There's something bold and magnificent going on in Cincinnati right now. (When was the last time somebody said that?) The Bengals' malcontent wide receiver, Chad Johnson, did what everybody expected and told team management that he would refuse to play until he is traded to another team.

The magnificent part is the Bengals' response. Instead of doing what most teams do in this situation – buckle like a belt – they're doing what I've always wished a team would do in a case like this. They've called his bluff.

As Bengals' coach Marvin Lewis explains it: "I've stated our case with Chad. He has a contract through 2011. He's stated without an opportunity to go to a different team and a new contract, he wasn't going to play. I think he's a man of his word and says he's not going to play, so don't play."

You think that's the response Johnson and his agent expected? I would imagine not. In fact, I bet they looked at each other and asked, "You think they mean that?"

Oh man, how I hope they do mean it. Think about the message this would send and the precedent this could set for prima donna athletes who sign long-term contracts and then refuse to fulfill those contracts when things go sour. More often than not, general managers respond to trade demands by shipping the unhappy camper out for fifty cents on the dollar (although that would be an extremely generous assessment of what former Toronto Raptors GM Rob Babcock got for Vince Carter). Just this once, it's nice to see a team telling a sucky-baby whiner like Chad Johnson to stick his trade demand where the sun don't shine.

The Bengals are really in the ideal situation to take a stand here. They're coming off a tumultuous 7-9 season riddled with off-field problems and there is little expectation that they're going to improve next season. Plus, Johnson stands to lose around $15 million if he's stubborn enough to sit out the remainder of his contract (which would expire after the 2010 season when the Bengals would surely choose not to pick up his option for 2011). Not only that, but sitting out three whole seasons would basically be the same thing as retiring from the NFL. What kind of contract do you think he'd get after that long of a layoff?

There's also the fact that Johnson may have overestimated his value to the team – both as Chad Johnson "the superstar" and as a wide receiver in general. In the 72-year history of the NFL Draft, guess how many wide receivers have been picked first overall? Exactly two: Irving Fryar by New England in 1984 and Keyshawn Johnson in 1996 by – of course – the New York Jets.

Using historical first overall picks as a yardstick of how various position players are valued in football, it looks like wide receiver falls behind quarterback, running bank, defensive lineman, linebacker and offensive tackle in terms of importance. So if a wide receiver thinks he's bigger than the team – and he's not Jerry Rice in his prime – he's almost definitely dead wrong. You'd better believe the Bengals would handle this differently if it was Carson Palmer demanding a trade.

In spite of the fact that the Bengals have reportedly turned down a trade offer for Johnson of two first round picks from the Redskins, odds are that this is just media posturing designed to send a message to NFL GMs that the Bengals will expect something very close to equal value for Johnson in a trade – regardless of how long he sits out. Either that or Johnson will suck it up like a big boy and rejoin the team until the Bengals find a deal that suits them.

Still, even the appearance of steadfastness on the part of the Cincinnati Bengals organization is enough to put a smile on my face. In a sports era when too many pro athletes act like they're running the show, this is a rare reminder that you ain't runnin' nothin' unless you're the one cuttin' the cheques.

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