Andrew Simon is a Bengals fan. That makes him -- by default -- slightly more tortured than most football fans. And you know what? Sometimes the pain of being the fan of a perennially horrible football team just becomes more than one person can bear.That's when it becomes time to hire an airplane to fly over Bengals training camp imploring the organization to, ahem, shake some things up. Okay, that's probably not the proper reaction, but you can't really fault Simon for doing just that vis a vis a banner that read, "101-187-1... Hire a GM!"
The tiny red-and-white plane manages to take off, banner in tow, and buzzes over the Bengals' scrimmage, over [owner Mike] Brown, who's seated on a patio. By all accounts, the leader of Bengaldom is unfazed. He fixes his eyes on the football field. Another hopeful summer trudges on.
"What plane?" Bengals coach Marvin Lewis says jokingly after the flyby. "I think [Brown] feels like it's a waste of natural resources. I mean, that's all he says about it. He says, 'Well, if they've got that kind of money, they ought to buy some tickets.'"
And yes, $1,000 is way too much to spend even if you hate your team and its management, even if it's for a super-awesome stunt that involves a plane and a banner imploring the team to do something about its sorry state of affair. But in the case of the Bengals, maybe we can make an exception. Too bad it probably won't make a difference.
Comments (Page 1 of 2)
$1000 seems like a lot but they got the fans to donate $18 each. It wasn't like anyone lost their shirt over this.
I didn't think the Bengals won that many games? I would correct the banner and have another flyover. I would add GO Steelers!!!
It's simple....IF this team is THAT bad, then the fans can all speak as ONE by NOT buying tickets, NOT attending the games, NOT buying and wearing attire advertising the team. WHEN everyone bans together....the OWNER will then get the message and it won't be one to laugh at when the CASH stops a flowin'!!!! Send a message by supporting ANOTHER TEAM until this guy fixes things!
That's what NEEDS to happen with the Dallas Cowboys! The owner is TOO involved and doesn't listen to his fans. The team suffers for that and the FANS need to STOP supporting him. If he has to worry about how to pay for the BRAND NEW BILLION DOLLAR stadium....he may well begin to take the fans more seriously.
Fans of football are viewed as nothing more to most owners than as a way to get richer. Not a thing more than that!
The NFL should be ASHAMED of themselves for hiring M.VICK the dog killer!!! And the FANS should BOYCOTT ALL OF THE EAGLES GAMES until they release him! If not.....then your almost as guilty as VICK is for what he did to all those poor dogs!!!!! Draw a line people..
You had me til the Vick comment. Get over it and move on. Sounds like you're not an Eagles fan anyway so it shouldn't effect you other than maybe 1 or 2 given Sundays this fall and winter. You're NOT a judge... you WEREN'T on the jury, the man done his time, let him go back to work! Root against him if it bothers you so much, but for Gods sake you and the others who need someone else to drag down to feel better about yourself can all go to hell! Are you one of those PETA nutsacks? Your mommy didn't get you that stupid puppy when you were a kid so you feel the need to stand up for an animal that would rip your face off if you smelled like beef bouillon? Those dogs are good for nothing more than what mike done with it... fight them. They're the animal worlds version of Natural Born Killers. If I hurt your feelings, good. Call your Jewish lawyer and sue me. And for any Redneck readers on here... let it go... I'm white defending another HUMAN BEING.
This may be creative but it is not the first time someone did this. I remember in the early 1980's someone flew a plane over Giants' Stadium in New Jersey with the following banner: "17 years of lousy football we've had enough". Their last appearance in the playoffs at that time had been 1962 or 1963, and they had lost 2 or 3 championship games even up to that time. Their last championship had been 1956, against the Bears. Of course, they went on to win a Super Bowl 5 or so years later, then another one 3 or 4 years after that.
I live in Georgetown Ky where the Bengals hold camp . I have seen a plane several times the last few weeks that has a banner saying hire a gm. I guess it's the same guy.
IF THIER SO CALLED COACH, WE CALL HIM WARDEN IN PITTSBURGH; BECAUSE OF HIM BABY SIITING ALL THE THUGS AND CONVICTED CRIMINALS AND ONE COMPLETE IDIOT ON HIS TEAM,IF HE WAS WHITE HE WOULD HAVE BEEN FIRED ABOUT FIVE YEARS AGO. ONLY IN CINCITY, AND AS MY MAIN MAN DON KING SAYS,"ONLY IN AMERICA"! THE OWNER THE GM THE COACH THE PLAYERS THE FANS THE CITY ALL SUCK.IF I LIVED IN THAT CITY I WOULD ROOT FOR THE STEELERS IN SPITE,THEN AGAIN, NO I COULD NEVER LIVE IN SUCH A SOORY ASS STATE OR CITY.I WOULD RATHER BE DEAD.
I LOVE IT, A GUARANTED TWO WINS EVERY YEAR GO STEELERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
IF YOU ARE IN CLEVELAND AND FLUSH YOUR TOILET, THE TERDS END UP IN CINNCINATI.THE WHOLE STATE STINKS LIKE COW $HIT.IF YOU LIVE IN OHIO YOU YOU SUCK TO.GO STEELERS
The coach can only do so much when the owner keeps interfering in things he knows nothing about. The they have a schedule that includes two games each with the Steelers and Ravens, at least they get Cleveland twice. What a waste of a great quarterback. And don't knock the city until you've tried some of the best German food in the mid west.
maybe he would buy tickets...if they didn't $uck so bad...
Its hard to have team practice when most of the players are in jail. Weather they hire a G.M. or not they need to hire new players. Git rid of Ocho stinko
The Hard Knocks show is very revealing as to why these guys are perennial losers. Marvin Lewis is being undermined by Mike Brown. Since when does the owner sit at the head of the meeting and make the announcement as to how many tightends will be needed over fullbacks? Clearly if you watch the first episode J.D. Runnels was let go by Mike Brown not the coaches. To have a fat ass bean counter sent at 5:30am in the morning with camera in tow was heartless much less classless that all starts with Mike Brown.
Will,
Thanks for the coverage, but I did not personally buy the banner. I run the blog www.whodeyrevolution.com and we raised money from Bengals fans to pay for this and 3 other banners. We asked for fans to donate $19 - or $1 for every year Mike Brown has been the owner.
I hope you can update your story.
Thanks again for writing and featuring the frustration Bengals fans have after 18 years of futility with Mike Brown as the owner and "general manager.?
-Andrew Simon
This is what people seem to have a hard time understanding. When it comes to celebrities, sports franchises, etc., they only make money, because "fans" go out and buy/see their movies, converts, CDs, games, etc., and buy the merchandise. If you really want to send a message, fans need to ban together, and stop going to the games, and stop buying the merchandise. THAT, and ONLY THAT will cause something to be done. Unless the money coming in is effected, nothing will change.
Well said Chris! Even if the bengals go on to win the Super Bowl, what will the fans get from it?
Nothing but to say hey our team won! Then the players go home to their mansions and you go home to your little house or apartment. Keep buying those $10 beers and $4 hot dogs fans! Make em rich!
Get rid of Brown, Lewis, and Ocho a-hole. Maybe not though, being a die-hard Steeler fan, would like to play them sixteen times a yr., record would be 16-0. GO STEELERS. The Bungals stink!
EKHFTBALL said================================You had me until the Michael Vick stuff. He made a mistake and paid one helluva price for it. It should be over. I am a dog lover and admit that I was brought up in a culture that wouldn't condone fighting pit bulls. Some of the guys who work for me were brought up with fighting roosters and they think that it's pretty natural, too. I think the hunting analogy is false although animals ar killed, but bullfighting is just as damned bad.
The only way this team will ever be any good is if the entire Brown genetic strain perishes in a firey plane crash.
I think it's funny because the team does really suck! If the guy has the money to waste to fly a banner over the training camp then that's his prerogative!! There are so many fair-weather fans out there who switch sides depending on which way the wind blows!
As a Steelers fan I would like to know where to send my $19.00. It would be nice to have some competition in our division again. Marvin Lewis was a great coach here. But it is hard to be good when the GM is living on DADS reputation and does not have a clue on his own!