Bengals sued for being crappy.

Ytown Tribe fan · 02-01-2003, 03:39 PM

The best part of this story is that two college professors couldn't find any evidence that Bengals management weren't trying to field a competitive team. College professors -- gotta love 'em.

http://bengals.enquirer.com/2003/01/30/wwwportune.html

Hamilton County commissioner Todd Portune didn't get the response he wanted from the Bengals and the NFL Wednesday and may be ready to take them to court.

Portune, who says the Bengals have violated their stadium lease with the county by failing to field a competitive team, had set a Wednesday deadline for the team and the league to respond to his request to renegotiate the lease.

Portune wants the Bengals to renegotiate their lease for Paul Brown Stadium. The county owns the $458 million stadium, which opened in 2000.

Portune says the Bengals promised, in return for the stadium, to field a competitive team. The Bengals haven't made the NFL playoffs since 1990 and just finished their worst season ever with a 2-14 record.

Two college professors who specialize in sports economics and stadium financing issues said that Portune will have a difficult time proving that Bengals owner Mike Brown hasn't tried to put a winning team on the field.

"It doesn't strike me ... as a real strong case," said Andrew Zimbalist, a Smith College economist. "What's the evidence that Brown hasn't tried?"

"It's all going to rest on whether they can prove that Cincinnati didn't field a competitive team," said Rodney Fort, a Washington State University economist. "The question is, how much better do they expect the Cincinnati Bengals to be? ... I don't think management can be found culpable."

In a letter to NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue this week, Portune demanded that the Bengals agree to $124 million in lease changes, along with the $80 million loan from the NFL. The NFL has made loans available to eight other NFL cities for new stadiums, Portune said in his letter.

Craig S. · 02-01-2003, 03:48 PM

Obviously, those college professors have never shelled out $50 for a ticket to sit and watch the travesty that takes place 8 Sundays a year at Paul Brown Stadium.

I can see their point about the case being difficult to prove, simply because it's hard to judge whether or not someone is trying to win. My gut tells me they're trying only to maximize revenues, but I don't know how that could be proven in court.

I don't expect anything to change. As long as anyone related to the Browns remains in charge of the team, they'll continue to be an embarassment to the city.

JamesI · 02-01-2003, 04:03 PM

Is this legal? Someone needs to do this in Baltimore!

KCBOOMER · 02-01-2003, 04:44 PM

We bitch and bitch about MLB owners and turn around and give the wealthiest sports enterprise in the country, the NFL, mega-stadium after mega-stadium. The bastards ought to be paying taxes like real people.

pathogan · 02-01-2003, 07:11 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by KCBOOMER
We bitch and bitch about MLB owners and turn around and give the wealthiest sports enterprise in the country, the NFL, mega-stadium after mega-stadium. The bastards ought to be paying taxes like real people.

you'repreaching to the choir, D

pwdennis · 02-01-2003, 09:41 PM

another lawsuit for posting on www.overlawyered.com

pathogan · 02-03-2003, 10:36 AM

...of the LA Clippers dream...

02-01-2003, 03:39 PM	#1
Ytown Tribe fan Guest Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Scrappers territory Posts: 2,515	Bengals sued for being crappy. The best part of this story is that two college professors couldn't find any evidence that Bengals management weren't trying to field a competitive team. College professors -- gotta love 'em. http://bengals.enquirer.com/2003/01/30/wwwportune.html Hamilton County commissioner Todd Portune didn't get the response he wanted from the Bengals and the NFL Wednesday and may be ready to take them to court. Portune, who says the Bengals have violated their stadium lease with the county by failing to field a competitive team, had set a Wednesday deadline for the team and the league to respond to his request to renegotiate the lease. Portune wants the Bengals to renegotiate their lease for Paul Brown Stadium. The county owns the $458 million stadium, which opened in 2000. Portune says the Bengals promised, in return for the stadium, to field a competitive team. The Bengals haven't made the NFL playoffs since 1990 and just finished their worst season ever with a 2-14 record. Two college professors who specialize in sports economics and stadium financing issues said that Portune will have a difficult time proving that Bengals owner Mike Brown hasn't tried to put a winning team on the field. "It doesn't strike me ... as a real strong case," said Andrew Zimbalist, a Smith College economist. "What's the evidence that Brown hasn't tried?" "It's all going to rest on whether they can prove that Cincinnati didn't field a competitive team," said Rodney Fort, a Washington State University economist. "The question is, how much better do they expect the Cincinnati Bengals to be? ... I don't think management can be found culpable." In a letter to NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue this week, Portune demanded that the Bengals agree to $124 million in lease changes, along with the $80 million loan from the NFL. The NFL has made loans available to eight other NFL cities for new stadiums, Portune said in his letter.

02-01-2003, 04:44 PM	#4
KCBOOMER NetShrine All-Century Team Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Home of the T-Bones Posts: 11,116	We bitch and bitch about MLB owners and turn around and give the wealthiest sports enterprise in the country, the NFL, mega-stadium after mega-stadium. The bastards ought to be paying taxes like real people. __________________ KCBOOMER *Buck O'Neil: The Monarch of Baseball*

02-01-2003, 09:41 PM	#6
pwdennis NetShrine All-Century Team Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Winter Springs, FL Posts: 2,503	another lawsuit for posting on www.overlawyered.com __________________ "I would submit that if the world survives for a million years, perhaps its finest hour may be that in the last half of the 20th century, when the power to blow up the world rested in the hands of a few men in two very unsophisticated and suspicious countries, we didn't do it, and one American, Richard Nixon, moved the cold war away from permanent confrontation toward victory. How could any wrong that he did compare with that?" - John Sears

02-03-2003, 10:36 AM	#7
pathogan william Blake's Innkeeper Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Brooklyn Posts: 2,828	As longtime season ticket holders ...of the LA Clippers dream...

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02-01-2003, 03:48 PM	#2
Craig S. Guest Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Ohio Posts: 6,330	Obviously, those college professors have never shelled out $50 for a ticket to sit and watch the travesty that takes place 8 Sundays a year at Paul Brown Stadium. I can see their point about the case being difficult to prove, simply because it's hard to judge whether or not someone is trying to win. My gut tells me they're trying only to maximize revenues, but I don't know how that could be proven in court. I don't expect anything to change. As long as anyone related to the Browns remains in charge of the team, they'll continue to be an embarassment to the city.

02-01-2003, 04:03 PM	#3
JamesI Netshrine Vacuum Cleaner Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Potsdam, N.Y. Posts: 3,723	Is this legal? Someone needs to do this in Baltimore!

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