By Mark Curnutte
The Cincinnati Enquirer

SAN DIEGO - NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue likes the Bengals' hiring of Marvin Lewis but acknowledged Friday that the move is just the beginning of the team's rebuilding process.

Asked whether he is aware of the fractured relationship between the Bengals and their fans and the community, Mr. Tagliabue said, "I'm aware of the frustration and anger, as is Mike Brown."

Mr. Brown, the Bengals president, has presided over a 55-137 composite record during a 12-year run without a playoff berth. The San Diego Chargers have the second-longest postseason drought at seven years.

The 2002 Bengals finished with a league- and franchise-worst 2-14 record.

Mr. Tagliabue, speaking at his annual state-of-the-NFL news conference during Super Bowl week, said the Jan. 14 hiring of Mr. Lewis as the head coach is a "positive step toward turning things around."

"I think that is not an end for Mike," Mr. Tagliabue said. "Having had some discussions with him, I know that he sees that as a beginning.

"And his goal is to get the Bengals back to how they were when they played in two Super Bowls in one decade in the '80s."

The Bengals were the AFC champion in 1981 and 1988.

Mr. Brown could not be reached Friday night to respond to the commissioner's comments.

Mr. Tagliabue also intimated that he does not intend to meet with Hamilton County Commissioner Todd Portune, who has threatened to go to court in an attempt to force the Bengals to renegotiate their Paul Brown Stadium lease with the county.

"What we're going to do is try to support the Bengals in their turnaround effort, to make sure the new stadium is where there is good football and football the fans can be proud of, and try to steer things away from litigation," Mr. Tagliabue said.

"Litigation ordinarily just diverts resources and sets back efforts to achieve progress in terms of the quality of the team."

Mr. Portune said he would file a taxpayer suit on Monday that will seek a renegotiated stadium lease or other forms of financial relief for Hamilton County.

He said the Bengals have not made good-faith efforts to field a competitive team, which, he said, is spelled out in the lease agreement.

The Bengals have an NFL-worst 19-61 record over the past five seasons, despite a system that rewards them for poor performance with high draft picks and a weighted schedule. The Bengals have had the 10th, fourth (twice) and third overall draft picks in the past four seasons. They have the first overall pick in April's draft this year.

The cap on player salaries also is intended to increase parity throughout the league. The cost of player salaries is more than covered by the $80 million in shared revenue the Bengals received in fiscal year 2002 just for being an NFL member team.

"We have a league right now which is very, very competitive," Mr. Tagliabue said. "And we have a structure that allows for and encourages, almost mandates, people to compete aggressively.

"And those few teams that have been struggling are well aware both of their opportunity under the structure and of the interest of their fans in putting winning teams on the field."

Mr. Tagliabue also referred to the ownership of Arthur Blank in Atlanta as a model that struggling teams such as the Bengals could follow.

The Falcons rebounded from a 7-9 record to finish 9-6-1 in Mr. Blank's first year of ownership. The Falcons qualified for the NFC playoffs as a wildcard team and upset Green Bay before losing to Philadelphia. Fan interest was restimulated in Atlanta by a good Falcons team and reduced ticket prices at the Georgia Dome.

As for the Bengals, Mr. Tagliabue said, "What we need to do is encourage them to take the steps that they're taking. Those turnarounds have become an exciting part of the NFL each year.

"The system is in place, and I think the owners know that."

E-mail mcurnutte@enquirer.com

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