Rooting for the Bengals, a 100+ year family tradition. (Huh?)

[Oro_O]

I've just been thrilled the Bengals were AFC contenders, then Champs and in the Bowl. Rooting for Cincinnati professional sports teams goes back over a century in my family. My personal attachment to the Bengals goes back to my great-grandmother's deep attachment to the Reds to around World War I.

My Great-Grandmother (b., 1895, d. 1989) loved the Reds. Our family was/is from southern and central Kentucky, so they were the closest real thing. She was into them from even before regular radio broadcasts in the 30s. When I was a wee bairn in the '70s, I had to listen to Reds games on the radio w/her sometimes when we visited. I did not love baseball I decided, but I did love football and took the Bengals as mine. Which was not a bad choice; I got to watch the likes of Ken Anderson and Chris Collinsworth tear up turfs all over the place for years. Listening to Chris comment on this game is like gravy...

Oh, and they just got the go-ahead TD as I typed this - oh Yeah...

Anyway, I think sometimes it's worth noting, amid the hype, commercials, and every buck-shilling angle that can be taken about pro-sports today, there is some history to be enjoyed and you can't be entirely cynical about the system, as some seem to be.

 

[bullwinkle]

Bengals playing with house money in this one, gave it everything they had, nothing to be ashamed of. Officiating, not so much…

 

[Malo83]

Officiating had nothing to do with it, they let them play FOOTBALL.

 

[bullwinkle]

Officiating had nothing to do with it, they let them play FOOTBALL.

At the end of the game, how many chances does a team need? The PI was a good call, the hold before it (resultIng in the first extra first down) was garbage. Bengals did get a free one earlier, so I guess it equals out? At least Burrow wasn’t hauled off the field in an ambulance!

 

[Malo83]

At the end of the game, how many chances does a team need? The PI was a good call, the hold before it (resultIng in the first extra first down) was garbage. Bengals did get a free one earlier, so I guess it equals out?

Yup, face mask.

 

[RazorsEdge]

The refs play the games like always,they just don't have pads

 

[Oro_O]

As much as I hate to see them loose, can't disagree with the above.

Either team could have won; neither dominated or really "Earned it." But in the end, the Rams earned it through coaching, I think.

Bengals had the game to win 1/2 way through the 3rd, but their offense couldn't step up after that locker room outburst, and it was clear. Then in the later 3rd/4th, the Rams O figured out the Bengal's D and just took it apart. Disassembled it. They didn't react to that timely - more a coaching issue than players - and that was the game. It's common in regular season games to see a big switch like that and no response. Normally in Championship level play you want to see the coaches be able to recognize what is going on real-time and react. I think in this game the Rams' coaches at the line level and overall just smacked the Bengals' coaches around in professionalism, speed, and accuracy.

I think the Bengal's O had no idea what to do after Burrow's was hurt, and the D coaching had no good response to the Ram's figuring them out. In that regard, as much as it's not what I want, I see how the Rams beat them and earned it.

My great-grandmother could sit and listen to a Red's game in the 70s, explain how they won or lost on how the personnel were played. She was blind at the time, but listened to the play-by-play and I think it made her feel the momentum. She'd been following the team 50_ years so knew the roster and what it meant. So this all sounds very familiar to me.

 

[Slow Car Sport Mode]

They lost.



Oh well... life goes on

The Sun Also Rises

Etc.

 

[Oro_O]

They lost.



Oh well... life goes on

The Sun Also Rises

Etc.

Absolutely. Don't mistake my showing the local flag, indulging in history to being absorbed with very public games. In fact, I posted about that here a little while ago:

49er Packer game...

After the blocked punt for the touchdown, Aaron Rogers got the ball back with plenty of time. Packers went 3 and out. Garappolo took the ball right down the field for the winning score. Garappolo was the better QB today. What a game... Our defense, Deebo and especially special teams!

bobistheoilguy.com

Interesting you say "The Sun Also Rises." It was about people saying what was not said. A parallel story of his was "The Hills Like White Elephants," about abortion. A lot can be said, simply, that is not publicly said. Kudos.

Very useful and intelligent metaphors. Well said Mr. schwinney.

 

[BISCUT]

OrO, hang in there. Rams will now be picked apart and likely a bottom feeder for many years. Doubt McVeigh will be there next year either. Your team will be good for a few years at least with the crew they have assembled. That D is solid and made up of what, 6? 7? moved in the last 2 years. And still have cap space.

I'm from New England and have been a Pat's fan since I was 10. The highligh of my youth was Steve Grogan and Irving Fryer's "kitchen knife accident" and the only chance we had resulted in a 1985 SuperBowl that was so bad everyone turned it off before halftime as the Bears walked all over us. My did that all change.

I do thank you and Bengals for knocking off the Chief's!!

 

[Oro_O]

I'm from New England and have been a Pat's fan since I was 10. The highligh of my youth was Steve Grogan and Irving Fryer's "kitchen knife accident" and the only chance we had resulted in a 1985 SuperBowl that was so bad everyone turned it off before halftime as the Bears walked all over us. My did that all change.

I do thank you and Bengals for knocking off the Chief's!!

OMG, I lived in NE (Boston) then. I totally was there for the '85 Bowl. That was the very first year I was out of the South and I was in Boston. I recall some wag at the Boston Globe nominating "Mrs. Irving Fryar" for MVP. OMG, I haven't thought about that in decades. Great reference!

Oh yeah, the good old days! I do recall that SB and it was terrible. I actually didn't mind this loss too badly since it was a great game.

No, wait, you mean the '86 Super Bowl, for the '85 season. I was there in '86 and recall that, but not in '85.

 

[Revving2Redline]

I like the Beagles too!!