Marvin Lewis Speaks Out About Recent Arrests (1 Viewer)

[radballs]

Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis spoke for the first time Wednesday about the recent arrests of Chris Henry and A.J. Nicholson and said he told them, “You embarrassed us as an organization. Myself, my coaches, etc.”

“Once it comes out, your name is never cleared,” Lewis said. “Once your name is put in something, it never is cleared. The damage can be done in the larger portion for you, and basically for us.”

Lewis said he would deal with Henry and Nicholson “as they’re allowed to be dealt with,” indicating the team will get the final say because the Bengals are allowed to cut players only for skill reasons.

“At some point, you have to make a decision on whether this guy is good enough for our football team and the decision is going to be made that way as well,” Lewis said. “Because if you can’t function, you may not be good enough because we can’t count on you.”

Nicholson, accused of breaking into his old home and stealing about $1,700 worth of electronic equipment, said “it’s going to turn out all right.”

Link

 

[ren hoek]

RB Perry?

I think you mean WR Henry?

 

[ren hoek]

That's an easy mistake to make though, anyway.

This section of the press conference was broadcast on NFL Network. Lewis went on to say that the arrests haven't really affected the football team, which is good to hear. It was also good to hear him admit that the arrests have shed a bad light on the organization. Not much you can defend here if you're a Bengals fan though.

 

[Padraig]

Where was the concern over character when they drafted Nicholson?

He had his share of legal troubles at FSU.

Being accused of stealing is an embarrassment to the team,but drafting a guy accused of rape wasnt?

 

[Renegades of Funk]

Padraig - Just because someone is accused of rape doesn't mean they are guilty. Someone could accuse you of rape tomorrow, does that mean your employer should fire you?

I think AJ had some other character issues as well, so I personally don't think the Bengals should have drafted him anyway.

It'll be interesting to see how the Henry and AJ problems play out and if Marvin keeps them on the team.

 

[BigJim®]

Where was the concern over character when they drafted Nicholson?

Ditto that for Chris Henry. This was nothing more than double-talk and I hope no one reading this is left with the false impression that Lewis cares. Just like when Lewis told the Sportingnews 3 days before the draft that the Bengals were taking character very seriously this year, and it turned out they merely removed those prospects who failed drug tests or had faced gun charges (wow, how bold)... and then went on to draft 3 guys who were reportedly off many teams' draft boards altogether (Nicholson, Rucker, McNeal) and picked up another FA (Tahi)... all with histories of or alleged character issues. The “as they’re allowed to be dealt with,” quote is nothing more than a hide-the-ball way of saying they don't plan to do jack squat, implying they have no choice. Did Dallas not have a choice when they outright cut Quincy Carter for "skill reasons"? I like Cincy, and I was glad to see them win last year with seemingly good guys like Palmer, Rudi and (until his halftime outburst) Chad Johnson, but it's plain as day the Bengals are turning themselves into turdville, voluntarily.

 

[Lombardi's Orphan Son]

i really couldn't care less if teams draft "character" "good guys" or not. can you play football? can you stay out of jail? can you keep yourself from being suspended and not being able to play.

is Ricky Williams a "bad character guy" cause he got caught smoking pot? b/c he couldn't / didn't hide it as well as others? is the whizinator a "bad character guy" cause some schlep at the airport pulled out his fake schlong?

i think it's naive and dying to think of these young guys (20-30 years old) as role models or anything more than they are, exceptional athletes. heck, i think back on my 20s and i know many people who would have been labeled a "bad guy" if they had been caught

-orphan

 

[radballs]

That's an easy mistake to make though, anyway.

This section of the press conference was broadcast on NFL Network. Lewis went on to say that the arrests haven't really affected the football team, which is good to hear. It was also good to hear him admit that the arrests have shed a bad light on the organization. Not much you can defend here if you're a Bengals fan though.

Thanks for pointing that out. I corrected it.

 

[BigJim®]

i really couldn't care less if teams draft "character" "good guys" or not. can you play football? can you stay out of jail? can you keep yourself from being suspended and not being able to play.

is Ricky Williams a "bad character guy" cause he got caught smoking pot? b/c he couldn't / didn't hide it as well as others? is the whizinator a "bad character guy" cause some schlep at the airport pulled out his fake schlong?

i think it's naive and dying to think of these young guys (20-30 years old) as role models or anything more than they are, exceptional athletes. heck, i think back on my 20s and i know many people who would have been labeled a "bad guy" if they had been caught

-orphan

I tend to disagree with most of this. All guys drafted in rounds 1-7 seemingly have the skills to play at the next level and I have to believe a team has a better chance to win putting high character guys in the lockerroom than it will filling the lockerroom with bad character guys (everything from criminals to guys who simply don't want to work), and it goes hand in hand to say those good character guys have far higher likelihood to reach their potential. I'm glad you raised Ricky Williams in particular... you may be fixated on the fact he put in 12 games of a decent season in 2005, but before that he was a complete flake/locker room cancer in both New Orleans and Miami, abandoning his teammates on the brink of a season. And oh by the way, he failed yet another drug test (for whatever flaky reason it occurred) before the team could benefit from his apparent redemption. And what the heck is Whizzinator doing now? CFL? Really, really bad examples of your point. These guys will absolutely never realize the potential that far less "talented" NFL guys will achieve.

 

[Lombardi's Orphan Son]

i really couldn't care less if teams draft "character" "good guys" or not.  can you play football?  can you stay out of jail?  can you keep yourself from being suspended and not being able to play. 

is Ricky Williams a "bad character guy" cause he got caught smoking pot?  b/c he couldn't / didn't hide it as well as others?  is the whizinator a "bad character guy" cause some schlep at the airport pulled out his fake schlong?

i think it's naive and dying to think of these young guys (20-30 years old) as role models or anything more than they are, exceptional athletes.  heck, i think back on my 20s and i know many people who would have been labeled a "bad guy" if they had been caught 

-orphan

I tend to disagree with most of this. All guys drafted in rounds 1-7 seemingly have the skills to play at the next level and I have to believe a team has a better chance to win putting high character guys in the lockerroom than it will filling the lockerroom with bad character guys (everything from criminals to guys who simply don't want to work), and it goes hand in hand to say those good character guys have far higher likelihood to reach their potential. I'm glad you raised Ricky Williams in particular... you may be fixated on the fact he put in 12 games of a decent season in 2005, but before that he was a complete flake/locker room cancer in both New Orleans and Miami, abandoning his teammates on the brink of a season. And oh by the way, he failed yet another drug test (for whatever flaky reason it occurred) before the team could benefit from his apparent redemption. And what the heck is Whizzinator doing now? CFL? Really, really bad examples of your point. These guys will absolutely never realize the potential that far less "talented" NFL guys will achieve.

you missed one of my points, i think, b/c they may not have been separated fully. #1 which you know, i don't care if someone gets snagged for carrying a gun somewhere or not, as long as they don't miss time. your idea of high character guys winning championships isn't any more than pure idealism. i can name team after team after team that had a great media persona (a.k.a. all "good character guys" real all-american boys) that turned out later wasn't so great ... cocaine, guns, girls, hookers ... and they still won. they are still in the record books, and some still in the hall of fame. it's football.my point was these are the "bad characters", ricky williams and the whizinator. they blew it, no doubt, for something stupid, not attempted murder or murder or attempted rape, or 3 counts of aggravated battery ... and they are the bad characters, banned from the league.

 

[Padraig]

Padraig - Just because someone is accused of rape doesn't mean they are guilty. Someone could accuse you of rape tomorrow, does that mean your employer should fire you?

I think AJ had some other character issues as well, so I personally don't think the Bengals should have drafted him anyway.

It'll be interesting to see how the Henry and AJ problems play out and if Marvin keeps them on the team.

I agree with you,and I dont think he raped the girl.And Im not suggesting they cut him.

It just looks stupid to draft a guy with a history of trouble,including very serious allegations 4 months before the draft,and acting embarrassed when he gets accused of something else.What did they think they were getting?

If Lewis really feels his behavior is wrong or embarrassing,why draft him?

Pretending his behavior is unacceptable now is too little too late and I dont buy it.

BigJim said it best,its all double talk,Lewis doesnt care.

 

[Borat]

Between this and all of Chad Johnson's nonsense, Lewis obviously has little control over this team. The Steelers will likely remain the class of this division for years to come.

 

[BigJim®]

i really couldn't care less if teams draft "character" "good guys" or not.  can you play football?  can you stay out of jail?  can you keep yourself from being suspended and not being able to play. 

is Ricky Williams a "bad character guy" cause he got caught smoking pot?  b/c he couldn't / didn't hide it as well as others?  is the whizinator a "bad character guy" cause some schlep at the airport pulled out his fake schlong?

i think it's naive and dying to think of these young guys (20-30 years old) as role models or anything more than they are, exceptional athletes.  heck, i think back on my 20s and i know many people who would have been labeled a "bad guy" if they had been caught 

-orphan

I tend to disagree with most of this. All guys drafted in rounds 1-7 seemingly have the skills to play at the next level and I have to believe a team has a better chance to win putting high character guys in the lockerroom than it will filling the lockerroom with bad character guys (everything from criminals to guys who simply don't want to work), and it goes hand in hand to say those good character guys have far higher likelihood to reach their potential. I'm glad you raised Ricky Williams in particular... you may be fixated on the fact he put in 12 games of a decent season in 2005, but before that he was a complete flake/locker room cancer in both New Orleans and Miami, abandoning his teammates on the brink of a season. And oh by the way, he failed yet another drug test (for whatever flaky reason it occurred) before the team could benefit from his apparent redemption. And what the heck is Whizzinator doing now? CFL? Really, really bad examples of your point. These guys will absolutely never realize the potential that far less "talented" NFL guys will achieve.

you missed one of my points, i think, b/c they may not have been separated fully. #1 which you know, i don't care if someone gets snagged for carrying a gun somewhere or not, as long as they don't miss time. your idea of high character guys winning championships isn't any more than pure idealism. i can name team after team after team that had a great media persona (a.k.a. all "good character guys" real all-american boys) that turned out later wasn't so great ... cocaine, guns, girls, hookers ... and they still won. they are still in the record books, and some still in the hall of fame. it's football.my point was these are the "bad characters", ricky williams and the whizinator. they blew it, no doubt, for something stupid, not attempted murder or murder or attempted rape, or 3 counts of aggravated battery ... and they are the bad characters, banned from the league.

Well, I've been called worse than a pure idealist. I get your point completely. I don't disagree that 100% of your team doesn't need to be all-American boys as you put it. But, a team is flat out playing with fire to draft guys, repeatedly and often, that other teams (reportedly) will not touch. Time after time, these guys continue the downward spiral. The five guys I can think of who overcame red flags from a FF perspective are Moss, Dillon, Irvin and to some extent Coles/Glenn. I'm sure there are more. But again, I'm by no means a Bengal hater. I think they have a lot going for them in spite of these draft picks, and I'm not even anti-Lewis. I just think it's a little silly for them to come out publically and say "I guess our hands are tied but doggonit we're not happy" when they've been so cavalier taking chances on character guys. If you remove every single turd from this team I believe it makes zero impact on success. They have quality guys. They aren't some team desparate for talent.

 

[BigJim®]

From PFT:

MARVIN SHOULD LOOK IN THE MIRROROn Wednesday, Bengals coach Marvin Lewis said that the recent arrests of receiver Chris Henry and linebacker A.J. Nicholson are an embarrassment to the team."I told the people that yes, you embarrass us as an organization, myself and the coaches when these things occur," Lewis said, according to the Associated Press. "Right, wrong or indifferent, there are certain things that you're asked not to be a part of or around."Added Lewis: "That bothers me when someone doesn't quite understand social laws. No question that bothers me."Yeah, it bothers him. Except, of course, on draft day, when Lewis has shown that he doesn't quite understand human nature. It's not as if Nicholson and/or Henry woke up on respective recent mornings and decides to turn into turds. Lewis knew -- or should have known -- what he was getting himself into when he selected Henry in round three of the 2005 draft and Nicholson in round five of the 2006 draft.Both were taken off of multiple teams' draft boards due to bad reputations and/or a history of misdeeds. Henry was widely known within and around the West Virginia football program as a talent-rich but character-poor punk. Ditto for Nicholson, who had more red flags than a Soviet street fair.So it's you, Marvin, who embarrasses the organization by bringing into it guys who already have shown, on multiple occasions, that they don't "get it."Meanwhile, Lewis hinted that Henry and Nicholson could ultimately be jettisoned by the team. "[A]t some point, you have to make a decision whether this guy is good enough for our football team, and decisions can be made that way, as well. Because if you can't function, then obviously you may not be good enough because I can't count on you."Technically, teams can't release a player because of an arrest or other off-field conduct. Instead, discipline for criminal behavior falls within the scope of the Personal Conduct Policy, and only the Commissioner may smack a guy's sack for running afoul of the law. But if Henry is included in, for example, the final wave of preseason roster cuts, it will be hard for the NFLPA to prove that he was dumped because of his three arrests in less than six months.As to Nicholson, Lewis would be doing the right thing by dumping his draft rights now. But our guess is that Lewis fears someone else would make a waiver claim for the guy who was regarded as having first-round talent, and that with yet another "second chance" in a new town Nicholson would finally get his crap together.So we don't put much stock in Marvin's words. If he was serious about dealing with these guys, he'd take action. Especially as to Nicholson.

 

[ren hoek]

Between this and all of Chad Johnson's nonsense, Lewis obviously has little control over this team.

I couldn't agree more. It's obvious that when 3 players on a 53-man roster make a bad decision, the coach clearly has no control over his team.

 

[Borat]

Between this and all of Chad Johnson's nonsense, Lewis obviously has little control over this team.

I couldn't agree more. It's obvious that when 3 players on a 53-man roster make a bad decision, the coach clearly has no control over his team.

Between this and all of Chad Johnson's nonsense, Lewis obviously has little control over this team.

 

[BoltBacker]

Between this and all of Chad Johnson's nonsense, Lewis obviously has little control over this team. The Steelers will likely remain the class of this division for years to come.

What was the Chad Johnson nonsense?I've always liked Marvin Lewis. Tells it like it is instead of some pre-packaged coach-speak about "we'll have to wait and see what happens to <player> but until he's found guilty of anything the orginization is 100% behind him and he's looking forward to putting this whole misunderstanding behind him and is focusing and rededicating himself on the football field."

 

[bshipper]

Between this and all of Chad Johnson's nonsense, Lewis obviously has little control over this team.

I couldn't agree more. It's obvious that when 3 players on a 53-man roster make a bad decision, the coach clearly has no control over his team.

These statements are ridiculous to anyone who knows anything about the Bengals. Marvin came in and immediately took control of this organization. Remember, he got rid of Dillon and Spikes his first season there.If you listen to CJ talk, he has nothing but absolute respect for Marvin. OK, so he is extravagant, big deal. The two of them work well together. And then the rumor that was blown out of proportion of what happened during the playoff game. CJ is very competitive and emotional player, imagine what he was going through losing his Pro Bowl QB in the biggest game of their career.

I guess you should include Reid, Billick and Cowher in the same category for not being able to control TO, Ray Lewis and Joey Porter, respectively (sarcasm), not to mention every other coach in the league.

Granted, Henry and Nicholson are sticking out as bad decisions on Marvin's part. However, these are grown men (the players) and they need to be accountable for their actions. No coach in professional sports should have to hold anyone's hand.

Since AJ is not officially part of the 53-man roster and CJ being out of control is very questionsable, I might give you 2 out of 53, for a whopping 3.8%. I guess if 96.2% is considered "little", then you are correct.

 

[BigJim®]

And then the rumor that was blown out of proportion of what happened during the playoff game.

Obviously it must have been blown out of proportion, because CJ said it was. Of course, that was after he flat out lied and claimed "There's never been a confrontation, ever," and before CJ finally admitted he "was mad as hell" and "was going off in the locker room" [although he claims he didn't strike anyone]. But the best part was Coach Lewis deciding to cleanse his locker room of this <gasp> story embellisher because "Those people aren't good for you." See, this is a coach with standards. You can pull a gun on a crowd or commit felony theft and it's the "can't cut a guy for personal conduct" song and dance, but so help me god if he talks a tad too freely about a locker room fiasco during a playoff game, the "snitch" is history. Again, I'm no Lewis hater, but man this guy seems to have his priorities bass ackwards and I don't see any way that isn't obvious to his players.

 

[Lombardi's Orphan Son]

Dillon and Spikes ... what "troublemakers" those guys were shown to REALLY be.

this is all BS!!!! Marvin Lewis is just like every other coach in the league. the #1 priorities are Football and Money. the media overblows every situation that they can find and the coach has to do the double speak.

yeah, maybe it is embarrassing, but what are you going to do about it?? not one of them has the nuts except for Parcells.

-orphan

 

[Family Matters]

I've got say some things. Lewis has done nothing but wonderful things for the Bemgals and for anyone to knock him over 1 or 2 mistakes is clearly ignoring the entire body of work.

NFL teams take risks on players all the time. Sometimes they backfire. Further, let's not assume that grown men need to be baby sat by another grown man. These players live all over the country and it's just not reasonable for Lewis or any other coach to follow them around and watch how they behave. Some of you need to get real on that part.

Blame the coach if you will but you need to be congradulating the coach for all the good things he's done too and they far out number anything these 2 losers have done.

As a Bengals fan I support any action the coach or the Bengals feel is appropiate towards these 2. Let them go as far as I'm concerned.

Lastly let's not forget that the coach has been good to keep things in the house when they do happen. It's been the media that's been soooo upset that they can't break a story or confirm a rumor so they just make up something to get a reaction. They can't get the players or coach to provide them a story so they bash them and say they can't "control" things. Here's an example of keeping control and they bash'em anyway. Sometimes tyou just can't win when you let everyone be the judge, jury and executioner.

That is all.

 

[WampusCat43]

Between this and all of Chad Johnson's nonsense, Lewis obviously has little control over this team.

I couldn't agree more. It's obvious that when 3 players on a 53-man roster make a bad decision, the coach clearly has no control over his team.

These statements are ridiculous to anyone who knows anything about the Bengals. Marvin came in and immediately took control of this organization. Remember, he got rid of Dillon and Spikes his first season there.

IIRC, Spikes left of his own accord. I believe Marvin tried to get him to stay, but he took the better offer (and what he perceived as a better opportunity) and ran. Enjoy the weather, guy.