I'm Done With It

So today's news is that the Bengals will now entertain offers for Carson Palmer (after a new collective bargaining agreement is reached between the NFL owners and the players union. That should be the spring of 2013, right?).

Yawn

Palmer is done with us. I'm done with him.

I’ve thought a lot about this lately: Palmer wants exactly what we’ve been doing lately.

He wants a public debate of his trade request, his alleged threat of retirement. He wants it, without being directly involved in it. In short, Palmer wants the publicity, but doesn’t want to work for it. And for the last six weeks or so, we’ve been playing into his hands. You, me and everyone else who’s been debating this issue.

If he’s dumb enough to turn his back on 50-million dollars, if he’s that non competitive that he doesn’t want to play anymore, that’s his life, let him live it. If Mike Brown doesn’t get that he should he solicitous of the most identifiable player on his team, rather than engaging him in some sort of wild west, dirt street stare down, then have at it.

Me, I’m done with it. Bored. They were 4-12 with Carson Palmer last season. They can easily be 4-12 this season without him. Call me when you’ve got your act together.

I’m moving onto the Reds.

Speaking of the Reds, how is it that Edinson Volquez can get into this country with a visa that’s only good for sight seeing, rather than one that helps his team win another division title. Have you heard about this? He was supposed to be the starting pitcher in Sunday’s exhibition opener against the Cleveland Indians. But late last week, the Reds discovered because he’s in the country with a visa that’s good only for a tourist, rather than a wage earner, he can’t pitch. Not in front of a paying crowd. And worse, he now has to go back to the Dominican Republic to apply for a visa that will let him work for the Cincinnati Reds.

Now how did that happen?

Two words: substance abuse. Volquez was suspended for 50 games last season when it was discovered that he was using a substance banned by major league baseball. It was a fertility drug. He says he was taking it, so he and his wife could produce a little Edinson. But Major League Baseball says that drug is really used as a mask, to avoid detection for steroid use.

Because of that, Volquez could only get a visa for sight seeing in our country, not working. Now, it could be a while before he gets the visa he needs to strike opposing batters out, or walk them, depending on how things go.

Do you mean to tell me one of the smart guys in that Reds front office, Walt Jocketty, one of his minions or even Big Bob couldn’t figure this out before now? You actually go ahead and announce Volquez as, not only your exhibition season opening pitcher but your pitching on Opening Day and you don’t know you have this problem? Really?

Here’s a bat signal out to Jean Schmidt, Steve Chabot and Rob Portman: while you’re busy solving the debt crisis that’s consuming all of us, can you pick up the phone and grease the skids so the Reds can get their ‘ace’ back in the country for Opening Day? Somebody in some government office surely could use a couple of diamond club seats for the opener on March 31^st.

It’s called taking one for the team.

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It sounds so bizzarre, it could have some truth to it. A columnist for the Baltimore Sun today suggests that the Ravens try to pry Marvin Lewis away from the Cincinnati Bengals. In his story, columnist Mike Preston says bringing Lewis back to the team he helped to a Super Bowl win in 2000, this time as head coach, is a no brainer. Of course to accomplish that, the Bengals would have to a: be willing to lose their coach b: trade him within their own division and c: require draft picks in return.

The Bucs and Raiders did this six years ago, when the Bucs sent four picks (two #1's and two #2's) to the Raiders in exchange for head coach Jon Gruden moving to Tampa. Sounds to me like that'd be too steep of a price for the Ravens, needing to rebuild their offense. And remember, the Bengals owner, Mike Brown, once turned down an offer from the New Orleans Saints that would've netted the Bengals every one of the Saints' picks in the 1999 draft in exchange for only the Bengals first rounder.

Today, the Bengals said this is "simply the musings of a reporter" and that the team would have no further comment. I don't see it happening. But it sure made for interesting reading on what otherwises was a boring Wednesday.

You can hate the season the Bengals are having. But you have to love TJ Houshmandzadeh. He's been the best wide receiver on the Bengals roster this season. Today, he was voted to the first team of the AFC Pro Bowl roster. TJ's reaction was dead on: I'd trade my trip to the Pro Bowl if I could get my team into the playoffs.


Wide receivers, by nature, are a selfish bunch. They all want the ball, and there's only one ball on the field at any time. But Houshmandzadeh controls the 'me' game better than anyone. I'm happy for the guy.