Barring something unforeseen, the Bengals will let Pelfrey go by Tuesday. “They already kept me around a week longer than I thought they would,” Pelfrey said Thursday.

        Neil Rackers, the rookie, is the future. The Bengals are intent on scrubbing their past clean. Doug Pelfrey is the past. He may still be good enough to work in the NFL. But it won't be here.

        When it comes to the Bengals, we write a lot about malcontents, misfits, screw-ups and would-be burger flippers who have wanted off the island. Not enough, probably, about Doug Pelfrey, who not only stayed here gladly but by his presence made this town a better place.

        Simply, Doug Pelfrey has done as much for Cincinnati as any jock, ever. I could list, event by charity event, the commitment Pelfrey has made to the town. But this is a newspaper, not a book.

Acts of kindness
        His foundation, Kicks for Kids, has donated $530,000 to charitable causes since it started in April 1995. His Field of Dreams program has filled the wishes of dozens of terminally and chronically ill kids. One such boy and his parents left Wednesday for four days at an Orlando, Fla., theme park.

        Every year, Pelfrey sends disadvantaged kids to a Kentucky ranch to fish and ride horses. He throws kids a Christmas party. He bought a computer for a child with cystic fibrosis.

        Whenever the Bengals needed a player to appear at a school, a hospital or a community center, Pelfrey was there. Whenever a school called requesting Pelfrey to speak, he showed up.

        A man is rich who uses his time to the benefit of others. Doug Pelfrey is a king.

        I asked Pelfrey what he took from his charity efforts.

        Life, he said.

        “I've gone to Special Olympics where I see kids competing, but also cheering for the other guy. That's what competition is about. That's what life's about,” Pelfrey said.

Giving back
        He has heard the Bengals have kept him around because he is a “good guy.” It's a notion Pelfrey resents, but not for the reason you might expect. “I'm going to be a good guy whether I'm wearing Bengals stripes or some other uniform. It's important we give back to this community. It's my community. I grew up here. I want to try to make it better.”

        When Pelfrey leaves, his foundation won't. “That's a given,” he said.

        You could argue the Bengals have a closed mind when it comes to Pelfrey. That's how he sees it. You could argue that changing snappers and holders affected his delicate timing, which affected his confidence, which caused him to be less of a kicker than he was a few years ago.

        What you can't argue is the profoundly positive effect Pelfrey has had on Cincinnati. We wish much for our athletes. We wish they'd climb down from their pedestals long enough to reveal their humanity. We wish they'd use their lofty status to lift up others. We wrap all of it in a single phrase: Giving back. Pelfrey has done that forever, it seems.

        I don't do this much, but I'm doing it now:

        Thanks, Doug. And goodbye.

        Paul Daugherty welcomes your comments at (513) 768-8454.

        Enquirer columnist Paul Daugherty welcomes your comments at (513) 768-8454.

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