ESPN’s James Walker reached out to the world’s most famous Bengals fan, Nick Lachey, to get a sense of what life is like these days for a fan of the orange and black. Yes, Mr. Lachey agrees with the rest of us. It ain’t pretty.

Lachey isn’t your typical celebrity sports fan. He knows his stuff and is often seen at Bengals, Reds and University of Cincinnati basketball games. His opinion and analysis on the miserable entity this franchise has become mirrors that of most fans However, when a high-profile celebrity shares their opinion, people listen.

Lachey does not hold back when asked to describe the current state of the franchise. He accurately rips into each topic thrown his way.

On Carson Palmer… “Being a very highly compensated franchise QB in the NFL is more than learning terminology and throwing passes. It’s about being a leader, and Carson has proven that he cannot be that. If there is a team that thinks he is worth trading for, do it.”

On Mike Brown… “Since Mike Brown has taken over, we’ve been the laughingstock of the league, all the while supported by a fan base that has refused to give up on the team. After years, even decades of “bungled” draft picks, unfortunate injuries, and off the field embarrassments, I see this as a breaking point for the Bengals and the fans in Cincinnati. People are tired of giving their hard-earned money to a team that seemingly cares more about growing the family fortune than it does about competing for a championship.”

“I think it’s time for Mike Brown to admit he’s not the football man he thinks he is and hire people who are.”

I completely agree with everything he said. I would guess that 99% of Bengals fans agree with it too. However, it is the last part of the interview that will sting the Brown family where it matters (to them) most.

Message to the fans… “I have leased a suite for the past five seasons and commuted back and forth from Los Angeles to watch the team I love, many times flying back feeling as if the joke were on me. My message to the fans in Cincinnati would be this — the power is in our hands.”

“As hard as it is, the only way we can show our resolve is to quit blindly supporting the same old dysfunctional, losing cycle that is the Mike Brown Bengals. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Albert Einstein said that and he was a pretty smart guy from what I’ve heard. Bengal fans, don’t go insane.”

Lachey doesn’t come out and say he isn’t planning on leasing a seat for the upcoming season, but it sure sounds like he is considering it. If that is true, I am sure he isn’t the only one.

Fans, bloggers and radio personalities can have screamed for change. Nothing has happened. Now, the demand is coming from a high-profile person with a significant financial interest. Will Lachey’s opinion mean anything to the Brown family?

Probably not.

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-- RUSSELL WIGHT
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