BY The Cincinnati Enquirer
On being lambasted in the media: It's hard to sit here and get trashed, but it's part of the job. I can withstand it. I was brought up to withstand it. . . . No one likes it when it's happening to them. I don't either. But I'm not going to whine about it. And listen, I'm at fault. I had to have something to do with it.
On living without football: I imagine everybody could live without certain things, but I wouldn't do it to myself purposefully (i.e. remove himself as general manager). I'll bear up under it (the criticism) and try to correct it (the meltdown).
On the banners fans have hung at Cinergy Field: I was thinking as I came into the stadium (for the Buffalo game), what are some of the things I would say (as a fan)? I'd use the word "clown" and rhyme it with Brown. Sure enough. I'd say "Step Down Mike Brown." There it was.
On the fan who lowered a banner from the upper deck and dangled it in front of Mr. Brown's private box: That one made me laugh, because it reminded me of my frustrations as a school-kid. The bully of the class would ask me, "What's the color of brown, Brown?" And there was nothing I could do about it. He was a lot bigger than me. It was certainly a well-printed sign. But I had to read it as it wrapped around.
On the fans being angry, but largely still coming to games: We've been very fortunate. We've kept a foundation of fans; we're lucky and we know it. Right now, the best of our fans are speaking up.
On the thought of hiring a high-profile director of football operations: The easy thing for me to do would be to put somebody else out there and let them catch all the arrows. . . . If you have someone you give a title to -- somebody who does what some of the rest of us do here -- will that make a difference? Probably not. If we get the right guy, it will make a difference. And we've talked about some of those right guys.
On his own years as the No. 2 guy for his late father, Paul Brown: We can argue maybe I'm a better No. 2 than No. 1, I don't know.
On whether he has a favorite person in history who faced "serious odds": (Pause) Joan of Arc. (Mike laughed at his own joke, knowing the reporter was seeking a parallel to Mike's own dire situation. Joan did not overcome her odds. She was burned at the stake.)
