Guestblog: "Unseen Costs: Shayne Graham's Price Tag"

Yes!! An update to the Bengals content on our blog! I love this post (written, as always, by my little brother Bradley) and I've put my favorite paragraph in bold. Even if you're not a football fan, give 'er a skim. Thank you Bradley!

As excepted, Shayne Graham's pair of missed goals during the Bengals' 24-14 wild card playoff loss to the New York Jets had a significant backlash-- one that will cost him his job.

But it's been all but subtle, as the Bengals have brought on two new place-kickers to match up against the veteran's impressive seven year stint with the Bengals, who brings with him one pro-bowl invitation, All-Pro honors, a franchise leader in field goals, and a laundry list of other highlights. But as for Graham, the hefty three-million price tag he carries around might be the most important detail to his departure.

So with the official signing of Redskins's Dave Rayner to the team, it seems that Graham's loyalty is being called into question. His dedication had been undisputed for several years, as Graham as brought an excellent work ethic and valuable skills to the table.

But has that gone to his head?

Earlier in the season, deadlines for new contracts meant no new ink for Graham, causing an uncharacteristic spout of anger toward the Cincinnati Bengals via his Facebook. Graham even went as far as ducking out of Cincinnati's locker room after his AFC Wild Card performance, and leaving early during the next day's departures.

But it's not hard to predict Graham's future. We're signing new blood left-and-right, and with examples like rookie Kevin Huber it's hard not to fantasize where that extra few million could be redistributed throughout the team. But what's also important to consider are two areas often undervalued in a player's position on the team.

Unfortunately for Graham, his most recent years have put him in a position to be hated among Bengals fans. Without his performance at the wild card game, Shayne was racking up a bad wrap for his performances. A missed goal against the Steelers, Bengals bashing and constant injuries made him a constant target by fans for dead weight. And with the current lack of depth at the receiving corp, it's easy to see fat in need of a trim.

But what's so strange about Graham's place with the fans-- which can have devastating effects-- is that he's also considered to be one of the most charitable members of the Cincinnati Bengals, and of Cincinnati as a city.

With the current economic recession, more and more charities are scaling back. Money is harder to give, and winning teams can give a fledgling city a small but well-earned edge for capital. But with Shayne Graham's departure from Cincinnati, we can kiss goodbye all of the good fortune he's brought the underprivileged kids of the Kicks For Kids program. Tack on charity dinners, his work with Goodwill, the Freestore FoodBank, collaborations with the Westin, IHOP's Read Across America, Cincinnati Veterans Administration Hospital, the YMCA, the Fraternal Order of Police and countless others, cutting Graham might be more detrimental to the City of Cincinnati than just one of its teams.

So while there's little doubt in my head that Graham's colors will remain orange and black during the 2010 season, I'm hard-pressed to imagine that his selfless acts and charitable donations will continue to occur in a city he no longer occupies. We've put our own players between a rock and a hard place with the city of Cincinnati, a problem that if isn't fixed sometime soon, will come at a much higher price than we can imagine.