Hard Knocks #4: Marvin Gets Angry

The latest edition of Hard Knocks should make Bengals fans uneasy about the upcoming season.

The show starts with Marvin Lewis screeching at his team about their poor performance in a loss to the St. Louis Rams.

"It's your football team. Find a way to fix it. Reach down inside and be a pro! I don't like this feeling. I can't stand it. I had this feeling yesterday morning when we were late getting on the field. We're going to be going on all cylinders. Because we're going to go with or without you. You guys wonder why you don't play and start. It's because you don't make tackles on interceptions. It's because you don't do what you're supposed to do."

Harsh words after a fake game but Lewis knows what’s at stake. HBO chronicles his history as a coach and basically calls the 2009 season his make or break year.

Classic Bengals moment: Marvin leaves his home at 5am. He pulls into the garage at Paul Brown Stadium. The security gate into the garage is broken. The arm won't go up so Marvin drives his SUV up over the curb to get around the pole.

Rookie safety Tom Nelson and his girlfriend take a carriage ride in downtown Cincinnati. The guy guiding the horses asked if they’re on vacation. He says they are both job searching.

The battle for the back-up fullback to Jermi Johnson heats up. Rookie Chris Pressley hits a guy so hard he bends his facemask. The equipment manager says he's never seen that before. Fui Vakapuna, the seventh round pick has better pass catching skills. In a coaches meetings it is determined they want a guy that can block. Good news for Pressley.

"That's the brother, not the star. That ain't No. 9" is overheard by a fan while Jordan Palmer (Carson’s little brother) signs autographs.

J. Palmer talks about how disappointed fans are when he signs autographs and they think he’s Carson. He also discusses a website he created, RUNPEE.COM.

It's designed to tell you the best point in a move to run to the restroom without missing much. There is a phone app that gives you a one minute warning when a moment is coming up and tells you what you are missing while you are gone.

As far as on the field, the younger Palmer is improving. One coach goes as far as to say he is the most improved player on the whole team. Against the Rams he floats a beautiful bomb over the defender’s head and Chris Henry gets an easy touchdown.


Carson calls Bernard Scott over during the Rams game. He puts his arm around him and praises him for bouncing back from the fumble that led to a TD by the Rams. Scott ran 22 yards on a third and long when they were backed up.

"Young fella, you're going to make mistakes...but that run you made right there coming out of the end zone, in a real game that's a game-changer," said Palmer who was still sidelined with his ankle injury. Good to see Palmer being a leader even when he isn’t out on the field.

The battle for the third running back between Brian Leonard and DeDe Dorsey looks to be the closest battle going into the season finale. Each offers a certain skill. Leonard is the bruiser that can get that tough yard and is an exceptional blocker. Dorsey has the home-run speed that the Bengals desperately need. Going into the last show it is still up in the air.

There are a lot of little things going on with the Bengals right now that Lewis doesn’t like, such as players arriving late to practice, players not tucking in their shirts and most importantly not taking care of the little things in games. Lewis says he isn’t coaching the pro’s, he is coaching a bunch of 8th graders.

Marvin is shown in his office talking to someone on the phone about the Andre Smith negotiations.

"I told Alvin (Smith’s agent) that I've been here seven years. I know them. I know Mike. He's not going to change. He's not going to cave". This is the kind of quote that Bengals fans have wanted to hear from Lewis about the owner. This is the real Mike Brown, a stubborn old man.

Finally the Bengals and the sixth overall pick Smith agree on a deal. Of course the first thing his agent Alvin Keels says when he signs is “Congrats, you’re now a multi millionaire,” instead of congrats you’re a Bengal.

This Keels guy has looked horrible on the show. He agreed to a contract that looks to be better for the Bengals after holding out for 32 days. His client has shown up weighing over 360 pounds and the Bengals put a weight clause in his contract. Smith will lose a lot of money if he doesn’t get under 350 pounds.

Keels has officially been “bungalized” by the team. Good luck getting any player that has HBO next year.

Over weight Andre walks into owner Mike Brown’s office to say hello and a hilariously uncomfortable scene ensues.

Mike says, "You've got a lot of hard work ahead of you. You are not in good shape from what I hear. You have to put your nose to the grindstone”. All of this while both men shake hands for about five seconds to long. Smith, high pitch voice and all agrees and keeps saying yes sir.

By the way…what the heck does put your nose to the grindstone mean?

“I’m eager to get back into football shape,” Smith claims. Bengals strength and conditioning coach Chip Morton tells Marvin they have to “widdle away the larger version”.

And 48 hours after he signs, Smith fractures his foot. He will be out for another three weeks. What a depressing ending. It is too early to label him a bust but jeez. What an awful start to a career. Smith is a mess.

Not a very encouraging show for Bengal fans.