HBO's Hard Knocks Hits Bengals Camp

It's the hard knock life, for us!!
Steada treated, we get tricked
Steada kisses, we get kicked
It's the hard knock life!!
 
Whether you think of Annie or Jay-Z these four lines represent HBO’s pick for the series Hard Knocks.
 
The Cincinnati Bengals have been getting tricked and kicked for 18 years since owner Mike Brown took over for his legendary dad Paul. One winning season is all Bengals fans have received since 1991.
 
What else have they been given? Akili Smith, Dave Kingler, Peter Warrick and Ki-Jana Carter. Add it up and Mike Brown’s record as owner of the Bengals is 101-187-1.
 
After a forgettable 4-11-1 2008, optimism is budding all around the training facilities in Georgetown Kentucky.
 
Franchise QB Carson Palmer is healthy again. The loss of WR T.J. Hoshmanzadeh was quickly addressed with the signing of another hard name to spell in Laveranues Coles. RB Cedric Benson has been saying all the right things and has had a full off-season of practice with the team.
 
The defense, highlight of ’08, is still improving. They picked up rookies with loads of potential in the second round with LB Rey Maualuga (USC) and third round with DE Michael Johnson (Georgia Tech). They also added two ex-Cowboys in S Roy Williams and DT Tank Johnson.
 
But with all the anticipation fans forget about the most important factor that is still a disaster in the making. The offense line has absolutely horrendous last season.
 
The biggest issue facing the Bengals is the offensive line. So much so that the Bengals used the sixth pick in the draft to take OL Andre Smith. Now, two days before the first preseason game and a week into camp, Smith hasn't been signed.
 
At last check the Bengals and Smith were at least $7 million dollars apart. In fact, the Bengals were offering $5 mill less than what the Raiders gave the next pick at No. 7.
 
So protecting the franchise player isn’t a top concern to ownership. Its like putting Carson Palmer and his $15 million contract underneath your pillow and hoping burglars  don’t find it, instead of just putting it in a bank.
 
Andre Smith wont appear on at least the first couple of shows but guess who will be all over it? Mr. Chad OchoCinco will be chirping to the cameras throughout training camp. Hopefully the opening scene of the show isn’t Chad running shirtless on the beach like a certain ex-Cowboy last year.

Marvin Lewis will get the chance to show America that he is indeed a competent NFL coach, which has certainly been questioned lately. Michael Lombardi of the National Football Post released the worst game manager’s among NFL coaches and Lewis was the worst. It remains to be seen if the cameras will catch the multiple eye-rollings that Chad creates for Marvin.
 
As for position battles…punt returner is up for grabs. Antonio Chatman, who has narrowly held on to the job, could be out for most of the preseason with an ankle injury, which hampers his chances. That means Quan Cosby, Bernard Scott and Tom Nelson will see action throughout the pre-season.
 
Benson will be the starting running back, but his back-up is up for grabs. Brian Leonard, DeDe Dorsey, Kenny Watson, James Johnson, Bernard Scott and Marion Lucky all are fighting for their chance to play. One of them was already cut, I wont spoil it for you, but it was kind of a surprise.
 
Tight End will be a good competition. Projected starter Reggie Kelley tore his ACL in the first couple of days of camp and now it is up Daniel Coats, Ben Utecht and rookie Chase Coffman. Should be a fierce competition between the veterans and the rookie Coffman.
 
HBO will also cover the hilarious antics of the website WhoDeyRevolution.com. It is a site that was developed by big time Bengals fans that are sick and tired of Mike Brown’s ways. Their “Project Mayhem” has produced a billboard in Cincinnati pleading to hire a GM, and “Put your yellow on our Brown” where pictures of Brown were put on the urinals of Paul Brown Stadium during a game against the Redskins last year.
 
This year they have a small plane flying over camp with different one-liners such as: “101-187-1…hire a GM!”  and “When is Training Camp for the Front Office?”.
 
Brown was sitting on a patio next to the press box, watching the scrimmage, when the banners flew overhead. HBO is sure to provide an indepth view of Brown. It will certainly be a first. Citizens of Cincinnati don’t even know what he sounds like because he talks to the media approximately ONE time a year at the kick-off luncheon in July.
 
ONE TIME A YEAR! IF nothing else the show will provide viewers some sort of idea about the man that pulls ALL the strings for the franchise.
 
For the first time in a long time all-eyes will be on the Bengals. There are some heated position battles, a diva of a wide receiver and an evil owner. Add it up and it should be some compelling T.V. Tank Johnson, whom was on the show last year with the Cowboys, thinks this year the show will be more realistic.
 
“Camp doesn’t have all the glitz and glamour that Dallas had. Its just basic football,” Johnson said.
 
Bengal fans can only hope. They have had enough distractions over the past couple of years. It's the hard knock life tonight at 10.