Remember the press conference welcoming Marvin Lewis back as the Cincinnati Bengals’ head coach on Jan. 4? Lewis had finally stood up to the incompetent tyrant known better as owner/president/general manager/asshat Mike Brown, standing firm that he would not return to the team unless major changes were made.

It took serious stones for Lewis to do that. Brown doesn’t like anyone telling him how to run his business. He much prefers screwing it up on his own. But there was Lewis, still Bengals head coach even though he told Brown there needed to be some noticeable differences.

It sounded great. Almost too good to be true.

Because it was.

Here is the true story, and you might want to brace yourself if you’re a fan that was actually expecting the Bengals to start behaving as though they were a good NFL franchise:

• There are going to be zero major changes. Mike Brown basically lied to everyone’s face at the Lewis press conference. Bob Bratkowski isn't going anywhere as the offensive coordinator. There won’t be an indoor practice facility. Brown thinks there is nothing wrong with his scouting department and plans no adjustments or additions in that regard.
• In other words, Marvin caved because he realized there wasn’t another job out there for him. He would have struggled to have been a head coach in the NFL anywhere else (and not just in 2011) so he decided to crawl back with his tail between his legs. For a while there, I had newfound respect for Marvin for the way he stood up to Brown and basically said, “I’m not coming back unless X, Y and Z are done.” However, in the end, he got his Steve Miller on and took the money and ran.
• Oh, and now we know the real story on why Carson Palmer was requesting a trade. It recently came to light that the Bengals approached him about taking a pay-cut (since, you know, he’s the most-overpaid player in the NFL) and Palmer scoffed at the idea. Then, when it became clear to Palmer that no major changes would be made (Lewis’ return coupled by what looks like Brat’s return) Palmer decided to have his agents explore his options. Can’t blame a guy for trying. But this is one of the few instants where I will agree with the Brown family. Palmer should be thankful he’s been paid like one of the elite quarterbacks in the NFL since 2006 … even though he hasn’t played anywhere near to the level of one. He should also be thankful the team brought in his little brother as his caddy/backup QB. So, I’m fully behind the Brown family standing firm here. They've been nothing but good to Palmer. If they can find a great trade for him, fine. But good luck with all that. Other NFL teams know what he is: A mediocre, streaky quarterback who doesn’t have the arm strength or accuracy that he once did. He’s 31 years old and isn’t going to get any better. Does he have a few years left when he could perform somewhat well? Absolutely. But if it happens, it will be in Cincinnati.
• In the draft, it sounds like the Bengals really like Georgia wide receiver A.J. Green. A lot will depend on what happens with Chad Johnson. (Are we calling him that again even though the reverse-name change isn’t official yet?) If the team decides to part ways with Chad via trade (they could probably get at least a late-round pick for him) then you can bank on Green being the pick. I am a best-player-available guy all the way in the draft, but the Bengals always draft on need in the first round. Then again, when they’re on the clock, Green might be the BPA. Other possibilities will be LSU cornerback Patrick Patterson and Alabama defensive lineman Marcell Dareus (who can play DT or strong-side DE). Defensive tackle Nick Fairley will be the top overall pick of the draft and there’s a good chance DE Da’Quan Bowers will go No. 2 overall. So, that will leave the likes of Green, Patterson and Dareus for the Bengals to choose from.
• As for those hoping the Bengals trade down in the first round and perhaps pick up an extra second-round pick, don’t forget that you don’t root for a franchise that has any clue what it’s doing. Remember when the New Orleans Saints offered the Bengals a truckload of picks because they wanted Ricky Williams? Mike Brown decided because he was too enamored with Akili Smith, who Cincinnati drafted No. 3 overall. Yes, these are the type of decisions that make Brown the worst general manager/team president in the NFL. Even if a team approached the Bengals with a good trade, look for Brown to turn it down. So, it certainly looks like the Bengals will end up sticking with the No. 4 pick; now it’s just a matter of who it will be. I have been saying Green will be the choice and I’m sticking with that.
• The Bengals need to slap the franchise tag on cornerback Johnathan Joseph – if the tag still exists when/if the new Collective Bargaining Agreement (that’s “CBA” for all the Antonio Cromartie clones out there) is signed. You can’t let a talented player at a valuable position like that walk just because he’s had a two injury-riddled years out of his five seasons in the league. The Bengals worked for all these years to find two good corners and what do you want to bet they’ll find a way to screw it up?
• It sounds like the team doesn’t have much interest in re-signing running back Cedric Benson, unless his contract demands come way down. I really don’t see any other team giving Benson big money, so I don’t think this ship has sailed yet in terms of Benson returning to the Queen City. But it sounds like the Bengals are planning to go with Bernard Scott and then a relatively-high draft pick (second or third round). One name that has been mentioned is Mikel Leshore from Illinois. Alabama’s Mark Ingram is another intriguing name, but he’s not likely to slip to the early part of the second round. The Bengals would likely have to trade down in the first round to get Ingram, but once again Brown isn't creative enough to pull off these sort of maneuvers.
• The team definitely needs to find an impact safety in this draft. Course, it seems like we say that almost every year and they never find one. And considering all the other needs they have, it won’t be shocking if they don’t use an early pick on a safety. They might wait until the fourth or fifth round, unless a really good one falls in their lap in the second or third. I would personally love Tyler Sash who I’ve been touting as a future NFL star since the first time I saw him play at Iowa.
• The other major need is on the offensive line. Thanks to Andre “The Bust” Smith unfortunately living up to his nickname and then some, the Bengals can’t count on him for anything. They also have issues at left guard (where Nate Livings struggled last year and Evan Mathis is nothing more than a backup) and right tackle (where Smith is supposed to be, but isn’t). There is a chance former fourth-round pick Anthony Collins will step up in 2011 – he showed flashes in 2010 as a third-year player – but you would think he would have proved himself by now if he was ever going to be anything more than a decent backup.
• Overall, the Bengals have a bevy of question marks as they enter the 2011 offseason. Good thing Brown doesn't feel any major changes are needed. And yes, I understand there is something to be said for continuity since there is a chance of a lockout, but I would take my chances with a new offensive coordinator. Brat has proved he's not the right man for the job. He's been in Cincinnati for a full decade for Christ's sake. What more do you need to see? But he's got a year left on his contract and you know the extremely-cheap Brown wants nothing to do with firing him and then having to still pay him what he was owed. Wouldn't it be nice to have an owner that occasionally sacrified making a buck in order to win? Yes, we all root for the wrong team if that's what we're looking for.

Where do I come down on the report that Carson Palmer has perhaps requested a trade? Well, presuming it’s true, it depends on his rationale.

If this is Palmer’s way of putting pressure on the Bengals’ front office to finally get rid of Bob Bratkowski as offensive coordinator, then good for him. Palmer must be frustrated with the lack of direction and the absence of any imagination in regards to the offense. Like anyone else, he can see it’s time for Brat to go. Hopefully this is just a ploy from Palmer’s agents to make it clear their client wants real changes, without Palmer having to come out and say it on-the-record himself. (Although, that might actually be a better plan than allowing your agents to talk for you.)

However, if this is just about Palmer wanting out because he thinks he’s too good for Cincinnati or something to that effect, he needs a reality check. First of all, it’s easy to make the argument that he’s one of the most-overpaid players in the NFL at $11.5 million per season (which doesn’t even include the combined $24 million signing bonus/roster bonus that came along with his 2005 contract extension that he's already pocketed). Palmer was the king of the pick-6 this year and three good games to end the season when the games didn’t matter doesn’t take away from the fact that he’s been average-at-best for the last two seasons (he was injured for most of 2008, but was pedestrian to open that year as well).

Also, the team has bent over backwards to accommodate him, doing things like signing his unqualified little brother Jordan to be the backup quarterback.

So, Carson Palmer should just shut up (or tell his agents to shut up) and be thankful that he’s getting paid way too much money to be a mediocre quarterback in the NFL.

By the way, has Brat been fired yet? No? Damn.

It’s anyone’s guess as to what will happen with the Bengals’ offensive coordinator position this offseason. I personally think it’s time for Bob Bratkowski to leave, but he does have one year left on his contract and we all know the extremely-frugal Mike Brown will not want to pay someone a hefty salary for not working.

However, there is word that head coach Marvin Lewis is strongly pushing for Bratkowski to be shown the door. But who would replace Brat if he does leave? Well, former Vikings head coach Brad Childress met with Lewis in Cincinnati late last week, so that is one name that is being thrown out there. Normally, I would think there was no chance of that transpiring, but Childress could actually come on the cheap. (And we know Brown would love that.) Since he was fired with three years left on his guaranteed contract, Childress is owed a total of $9 million by the Vikings ($3 mil in each of the next three years). If another team signs Childress to coach for them, the Vikings would have to pay the difference in salary. For example, if Childress is paid $500,000 by the Bengals (or another team) the Vikings would be left on the hook for $2.5 million. (Leaving the question to be: Why wouldn’t a team just sign Childress for $1 and allow the Vikings to make up the other $2,999,999.? You know Childress would love to stick it to Vikings owner Zygi Wilf. [And not just because no one should be named Zygi.])

I would love to see the Bengals hire Childress or someone else from outside the organization to run the offense. It’s past time for Bob “Throw-A-3-Yard-Pass-On-Third-And-6” Bratkowski to go. His offensive play-calling is predictable and he does a horrible job of adjusting in-game to the adjustments that the opposing defense is making on him. I can’t imagine what he’s done to earn the right to retain his job.

That said, he will likely be back if I had to guess because of the fact he has the one year left on his contract. Brown is so cheap he will hold on to him for an additional season, because he won’t want to pay him for golfing.

I hope I’m wrong. We’ll keep the readers updated on this fluid situation. This will be our first true indictation if meaningful changes are really on the way, or if that was just more lip service from the un-funny clown, Mike Brown.

At first glance, it appears like the Cincinnati Reds made a great move on Sunday when they signed National League Most Valuable Player Joey Votto to a three-year/$38 million contract.

In this day and age in Major League Baseball, locking up a player like Votto for less than $13 million per season looks like a bargain on the surface.

However, for Reds fans, this really means nothing. Votto would have been arbitration-eligible for the next three years regardless. He could not have been a free agent until after the 2013 season.

So, basically the Reds estimated what Votto would make via arbitration over the next three years and offered him a contract in that range, wiping out all his arbitration years. This all would have been much-better from the Reds’ perspective if they could have “bought-out” one of his free agent years, but it’s easy to see why Votto and his agent didn’t want to do that quite yet. Three years is still a decent amount of time and then Votto and the Reds can figure out whether they want to engage in long-term deal. (A very-expensive one, no doubt.)

So, why would Votto want to sign this recently-completed three-year deal? Simple: It protects him in the event he would have a catastrophic injury. Also, unless he continues to put up absurd seasons like he did in 2010 (.324 batting average, 37 home runs, 113 RBIs, 1.024 OPS, 16 stolen bases, 106 runs scored), Votto likely wouldn't have made much-more than the $38 million that the Reds will be giving him over the next three seasons. If he would continue to be NL MVP each year, sure he would make more than $38 million total the next three years through the arbitration process, but why chance it? His numbers could take a subtle dip (I don’t think they’ll take much of one if he stays healthy, he is just too much of a natural hitter) and there is always the possibility of injury.

Also, this prevents the Reds and Votto from having to go through the uncomfortable process that is arbitration for the next few years. Even if the case doesn’t actually go in front of an arbitrator (and it's really bad when it does because basically you have a team telling a judge all the things they don’t like about the player in question) you have to figure out a dollar figure that works for both sides, which takes away from other things the front office could be concentrating on. This way, the Reds know exactly what they will be paying for Votto from 2011-13.

Bottom line: I like this move, but it doesn’t mean much in the grand scheme. Hopefully Votto views it as a good-faith effort and will be more apt to sign with Cincinnati long-term when he approaches free agency. Although, the way it’s looking, the Reds will have to back the truck up (and then call in a few more trucks) if they want to keep Votto beginning in 2014. He will command something around the $25-million-per-year range and it’s difficult to imagine a franchise like the Reds paying that much for any player.

But it’s a great problem to have in many respects. The Reds have a phenomenal young player in Votto, 27, who is the reigning MVP, and they’ll have him leading their offense batting in the three-hole for at least the next three years.

By the way, The Pride Of Canada made exactly $525,000 last year in what was the best bargain in baseball. The Toronto native was a second-round draft pick by the Reds in 2002.

Here is my very-early look at what the Cincinnati Reds' roster, starting lineup and pitching staff will look like in 2011, including a prediction on their final record.

A few notes before we start:

* I have six starting pitchers listed and I think any of them could be headed for big years. One of them is sure to have some sort of injury -- these things always have a way of working themselves out. So, instead of throwing darts against the wall and trying to pick the top five, I'm going to list all six of the deserved pitchers in the starting rotation for now. If they all happen to stay healthy, one of them can be used in the bullpen until a spot re-opens in the rotation.

* I'm giving myself a total of 27 roster spots (as opposed to 25) because there is sure to be a couple players not ready for Opening Day due to spring training nicks and bruises (and hopefully nothing more serious than that).

* Rather than do a projected lineup against right-handed pitchers and a separate one against left-handers, I just did one. Obviously, Jonny Gomes (or someone like like Chris Heisey) will get the majority of starts in left field when the Reds face left-handed starting pitchers. But I am projecting Fred Lewis to get the majority of starts in LF. I also think Edgar Renteria will end up starting more games at shortstop than Paul Janish, although that will also be a platoon situation of sorts. At catcher, I look for Ryan Hanigan and Ramon Hernandez to start nearly the same amount of games if each of them stays healthy, which is why I listed them both in the starting lineup in platoon format.

2011 CINCINNATI REDS

Starting Pitching Rotation

1. Bronson Arroyo
2. Edinson Volquez
3. Johnny Cueto
4. Travis Wood (lefty)
5. Mike Leake
6. Homer Bailey

Bullpen (in order of importance)

• Francisco Cordero (closer)
• Aroldis Chapman (lefty)
• Nick Masset
• Bill Bray (lefty)
• Logan Ondrusek
• Jared Burton

Lineup

1. Fred Lewis – LF
2. Brandon Phillips – 2B
3. Joey Votto – 1B
4. Scott Rolen – 3B
5. Jay Bruce – RF
6. Drew Stubbs – CF
7. Edgar Renteria – SS
8. Ryan Hanigan/Ramon Hernandez – C

Reserves

• Jonny Gomes – OF
• Chris Heisey – OF
• Juan Francisco – 3B
• Paul Janish – SS
• Yonder Alonso – 1B
• Miguel Cairo – UTL

Prediction: 89-73

I could be way off here, but it sure looks like the Cleveland Browns did nothing to upgrade themselves in the coaching department with the hiring of rookie head coach Pat Shurmur.

Not only do I not believe Shurmur is an upgrade over Eric Mangini (who isn’t good, but isn’t terrible), this means the Browns are going to lose defensive coordinator Rob Ryan. The latter proved he was one of the better assistant coaches in the NFL in 2010 in my opinion with some of the schemes he put together against explosive offenses such as the Patriots and Saints.

Shurmur was the Rams’ offensive coordinator the past two seasons and one could argue he did about as well as anyone could expect with such a young roster. However, the Rams were 29^th in total offense in 2009 and 26^th this season, so it’s not like he was working miracles.

The real kicker here is that Browns team president Mike Holmgren (and others in the Browns’ front office) have the same agent as Shurmur. This reeks of a hiring out of convenience/helping out a friend.

Was there any other NFL team even interested in interviewing Shurmur for a head coaching position? If so, I certainly missed it. And the whole “we all have the same agent” thing really makes you shake your head. Maybe it means nothing. Or maybe it means guys in high-powered positions in the NFL are giving other high-powered NFL jobs to people that are not qualified for the position.

In other words, good news for the Bengals.

And all this really doesn’t surprise me. Holmgren might be a good coach (and I think he will take over for Shurmur as the Browns' HC sometime within the next two years) but as he proved in Seattle, he’s not a good general manager. Only when the Seahawks removed him as GM did they finally get good during his tenure. I love that there is this myth that Holmgren knows what he's doing from a player personnel standpoint. Yeah, the guy that gave Jake Delhomme $7 million guaranteed this offseason? A quarterback no one else in the NFL wanted?

So, good luck with this one, Brownies. As Bengal fans, we can’t make fun of too many NFL teams. But thanks for being one of the few exceptions. (Also like to give a shout-out to the Lions.)

The Cincinnati Reds signed outfielder Fred Lewis to a one-year contract on Tuesday, giving the team all the parts it feels necessary to repeat as National League Central champions.

Lewis, 30, will likely start in left field against right-handed pitchers and will bat leadoff. In 2010 with the Toronto Blue Jays, Lewis batted .262 with eight home runs, 36 RBIs, 17 steals and an OPS of .745.

Lewis has a career OPS of .796 against righties and could form a nice platoon tandem with Jonny Gomes in LF.

More good news for the Reds is they landed Lewis on the cheap, signing him for $900,000.

I don’t expect general manager Walt Jocketty to make any major moves between now and the start of the season. This is a Reds team that had two holes to fill – shortstop and left field/leadoff hitter – and they filled them both this week. (Including the inking of SS Edgar Renteria.)

The Reds just signed the World Series MVP!

OK, that sounds way better than it actually is, but I still like the inking of veteran shortstop Edgar Renteria to a one-year, $3 million contract. (UPDATE: The deal is actually one-year, $2.1 million, with the chance to earn $900,000 in performance bonuses.)

Renteria, 35, takes the spot of the departed Orlando Cabrera as the Reds’ starting SS. Interestingly, both players hail from the country of Columbia.

Paul Janish will serve as the backup once again, but is sure to get a good share of starts when Renteria needs a rest (or is injured).

Renteria used to be known as a slick defensive player, but has clearly lost range the last few years. However, he’s still more of an asset than a liability in the field, and it gives the Reds some quality depth at the position at not much of a cost. The San Francisco Giants had a $9.5 million option to keep Renteria this year, but obviously declined.

In 2010 with the Giants, Renteria was placed on the disabled list three times, and finished the regular season with a .276 batting average with three home runs and 22 RBIs in 72 games. He broke out in the World Series when he batted .412 and belted a pair of home runs, leading the Giants to their first WS title since moving from New York.

Renteria has two World Series rings as he was a starter on the 1997 Florida Marlins team that defeated the Cleveland Indians. In fact, Renteria had the game-winning hit with two outs in the 11th inning of Game 7.

Renteria (not to be confused with the Sublime hit "Santeria") will be entering his 16th Major League season in 2011 and has a career batting average of .287. He has also amassed 2,252 career hits, 135 home runs and 290 stolen bases. Renteria is a five-time All-Star selection (1998, 2000, '03-04, '06) and a two-time Gold-Glove winner (2002-03). The Reds will be the seventh MLB team he's played for, including: Florida (1996-98), St. Louis (1999-04), Boston (2005), Atlanta (2006-07), Detroit (2008) and San Francisco (2009-10).

I like this pickup quite a bit. Janish is not an everyday player in my opinion and the Reds aren’t paying much to get Renteria. If he stays healthy, it will be a bargain. If he has injury problems (which is a very-realistic possibility) Janish can fill in, and Zack Cozart is also knocking at the MLB door (he will be the AAA shortstop at Louisville again). Chris Valaika can also play shortstop, although I see him more as a second baseman/utility infielder.

Now let’s hope general manager Walt Jocketty is able to cross the final item of his wish list: a leadoff hitter that can play left field.

A topsy-turvy Tuesday ended with Marvin Lewis re-signing with the Cincinnati Bengals as head coach, per ESPN. The annoucment came down just before 4 p.m. EST.

Lewis will be entering his 9th season with the Bengals in 2011. He was the NFL's Coach of the Year in 2009 when he led Cincinnati to the AFC North championship. He has a career mark of 60-67-1.

I'm happy about this. I was never a Lewis fan, but he showed me something by standing up to Mike Brown and making demands. Also, no way Brown would've found anyone better.

Now let's hope Bob Bratkowski is shown the axe as offensive coordinator. If they keep him around, we'll then know for sure nothing will be different. However, if he's shiped out, it will be a clear sign Lewis is finally getting his way. (Brown loves Brat for some reason. Maybe because he likes offensive coordinators that call 3-yard passing plays on third-and-4.

Well, so much for Marvin Lewis returning to the Bengals. ESPN just broke in during College Football Live to report that talks have broken off between the Cincinnati Bengals and Marvin Lewis.

My take is that Mike Brown's cheap ass probably wasn't willing to meet Marv's demands. Mikey doesn't like anyone telling him how to run his business, despite the fact that he's by far and away the worst owner in the NFL.

I actually had a newfound respect for Lewis for the way he stood up to Brown and said in so many words: "I'm not coming back unless you take care of X, Y, Z." I still don't think Lewis is a good head coach, but Brown won't find anyone better. So, in recent days I had actually changed my tune and wanted Lewis back. Again, no good coach is going to want to work for Brown, so Lewis is probably as good as it will get in Cincinnati under Brown. Remember, this is the same man that thought it was a good idea to fire Sam Wyche and replace him with a rookie coach in Dave Shula. Brown is awful at nearly everything and one of them is hiring head coaches. (Keep in mind Lewis wasn't his first choice 8 years ago. Mike Mularkey was.) So, I fully expect the next coach of the Bengals to be no better than Lewis. The best we can hope for as Bengal fans is someone as good as Lewis. Or, should I say, someone as mediocre as Lewis. (Hey, mediocre is way better than Shula, Bruce Coslet and Dick LeBeau. The latter is a great defensive coordinator, but is not a head coach. So, thanks for your mediocrity, Marv. It's far better than anything we were treated to since Wyche left town.)