Mike Brown (American football executive) and Ridolfi plot: Difference between pages

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[[Image:Mary-queen-of-scots full.jpg|thumb|200px|The Ridolfi plot was meant to put Mary Stewart on the throne of England.]]

'''Mike Brown''' is the son of former [[Cleveland Browns]], [[Ohio State]] and [[Cincinnati Bengals]] coach, [[Paul Brown]]. [[Paul Brown]] is the co-founder of the [[Cincinnati Bengals]], after his death in 1991 [[Mike Brown]] has taken his responsibilities as a franchise owner.

The '''Ridolfi plot''' was a [[Roman Catholic]] plot in [[1570]] to assassinate [[Elizabeth I of England|Queen Elizabeth I of England]] and replace her with [[Mary I of Scotland]]. The plot was hatched and planned by [[Roberto di Ridolfi]], who, an international banker, was able to travel between [[Brussels]], [[Rome]] and [[Madrid]] to gather support without attracting too much suspicion.

== Background ==

[[Image:mikebrown.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Mike Brown, football franchise owner.]]

The Duke of Norfolk, a cousin to the Queen and wealthiest landowner in the country, had been proposed as a possible husband for Mary ever since her imprisonment in 1568. This suited Norfolk who had greater ambitions and felt Elizabeth persistently undervalued him.<ref>Williams, Neville, ''The Life and Times of Elizabeth I'', (Book Club Associates, 1972), pg 91.</ref> In pursuit of this, he agreed to support the [[Northern Rebellion]], though quickly lost his nerve and tried to call it off. However, the rebellion was not under his control and went ahead anyway, with the Northern earls trying to foment rebellion among their Catholic subjects to prepare for a Catholic Spanish invasion by the [[Fernando Álvarez de Toledo, 3rd Duke of Alba|Duke of Alba]], governor of the [[Netherlands]].<ref>Starkey, David, ''Elizabeth I: Apprenticeship'', (Vintage, 2001), pg 322.</ref>

Through the years of his ownership of the [[Cincinnati Bengals]](1991-Present) he has been criticized for the Bengals' reputation of losing during his tenure. His record as an owner/gm is 79-157(as of 2006 off-season). There are several ways his personality been characterized. There were frequent allusions to him being frugal to the point of hurting his team by seeking mainly low-salary players, there are many examples of his loyalty, both endearing (having the new stadium being named for his famous father, Paul Brown, instead of selling the naming rights) and detrimental (giving individuals many opportunities to turn themselves or team around), and reclusive.

After the rebellion failed, the leaders were executed and a purge of Catholic sympathisers in the priesthood carried out. Norfolk was imprisoned in the [[Tower of London]] for nine months and only freed under house arrest when he confessed all and begged for mercy.<ref>Williams, ''Life and Times'', pg 101-2.</ref> Pope [[Pius V]] issued [[Regnans in Excelsis]], a [[papal bull]] excommunicating Elizabeth, shortly afterwards, which commanded all faithful Catholics to do all they could to depose her, though the majority of Engish Catholics ignored the bull.<ref>Dures, Alan, ''English Catholicism, 1558-1642'', (Longman, 1983), pg 17.</ref> In response, Elizabeth became much harsher to Catholics and their sympathisers.<ref>Starkey, ''Elizabeth I'', pg 322.</ref>

==Ownership Timeline==

we love you arsenal we do

'''1991''': Coach: [[Sam Wyche]](3-13). [[Paul Brown]] dies in August from [[pneumonia]]. Mike Brown takes his responsibilities. 1 player goes to the [[Pro Bowl]]. Sam Wyche is replaced with Dave Shula at the end of this year but there is a long drawn out dispute over if Sam was fired or quit which involved payment for the remaining contract.

== Plot ==

'''1992''': Coach: [[Dave Shula]](5-11). [[Anthony Munoz]] plays his final game. 1 player goes to the [[Pro Bowl]].

[[Roberto Ridolfi]], a Florentine banker and ardent Catholic, had been involved in the planning of the Northern rebellion, had been plotting to overthrow Elizabeth as early as 1569.<ref>Elton G.R., ''England under the Tudors'', (University Paperback, 1978), pg 297.</ref> Observing the failure of the rebellion, he came to the conclusion that only foreign intervention could restore Catholicism and bring Mary to the throne, and began to contact potential conspirators. Mary's advisor, [[John Lesley]], the [[Bishop of Ross]], gave his assent to the plot as the only way to free Mary.<ref>Williams, ''Life and Times'', pg 102-3.</ref> The plan was to have the Duke of Alba invade from the Netherlands with 10,000 men, foment a rebellion of the northern English nobility, murder Elizabeth, and marry Mary to [[Thomas Howard, 4th Duke of Norfolk]]. Ridolfi optimistically estimated half of all English peers were Catholic, and could muster in excess of 39,000 men.<ref>Williams, ''Life and Times'', pg 102.</ref> Norfolk gave verbal assurances to Ridolfi that he was Catholic, though as a pupil of [[John Foxe]], he remained a Protestant all his life.<ref>Dures, ''English Catholicism'', pg 17.</ref><ref>Lockyer, Roger, ''Tudor and Stuart Britain, 1417-1714'', (Longman, 1964), pg 186.</ref> Both Mary and Norfolk, desperate to remedy their respective situations, agreed to the plot.<ref>Jenkins, Elizabeth, ''Elizabeth the Great'', (Phoenix Press, 1958), pg 176.</ref> With their blessing, Ridolfi set off to the continent to gain Alba, Pius V and King Philip II's support.

'''1993''': Coach: [[Dave Shula]](3-13). [[Boomer Esiason]] traded to [[New York Jets|Jets]]. Lost first ten games. No players go to the [[Pro Bowl]].

However, the Duke of Alba feared that if the plot should be successful, it would lead to Mary, Queen of Scots, a former Queen of France whose mother was a member of the prominent [[Guise]] family, occupying the throne of England. The consequence of this would be an England wedded to Mary's beloved France, an outcome which the Spanish feared.

'''1994''': Coach: [[Dave Shula]](3-13). [[Jeff Blake]] earns starting Qb responsibilities. No players go to the [[Pro Bowl]].

==Discovery==

'''1995''': Coach: [[Dave Shula]](7-9). 1st round draft pick [[Ki-Jana Carter]] suffers knee injury, misses entire rookie season. Essentially ending his career. 2 players go to [[Pro Bowl]].

In 1571, Elizabeth's intelligence network was sending her information about a plot against her life. She was also sent a private warning by the Grand Duke of Tuscany, who had learned of the plot against her. William Cecil Charles Baillie, Ridolfi's messenger, was arrested at [[Dover, England|Dover]] carrying compromising letters, and revealed the existence of the plot under [[torture]]. The Duke of Norfolk was arrested on [[September 7]], [[1571]] and sent to the tower.<ref>Weir, ''Mary, Queen of Scots'', pg 493.</ref> Guerau de Spes, the Spanish ambassador, was expelled from the country in [[January]], [[1571]].<ref>Jenkins, ''Elizabeth the Great'', pg 179.</ref> Ridolfi was still abroad at the time the plot was discovered, and never returned to England, becoming a Florentine senator in 1600.

'''1996''': Coach: [[Dave Shula]](1-7). [[Bruce Coslet]] (7-2) A half-cent tax increase was made to fund two new stadiums to replace Cinergy Field(Home of the [[Cincinnati Reds]] and [[Bengals]].) After a horrible start by head coach [[Dave Shula]], [[Mike Brown]] replaces him with Offensive Coordinator [[Bruce Coslet]]. Coslet leads them to their first .500 or better season since 1990. 2 players go to the [[Pro Bowl]].

Mary, when questioned, admitted to having dealings with Ridolfi, but denied any involvement with the plot.<ref>Weir, ''Mary, Queen of Scots'', pg 493.</ref> She was clearly implicated by the evidence, but Elizabeth refused to have her executed and vetoed a bill by Parliament that condemned Mary and removed her from the succession.<ref>Smith, A. G. R., ''The Government of Elizabethan England'', (Edward Arnold, 1967), pg 28.</ref> She feared that by executing a [[Divine Right of Kings|divinely appointed]] monarch, she undermined her own position.<ref>Lockyer, ''Tudor and Stuart Britain'', pg 190.</ref> Instead, she had the Duke of Norfolk executed for treason in [[June]], [[1571]].<ref>T.A.Morris, ''Europe and England in the Sixteenth Century'', (Routledge 1998), p334</ref> However, Mary's status in England was transformed from honoured guest to treasonous pariah, and she was universally condemned by the governing elite:<ref>Morris, ''Europe and England'', p334</ref> her continued conspiring, especially in the [[Babington plot|Babington]] plot, eventually led to her execution on [[February 8]], [[1587]].<ref>Weir, Alison, ''Mary, Queen of Scots and the Murder of Lord Darnley'', (Pimlico, 2004), pg 509.</ref>

'''1997''': Coach: [[Bruce Coslet]] (7-9). Mike Brown signs the team to stay in Cincinnati through the 2026 season. [[Boomer Esiason]] returns and starts the last 5 games of the season, benching [[Jeff Blake]]. He posts 13 touchdowns, 2 interceptions, and a passer rating of 106.9. [[Corey Dillon]] rushes for 1,129 yards and sets a single game rushing record with 246 yards. No players go to the [[Pro Bowl]].

A very fictionalised version of the Ridolfi plot was featured in the movie ''[[Elizabeth (film)|Elizabeth (1998)]]'' which depicted Thomas Howard, the Duke of Norfolk, as the chief conspirator. However the film omitted the involvement of Ridolfi himself.

'''1998''': Coach: [[Bruce Coslet]] (3-13). Mid-Season losing streak of 9 games. Construction for [[Paul Brown Stadium]] begins. No players go to the [[Pro Bowl]].

== See also ==

'''1999''': Coach: [[Bruce Coslet]] (4-12). 1-10 start but team comes back to finish 4-12. Fans severely urge for a coaching change after enduring two horrible seasons in a row. Brown and Coslet select [[Akili Smith]] as the 3rd player selected in the draft. 1 player goes to the [[Pro Bowl]].

* [[Throckmorton plot]]

'''2000''': Coach: [[Bruce Coslet]] (0-3). [[Dick Lebeau]] (4-9) [[Akili Smith]] named starting quarterback. [[Paul Brown Stadium]]'s grand opening holds, a team record, 64,006 fans attend to see the Bengals lose to the Browns 7-24. [[Mike Brown]] makes coaching changes after brutal loses being outscored 7 to 74 in three games and shut out for two. [[Dick Lebeau]] signs a multi-year deal. 1 player goes to the [[Pro Bowl]].

* [[Babington plot]]

* [[Francis Walsingham]]

== References ==

'''2001''': Coach: [[Dick Lebeau]] (6-10). Two game improvement from last year. Defense is ranked 9th in the NFL. 1 player goes to the [[Pro Bowl]].

<div class="references-small" style="-moz-column-count:2; column-count:2;">

'''2002''': Coach: [[Dick Lebeau]] (2-14). Team is decimated by injuries. Mike Brown fires Lebeau after learning his lessons with Coslet and Shula. Mike Brown hires [[Marvin Lewis]] in the off season. 1st round draft pick used on [[Carson Palmer]]. 1 player goes to the Pro Bowl.

<references/></div>

== External links ==

[[Image:Brownlewis_zoom.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Brown introducing [[Marvin Lewis]].]]

* [http://www.marie-stuart.co.uk/England.htm Marie Stuart Society's account of the Ridolfi plot].

'''2003''': Coach: [[Marvin Lewis]] (8-8). [[Marvin Lewis|Lewis]] decides to bench [[Carson Palmer]] for entirety of the season, leaving [[Jon Kitna]] as starter. Lewis comes in second in coach of the year voting behind [[Bill Belichick]]. Fans make record appearances in response to the 8 wins and large amount of hope brought upon by [[Marvin Lewis]]. 2 players go to the [[Pro Bowl]].

* [http://www.gunpowder-plot.org/ridolfi.asp The Gunpowder Plot Society's account of the Ridolfi plot].

* [http://www.elizabethi.org/uk/chronology/two.html Timeline of Elizabeth's reign from 1570 to 1603].

[[Category:1570]]

'''2004''': Coach: [[Marvin Lewis]] (8-8). [[Carson Palmer]] is named starter. Undergoing "growing pains" he puts up 18 TDs and 18 interceptions. He leads a 17 point comeback in Baltimore giving Bengals fans more to look forward to in 2005. 4 players go to the [[Pro Bowl]].

[[Category:Tudor rebellions]]

[[de:Ridolfi-Verschwörung]]

'''2005''': Coach: [[Marvin Lewis]] (11-5) .[[Carson Palmer|Palmer]] becomes an extremely proficient passer. Lewis leads the Bengals to the first winning season, and playoff birth since 1990. After Palmer injury(distributed by [[Kimo Von Oelhoffen]]) in the playoff game, backup QB [[Jon Kitna]]'s 17 points weren't enough to stop the eventual Super Bowl champs, [[Pittsburgh Steelers]]. 5(4 due to Palmer's injury) players go to the [[Pro Bowl]].

'''2006''': Coach: [[Marvin Lewis]] (0-0). Mike Brown votes "NO" on the [[Collective Bargaining Agreement]]. Bengals' look to improve defense in the off-season. Palmer begins rehab on torn [[Anterior cruciate ligament|ACL]] and [[Medial collateral ligament|MCL]] suffered the previous season.

==Sources==

*[http://www.bengals.com/ Bengals.com]

*[http://www.mikebrownsucks.com/ MikeBrownSucks.com]

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[[Category:living people|Brown, Mike]]

[[Category:American football executives|Brown, Mike]]

[[Category:Cincinnati Bengals|Brown, Mike]]