The Dark History of the Cincinnati Bengals and the Brown Family

The Cincinnati Bengals, a franchise with a storied(sometimes) yet often tumultuous past, have long been associated with struggles on and off the field. Since their inception in 1968, the Bengals have endured numerous controversies, ownership disputes, financial struggles, and on-field mediocrity that have often left fans frustrated. Much of the criticism surrounding the franchise stems from its long-time owners, the Brown family, whose stewardship has been polarizing and, at times, deeply problematic. The Brown family has proven to be one of the worst ownership groups in NFL history. They have been plagued by poor drafts, poor coaching and lousy luck.

The Origins: Paul Brown’s Vision and the AFL-NFL Merger

The Bengals were founded by legendary coach Paul Brown in 1968, following his ouster from his previous role with the Cleveland Browns by Art Modell. Brown, seeking redemption, played a pivotal role in bringing professional football to Cincinnati. However, from the outset, his relationship with the league was fraught with challenges, as the AFL-NFL merger in 1970 placed the Bengals in the more competitive AFC Central division, where they struggled to establish themselves.

While Brown was a respected football mind, his rigid and authoritarian style created tensions within the organization. His reluctance to embrace player empowerment and modern football philosophies ultimately set the stage for decades of dysfunction. Brown preached loyalty, but oftentimes that loyalty was a one-way street. Brown was an innovative coach, perhaps the most creative in history, and he won at a rate that nobody else had achieved up to the time of his retirement.

The Evilness and Jealousy of Paul Brown

Brown treated his players like cattle, and if you talk to some players from the 70s and 80s, they will tell you just that. From paying for their own sodas at the Bengals practice facility to having to bring their own towels from home for showers. The Bengals practiced at Spinney Field which was basically a toxic dump.

After the 1975 season, in which the Bengals made the playoffs with an 11-3 record Brown retired, on his coaching staff was his offensive coordinator, Bill Walsh. Unfortunately, the brilliant, minded Brown must not have realized what he had in Walsh since he hired his buddy Tiger Johnson to be the Head Coach, the team went from being one of the best in the NFL to one of the worst in the NFL. Of course, Walsh went on to win three Super Bowls and two of those wins came against Paul Brown’s Cincinnati Bengals. It’s obvious that Brown was jealous of Walsh and he tried to destroy Walsh’s career. What follows are excerpts from Bill Walsh’s book in his own words.

During all the years when Walsh was running Cincinnati’s offense, Brown wanted to make it look like it was he who was running this new innovative scheme. He actually went out of his way to make it look like he was calling the plays, when in fact, it was Walsh.

The local media eventually started figuring it out it was Walsh, and Walsh said that there was a “subtle difference in the way Paul treated me” during that season, Brown’s last as a coach.

Walsh speculates in the book – “When push came to shove, Paul just couldn’t bring himself to turn it over to me. There was something like jealousy involved, mixed with a kind of resentment. I had my own ideas and thoughts about everything, including personnel and the rest. He couldn’t figure out how he was going to handle me if I became head coach. He must have been struggling emotionally to come to terms with his own retirement and the thought of losing control to me was just too much for him.”

When he and Paul met after Bill Johnson was named the new head coach, he told Walsh he was to stay and run the offense, remain loyal to the organization, etc. Brown told him he would not allow him to leave, but Walsh’s contract was up and he did anyway.

from the book again-

“Brown was livid at the defiance, immediately interpreting it as a personal betrayal, and made it clear he intended to punish Walsh for his response.”

(after leaving the Bengals when he was passed over for the head coaching gig)

“Within months, two NFL teams who had Bill on their short list for head coaching jobs backed off after talking to the Bengals’ owner and being told that his former assistant was just “too soft” to lead an NFL team, Brown told another inquiring team that Walsh was “unfit” to be a head coach and advised yet another that they “shouldn’t touch Walsh with a ten-foot pole.”

“A year later, shortly after Stanford University hired Walsh away from his assistant’s job at the Chargers and finally gave him the opportunity to run a football program, he received an envelope in the mail, without a return address, but postmarked Cincinnati. Inside was a clipping from the Cincinnati Enquirer announcing Walsh’s hiring at Stanford. Scribbled across it in a familiar-looking hand were the words “burnt bridges.” There was no accompanying note or signature to identify the sender, but for the rest of his life Bill was convinced that it too had come from Paul Brown.”

Steve Young could have been a Bengals, but he wanted no part of Paul Brown

In 1984 the Bengals negotiated with Steve Young to make him the number one pick in the Draft. The Bengals offered him a 3-year contract in excess of three Million dollars. Young said he was not interested in playing for the organization and instead went to play in the USFL. That same year the Bengals drafted Rickey Hunley number one and Hunley refused to play for the Bengals. So think about this, the Bengals could have named Bill Walsh the Head Coach in 1976, and he could have had Ken Anderson until 1984 when he could have turned the reigns over to Steve Young. You think the Bengals would still have zero Super Bowl wins if that all would have happened. Paul Brown was a great coach in the 40s, and 50s but as a general manager he was sorely lacking and it’s because he was cheap and thought he could win the way his Browns did in the 40s, but the game had passed him by. Mike Brown his soon was obviously paying attention to what his father had been doing and decided to carry those ways on.

The Mike Brown Era: Nepotism and Mismanagement

Following Paul Brown’s passing in 1991, his son Mike Brown took over as owner and general manager. Almost immediately, the franchise began a downward spiral. Mike Brown’s leadership was marred by accusations of nepotism, outdated management practices, and an unwillingness to adapt to the changing landscape of the NFL. No don’t blame Mike, he learned it from his father Paul who ran the team the exact same way.

Financial Struggles and Stadium Controversies

One of the most controversial aspects of Mike Brown’s tenure has been his handling of financial matters, particularly regarding the construction of Paul Brown Stadium (now Paycor Stadium). In the late 1990s, Brown leveraged taxpayer money to fund the stadium’s construction, with Hamilton County agreeing to one of the most lopsided deals in sports history. The county assumed nearly all financial risk, while Brown and the Bengals reaped most of the benefits. This deal, widely criticized for its unfair terms, led to severe economic consequences for the region, including cuts to public services and budget deficits that lasted for decades. On the bright side, because of that stadium deal and the dumb luck of getting Joe Burrow the Brown family is now worth almost 4 billion dollars. The Brown family have proven to be nothing but arrogant thieves.

On-Field Futility and Draft Failures

From the early 1990s to the early 2000s, the Bengals were synonymous with losing. Under Mike Brown, the team endured multiple losing seasons, often finishing at the bottom of the division. His reluctance to hire a competent general manager meant the team lacked strategic leadership, leading to poor draft choices, lackluster free-agent signings, and a revolving door of head coaches. Thats okay though as Mikey had his new stadium and he was getting richer every year, didn’t need to do anything but show up and play games by then as an NFL owner because he had a free stadium and TV money was going through the roof, he didn’t need to win because in his eyes he had already won.

The Bengals became infamous for drafting players with character issues, including troubled stars like Adam “Pacman” Jones, Chris Henry, and Vontaze Burfict, who’s on-field and off-field conduct frequently embarrassed the franchise.

This is the same franchise that in 1999 turned down the Saints offer of all their picks for the Bengals first round pick, the Bengals said no because they wanted Akili Smith! Smith would go on to be maybe the worst quarterback in NFL history. Don’t forget in 1992 with Boomer Esiason in his prime the Bengals drafted David Klingler with their first pick because they wanted to get rid of Esiason’s big contract.

The Culture of Dysfunction and Player Misconduct

Throughout the 2000s, the Bengals developed a reputation as a team that tolerated player misconduct. From DUIs to domestic violence cases, numerous Bengals players found themselves in legal trouble, further tarnishing the team’s image. Critics argued that Mike Brown prioritized talent over character, fostering a toxic locker room culture that hindered long-term success.

The most infamous example came in the mid-2000s, when at least ten Bengals players were arrested within a 14-month span. The franchise became a laughingstock, with media outlets dubbing them the “Cincinnati Convicts.”

Marvin Lewis: A Rare Stability Amidst Chaos

Despite the dysfunction, head coach Marvin Lewis managed to bring some level of stability to the team after his hiring in 2003. Under Lewis, the Bengals experienced intermittent success, making the playoffs multiple times. However, his inability to win a postseason game (0-7 in the playoffs) became a defining stain on his tenure. Some argued that Lewis was handcuffed by the franchise’s systemic issues, as Mike Brown refused to relinquish control over personnel decisions. They were right Marvin Lewis would have been a much better coach elsewhere and just getting those Bengals team to the playoffs with Mike Brown in charge was borderline miraculous.

The Zac Taylor Era: A New Dawn?

After parting ways with Lewis in 2018, the Bengals hired Zac Taylor, signaling a shift in philosophy. Despite initial struggles, the team struck gold with the drafting of Joe Burrow in 2020, leading to an AFC Championship win and a Super Bowl appearance in 2021. However, questions remain about the Brown family’s ability to sustain success, as history has shown their reluctance to invest in key areas, such as scouting and player facilities. They lost Jessie Bates who turned out to not be replaceable because when the Bengals get a good draft pick it had to be luck. The Bengals are now struggling because of so many misses drafting offensive linemen, defensive ends and defensive backs. Offensive Line has been a complete joke as the Bengals have missed on so many offensive line draft picks that it’s almost like they are trying to draft busts.

The Bengals have always carried between four and eight full time scouts while the average NFL team employs anywhere from 25-45 full time scouts.

The Bengals got lucky that Joe Burrow was the number one pick, and we all got lucky that for once the Brown family didn’t screw it up. Duke Tobin has been the Bengals actual GM forever, but the Bengals will not call him the GM! Is he really the man that makes the final decision? Your guess is as good as mine, but I am guessing no he does not make final decisions about personnel, but if he does, he should be fired.

Conclusion: A Cautionary Tale

The Cincinnati Bengals’ history under the Brown family serves as a cautionary tale of how mismanagement, financial exploitation, and a culture of dysfunction can hinder a franchise. While recent success has given fans hope, the scars of past failures remain fresh. Whether the Bengals can truly escape their dark history or if they are doomed to repeat it remains an open question.

With Katie Blackburn looking to hold the city hostage again for an upgraded stadium you know the Bengals will play hard ball with Hamilton County, just like they did to get Paycor built in the 90s when Mike Brown visited Baltimore to look into a possible move back then. Taxpayers in Hamilton County approved the stadium deal which was basically a one-sided deal for what is now a 3 Billon dollar franchise. The Brown family has constantly showed that they do not care about Bengals fans or the city that thirty years ago gave them a sweetheart deal. Nothing the Browns family could do would surprise me and I hope for Bengals fans sake that it gets worked out. If it does get worked out, we are guaranteed at least 25 more years of inept ownership.