Now that another football season has ended, Bengals fans have little to celebrate. 1999 was a year of flubs and fumbles, missed passes and miffed masses. Many season ticket-holders are reportedly showing their disgust by canceling their seat licenses. Some say they will never go to another Bengals game again.

Taxpayers have even less to be happy about, thanks to the Hamilton County Commissioners who, on behalf of the citizens, signed a generous stadium lease agreement with Bengals president Mike Brown. The worst team in the NFL has the most lucrative public stadium deal in the country.

While the reasons for their poor performance are open to debate, one thing seems certain-- the Bengals will never get better until Mike Brown steps aside and allows someone else to run the game. Unfortunately, this is about as likely to happen as natural grass growing in Cinergy Field.

With Paul Brown Stadium and the accompanying fringe benefits, the County Commissioners have given the Bengals plenty of incentive to stay in Cincinnati, but little motivation to play better football. As long as the county guarantees Mike Brown millions of dollars in profits, he never has to win another game as long as he lives. This is not good for the fans or the taxpayers.

That is why I am proposing that the County Commissioners and Mr. Brown immediately renegotiate the stadium lease agreement in the interest of civic responsibility.

Among the outrageous provisions in the contract that can and should be rewritten are the following:

• The taxpayers guarantee 50,000 tickets sold per game
• The taxpayers pay penalties to the Bengals if Paul Brown Stadium is not completed on time
• The Bengals have stadium management rights
• The Bengals can sell stadium naming rights
• The taxpayers must pay for expensive high-tech gadgets for the stadium in the future
• The Bengals control all advertising in and around the stadium
• The Bengals control food and beverage concessions for non-Bengals events

Clearly, the stadium contract cannot be renegotiated without Mike Brown's cooperation. But with the right amount of arm-twisting, I believe he can be persuaded to renegotiate the lease in the public interest. And who better to twist Mr. Brown's arm than the public official who masterminded the deal in the first place, Commissioner Bob Bedinghaus? Such a move will generate good will, which, right now, both men desperately need.

This is not about bashing the Bengals because of their poor performance. The stadium contract would be just as obscene even if they were bound for the Super Bowl. But their 4-12 record further illustrates the absurdity of giving so much to a team that is doing so little.

Mike Brown's final legacy remains unwritten. The choice is his. He can hold the county to an unfair contract that was signed by gullible county commissioners. Or he can step forward immediately and demonstrate a generosity of spirit by renegotiating the stadium lease. Such a gesture will benefit his reputation far more in the longrun than the excessive profits he stands to make at taxpayers' expense.

If you agree that the Bengals stadium lease should be renegotiated, please let Mike Brown and the Hamilton County Commissioners know. You can write to them at the following addresses:

Commissioner Bob Bedinghaus
Commissioner Tom Neyer, Jr.
Commissioner John Dowlin
Hamilton County Administration Building
138 E. Court Street
Cincinnati, Ohio 45202

Mike Brown
President
Cincinnati Bengals
1 Bengals Drive
Cincinnati, Ohio 45204