The buck stops here, players say

Monday, December 28, 1998
The buck stops here, players say
Many cite need for discipline, field general

BY GEOFF HOBSON
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Rookie LB Takeo Spikes, celebrating one of his 11 tackles Sunday, says he's ready to step into the leadership void.
(Ernest Coleman photo)

| ZOOM |

While Bengals fans are pointing fingers upstairs at team President Mike Brown for ways to improve their downtrodden team, the players ended their season Sunday looking inside the locker room for answers:
• Some Bengals who didn't want to be identified hoped Brown gives coach Bruce Coslet and his assistants the freedom to run a tighter ship next season.
The players said they fear some young guys have come under the influence of disgruntled veterans in not showing coaches, teammates and the game enough respect.
Apparently, there was too much laughing and joking after Sunday's loss for some players.
Carl Pickens, the free agent wide receiver who has already said he wants out of Cincinnati, reportedly marched into the locker room singing, “This is it,” according to one witness.
• Many players back the idea of offseason workouts, but several say it's important they have more input in the strength and conditioning program. For example, some want the chance to lift more weight and lift in more sets than what the club prescribes.
• To a man, every player approached after Sunday's debacle said the Bengals need to fill the void of locker room leadership left by quarterback Boomer Esiason's move to the TV booth after last season.
In fact, rookie inside linebacker Takeo Spikes, the Bengals' No. 1 draft pick and defensive MVP, volunteered for the job Sunday.
“Damn right,” Spikes said. “It's too long to go through something like this again. Everything I have to offer I'm putting on the table, and I'm not waiting for training camp. It's going to be mini-camp. We've got a lot of good young players, I just think we need a few more older guys like (defensive end) Clyde (Simmons).”
Kicker Doug Pelfrey, who just finished the third 3-13 season of his six-year career, doesn't expect a change in coaches. But he does expect change.
“There's got to be. It's getting old,” Pelfrey said. “There's got to be a change in attitude or something. I know some players won't come back and some won't be asked back.
“The two things we need are to get older and establish some leaders along with our young guys. We have good players. We need key players to step up and be leaders. Certain teams have as much talent, but they have better leaders or more of them.”
Eric Kresser, the first-year player who became the Bengals fourth and final quarterback of the season, said the offseason must start “right now.” He said it's not up to Brown or Coslet or anyone else. Just the Bengals themselves.
“Last year, the first time I saw anybody was mini-camp,” Kresser said. “We need to be here in the off season and start getting everything together before the coaches make us come in. That's our responsibility. This is our job. Just because the season ends doesn't mean our jobs do.”

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