HoosierCat

This whole discussion is Horst erasure.

It’s the Burrow Effect again. As long as Burrow is playing well and the Bengals are contending for a title (and there’s no reason to think they won’t be again this fall), then Cincy players will be desirable in FA. We saw it this year with Bell and Hurst. As long as he’s healthy someone will offer Boyd a good deal next March. Probably not us, but he’ll get paid.

100% correct.

Sounds like a good life. I’m happy for him.

RIP Jim Brown. https://www.bengals.com/news/mike-brown-remembers-jim-brown-the-best-runner-i-ever-saw

All love to Marvin. I will be forever grateful for how he pulled the franchise out of the Lost Decade. That he never won a championship is a crying shame. But he had flaws as a head coach, the organization was still mired in the past, and plain old dumb luck — all of it bad — all factored into that. Still, if I’m ever in a restaurant someplace and I see him at another table, he’s not paying for dinner that night.

Burrow came to Cincy to chew bubblegum and kick ass. And he’s all out of bubblegum.

Preseason sked out. Just the one home game vs GB August 11. https://www.bengals.com/news/bengals-2023-preseason-schedule-dates-times

It really, really, really helps that the organization has become much more willing to sign quality outside FAs to address needs. Case in point is the oline, where they’ve doled out nine figures worth of deals in the last 14 or so months. That gives them so much more opportunity to prioritize athleticism and talent in the draft, as opposed to having to draft a bunch of positions to fill holes. Ultimately, this is what “building through the draft” looks like, not the old strategy of tossing a bunch of rookies in to start year after year.

One wild card playoff game will be exclusive to streaming (Peacock) this season. https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/37657287/peacock-exclusively-carry-nfl-playoff-game

Apparently the idea of the Bengals hosting the annual Black Friday game is still on the table, though apparently now the Jets want it, too. Since sponsor/broadcast partner Amazon like big markets, I’d say they have the inside track if the league chooses to go with that strategy. https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/37660954/jets-several-teams-interested-hosting-black-friday-game-annually

He’s looking good. Amazing what an offseason without rehab or emergency surgeries can do.

Hobs has capsules on all of them here: https://www.bengals.com/news/2023-bengals-cfa-breakdown

All the noobs are signed. https://www.bengals.com/news/2023-bengals-draft-class-signings

Couple interesting notes: Bengals have the least travel miles of any team this year, 11,942. Hags have the most at 31,600. Bengals reportedly offered to play Black Friday and make it annual tradition like Detroit and Dallas on Thanksgiving. League passed.

Nope, good catch, that’s another one. We play Pitt, followed by Bill-Chargers that day.

Here it is: https://www.bengals.com/news/cincinnati-bengals-2023-schedule-tickets-information Two Monday, one Thursday, four 4 pm games. Plus the Saturday NYE game against KC. Week 7 bye.

So the season opener has been announced: Lions @ Chiefs. Meh.

Yeah, right now I would expect at least half their games to be in prime time or the 425 “national” spot. I might have to spring for one of those digital converter antennas…

Week 17: Bengals @ Chiefs https://www.bengals.com/news/cincinnati-bengals-2023-schedule-week-17-kansas-city-chiefs-joe-burrow

Here’s the international slate. None for us. https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/2023/05/10/nfl-announces-five-games-2023-international-series/70202453007/

All right, they finally got their act together.

Christmas tripleheader? Yeah, you read that right.

League still dicking around with the schedule.

Years ago there was a “life after football” thing done, I don’t remember if it was nfl or ESPN or someone else, featuring Jerome Bettis. If I recall correctly it was only a couple years after he retired. They had a scene of him getting out of bed and it was like watching an 80 year old move. Every joint in his lower body was just shot. I think that was the first time the extent to which these guys were literally destroying themselves for my entertainment hit me. I will never blame anybody who chooses an “early” retirement from this sport.