If being cheap means not letting guys stuff their pockets with bottles of Gatorade, then Bengals coach Marvin Lewis is happy to be regarded as cheap.
Responding to recent complaints from former Bengals cornerback Johnathan Joseph regarding his perception that the franchise is parsimonious, coach Marvin Lewis gladly took blame for the notion that players should get as much as they want of whatever they want.
“I was told this morning about Johnathan’s comments that were printed,” Lewis said in a Wednesday chat on Cincinnati.com. “It’s my fault that I feel that a player doesn’t need to take a dozen Gatorades home in his backpack each night and that we are paying him a salary. I’m sure that Johnathan would not have been one of the abusive players but it is my policy.”
Of course, Joseph mentioned more than Gatorade. He talked about soap and deodorant being available for players in Houston, and the fact that the Texans rent one hotel room per player on road trips, without requiring players to share. Lewis didn’t address those concerns.
It’s no secret that the Bengals are extremely careful with money. But Joseph clumsily took the issue too far, griping about the team’s reluctance to do what no responsible employer ever would.