Trotter's Take

Kudos to Bengals president Mike Brown for holding his ground with disgruntled wideout Chad Johnson, who's trying to force a trade by acting like a spoiled child. Johnson (right), who signed a six-year, $35.5 million contract in 2006, claims he was scapegoated for the team's 7--9 mark last year. Before the draft the Redskins offered a first-round pick in 2008 and a potential first-rounder in '09, but Brown was right for declining the deal. Clubs can't keep complaining about boorish player behavior, then turn around and reward it by acquiescing to self-serving demands. While the decision might hurt Cincy in the short run if Johnson holds out, it'll help when another player thinks about acting out publicly instead of settling his differences behind closed doors.