007, 07:41 PM
I don't know what you would expect him to say. For the past month or so he has been blamed for the Bengals not winning. Now there are reports that the Bengals are thinking about trading him and you expect him to say nothing while the team doesn't deny it?

This is just the latest chapter in the book of how the Cincinnati media and fans don't appreciate their superstars while they are here.

M2
10-23-2007, 07:46 PM
Who's the last supposed bad apple star the Bengals felt they had to dump? Corey Dillon? He seemed to do just fine with the Patriots, won a ring, gained more than 3,000 yards in three seasons.

I imagine Johnson's mostly right about there being 31 other teams who'd like to acquire his services. I'll bet the Patriots would pair him with Randy Moss in a heartbeat.

Yachtzee
10-23-2007, 07:47 PM
Found the link myself

http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/AB/20071023/SPT02/710230301/

Put in context, it doesn't sound as bad. It sounds like Chad's been stung by the way the media has turned on him, especially Daugherty. That there are trade rumors with his name on it, it probably doesn't help matters. I'm quickly losing faith in ML and the team leadership. They should be nipping all of this crap in the bud. Marvin's attempt to do so in a presser doesn't work. He needs to talk to his players and let them know where they stand. Right when he should be rallying his troops together, it seems like he's letting one of them hang out to dry.

WMR
10-23-2007, 07:52 PM
Thanks for the link, Yacht. I was going off ESPN... of course they're going to spin it for maximum effect...

CTA513
10-23-2007, 07:52 PM
Found the link myself

http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/AB/20071023/SPT02/710230301/

Put in context, it doesn't sound as bad. It sounds like Chad's been stung by the way the media has turned on him, especially Daugherty. That there are trade rumors with his name on it, it probably doesn't help matters. I'm quickly losing faith in ML and the team leadership. They should be nipping all of this crap in the bud. Marvin's attempt to do so in a presser doesn't work. He needs to talk to his players and let them know where they stand. Right when he should be rallying his troops together, it seems like he's letting one of them hang out to dry.



:thumbup:

Yachtzee
10-23-2007, 07:56 PM
Thanks for the link, Yacht. I was going off ESPN... of course they're going to spin it for maximum effect...

ESPN spinning a quote to make a sensational story out of it? Never happens. ;)

I can honestly understand how Chad feels, because I've had jobs where management does nothing to stop the rumors from flying. It's miserable and makes it painful to show up to work because you don't know who to trust.

WMR
10-23-2007, 08:00 PM
I guess maybe this is more another black mark against Marvin than anything else?

Bip Roberts
10-23-2007, 08:15 PM
Not according to reports of what he said in the locker-room during the halftime playoff game that we ended up losing to the Steelers ... what about when he mouths off to Marvin on the sidelines and jerks away when Marvin tries to coach him? .... what about when he yells at his QB when he doesn't get the ball when and/or where he wants it?

are we winning when that happens? no. He just wants to win and losing gets him emotionally. Yes he needs to grow up but his emotion when they lose is the only negative he has

WMR
10-23-2007, 08:17 PM
are we winning when that happens? no. He just wants to win and losing gets him emotionally. Yes he needs to grow up but his emotion when they lose is the only negative he has

You're probably right... when the Bengals are winning, it's all good.

Bip Roberts
10-23-2007, 08:18 PM
He doesn't flip out when we lose because he doesn't care about winning. He cares about good old number 1, or number 85 in his case. He only flips out when he doesn't get the ball.

Do you watch the games? He gets upset when we lose. He is all about winning. He has said multiple times that he could care less if he never caught a pass as long as they won games.

WMR
10-23-2007, 08:20 PM
Do you watch the games? He gets upset when we lose. He is all about winning. He has said multiple times that he could care less if he never caught a pass as long as they won games.

That one I'm not sure about, Bip.

I mean, I know he has said that, but even when things are going well and the Bengals are winning, I've seen little tantrums out of Chad when he is "open" and Carson "doesn't get him the ball."

Bip Roberts
10-23-2007, 08:21 PM
You're probably right... when the Bengals are winning, it's all good.

exactly. It was all fine by you guys when we were winning. Now that we are losing games chad is a problem and a nuisance and is worthless and a cancer. I mean when the guy cries when the bengals lose. You cannot tell me that all he cares about is himself.

Bip Roberts
10-23-2007, 08:22 PM
That one I'm not sure about, Bip.

I mean, I know he has said that, but even when things are going well and the Bengals are winning, I've seen little tantrums out of Chad when he is "open" and Carson "doesn't get him the ball."

At the end of the day he only cares about winning. He might want the ball all the time on the field, but show me a WR that doesnt and I will show you a WR that isnt any good.

RedFanAlways1966
10-23-2007, 08:27 PM
He might want the ball all the time on the field, but show me a WR that doesnt and I will show you a WR that isnt any good.

The name Santana Moss immediately popped into my mind...

GAC
10-23-2007, 08:34 PM
No denying the guy is very talented. That is not open for debate.

Can talent be a problem and a distraction for a team?

Ask those that have played with T.O. and Keyshawn (Chad's cousin?).

I'll take talent and a class act anyday. Jerry Rice got all the recognition and acknowledgment of his talent by what he did on that playing field without running his mouth and various other antics.

I find it funny though that when the Bengals were winning, many fans were saying Chad's antics were nothing more then fun and entertaining. Now it is not so. What has changed, other then the fact they aren't winning?

And this reasoning "He only cares about winning" is a smack in the face of every other Bengal player on that team, as if they somehow don't care? Give me a break!

WMR
10-23-2007, 08:35 PM
exactly. It was all fine by you guys when we were winning. Now that we are losing games chad is a problem and a nuisance and is worthless and a cancer. I mean when the guy cries when the bengals lose. You cannot tell me that all he cares about is himself.



I find it funny though that when the Bengals were winning, many fans were saying Chad's antics were nothing more then fun and entertaining. Now it is not so. What has changed, other then the fact they aren't winning?

Maybe because the way he runs his mouth is easily overlooked on a winning team... could it hasten a losing team's slide? Could it contribute to a locker-room fracturing at an accelerated pace than it otherwise would?

When we're winning, Chad running his mouth is fine. When we're losing, brevity is the soul of wit (and good character football guys).

The perception surrounding anything Chad says is simply going to be fundamentally different when the Bengals are winning versus when they are losing. And Perception = Reality. Chad is a smart cat. He needs to realize that and adjust his "media personality" accordingly (maturity). JMO.

Bip Roberts
10-23-2007, 08:59 PM
Remember guys the media goes to chad for comments not the other way around.

He hasnt changed, so why is now a problem?

He has said that there is nothing to celebrate right now as well. Doesnt sound like a guy that is oblivious to whats going on around him to me.

Bip Roberts
10-23-2007, 09:09 PM
No denying the guy is very talented. That is not open for debate.

Can talent be a problem and a distraction for a team?

Ask those that have played with T.O. and Keyshawn (Chad's cousin?).

I'll take talent and a class act anyday. Jerry Rice got all the recognition and acknowledgment of his talent by what he did on that playing field without running his mouth and various other antics.

I find it funny though that when the Bengals were winning, many fans were saying Chad's antics were nothing more then fun and entertaining. Now it is not so. What has changed, other then the fact they aren't winning?

And this reasoning "He only cares about winning" is a smack in the face of every other Bengal player on that team, as if they somehow don't care? Give me a break!

How does it have anything to do with the other players. People are calling Chad a guy that doesnt care if they win or lose. Its simply not true. The comment about chad only cares about winning is defense for the people that are trying to say that he doesnt care. He cares just as much as every guy on the field. He shows his emotion when they lose way too much and that is the only fault that he brings to the field.

Bip Roberts
10-23-2007, 09:10 PM
The name Santana Moss immediately popped into my mind...

take me out coach im not good enough to be playing whaaaa :thumbup:

GoReds33
10-23-2007, 09:11 PM
Do you watch the games? He gets upset when we lose. He is all about winning. He has said multiple times that he could care less if he never caught a pass as long as they won games.I'm fine with that, right up until he shows up his quarterback on national television. I bet he was upset that they didn't run the ball more. Honestly, just him being Chad Johnson helps the team. He is always double covered, and is always in the defensive player's heads. I just hope that he can turn things around, and leave his mouth at home.

By the way, didn't Marvin tell Chad to cool it last year? I remember when Chad told the reporters that he had been quiet all year, and that that was the week he was going to start up with his chat again. Why doesn't Marvin make him a deal that he can talk all he wants if they make the playoffs or something like that?:)

Bip Roberts
10-23-2007, 09:14 PM
I'm fine with that, right up until he shows up his quarterback on national television. I bet he was upset that they didn't run the ball more. Honestly, just him being Chad Johnson helps the team. He is always double covered, and is always in the defensive player's heads. I just hope that he can turn things around, and leave his mouth at home.

By the way, didn't Marvin tell Chad to cool it last year? I remember when Chad told the reporters that he had been quiet all year, and that that was the week he was going to start up with his chat again. Why doesn't Marvin make him a deal that he can talk all he wants if they make the playoffs or something like that?:)

So one time they get into an arguement on national TV is a reason to kill the guy? It takes 2 players to argue. Palmer wasnt exactly handling the situation that well. Both were being babies but them having 1 problem in 5 years isnt enough for me to condemn Chad. TJ throws more fits on the field than Chad if you ask me.

redsfan30
10-23-2007, 09:16 PM
Chad, aside from pushing away Marvin in Kansas City (which he was wrong for doing), hasn't said hardly a word during this slow beginning to the season. He's not yacking during the week or during the game because they've been losing.

(The "arguement" with Carson was so over-blown it's not even funny)

Now a mostly silent Chad Johnson is a "distraction" to the team and the reason they're losing???

Puuuuhhhhhhlease.

Bip Roberts
10-23-2007, 09:16 PM
My only problem with Chad is that he is too emotional at times.

Hes built himself up into a media monster and is probably in over his head. He needs to realize that the media only cares about what gets them ratings and themselves more coverage.

look how quick paul daugherty sold chad out.

CrackerJack
10-23-2007, 09:36 PM
How does it have anything to do with the other players. People are calling Chad a guy that doesnt care if they win or lose. Its simply not true. The comment about chad only cares about winning is defense for the people that are trying to say that he doesnt care. He cares just as much as every guy on the field. He shows his emotion when they lose way too much and that is the only fault that he brings to the field.

I think the issue is that he compromises his teammates by inciting the other team, and acting out unprofessionally on the field. And when you don't back it up with something - you get nailed for it. Can't have it both ways.

Jumping into the "dawg pound" just fires the other team up, so does sending them pepto bismol bottles (as cute as we may think it is). Attacking your coaches or going into tirades at half time, and taking away from your team's prep time for the 2nd half is also incredibly counter productive.

Pulling out a "HOF 2???" jacket on the sidelines after a TD was the most self serving stunt on a football field I've ever seen.

Slapping "Ocho Cinco" on your uniform is just stupid.

His emotions and passion for playing aren't the issue, I get that.

Just quit acting like a clown. Just win games. If you want to do a dance after a TD, fine.

But all the other stuff is completely ridiculous and I think everyone is just about tired of it, other than maybe some of less knowledgeable fans who go just to "see what Chad will do next." It's not a reality show, it's not the Flava Of Love NFL edition.

They won and he did just fine last week (despite only having 3 catches - he got his yards) without any of that nonsense. I wish he'd just play football - his talent is entertaining enough.

WMR
10-23-2007, 09:39 PM
it's not the Flava Of Love NFL edition.

:laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

That's good!!

Bip Roberts
10-23-2007, 09:40 PM
Acting like a clown was fine when they were winning was it not? Hes not acting like a clown now because we losing. People are just taking what hes done in the past and trying to spin it into something negative.

Yachtzee
10-23-2007, 09:52 PM
No denying the guy is very talented. That is not open for debate.

Can talent be a problem and a distraction for a team?

Ask those that have played with T.O. and Keyshawn (Chad's cousin?).

I'll take talent and a class act anyday. Jerry Rice got all the recognition and acknowledgment of his talent by what he did on that playing field without running his mouth and various other antics.

I find it funny though that when the Bengals were winning, many fans were saying Chad's antics were nothing more then fun and entertaining. Now it is not so. What has changed, other then the fact they aren't winning?

And this reasoning "He only cares about winning" is a smack in the face of every other Bengal player on that team, as if they somehow don't care? Give me a break!

I take it you weren't a big fan of Muhammed Ali either. I don't think Chad's talk is anything worse than Ali. Honestly, what Chad does with his mouth, as long as he isn't "throwing his teammates under the bus," shouldn't have any effect on the other guys on the team. The only thing they need to worry about is making sure they're doing what they need to do to win. And I don't think saying "he only cares about winning" is a smack in anyone's face. He does care about winning. He also cares about doing the best at his job. He admitted this season that his blocking stinks and Marvin said he's been working on it. So what. There are plenty of guys on the Bengals that I wish would put the time and effort into their jobs that Chad does. Maybe if guys like Thurman and Henry did that, they'd be on the field playing instead of being suspended.

The fact of the matter is that there are a number of players on the Bengals that just aren't pulling their weight. All this media bull about Chad Johnson being the problem is just that, bull crap. There are a number of guys on defense who aren't pulling their weight and no one says jack about them. Are they team guys because they don't talk to the media? No. From what I can tell quite a few of these guys are usually out of position trying to freelance, doing their own thing. That doesn't sound like being a team guy to me. At least Chad talks to Carson after a screw up, even if it gets heated. I'd say he has a better chance of working things out and getting on the right page than some of those bums on defense.

SunDeck
10-23-2007, 09:53 PM
Yep- winning a few games will make everything fine. Unfortunately, this team is just not very good so that's not likely to happen. The defense is worse than last year, the special teams is horrendous...it all add up to a lousy team. If they were better, Chad's complaints would be from a guy who wants to win. But at this point, it just looks like whining.

Highlifeman21
10-23-2007, 10:19 PM
That one I'm not sure about, Bip.

I mean, I know he has said that, but even when things are going well and the Bengals are winning, I've seen little tantrums out of Chad when he is "open" and Carson "doesn't get him the ball."

That's b/c more often than not Chad Johnson is open and Carson Palmer isn't getting him the ball. I'm just going from my own observations, based on replays showing Palmer not going to an open Johnson, but it seems Chad's got a gripe about Palmer not finding him enough. Maybe some of that might have to do with the Bengals' suspect O-Line....

Yachtzee
10-23-2007, 10:34 PM
Here's a take from Mark Curnutte's blog (http://frontier.cincinnati.com/blogs/bengals/):


On Chad and Marvin

Some thoughts on the Chad Johnson situation and head coach Marvin Lewis' handling of it and the media:

-- Chad Johnson isn't the Bengals' biggest problem. He's far from the Bengals' biggest problem. Chad Johnson doesn't draft players, manage the salary cap or decide which end-of-career, bargain-basement free agents to pursue. I'm sure Chad Johnson would have loved for his team to aggressively pursue and sign linebacker Adalius Thomas, who ended up with the Patriots.

-- Chad Johnson is not the head coach, nor the offensive coordinator. Nor the defensive coordinator, for that matter.

-- If Chad Johnson were to be traded, T.J. Houshmandzadeh's productivity would decrease. Houshmandzadeh is an excellent receiver, a man worthy of respect for the self-made nature of his climb to stardom, but Johnson attracts a great deal of attention from defenses that helps create space and mismatches for Houshmandzadeh.

-- If you think Chris Henry could step and replace Johnson, you're wrong. Henry has proven not to be dependable. And Henry is one misstep from a even greater NFL discipline. Commissioner Roger Goodell said as much, and further punishment could include banishment.

-- Chad Johnson is not nearly the disruption that Terrell Owens or other wide receivers have been on their respective teams. Johnson works incredibly hard at practice and shows up to work on time every day.

-- Chad Johnson, last time I checked, doesn't play defense for the Bengals. And the defense, far and away, remains the biggest problem on this team. It shows no signs more signs of sustainable improvement now than it did in 2003 or 2004.

-- Is Chad Johnson a scape goat, or as Emmitt Smith said Monday on ESPN, an "escapegoat," for all of the Bengals' problems? Is Johnson a convenient distraction being used by the organization to deflect attention from the real issues of front office management and coaching? If Johnson is an internal problem, is the degree of that issue being exaggerated to deflect attention from an under-achieving team and coaching staff? I'm just asking the question here.

-- That said, Chad Johnson might very well be an internal disruption in the locker room. But I would say he has contributed much more to the organization than he has taken. I think he has made the Brown family a ton of money.

-- I think, and this is a possible attitude in the Bengals front office, that Drew Rosenhaus, Johnson's agent, is the choreographer of many of Johnson's antics -- the puppeteer, to some extent.

-- ESPN's Chris Mortensen is one of the top NFL reporters in the country. He wouldn't make up a Bengals source like the one that he said told him that the Bengals have discussed the possibility of trading Chad Johnson.

-- This is fact, not a complaint: Marvin Lewis is one of those NFL head coaches who treats the national media differently -- more favorably -- than the local media. It happens in other markets around the league; these coaches think they get more bang for their buck going nationally. Lewis has his pet national reporters, ones he receives with hugs (Michael Smith of ESPN, for example) on their visits, reporters that have "helped" him in the past, and he talks to them frequently. I don't want a hug, if that's what some of you are thinking. I just want relatively honest answers.

It's Lewis' prerogative to talk to whom he chooses. But he also insults his team's customers when he fails to communicate honestly with them -- hiding behind an often-bogus cloak of protecting competitive advantage -- through the local media, the primary source of information for Bengals' fans.

I don't take what I think is his evasive, often condescending attitude with us personally. I don't. He can answer our questions any way he chooses. In fact, I receive a lot of e-mail and phone calls from readers who want to know how the local media contingent resists telling Lewis to stick it sideways when he says we (and his customers) are too stupid to understand the basics of football or otherwise attempts to insult us.

For those radio listeners who think the only contact one of the beat reporters has with Lewis is during his news conferences, you're wrong. I can't speak for the other reporters, but the majority of my contact with Lewis is done on the side when there are no cameras or microphones around, one-on-one as often as possible. And for the most part, he is accessible. When I have something important to ask him, unless there is no other chance to talk to him that day, I won't ask it in a news conference.

And, finally, I have told this to Marvin directly: I respect him. I understand what he is trying to do with the Bengals; I don't think he gets much help upstairs, and while he might not need a general manager, he does need more sets of eyes in the scouting department (beyond the good scouts the club already has) to provide him with more and better information on players. I also think he is an intelligent man with an admirable work ethic. But I won't kiss his butt. If I did, I wouldn't be -- and I'm going to use one of his pet slogans -- doing my job. The relationship between newspaper reporter and source, by definition, is frequently awkward.

In fact, he sent word through a Bengals public relations employee that he disagreed with the thesis of my Sunday story -- that the high number of hamstring and groin pulls/strains suffered by Bengals players since Sept. 7 are largely preventable. OK, we can agree to disagree. I stand by the story. I approached Lewis about it directly last week. I asked to speak to his strength and conditioning coach, Chip Morton. I offered them plenty of time and space to tell their side. Morton declined in the end. But Lewis did talk.

Hoosier Red
10-23-2007, 11:33 PM
I have to say, I like Mark Curnutte, he really is remarkably gutsy and a decent writer. Wonder why he's at the Enquirer:)

I also agree with almost everything in his latest entry.

GAC
10-24-2007, 09:04 AM
I take it you weren't a big fan of Muhammed Ali either. I don't think Chad's talk is anything worse than Ali. Honestly, what Chad does with his mouth, as long as he isn't "throwing his teammates under the bus," shouldn't have any effect on the other guys on the team.

There's a big difference though between Ali, whose mouth didn't affect (or reflect) on anyone but himself, in comparison to a guy who is one player on a team of many, and whose actions (antics) affect not just the one.


And I don't think saying "he only cares about winning" is a smack in anyone's face. He does care about winning. He also cares about doing the best at his job.

And that's fine. I'm sure he does care about winning. But what I am saying is that in his expression of that "care" - which seems to involve alot of emotionalism - he's been seen coming down on, and getting in confrontations with, his head coach, QB, and who knows how many other players in that lockerroom.

Is it, or is it not, a disruption to this team?


There are plenty of guys on the Bengals that I wish would put the time and effort into their jobs that Chad does.

And how do you know they are not? Just because they are not as vocal about it as Chad?


Maybe if guys like Thurman and Henry did that, they'd be on the field playing instead of being suspended.

Won't argue with you there; but there are alot of other talented players on the Bengals. And to assume or insinnuate that they aren't putting in the time or effort in like Chad, simply because Chad has a big mouth about it is misguided IMO.


The fact of the matter is that there are a number of players on the Bengals that just aren't pulling their weight.

If that is true, and one guy who does come to mind is Levi Jones, it's still not Chad Johnson's job to be out there publically saying anything about it. Maybe we don't see it the same way; but a player who publically dresses down or makes comments on the play of his teammates - even if there may be some truth to those statements - has to realize he really isn't helping matters at all, and could be worsening/compounding the situation.

Those are his teammates.

You got a problem with my play? Then come see me, and not some media type. When the cameras are rolling and everyone is watching, you coming over to dress me down and cause a confrontation, not only feeds that media frenzy, but it makes you look like you're grand standing and the only one who cares. There's a time and a place.


There are a number of guys on defense who aren't pulling their weight and no one says jack about them. Are they team guys because they don't talk to the media? No. From what I can tell quite a few of these guys are usually out of position trying to freelance, doing their own thing. That doesn't sound like being a team guy to me.

You can't pull your weight if you don't possess the talent to begin with. And that may simply be all there is to it when it comes to this defense. The effort is there, but the talent is not. Rosters around the NFL are full of players who are making the effort, but just don't possess the talent (pull their weight). ;)


At least Chad talks to Carson after a screw up, even if it gets heated. I'd say he has a better chance of working things out and getting on the right page than some of those bums on defense.

From what everyone has witnessed, Chad is not simply talking to Palmer, but causing confrontations where he was yelling at him, as if Carson screwed up and he needs to point it out to him. And from what I've witnessed and read - in some of those situations, which were passing situations, it was Johnson who broke route. Yet witnessing Chad's action on the sidelines on a few of those, he wouldn't be yelling at Carson if he was at fault or accepting the blame. :lol:

But regardless of who is at fault - you don't go running over at your QB, getting in his face and screaming in his ear. And when Carson has tried to walk away and let it go, Chad won't. He's following right behind him still giving him an ear full.

I was watching the game when it happened (right before the bye week I think), and it was a play where Johnson broke his route and Carson threw an incompletion. The cameras showed Carson starting to run down the field to confront Chad and one of the Bengal linemen grabbed Carson. You could tell Carson was upset; but he instead just walked over to the sidelines.

Again - do it in the lockerroom. Not on the sideline with cameras rolling.

And what about when your head coach tries to come up and talk to you, and you jerk away from him and act like you don't want to hear anything he has got to say? Justified?

I think teams (opposition) are almost beginning to realize that if they can rattle Chad during the game (double coverage) and get him out of his rhythm (game) they know he could very well be their biggest asset because he then is going to get all worked up emotionally and possibly cause disruptions over on that sideline. And the last thing a QB, head coach, or the team as a whole needs, is a player pulling antics on that sideline, getting their head out of the game, and compounding the situation.

The way to defeat Chad Johnson is to rattle him.

I just believe it is uncalled for Yachtzee. If you want to plead your case then do it in the clubhouse. But don't make comments or exhibit behavior publically that questions the efforts of some of your teammates or head coach, and makes them look bad. It does make one look like a selfish, egotistical idiot who is only concerned about himself. And you are not helping matters in the long run IMHO.

traderumor
10-24-2007, 12:32 PM
It's Lewis' prerogative to talk to whom he chooses. But he also insults his team's customers when he fails to communicate honestly with them -- hiding behind an often-bogus cloak of protecting competitive advantage -- through the local media, the primary source of information for Bengals' fans.Lot of good stuff in the article. This, however, is a biased view of a reporter. I just don't see a whole lot of inside scoop that coaches can relay to fans through the media, and most of it they do not need to know anyhow. Simply because people want to know sensitive inside information doesn't mean they can or should know such information.

Put yourself in the shoes of all of the Bengals opponents, which is the entire NFL, and think of the information that you think the coach, players and/or front office are not being forthright about, and think whether or not another team having such information about your team gives them an advantage over your favorite team. Because you know they are not missing a word of what the media is reporting. I can think of very few things a coach can tell the "local media" that is not already observable which can be shared with the world without negative repurcussions for the franchise.