I agree...and I for one would have voted against the B'gals rapacious stadium deal if I lived in Hamilton County at the time.
I have problems with their management, and certainly their coaching staff. But they have been absolutely savaged by significant injuries, 2 years in a row...
I'm no fan of Lewis. He has poor game day sense, can't tell time, and is smarmy and duplicitous to the press and fans.
But the injuries have been heavy, much moreso than BUF:
- '03 3rd rounder WR Kelley Washington - missed the better part of 2 seasons with hamstring injuries. Since acquired by NE*
- '03 4th rounder CB Dennis Weathersby - car crash, never played.
'- 04 1st rounder RB Chris Perry - about one season's worth of games over 4 years.
- '05 1st rounder DE David Pollack breaks his neck in game #2 of 2006. Also in that game, C Rich Braham tears up knee; never plays again.
- '07 2nd rounder RB Kenny Irons tears up knee in the 2nd game of pre-season. Out for the year, doubtful for 2008.
In 2006, CIN lost these games from these starters:
DE David Pollack - 14 games.
C Rich Braham - 14 games
LT Levi Jones - 10 games.
LB Brian Simmons - 5 games.
CB Delthea O'Neal - 4 games.
SS Dexter Jackson - 4 games.
LB Rashad Jeanty - 4 games.
RG Bobbie Williams - 3 games.
WR T.J. Houshmanzadeh - 2 games.
In 2007, starters missing games:
MLB Ahmad Brooks - 14 games
RT Willie Anderson - 9 games.
LB Rashad Jeanty - 6 games.
RB Rudi Johnson - 5 games.
C Eric Ghiaciuc - 4 games.
S Madieu Williams - 3 games.
S Dexter Jackson - 2 games.
LT Levi Jones - 1 game plus 3 starts - spot duty.
That's a sh*tload of games lost, by starters, over a two-year stretch...
The injuries started again in the pre-season in '07. They played 3 pre-season games with an amazing 20 players short.
Their LB corps was wiped out for 2 seasons - recall that in the CIN - BUF game this past season, the starting OLBs for CIN were DE Robt. Geathers, and rookie SS Chidi Ndukwe. Landon Johnson played MLB, and the only LB back-ups on the roster were street FA Dhani Jones and NYJ cast-off Anthony Schlegal.
Much as I dislike Lewis, he has never publicly blamed injuries...