NFL Betting Insider – Lewis, Bengals, Selling Soul For A Few More Wins

Not too long ago, I lost a sizable measure of respect for a guy that I have really respected since before he became a head coach in the National Football League seven seasons ago.

More importantly, NFL gamblers everywhere may want to stand up and take notice at the specific reason why I’ve lost a modicum of admiration for Cincinnati Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis and why I believe NFL betting enthusiasts should be prepared for the surprise AFC North division winners in 2009 to take a slight step backwards in 2010.

Let me get right to the point.

After arriving in Cincinnati in 2003 to restore a beleaguered franchise that had gone a pathetic 2-14 the season before and had not posted a winning record since going 9-7 way back in 1990, Lewis immediately restored pride and a new sense of commitment to the sad-sack franchise, posting consecutive 8-8 records in each of his first two seasons, before really turning this around by going a fantastic 11-5 in 2005 to win the AFC North.

Unfortunately for the Bengals and Lewis – that’s just about the time that many of the teams’ young players began a series of foolish run-ins with the law that left the Bengals as the No. 1 police blotting team in the NF – and all of sports for that matter.

Now, after bouncing back from those numerous off-field debacles and jettisoning several of those players, not to mention, re-restoring (is that a word?) a sense of pride in the organization by recording a surprising 11-5 record that helped them win the AFC North last season, Lewis and the Bengals have taken an immense step backwards by going out and signing the biggest off-field head case in professional sports – Adam ‘Pacman’ Jones.

While every team in the NFL is now just as concerned about their respective franchise’s identity in the community, both on and off the field, the Bengals and Lewis are apparently willing to risk anything, even their morals in order to win a few more ballgames.

While the NFL and no-nonsense commissioner Roger Goodell try to clean up a sport that has been tainted by far too many off-field problems from players in both conferences and has institued a set of personal conduct guidelines, apparently the Bengals and Lewis aren’t concerned about the possibility of Jones landing in trouble off the field again – and giving the league’s top ‘poster child’ franchise for problematic players another black eye – and one that could mark the beginning of the end for Lewis – and Adam ‘Pacman’ Jones.