Mike Brown (football team owner)

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Mike Brown

Position(s)	Owner
Career Record	87-164
Team(s) as a coach/administrator
1991-present	Cincinnati Bengals

Michael "Mike" Brown (born 1937) is the son of former Cleveland Browns, Ohio State University and Cincinnati Bengals coach, Paul Brown. Paul Brown was the co-founder of the Cincinnati Bengals, and since his death in 1991, Mike Brown has taken the responsibilities as the franchise owner.

Through the years of his ownership of the Cincinnati Bengals(1991-Present) he has been criticized for the Bengals' reputation of losing during his tenure. His record as an owner/GM is 82-158(as of 2006 off-season). There are several ways his personality has been characterized. For instance, there were frequent allusions to him being frugal to the point of hurting his team by seeking mainly low-salary players. Also, there are many examples of his loyalty, which has been characterized as both endearing (having the new stadium being named for his famous father, Paul Brown, instead of selling the naming rights) and detrimental (giving individuals many opportunities to turn themselves or team around). He has also been known for being reclusive and staying out of the spotlight.

[edit] Ownership Timeline

1991: Coach: Sam Wyche(3-13). Paul Brown dies in August from pneumonia. Mike Brown takes his responsibilities. 1 player goes to the Pro Bowl (Anthony Muñoz). Sam Wyche is replaced with Dave Shula at the end of this year but there is a long drawn out dispute over if Sam was fired or quit which involved payment for the remaining contract.

1992: Coach: Dave Shula(5-11). Anthony Muñoz plays his final game. 1 player goes to the Pro Bowl (Harold Green).

1993: Coach: Dave Shula(3-13). Boomer Esiason traded to the Jets. Bengals lose their first ten games. No players go to the Pro Bowl.

1994: Coach: Dave Shula(3-13). Jeff Blake earns starting QB responsibilities. No players go to the Pro Bowl.

1995: Coach: Dave Shula(7-9). 1st round draft pick Ki-Jana Carter suffers knee injury, misses entire rookie season (essentially ending his career). 2 players go to the Pro Bowl (Jeff Blake & Carl Pickens).

1996: Coach: Dave Shula(1-6). Bruce Coslet (7-2). A half-cent tax increase was made to fund two new stadiums to replace Cinergy Field (Home of the Cincinnati Reds and Bengals). After a horrible start by head coach Dave Shula, Mike Brown replaces him with Offensive Coordinator Bruce Coslet. Coslet leads them to their first .500 or better season since 1990. 2 players go to the Pro Bowl (Ashley Ambrose & Carl Pickens).

1997: Coach: Bruce Coslet (7-9). Mike Brown signs the team to stay in Cincinnati through the 2026 season. Boomer Esiason returns and starts the last 5 games of the season, benching Jeff Blake. He posts 13 touchdowns, 2 interceptions, and has a passer rating of 106.9. Corey Dillon rushes for 1,129 yards and sets a single game rookie rushing record with 246 yards. No players go to the Pro Bowl.

1998: Coach: Bruce Coslet (3-13). Mid-Season losing streak of 9 games. Construction for Paul Brown Stadium begins. No players go to the Pro Bowl.

1999: Coach: Bruce Coslet (4-12). 1-10 start but team comes back to finish 4-12. Fans severely urge for a coaching change after enduring two horrible seasons in a row. Brown and Coslet select Akili Smith as the 3rd player selected in the draft. 2 players go to the Pro Bowl (Corey Dillon & Tremain Mack).

2000: Coach: Bruce Coslet (0-3). Dick Lebeau (4-9) Akili Smith named starting quarterback. Paul Brown Stadium's grand opening holds, a team record, 64,006 fans attend to see the Bengals lose to the Browns 24-7. Mike Brown makes coaching changes after brutal loses being outscored 7 to 74 in three games and shut out for two. Dick Lebeau signs a multi-year deal. 1 player goes to the Pro Bowl (Corey Dillon).

2001: Coach: Dick Lebeau (6-10). Two game improvement from the year before. Defense is ranked 9th in the NFL. 1 player goes to the Pro Bowl (Corey Dillon).

2002: Coach: Dick Lebeau (2-14). Team is decimated by injuries. Mike Brown fires Lebeau after learning his lessons with Coslet and Shula. Mike Brown hires Marvin Lewis in the off season. Bengals select Carson Palmer as the first overall pick in the draft after the season. 1 player goes to the Pro Bowl (Lorenzo Neal).

2003: Coach: Marvin Lewis (8-8). Marvin Lewis decides to bench Carson Palmer for the entirety of his rookie season, leaving Jon Kitna as the starting QB. Lewis comes in second in Coach of the Year voting behind Bill Belichick. Fans make record appearances in response to the 8 wins and a large amount of hope is brought upon by Marvin Lewis. 2 players go to the Pro Bowl (Willie Anderson & Chad Johnson).

2004: Coach: Marvin Lewis (8-8). Carson Palmer is named starting QB. Undergoing growing pains, he puts up 18 TDs and 18 interceptions. After making improvement over his next few games, Palmer is injured in a hard fought loss to the New England Patriots. Jon Kitna finishes the season as the regular QB. 4 players go to the Pro Bowl (Willie Anderson, Tory James, Chad Johnson, & Rudi Johnson).

2005: Coach: Marvin Lewis (11-5). Carson Palmer becomes an extremely proficient passer. Lewis leads the Bengals to their first winning season, and playoff birth since 1990. After Palmer's season-ending ACL injury (distributed by former Bengal Kimo Von Oelhoffen) in the first round of the playoffs, backup QB Jon Kitna's 17 points weren't enough to stop the eventual Super Bowl champs, the Pittsburgh Steelers. 5 players go to the Pro Bowl after the season's end (Willie Anderson, Shayne Graham, Chad Johnson, Carson Palmer, & Deltha O'Neal).

2006: Coach: Marvin Lewis (8-8). Carson Palmer returns from surgery and the season starts at 3-0. But then disappointing close losses to the Buccaneers, Falcons, Ravens, and Chargers bring the season to a halt. The team gets a prime position to make the playoffs with a victory over Denver in the 15th game, but a bad snap on a game-tying extra point lost the game for the Bengals. Though unlikly, with a win over the Steelers and a Bronco's loss(which ended up occurring) the Bengals would make the playoffs, but an overtime touchdown pass from Ben Roethlisberger to Santonio Holmes sent Cincinnati home. 3 players go to the Pro Bowl (Willie Anderson, Carson Palmer, and Chad Johnson).