NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue gave Mike Brown a vote of confidence Tuesday, saying the worst thing that could be done would be for the team to drastically sway from its current plans.

        Tagliabue, who toured Paul Brown Stadium on Tuesday while in town to speak to business leaders, asked Bengals fans to be patient with the players and with Brown.

        “I'm sure that the people who are most disappointed are Mike, the coaching staff and the players, and they've made clear their commitment to turning it around,” Tagliabue said. “The worst thing you can do is start to feel sorry for yourself. Tough times are when you have to get tougher.”

        Tagliabue also cited the recent ascension to the NFL's elite of such past losers as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Indianapolis Colts and St.Louis Rams.

        “A lot of people think the Rams were turned around overnight, but I don't really share that point of view,” Tagliabue said. “Isaac Bruce was drafted in 1994, and others were selected afterwards with specific purposes in mind. What appears to be an overnight turnaround is actually a six-year period of building the talent level.”

        Tagliabue also reiterated his support for Paul Brown Stadium, despite the team's lack of success in it so far. The commissioner said a top-level facility was one of the factors needed for a team to be competitive and attract free agents. He mentioned Houston, where he said failure to build a new stadium left the city without a team.

        Tagliabue defended Brown's management of the team, saying Brown represents some of the best things about the NFL, including an appreciation for tradition and continuity, but at the same time a willingness to innovate and change.

        “It doesn't happen overnight and it doesn't happen by waving a magic wand,” Tagliabue said. “It happens by getting good players, retaining them and developing a system that works. They've got a philosophy here that's time-tested, they've just got to stick to it. Most people who reinvent themselves find that doesn't stand too well in life.”
        The Associated Press/AL BEHRMAN NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue (left) voiced his support for Bengals president Mike Brown after a tour of Paul Brown Stadium Tuesday.

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