Menu
Franchises

Bengals' Ownership Structure Remains One Of Last Old-School Family Models In NFL

Mike Brown still holds the title of Bengals President and Owner, but he "admits the title is just that and little else these days," according to a profile by Paul Dehner Jr. of the CINCINNATI ENQUIRER. The "vast majority of day-to-day operations aren’t on his radar anymore." They fall to his daughter, Exec VP Katie Blackburn, her husband, VP Troy Blackburn, and Mike Brown's son Paul, who is VP/Player Personnel. Mike’s brother Pete is still Exec VP/Player Personnel. Outside of NFL circles, "not much is known" about Katie Blackburn. She "works quietly and purposely avoids the public eye." Dehner Jr. noted in the "growing business mogul paradise that is the NFL, the old football family model draws closer and closer to extinction." Mike Brown said, "It’s been a tsunami." As in every era of challenges for the Brown family, they "approach these new-age problems the same way as the old ones." They practice "loyalty to each other and those welcomed into their circle." Katie Blackburn: "We’ve treated the football team like it’s a person. You want to make sure it’s healthy and strong." There are "more or less eight old-school football families left in the league." They include the Cardinals (Bidwills), Bears (McCaskeys), Bengals (Browns), Lions (Fords), Chiefs (Hunts), Giants (Maras), Raiders (Davis') and Steelers (Rooneys). Football families who "fell by the wayside" of late include the Bills (Wilsons), Ravens (Modells), and Falcons (Smiths). It is "hard not to see the difference at the annual owners’ meetings when the Bengals settle into the same spot they have for half a century in the front, left corner of the room." With their "differing opinion defending small markets and core values of the game, other owners would always know where the Browns were" (CINCINNATI ENQUIRER, 8/1).

SBJ Morning Buzzcast: March 25, 2024

NFL meeting preview; MLB's opening week ad effort and remembering Peter Angelos.

Big Get Jay Wright, March Madness is upon us and ESPN locks up CFP

On this week’s pod, our Big Get is CBS Sports college basketball analyst Jay Wright. The NCAA Championship-winning coach shares his insight with SBJ’s Austin Karp on key hoops issues and why being well dressed is an important part of his success. Also on the show, Poynter Institute senior writer Tom Jones shares who he has up and who is down in sports media. Later, SBJ’s Ben Portnoy talks the latest on ESPN’s CFP extension and who CBS, TNT Sports and ESPN need to make deep runs in the men’s and women's NCAA basketball tournaments.

SBJ I Factor: Nana-Yaw Asamoah

SBJ I Factor features an interview with AMB Sports and Entertainment Chief Commercial Office Nana-Yaw Asamoah. Asamoah, who moved over to AMBSE last year after 14 years at the NFL, talks with SBJ’s Ben Fischer about how his role model parents and older sisters pushed him to shrive, how the power of lifelong learning fuels successful people, and why AMBSE was an opportunity he could not pass up. Asamoah is 2021 SBJ Forty Under 40 honoree. SBJ I Factor is a monthly podcast offering interviews with sports executives who have been recipients of one of the magazine’s awards.

Shareable URL copied to clipboard!

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Daily/Issues/2017/08/03/Franchises/Bengals.aspx

Sorry, something went wrong with the copy but here is the link for you.

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Daily/Issues/2017/08/03/Franchises/Bengals.aspx

CLOSE