They were flexed into some of those spots because they’re an exciting team to watch, even when they lose. Trust me, ratings and ad revenue guide those decisions. The current Bengals are quite good for business from an NFL perspective.
As for the point, well, I guess everyone has their quirks. Me, I’m just morbidly fascinated by all the ways this organization finds and/or creates to fail. Of all the football teams in all the world, they’re the Charlie Brownest.