King originally floated his Brown idea in October, but now it sounds less weird. And while you won’t see me with suntan lotion attached to my shorts, I agree with him on this. That award — Carmen Policy won it one year, so don’t get too carried away — belongs on Brown’s mantle.
So gnaw on that all you Brown family-hating Bengals fans who were fairly certain the apple had fallen a million miles from the tree and that the legendary Paul Brown, Mike’s dad, never would find reason to stop spinning in his grave.
If the Bengals beat the Houston Texans today, they will end 20 years of playoff-victory futility. Sure, that was mostly Brown’s fault, but perhaps the urge to win occupies a greater place in his heart than anyone realized.
It was Brown who swindled the Oakland Raiders in the Carson Palmer trade, remember. It was Brown who presided over a draft that yielded a quarterback, Andy Dalton, and a receiver, A.J. Green, who are among the top rookies. It was Brown who stuck with Marvin Lewis when most thought a new coach couldn’t hurt.
Frankly, I have no idea who does what above Lewis in that organization, but Brown owns it and calls himself the GM.
Team’s in the playoffs and might advance. Give the man his due.
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2408 or smcclelland @DaytonDailyNews.com
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