DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk The Smack Shack Marv Lewis says Bengals are SB Bound........NOW!

Marvin: Time is NOW
T-shirts communicate coach's focus
BY MARK CURNUTTE | MCURNUTTE@ENQUIRER.COM

The orange T-shirts hung in the cubicles of many Bengals players that encircle the team's locker room at Paul Brown Stadium.

The Bengals' tiger-head logo emblazoned a breast pocket on the front. On the back, in white, block letters, all capitalized, read the word "NOW."

They were this year's message practice shirt from Marvin Lewis, the head coach who in previous seasons had presented his players with "One Heartbeat" and "Do Your Job" shirts.

After two disappointing seasons in a row and a composite 15-17 record - on the heels of the division-winning 11-5 2005 season - Lewis is trying to create a sense of urgency among his players.

In other words, the time is now.

But now, apparently, is not the time Lewis wants to discuss the latest shirt.

"No reason for me to elaborate on that - right now," Lewis said Wednesday after the Bengals completed their fifth of 12 offseason practices.

But some of his players did talk about their coach's message.

They came in for practice Tuesday and found the shirts hanging in their lockers - with the word NOW facing out. Then Lewis wore his workout shirt into a team meeting.

"Coach said, 'It's about what's on my back,' " second-year safety Chinedum Ndukwe said.

The Bengals finished 7-9 in 2007 after a 2-6 start.

"I don't think we can have another year like last year," said Ndukwe, working with the first-team defense after a strong rookie season. "As players and coaches, we have to start taking care of business. That's the bottom line. Things need to start happening today - not tomorrow - every play, (and) not wait for the next play."

In the meeting, even without Pro Bowl wide receivers Chad Johnson and T.J. Houshmandzadeh and starting offensive tackles Willie Anderson and Levi Jones in the room, Lewis mentioned the "S" word.

That would be Super Bowl.

"He said we have enough talent in the room - and he said right now - to win the Super Bowl," Palmer said of Lewis' message to players. "Don't wait for things to happen. Don't think that we'll be a good team in years to come. Don't think that there's a Super Bowl in our future and you can take your time and be lackadaisical about it. You need to be aggressive. You need to want it. You need to be hungry for it. And now's the time."

The Bengals have a core of talented players, especially on offense, led by Palmer. But Johnson is refusing to report and wants to be traded, even though he has four years remaining on his contract. Jones, the starting left tackle who has five years remaining on a contract extension he signed in 2006, also would like to be traded.

Is the window of opportunity closing?

"Really, if you look at the numbers, age-wise, we've got a pretty young team," Palmer said. "We've got some older veterans at key positions, but I don't think our window's closing any time soon. We need to keep getting good, young talent. We need our draft picks to make the team and not have injuries or issues away from the field. And that's how you build a team. And I think that's where we are."

Right guard Bobbie Williams likes the maturity of the team's younger players and the work ethic he sees so far this offseason.

"Every year the team changes, the dynamic changes. We're looking good," said Williams, a four-year Bengals starter. "We're looking better now at this point than we have looked in years, as a total team. I'm real pleased.

"I think the right attitude is getting shifted through the team. It's a good vibe here now. It's what we've been missing for a while."

Dhani Jones, a ninth-year pro entering his second season with the Bengals, has emerged as the starter at middle linebacker.

"It's right here, right now," he said when asked about the NOW shirts' message. "I think no matter if it's mandatory or voluntary, we're going to start right now.

"We're going to practice now, we're going to move to the ball now, we're going to make plays, we're going to make interceptions now, we're going to win games now, we're going to bond together as a team now and we're going to move forward because last year, in many people's minds, including myself and everybody standing here in this locker room, was unacceptable. We (forge) ahead and now we make a change and now we win more games."
hardeeharhar

Now!

Is this Marvin Lewis?????

I think Marvin has been smoking with Chris Henry

T-shirts are cool and all....

but seriously... that would be more for high school and college kids...

Grown men are going to do what they do regardless... lol

Sounds like Marv has been given a message from the owner...... NOW, or you're gone.

They wouldn't be the Bengals if they weren't delusional, IF they knew football or what a good team looked like they wouldn't be the sorry excuse for a team that we all know so well.

On a more pressing note, they probably realize as the BROWNS should realize that the first 4 games of the season are going to have major significance in determining who wins the AFC North, /Central.


Finaly, what do you expect, The Bengals always talk every year, whether it is a fan, or aparently a coach, they talk too much about little success, and when better to talk for the Bengals than the off-season.
It is so annoying, to be around a bengal fan, seriously a few years back, they were 0-7 and won their first game, their Idiot Fans thought they were going to make the playoffs, their so annoying to listen too,

But if they were smart fans,. they wouldn't be bengals fans, So its like God has given us this one team, a sewer of suckage in cincinnati so all the fanatics who don't know anything about football, will have someone to follow, And in the end, it makes the whole group of Browns fans a smarter group.

thank goodness the bengals are their, otherwise these delusional, know nothings would root for the Browns and make the Browns fans appear average instead of the Best Most Knowledgable Fans around.

This leaves me speechless.............................

Even the Bungle fans are taking shots at this one.One guy said on their message board that NOW stood for "No Outstanding Warrants".LMAO I don't care who you are.....that's funny.

You guys are really being to hard on Lewis and the Bengals. They ARE Super Bowl bound. I have an inside source guaranteeing the Bengals will be in the Super Bowl








They already pre-ordered their tickets....actually a loge to fit all 53 players and the coaching staff in for a luxurious weekend watching the Super Bowl (if all 53 can get permission to leave the state from their probation officers, that is).

And the kitten.


That was just wrong on so many levels

And the Vikings are in charge of the weeks entertainment.


ALL ABOARD

Apparently Marvin gets his material from this man:

Quote:

---

"I don't think we can have another year like last year," said Ndukwe,

---

Why not? Only once in the last 18 years have you done otherwise.

I miss that guy ... he was great.

I bet Marvin gets busted with dope, He's on something.

NOW??? Poor poor choice Marvin.

With your team of girlymen, one can easily become misled by what you're trying to convey.

http://www.now.org/

I actually laughed at that. Good job on smackin the bengirls.

"NOW i want to be traded"

or

"NOW i have to post bond"
"NOW i have to go to court"
"NOW i'm suspended"

poor cinci....

So it is a t-shirt to wear as they all sit around and watch the SB at Marvy's house. Gimme a break! T-shirts do NOT win games. As a former one, coaches don't lie to a squad, but they are expected to propagandize, to stretch the truth, minimize and manage a situation, to exaggerate, ignore, to spin at times, but this is silly putty kind of no-brainer. THIS is what we have been missing! Raw genius! Thanx Marvy!! We forgot to get the bloody t-shirts made, and that is all there is to it. T-shirt, SuperBowl — piece o' cake! Did Chad think this up?

Oh crap, now you're going to make go back and re watch all of these again.

By the way, if you really stretch your imagination, there's a similarity between baghdad bob and marvin lewis.

Yes indeed, it sounds as if desperation is setting in for poor Marv!


Desperation? You Cleveland Clowns have won absolutlely NOTHING in 44 years, if anybody should be desperate it's you poor, poor, poor Cleveland Clown fans.

How sad 4 U.

P.S. - Since your reorganization BOTH the Bengals & Steelers have owned you! so show some respect to the Bengals & Steelers, both teams have Super Bowl experience, something you can only dream of.

- Med -

Well would you look at that. The invisible man returns, yet he still has the brains of Baby Huey

It's funny how all Bungle fans think it's going to come down to the Bungles or Steelers for the Division crown.

There you go bragging about being LOSERS again No wonder you take so many meds. man. Trying to dull your pain huh