Mike Brown wanted Henry back
C. Trent
Bengals owner Mike Brown wanted Chris Henry on his team again. Marvin Lewis wasn't interested. The man signing the paychecks won out. Chris Henry, the oft-troubled Bengal wide receiver, was back with the team on Tuesday. "I know at the end of the day the owner has the final say so whether or not he wants to give a guy an opportunity," Lewis said. "Mike has wanted to give Chris this opportunity, and asked we do the best job we can to prepare him and get him ready to play football, and if he can be a positive influence on this football team and help us win football games and be productive as a receiver, and get better as a receiver, and we feel that way after the suspension is over that he has a chance to win a spot. That's what he asked me to do, and that's what we're going to do."

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More on the Henry signing
Enquirer.com
The not-so-subtle and larger message of Chris Henry's return to the Bengals is that team owner Mike Brown - and not head coach Marvin Lewis - still has the power. Lewis twice in the past month said he was not interested in bringing back the troubled wide receiver, arrested five times in the Bengals' employ prior to his April 3 release from the team. Henry, signed by the Bengals Tuesday to a two-year contract, faces a four-game suspension at the start of the season for violating the NFL's personal conduct policy. Lewis didn't deny Tuesday night what he has said in opposition to Henry but acknowledged that ultimately, it's Brown's call to make.

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What do the players think?

Left tackle Levi Jones: "I'm glad he is getting a chance to right the ship and not let his talent go to waste. His talent is too much to end up on the street. I'm supportive of every one of my teammates."

Tailback Kenny Watson: "He's a great kid. He has allowed himself to be in bad situations. We'll be here for him. But it's all up to him. We know what he can do on Sunday. He can be a real positive. It's up to him to stay out of trouble, and we're going to be there to keep him out of trouble."

Defensive tackle John Thornton: "I'm glad he's back. He was on the team and was released because he got into trouble the last time. He was found innocent of those charges. Why punish him again. If he weren't here, he would be somewhere else. That's obvious he can help the field if he stays on the field. He's one of the most dangerous receivers in the league."

Offensive tackle Willie Anderson: "Beforehand, he has a lot of be thankful for. He has found the end of the rainbow three or four times. A lot of people in the organization, which I've said before, Eric Ball, Ray Oliver, Rusty Guy, those guys did a lot of things to help Chris. He should go to those people and tell then he's not going to let them down because those people busted their tails beyond duty, helping him out and assisting him in his program. There is a ton of support on this team. This team sets up a great support system for guys."

Tailback Rudi Johnson: "His locker's right here beside mine now, so I can talk to him each and every day. He's a good friend of mine, so I'll definitely talk to him on a day-to-day basis. Just make sure he understands everything and he's on the up-and-up and
doing the things necessary to be successful on and off the field. ... Talking to him today, that's where he seems to be at. He's in high spirits and he seems to have learned his lesson. ... We've all got his back, we're in his corner, we're going to respect the coaches' decision, respect Mike Brown's decision to bring him back and go from there."

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Same old story for Brown, Bengals
Fox Sports
For this city's dysfunctional NFL franchise, the words of 19th-century philosopher Henry David Thoreau still ring true.

"What is called resignation is confirmed desperation."

Cincinnati's re-signing of wide receiver Chris Henry has confirmed two things:

1. This organization is desperate. Really, really desperate.

2. These Bengals are never going to change their stripes with Mike Brown as owner.

It was quite the scene Tuesday night at Bengals headquarters inside Paul Brown Stadium. Henry made yet another mea culpa for his off-field problems. Bengals coach Marvin Lewis had to distance himself from previous comments swearing off the possibility of Henry's return. And Brown was conspicuously absent as Lewis wiped egg from his face.

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Full Training Camp Coverage
C. Trent

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U.S. Gymnasts take home plenty of glitter
USA Today
Nastia Liukin's twists and turns had the grace of a ballet dancer. Every flip was carefully choreographed and repeatedly rehearsed to get the most out of her lean body. This is how Liukin put her stamp on the Olympics and her sport. The Russian-born American gymnast won her fifth Olympic medal Tuesday. She earned a silver on balance beam behind teammate Shawn Johnson, 16, who won her first gold medal of these Games.

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One more review of Mike Brown's statement on July 22nd

"His conduct can no longer be tolerated," Brown said at the time. "The Bengals tried for an extended period of time to support Chris and his potentially bright career. We had hoped to guide him toward an appropriate standard of personal responsibility that this community would support and that would allow him to play in the NFL. ... But those efforts end today, as we move on with what is best for our team."

Brown declined to be interviewed Tuesday about his change of heart. However, during an interview last month, Brown said he still believed in giving players chances to change their lives.

"I guess the world is divided up between redeemers and non-redeemers," Brown said at the time. "I happen to be a redeemer. I think people can be made better and right. If that's a fault, so be it."

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