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The problem with the Bengals is simple, they are owned by the Brown family. And unlike nearly every other franchise in the NFL, who is typically owned by men who purchase a franchise after making untold millions in the business world, the Brown family’s business is football. So while Daniel Snyder and Jerry Jones spend money on their teams in pursuit of Super Bowl rings, the Bengals attempt to win is focused squarely on the bottom line. Not that other teams haven't been concerned with their finances, but over the years the Bengals have a history of taking frugality to the maximum extreme.

The title of the NFL's losingest team of the 90's belonged to Cincinnati, who went most of the decade without employing full time college talent scouts to assist in draft selections. Consequently they routinely turned high draft picks into staggering draft busts. David Klingler, Kijana Carter, Dan Wilkerson, and Akili Smith are just a few names as examples. Former Bengals staff members say that after the season was over the coaching staff would go out and buy all the draft related magazines they could find and start their preparations from there. The penny pinching even extended to making players pay for their own jersey repairs at an area sporting good store located a few blocks away from the former Riverfront Stadium. As the comedians say, “I'm not making this up.”

The HBO training camp mini-series "Hard Knocks" begins this week, (premiering Wednesday at 10pm) and this year the Cincinnati Bengals are the subject. Perhaps the public will finally get to see just what exactly goes on behind closed doors in Bengaland? Do the Bengals team meals consist only of Ramen Noodles? Is their locker room air-conditioned? Is the cost of ankle wrap tape deducted from player paychecks? While we may never know the answers to these questions, the Bengals do boast more than a few interesting characters. Franchise QB and former Heisman winner Carson Palmer, Linebacker Dhani Jones, who has his own Travel Channel show, and Mr. Entertainment himself, dynamic malcontent receiver Chad Johnson. Excuse me, Chad Ochocinco, who may be using this opportunity to audition for his own personal reality show in the future. I can see it now, "Ochocincho of Love", coming to VH1 summer 2014.

Since 2003 the Bengals have been a respectable NFL team under head coach Marvin Lewis, while playing in publicly financed Paul Brown Stadium, which is one of the crown jewels of the league. But the Bengals have yet to rid themselves of the scent of the leagues lower class. (Witness the refusal to resign T.J. Houshmandzadeh during the off-season, after he'd been a model citizen and led the NFL in pass receptions over the last two seasons). Hard Knocks in previous years has focused on a couple of team stars, a prominent rookie, a young upstart trying to land a roster spot, and of course the head coach. This format never fails to give the viewer insight to the nature of NFL life, the character of the franchise, and it's prospects for the upcoming season. I personally can't get enough of this stuff and would welcome a full season of Hard Knocks someday.

But alas we only get five weeks to sort out the Bengals. We observe their passions, joys, sorrows and dirty laundry before we move on to the real drama of the NFL’s regular season. With that said, what's up with the Oakland Raiders? Al Davis, you're on the clock.