By Steve King

It’s hard to tell what’s more disappointing, and unfortunate, Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase’s ignorance of history regarding his team’s founding father, or that of the media members covering the club.

Chase took some not-so-subtle shots at the in in Browns, and more importantly their historical and popular logo, Brownie the Elf, the other day in advance of the teams’ game on Sunday at Cleveland Browns Stadium in the regular-season opener.

What Chase is obviously unaware of — don’t let the facts stand in the way of what you believe, right? — is that Paul Brown commissioned a logo to be created for the Browns for their first season of existence in 1946, and Brownie was the result. Brownie was so closely tied to the Browns that Art Modell, in a show of power when he purchased the team in 1961, tossed Brownie out the door, ordering that his image be removed from anything and everything related to the club.

Perhaps Chase has not been apprised that Bengals owner Mike Brown is the son of Paul Brown, also the founding coach of the Bengals, and was the ball boy on those early Cleveland teams. I’m sure that Mike Brown is thrilled that one of his highest-paid players has, in essence, taken a swipe at his dad’s legacy.

But in Chase’s defense, he’s a young guy and young guys sometimes don’t have a full and complete view of the world and as such say and do some things — or, in some instances, a lot of things — that do not reflect well on them.

However, the media members, those who are also ignorant of this history, as evidenced by the fact they didn’t question Chase on his comments, are adults.

So, then, what in the world is their excuse?