Hobson's Choice: Circle the opener

[Ox]

Hobson's Choice: Circle the opener

July 2, 2007

Q: If a fan could only afford one ticket this year, which game should they see?

--Randy, Dayton, OH

RANDY: As a guy who can't pronounce an ‘R,” I'd say the Patriots Oct. 1. But if the Bengals want to be talking playoffs, it doesn't get any bigger than the first game of the season against Baltimore Sept. 10. Suffice to say those 21 days are the biggest of the season.

The Patriots are the sexy, ET People's Choice choice. With two of the best quarterbacks this side of Aquarius injecting their California cool into Paul Brown Stadium, not to mention Chad Johnson and Randy Moss strutting their offbeat Pro Bowl gigs, and Justin Smith and Robert Geathers trying to outsack free agency and Adalius Thomas, what's not to like?

Throw in Bill Belichick trading his Hall of Fame Xs and Os with one of the guys that could have beaten him out for Coach of the Year in Marvin Lewis and BILL disciples on defense and special teams in Chuck Bresnahan and Darrin Simmons, and it makes you wish Howard Cosell was around on this Monday night.

“Hello again everybody. This is Howard Cosell greeting you from the banks of the glittering Ohio River, where in the stadium named after the master the new master tries to restore order in the AFC in a game pitting two of the game's greats in the seamless Carson Palmer and the storybook Tom Brady ... "

But, alas, it will be the opener against the Ravens, also on Monday night at Paul Brown Stadium that is going to have more of a say on how the division unfolds rather than the New England game.

Baltimore ran away with the North last year at 13-3. The Bengals won it the year before by jumping to a 3-0 start and losing only one division game. A major reason the Bengals have been in the hunt at the end in the last two seasons is because they won their openers, giving them the momentum to be 6-0 in the last two Septembers.

Their last September loss? Naturally, to Baltimore on Sept. 23, 2004 at PBS.

And this one has plenty of storylines, too, starting and ending with Marvin Lewis and Brian Billick. Lewis is 5-3 against his old head coach and that's been absolutely huge in this division of power. Before Lewis arrived, Billick was 7-1 against the Bengals.

Given that they've only won twice in the nine games they've played in the Ravens stadium, the Bengals need to get one here.

So, a slight edge to the Sept. 10 game. It simply means more.

We'll know everything there is to know about the Bengals at the end of those 21 days. Those are Big Boy games right out of the box against three big-time quarterbacks in Baltimore's Steve McNair, Seattle's Matt Hasselbeck, and New England's Tom Brady. In more than 300 NFL starts they have a combined winning percentage of .641.

Are the Bengals an elite team? On the cusp? In the mix? Against the window?

We'll know Oct. 2.

---------------------------

I couldn't agree more. We need to beat that ass game one.

[ArmyBengal]

I think this game will go a long way to set the tone for the Bengals... Home opener, Division game, Monday Nighter, it's all there !!! The bginning of our schedule is tough, but it will be fun !!! I'll go with the Patriots Monday nighter because I will be there !!!!!!!

WHODEY !!!

[Stripes]

I'll only be at one game this year, and that's the one.

I can't wait to see Cincy wipe that smug grin off those Ratbirds' faces.

[711chad]

we did it last year at home lets do it again who dey

[HairOnFire]

Here's a scenario I sorta like.

The season opens with a nationally televised game between the last two division champions, but in the buildup between the two teams the Bengals are repeatedly disrespected and portrayed by the media as the NFL's renegade team. But that hardly matters after the whistle blows as the Bengals lay a prime time thumping on the overmatched Ravens.

Team Renegade then goes on to play every game with a chip on it's shoulder, embracing the underdog role, and for the most part letting it's play do it's talking. Granted, goofy Chad Johnson continues to babble each week like a 5-year old child on an endless sugar buzz, but he's quickly seen as the exception that proves the rule. All season long the Bengals play focused, mature, and angry football.

Finally, the season ends with a broadly grinning Marvin Lewis sharply ignoring all requests for interviews immediately after being handed the Lombardi trophy by Roger Goodell.

Meanwhile, in a series of unrelated events Paul Daugherty is fired by the Enquirer, and then weeks later is stabbed in the neck with a pen while standing in the unemployment line. He survives, but after recognizing the symbolism of that horrific event retires from journalism to become a poolboy.

[Ox]

Here's a scenario I sorta like.

The season opens with a nationally televised game between the last two division champions, but in the buildup between the two teams the Bengals are repeatedly disrespected and portrayed by the media as the NFL's renegade team. But that hardly matters after the whistle blows as the Bengals lay a prime time thumping on the overmatched Ravens.

Team Renegade then goes on to play every game with a chip on it's shoulder, embracing the underdog role, and for the most part letting it's play do it's talking. Granted, goofy Chad Johnson continues to babble each week like a 5-year old child on an endless sugar buzz, but he's quickly seen as the exception that proves the rule. All season long the Bengals play focused, mature, and angry football.

Finally, the season ends with a broadly grinning Marvin Lewis sharply ignoring all requests for interviews immediately after being handed the Lombardi trophy by Roger Goodell.

Meanwhile, in a series of unrelated events Paul Daugherty is fired by the Enquirer, and then weeks later is stabbed in the neck with a pen while standing in the unemployment line. He survives, but after recognizing the symbolism of that horrific event retires from journalism to become a poolboy.

THat sir. is poetry.

The only thing I can say that would make it better is if Peter King is helping clean up trash while he cleans the pee from the pool. Both those guys blow.

[BengalszoneBilly]

Here's a scenario I sorta like.

The season opens with a nationally televised game between the last two division champions, but in the buildup between the two teams the Bengals are repeatedly disrespected and portrayed by the media as the NFL's renegade team. But that hardly matters after the whistle blows as the Bengals lay a prime time thumping on the overmatched Ravens.

Team Renegade then goes on to play every game with a chip on it's shoulder, embracing the underdog role, and for the most part letting it's play do it's talking. Granted, goofy Chad Johnson continues to babble each week like a 5-year old child on an endless sugar buzz, but he's quickly seen as the exception that proves the rule. All season long the Bengals play focused, mature, and angry football.

Finally, the season ends with a broadly grinning Marvin Lewis sharply ignoring all requests for interviews immediately after being handed the Lombardi trophy by Roger Goodell.

Meanwhile, in a series of unrelated events Paul Daugherty is fired by the Enquirer, and then weeks later is stabbed in the neck with a pen while standing in the unemployment line. He survives, but after recognizing the symbolism of that horrific event retires from journalism to become a poolboy.

Geeze Hair, I sincerely hope your "scenario" does indeed come to pass. Well maybe except the Paul Daughterty part. That was whack!

[Stripes]

Here's a scenario I sorta like.

The season opens with a nationally televised game between the last two division champions, but in the buildup between the two teams the Bengals are repeatedly disrespected and portrayed by the media as the NFL's renegade team. But that hardly matters after the whistle blows as the Bengals lay a prime time thumping on the overmatched Ravens.

Team Renegade then goes on to play every game with a chip on it's shoulder, embracing the underdog role, and for the most part letting it's play do it's talking. Granted, goofy Chad Johnson continues to babble each week like a 5-year old child on an endless sugar buzz, but he's quickly seen as the exception that proves the rule. All season long the Bengals play focused, mature, and angry football.

Finally, the season ends with a broadly grinning Marvin Lewis sharply ignoring all requests for interviews immediately after being handed the Lombardi trophy by Roger Goodell.

Meanwhile, in a series of unrelated events Paul Daugherty is fired by the Enquirer, and then weeks later is stabbed in the neck with a pen while standing in the unemployment line. He survives, but after recognizing the symbolism of that horrific event retires from journalism to become a poolboy.

Stop getting my hopes up.

[Bobcat Bengal]

Here's a scenario I sorta like.

The season opens with a nationally televised game between the last two division champions, but in the buildup between the two teams the Bengals are repeatedly disrespected and portrayed by the media as the NFL's renegade team. But that hardly matters after the whistle blows as the Bengals lay a prime time thumping on the overmatched Ravens.

Team Renegade then goes on to play every game with a chip on it's shoulder, embracing the underdog role, and for the most part letting it's play do it's talking. Granted, goofy Chad Johnson continues to babble each week like a 5-year old child on an endless sugar buzz, but he's quickly seen as the exception that proves the rule. All season long the Bengals play focused, mature, and angry football.

Finally, the season ends with a broadly grinning Marvin Lewis sharply ignoring all requests for interviews immediately after being handed the Lombardi trophy by Roger Goodell.

Meanwhile, in a series of unrelated events Paul Daugherty is fired by the Enquirer, and then weeks later is stabbed in the neck with a pen while standing in the unemployment line. He survives, but after recognizing the symbolism of that horrific event retires from journalism to become a poolboy.

HOF, you're a trip.

I like your team renegade scenario though.