After I slowly drifted to sleep last night, I started dreaming that I was employed by your newspaper and was interviewing Bengals owner Mike Brown.

Myself: "Mike, for the past 10 years, the team has been the worst in the entire NFL, yet not many changes at all have been made in the management structure. Why not expand your number of scouts, replace your head coach who hasn't had a winning season anywhere and hire someone for general manager more knowledgeable in drafting and trading players than you?"

Mike Brown: "These ideas would greatly increase the team's expenses. The key to any adventure is the monetary profit margin. Money talks, Ron."

Myself: "Your new stadium will cost substantially more at $407 million than the new Reds' baseball stadium at $348 million. However, according to the Hamilton County Citizens Financial Report published by Dusty Rhodes, you are paying, covering the first nine years, less rent at $11.7 million than the Reds will be paying at $22.5 million for the same period. In addition, you will be contributing less various revenues at $25 million than the Reds will be contributing at $30 million. How can you justify this aberration?"

Mike Brown: "You have to realize, Ron, that money is the key to everything. You use all tactics available including threatening to move to another city to accomplish your goal."

Myself: "If the completion of the new Reds stadium is delayed past 2003, there will not be any required penalties paid by Hamilton County. However, if your new Paul Brown Stadium is not completed by Aug. 1, 2000, the county must pay you $4 million per game for a maximum of six games. In addition, if the Bengals do not sell 50,000 tickets for the first 20 home games, the county must make up the difference. The Reds have no such agreement in their contract. How did you enable these requirements to be included in your contract?"

Mike Brown: "You have to know the monetary and manipulative system. Obviously, I am more knowledgeable in using this system than anyone. Remember, money is the key."

Myself: "Does the word 'winning' mean anything to you, Mike?"

Mike Brown: "Yes, but winning is always secondary and distant from the primary target --- money!"

Suddenly, I awakened and sadly realized that some dreams are actually true.

--- Ronald V. Armor
Deer Park