Shock! Brown Says ‘No Trade’

Joe Reedy gives us some of Mike Brown’s response to Carson’s request for a trade. After the Lewis presser, I’ll gladly just read his comments through Joe. I hope I never have to hear Brown’s voice again.

“He is key to our plans, he’s central to us,” Brown said. “He was told that and that we count on him going forward. He was told that we are not in a position to trade him.”

Lie. You are in a position to do whatever you want, Mike. You’ve proven that over and over by spurning fans’ desires over your 20 years as Owner/G.M. Are you ‘not in a position to’ replace your offensive coordinator? Were you ‘not in a position to’ accept Mike Ditka’s entire draft board in 1999? Just be honest and say that you don’t want to.

So now the “key to our plans” doesn’t want to be here. Mike, can you remind me again how that worked out 3 years ago with Chad? Oh that’s right, his production has fallen off the cliff. But don’t worry, I’m sure Carson’s production will keep right on chugging along. (slap forehead)

When asked if he thought Palmer would go through with his plans to retire if he didn’t get traded, Brown said that whole idea seemed impractical.

Only Carson knows if he really intends to carry through on the threat. Mike is clearly willing to gamble that he won’t. But when did this become about being a ‘practical’ idea. Carson is plenty smart enough to know that retirement is the only way out of Dodge. Empty threats aren’t Carson’s style, either.

“We’ll just have to see how it plays out,” Brown said. “We’ll reach out to him and understand the things that are in his craw. Maybe there are things we can do that will appeal to him. We’ll try to and see whether we can get it fit back together again in the future.”

Wow, the amount of proactivity in that byte is underwhelming. “See how it plays out.” “Maybe there are things we can do…” “See whether we can…” There is ZERO leadership displayed there. Those statements have all the strength of powdered toast. Don’t strain yourself there, Mike. No wonder this organization seems aimlessly adrift. It is!

Seriously, Mike, you need to hire a P.R. guy and just stop talking to the media. You stink at it. Abysmally.

According to Brown, the meeting was amicable and that Palmer “didn’t finger anyone or anything. … He’s a great player and equally a fine person.”

I hope it isn’t true that Carson didn’t lay it all out there. I’m a pretty laid back, live-and-let-live type of person too. But if I’m so frustrated that I’m ready to quit, I’m speaking my mind. Someone has to force Mike to look at the mess he has made. This is the best chance Carson will ever get to make that happen. Seize it!

Mike Brown’s reaction to this situation illustrates yet again how woefully out of touch he really is. Two wins late in the season override ten (TEN!) straight losses and prove that there is no need to change. A staff that was widely thought to have a playoff-caliber team managed to muster a whole four wins, yet they are retained in tact. Bad luck is an awfully strong force in this man’s mind.

Mike, this isn’t a third-string special team player we’re talking about here. This isn’t Clark Harris or Jason Shirley making threats. It is your franchise QB! Your key to the offense! How is the gravity of that lost on you? How? The fan base is already walking away. Cedric has walked away. Now Carson wants out. What will it take to get you to take an honest look at what is happening here?

Any NFL owners looking for lessons on how to alienate as much of their fan base as possible and to disillusion and drive way key talent may apply to Mike Brown at 1 Paul Brown Way, Cincinnati, OH. He is the world’s foremost authority on turning a perennial ATM franchise into a hopeless joke.