Vilified Bengals president finds connection with maligned Owens

GEORGETOWN, Ky. -- Bengals president Mike Brown stood in front of a group of reporters inside Paul Brown Stadium and began to speak about public perception earlier this week.

Keywords held in the air: Misunderstood. Mistakes. Negativity.

Owens is with his fifth team in eight seasons. (AP)

Out of context, one could assume the statements of the Cincinnati Bengals long-maligned president could be self-reflecting on his own public image in a city that only a few years ago hung billboards criticizing his performance.

But no, these words weren't about Brown. These were about Terrell Owens.

Brown believes what he sees. Nothing more, nothing less. Years of being judged and criticized by a fan base he felt to be unaware of the inner-workings of his business molded this theory. So, when he sat down in March to meet for the first time with Owens, he left any reality-show segments and talk-show fodder outside of his office.

"Privately, he is not at all the way his public image is depicted," Brown said of Owens. "I found him engaging. I do trust my own eyes on this sort of thing."

Trusting his eyes is exactly what created a franchise still without a playoff victory under Brown's two-decade long supervision. Yet, through all the banter and billboards, David Klingers and Akili Smiths, Brown burrowed ahead, doing what he believed to be right.

It's why when Brown and his new media magnet receiver met face to face, a connection quickly formed. Brown and Owens were both impressed by each other because they held common experiences.

Both can be viewed as misunderstood. Both believe they walk the path to redemption.

"There is a lot of commentary about people who are in the public eye," Brown said. "Some of it is way overboard. Some of it is because people don't really know the situation. Yes, people can make mistakes. It doesn't mean they go on the rest of their lives making mistakes. They can get their ship pointed in the right direction."

The Bengals training complex at Georgetown College has become an ocean of ships changing direction. Matt Jones, Adam Jones, Tank Johnson and Cedric Benson all experienced the backlash of a disapproving public. All felt misunderstood and doubted at one time or another during their careers.

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They all found a home under the eyes of an owner who can commiserate.

"All that you hear is not all that I am," said Tank Johnson, who was suspended by the NFL for eight games during the 2007 season for violation of the league's personal conduct policy. "[Brown] had a good concept of that."

Now, the concept will be pushed to its threshold to see if it holds. Owens took the field with his fifth team in the past eight seasons Thursday night. The buzz which drew lines of cameras and thousands of fans to rural Kentucky came as much for his performance on the field as off it.

He, much like the owner who trusted his eyes and believed in him, will have a chance to prove the critics wrong.

"I think if you listen to what people said about my character, I think it is far off base," said Owens, who admitted those questions about his behavior affected his value in free agency. "Ask guys around the league, they will tell you how I am in the locker room and on the field. Those negative things are always hearsay and always from other sources."

And Brown chose not to listen to them. He never has. He never will. It's the reason Owens wears orange and black.

"I don't profess to do anything but judge people the way I see them," Brown said. "I am not going to defend that. I have the right to do it and I choose to do it."

Brown understands what it's like to be vilified. Brown understands the human nature reaction to being doubted and questioned at every move.

Neither Owens nor Brown have stood on the NFL mountaintop and looked down at those who questioned and felt the ultimate vindication. With this one swift move, with this one final trust of his gut instinct, Mike Brown took a bold step at delivering just that for both of them.