04/25/24
August 20, 2008
Bengals Resign Troubled Receiver Chris Henry: With their two Pro Bowl receivers hurt, the Cincinnati Bengals brought back troubled receiver Chris Henry on Tuesday, a move that their coach had emphatically ruled out only a month earlier as inappropriate. The signing helps the team but raises questions about its commitment to holding players accountable for their actions.
Once again, talent trumps conduct.
Aren't the other receivers supposed to be recovered from their injuries by week 5? I don't see the reason for bringing this guy back if he has to sit out the first four weeks.
posted by curlyelk at 01:53 PM on August 20, 2008
What do you expect from the town that gave us Jerry Springer. We're talking about a man who, as mayor, attempted to pay a prostitute with a check. I guess the team doesn't fall far behind. Kinda makes Dallas and Oakland look like altar-boys at this point dontcha think?
posted by Tinman at 02:48 PM on August 20, 2008
Week FIVE being the operative. Don't you think they are more than willing to sign a deal with the devil to still have a shot in the first five weeks?
posted by Tinman at 02:50 PM on August 20, 2008
Week FIVE being the operative. Don't you think they are more than willing to sign a deal with the devil to still have a shot in the first five weeks?
How exactly is Chris Henry going to help them in the first four weeks when he is serving a suspension?
posted by tommybiden at 02:55 PM on August 20, 2008
Touche. I had forgotten about that.
posted by Tinman at 04:18 PM on August 20, 2008
The management and coach of Cincinnati just talk too much. They did the same thing with the Chad Johnson drama. They just talk and talk, but all the talk is just hot air.
posted by bperk at 04:53 PM on August 20, 2008
Marvin Lewis can coach. Staying in Cincy under the current management is going to kill his career.
He should step away so he can resurface somewhere else where there's a more professional front office environment.
It's a shame. He's put a lot into the community during his time there.
I can see Palmer wanting out of there too at some point. Lots of clubs could use the jolt that he could provide. While he still has it. Hard to believe he would want to spend his entire career wearing the safari prison garb.
posted by beaverboard at 06:20 PM on August 20, 2008
What do you expect from the town that gave us Jerry Springer. We're talking about a man who, as mayor, attempted to pay a prostitute with a check. I guess the team doesn't fall far behind. Kinda makes Dallas and Oakland look like altar-boys at this point dontcha think?
Nice work on the Cincinnati history there, Sherlock. Did your studies also lead you to the fact that the same town gave us professional baseball, Sabin's polio vaccine, and that dreamy George Clooney? Oh yeah, and me. Take that for what it's worth.
This move really bothers me on a lot of levels. The Bengals, IMO, had been making some positive strides in increasing their respectability, at least off the field. On the field, the bar hadn't been set too high, anyway. Now they resign the poster boy for everything that has made them a punchline for the last few years. Like a few others have noted, he can't play until week five, and the Bengals have two pro-bowl caliber receivers on the team, hopefully healthy at that point. So he's to be an insurance policy, then. Well, he does have good hands (sorry) but I find it difficult to put too much faith in him. The amount of egg on coach Lewis' face is already substantial, and I'd hate to see it if Henry does anything else embarassing in the near future. It'd probably be enough to send Lewis packing, and I don't think anyone in Bengaldom would blame him.
posted by tahoemoj at 02:15 AM on August 21, 2008
Why don't the management go to the local prison and get players to replace the good guys on their team. That way they could change their name to the Cincinnati Thugs.
posted by Doehead at 08:55 AM on August 21, 2008
Why don't the management go to the local prison and get players to replace the good guys on their team. That way they could change their name to the Cincinnati Thugs
Whoa, how long did it take you to come up with that one?
You can do better, you're better than that. (I think)
posted by BornIcon at 09:06 AM on August 21, 2008
Aren't the other receivers supposed to be recovered from their injuries by week 5? I don't see the reason for bringing this guy back if he has to sit out the first four weeks.
From reports, they were in discussions to bring him back before Chad Johnson was injured. So at least from that angle it doesn't look like the signing was a reaction to the immediate injuries, just something Brown had been contemplating apparently.
posted by bdaddy at 09:58 AM on August 21, 2008
Seconding BornIcon. Tinman, Doehead, Are you guys intellectually lazy in all pursuits or just when coming up with quips for online blogs? I hope its the latter, for your sake. As for the actual subject...
First off, if I were Brown I wouldn't resign him. But, in fairness, I don't have his incredible lack of awareness, or lack of caring, about his public perception. You've got plenty of receivers without Henry plus you signed Utecht and Perry looks healed and ready to catch some passes out of the backfield. That being said, you can make an argument, perhaps not a good one, that he was acquitted in the incident that got him released. Actually, scratch that. Upon proofread that's a stupid argument. It'd be awesome, if unlikely, if they end up releasing him before the season because injuries end up being bot as bad as originally thought.
posted by srw12 at 10:04 AM on August 21, 2008
I got all excited that the Bengals had decided to resign from the NFL. Ends up the post was about the team re-signing a former player. Damn.
posted by scully at 02:51 PM on August 21, 2008
Will the NFL allow Bengals players to wear their mug shot numbers as their jersey numbers?
posted by Howard_T at 04:49 PM on August 21, 2008
Will the jokes in this thread get any better? or less stale and done to death? Stay tunes for the exiting conclusion of "Blog Drivel!"
posted by tahoemoj at 07:14 PM on August 21, 2008
Stale jokes, hmmm...
Why did one loaf of stale bread slap the other loaf of stale bread?
Because he tried to get fresh.
Damn, that's a terrible joke.
How about them Bengals? Bad PR decision, doesn't look good for team or league; we'll see how it works out once the season's under way.
posted by Hugh Janus at 10:23 PM on August 21, 2008
Here's a little Bengal humor that's been making the rounds here in Cincy. Two brothers are hanging out chatting about their beloved Bengals. The one brother tells the other, "you know I think this could really be a great year for the Bengals. I could see them going 12 and 4 this year." The other brother, in total disbelief, responds, "whatever you're smoking, you need to stop smoking it". The first brother quickly comes back, "no, no , no, I'm serious. I really do see them going 12 and 4 this year. That's 12 arrests and only 4 convictions!!!" The re-signing of Henry only makes this prediction even more plausible.
posted by jagsnumberone at 12:52 AM on August 22, 2008
Oh God, the hits just keep on coming.
posted by BornIcon at 09:04 AM on August 22, 2008
Can we add a "stupid" or "asinine" flag?
posted by The_Black_Hand at 04:08 PM on August 22, 2008
I think that would greatly increase my drag coefficient, but if you think it'd work, I'm game.
posted by tahoemoj at 03:50 PM on August 23, 2008
The Cincinnati Enquirer's Sports Columnist had a great reaction to this.