If only the Bengals could play defense and run the ball

[cincyhokie]

Stat of the moment:

Palmer- 7 game winning or tying 4th quarter drives this season.

Sanchez- none.

[bwillycuse]

It may well be loud, but that's not all we need from the crowd. If the Bengals commit an early turnover, or false start twice on the opening drive -- will the fugtards begin to boo? I should hope not, but I doubt they can contain their stupidity.

If the Bengals are false starting twice on the first drive. Whatever the crowd does wont matter. We will get crushed.

[HoosierCat]

If the Bengals are false starting twice on the first drive. Whatever the crowd does wont matter. We will get crushed.

Amen. I'm certainly not expecting the Bengals to turn back the clock to '05 and start lighting up the scoreboard, but they have had two flippin' weeks to prep for this game. Two weeks to get the snap counts right, the formations and shifts legal, and the play timing down. There's simply no excuse for any more delays, false starts and illegal procedure crap.

[HairOnFire]

I've asked the question before, and now seems to be the perfect time to ask the question again.

Are Cincinnati fans the worst fans in the NFL?

As much as it pains me to say it, yeah....I think they are.

From Lance's blog...

"Where's the faith?

I got a call today from a media member who cover the Jets. He said he's been listening to Cincinnati sports talk this week and wondered why this city seems so down on the Bengals. He said he assumed the town would be going nuts for just the 2nd playoff appearance in 19 years. I told him I've been wondering the same thing.

Even Monday at Dickmann's, without prompting, Brad mentioned the damage he felt the Sunday loss did to the fans. Lap brought up the season long sense of unhappiness he gets from a lot of fans about how the Bengals were winning. We discused the inability to really sellout games, the continuing complaints about the offense, and how fans don't seem like they've warmed up to this team. Sunday postgame callers complained they were done with this team. Some said they were selling their playoff tickets.

None of this is new. I remember the show I did the Friday night before the opener. I preached optimism.I said they'd go 11-5. I said the opener, the draft, the schedule announcement and the opening of training camp were the best days to be a fan because things hadn't gone wrong yet. The first caller said he couldn't root for the team because of Mike and Katie.

What's hard to figure out is that this seems like the type team the city would embrace and rally around. It's a team that has faced and overcome adversity time after time. It's a knock down drag out defense with attitude. It's a blue collar team as opposed to the "Hollywood" team of 2005.

I equate the complaints about the offense to complaints about the Reds deciding to try and do it with pitching and defense. Fans seem to find the style boring, despite the results...a sweep of the division, a 10-6 record, a division title and a home playoff game.

Since the end of the game Sunday night I haven't had any sense that fans believe the Bengals can win Saturday. Heck, I downplayed the 37-0 loss and told fans to relax...and I got yelled at. This week I'm getting more emails about the draft, free agency and coaches coming and going than about the game. Ticket brokers have so many tickets they are selling them below face value. For a Bengals playoff game? For something that's come along for just the 2nd time in 19 years? Really?

Help me understand what's going on."

[bwillycuse]

Well. I dont know JAx fan or STlouis fan. I do know Cleveland fan and their games have been pretty bare lately.

Just becasue tickets arent selling doesnt mean we are bad fans. In 2005 tickets were impossible to get.

You cant ignore the Economy. The tv rating in cincy are through the roof.

The bengals fans are loyal though. But just not ready again to put lots of money they dont have into it. I assure you that jerseys are being sold at a high rate. People like this team. But they are limping into the playoffs not having a quality win in 2 months.

Its understandable to be apprehensive.

No we arent the worst fans. I think Jax fans suck. But we arent the best. Give us playoffs and a good team for 5-10 straight years and we will build our confidence again.

We are also a small market. NY has what 5-10 million to pool from.

I bet the ratio of good fan to population is higher than a metropolis like that.

Cmon Hair - Lets promote and spread the fanage. Not be upset at where we are at.

Ive got Cleveland people liking the Bengals this year.

The Jets game is an important one for the City of Cincinnati. If we win we have a chance at the AFC Championship game. It should get crazy then.

Someone get the WHo Dey song of '88 back on the radio.

[cincyhokie]

Well. I dont know JAx fan or STlouis fan. I do know Cleveland fan and their games have been pretty bare lately.

Just becasue tickets arent selling doesnt mean we are bad fans. In 2005 tickets were impossible to get.

You cant ignore the Economy. The tv rating in cincy are through the roof.

The bengals fans are loyal though. But just not ready again to put lots of money they dont have into it. I assure you that jerseys are being sold at a high rate. People like this team. But they are limping into the playoffs not having a quality win in 2 months.

Its understandable to be apprehensive.

No we arent the worst fans. I think Jax fans suck. But we arent the best. Give us playoffs and a good team for 5-10 straight years and we will build our confidence again.

We are also a small market. NY has what 5-10 million to pool from.

I bet the ratio of good fan to population is higher than a metropolis like that.

Cmon Hair - Lets promote and spread the fanage. Not be upset at where we are at.

Ive got Cleveland people liking the Bengals this year.

The Jets game is an important one for the City of Cincinnati. If we win we have a chance at the AFC Championship game. It should get crazy then.

Someone get the WHo Dey song of '88 back on the radio.

Add to that the cold weather for tomorrow. I know people who have gone to games all year long and now all of the sudden they are selling their tickets or backing out.

Afraid of the cold.

[HoosierCat]

I've asked the question before, and now seems to be the perfect time to ask the question again.

Are Cincinnati fans the worst fans in the NFL?

No.

Anyhow, on to Lance's issues...

I got a call today from a media member who cover the Jets. He said he's been listening to Cincinnati sports talk this week and wondered why this city seems so down on the Bengals. He said he assumed the town would be going nuts for just the 2nd playoff appearance in 19 years. I told him I've been wondering the same thing.

Why should the town be "going nuts" over a playoff appearance? Wouldn't that, in fact, be kind of lame? Ha ha, look at the silly Cincy fans! All they did was make the playoffs and the whole town's acting like they won the Super Bowl! If anything, I read that as a sign of Bengal fans' intelligence. We know we haven't won anything yet

Even Monday at Dickmann's, without prompting, Brad mentioned the damage he felt the Sunday loss did to the fans. Lap brought up the season long sense of unhappiness he gets from a lot of fans about how the Bengals were winning. We discused the inability to really sellout games, the continuing complaints about the offense, and how fans don't seem like they've warmed up to this team. Sunday postgame callers complained they were done with this team. Some said they were selling their playoff tickets.

Funny, I was just reading a story someplace yesterday about how there were still tickets available for the Pats/Ravens game in Foxboro. Thing are tough all over. As for the resulting impression that fans haven't "warmed up to this team," that I believe is a mistaken impression generated by the team's season-long wolf-cries over not selling out.

What did we hear, week after week? That there were 3,000 or 4,000 or 5,000 tickets still available, and the game was going to be blacked out, and the fans didn't support the team, blah blah blah. Bullsh*t, pure and simple. In the first place, PBS has a capacity of what, 65K? So all those non-supportive fans bought 60K+ tickets to each game before the front office started crying. That's damned good support, IMO, especially in this crappy economy. I don't believe for a minute that any game in Cincy would have been blacked out. It was all just about getting a few more fans to buy tickets and reduce the number advertisers and the local TV stations would cover. But it made it look like the fans didn't support the team. Laughable.

None of this is new. I remember the show I did the Friday night before the opener. I preached optimism.I said they'd go 11-5. I said the opener, the draft, the schedule announcement and the opening of training camp were the best days to be a fan because things hadn't gone wrong yet. The first caller said he couldn't root for the team because of Mike and Katie.

So? One caller is representative but the 60K+ who bought tickets every week even before the front office faked panic don't count, Lance?

What's hard to figure out is that this seems like the type team the city would embrace and rally around. It's a team that has faced and overcome adversity time after time. It's a knock down drag out defense with attitude. It's a blue collar team as opposed to the "Hollywood" team of 2005.

Question answers itself: what's the more glamorous place, Hollywood or Pittsburgh? This is just human nature: the bigger the spectacle, the more we're attracted.

I equate the complaints about the offense to complaints about the Reds deciding to try and do it with pitching and defense. Fans seem to find the style boring, despite the results...a sweep of the division, a 10-6 record, a division title and a home playoff game.

No, Lance, we don't find the offense boring. We find it aggravating because it keeps shooting itself in the foot. We ought to have blown several teams out and probably won a couple more games if it weren't for dumb penalties and dropped balls.

Since the end of the game Sunday night I haven't had any sense that fans believe the Bengals can win Saturday. Heck, I downplayed the 37-0 loss and told fans to relax...and I got yelled at. This week I'm getting more emails about the draft, free agency and coaches coming and going than about the game. Ticket brokers have so many tickets they are selling them below face value. For a Bengals playoff game? For something that's come along for just the 2nd time in 19 years? Really?

Help me understand what's going on."

Again, things are tough all over. Holiday bills just came in the mail. It's a million degrees below zero. Stay home, stay warm, get a little cash to cover expenses. As for Lance's sense that no one believes the Bengals can win, well, maybe people from this board and others like go-bengals should call in more often, because there's plenty of optimism here and there.

[cincyhokie]

I've asked the question before, and now seems to be the perfect time to ask the question again.

Are Cincinnati fans the worst fans in the NFL?

No.

Anyhow, on to Lance's issues...

I got a call today from a media member who cover the Jets. He said he's been listening to Cincinnati sports talk this week and wondered why this city seems so down on the Bengals. He said he assumed the town would be going nuts for just the 2nd playoff appearance in 19 years. I told him I've been wondering the same thing.

Why should the town be "going nuts" over a playoff appearance? Wouldn't that, in fact, be kind of lame? Ha ha, look at the silly Cincy fans! All they did was make the playoffs and the whole town's acting like they won the Super Bowl! If anything, I read that as a sign of Bengal fans' intelligence. We know we haven't won anything yet

Even Monday at Dickmann's, without prompting, Brad mentioned the damage he felt the Sunday loss did to the fans. Lap brought up the season long sense of unhappiness he gets from a lot of fans about how the Bengals were winning. We discused the inability to really sellout games, the continuing complaints about the offense, and how fans don't seem like they've warmed up to this team. Sunday postgame callers complained they were done with this team. Some said they were selling their playoff tickets.

Funny, I was just reading a story someplace yesterday about how there were still tickets available for the Pats/Ravens game in Foxboro. Thing are tough all over. As for the resulting impression that fans haven't "warmed up to this team," that I believe is a mistaken impression generated by the team's season-long wolf-cries over not selling out.

What did we hear, week after week? That there were 3,000 or 4,000 or 5,000 tickets still available, and the game was going to be blacked out, and the fans didn't support the team, blah blah blah. Bullsh*t, pure and simple. In the first place, PBS has a capacity of what, 65K? So all those non-supportive fans bought 60K+ tickets to each game before the front office started crying. That's damned good support, IMO, especially in this crappy economy. I don't believe for a minute that any game in Cincy would have been blacked out. It was all just about getting a few more fans to buy tickets and reduce the number advertisers and the local TV stations would cover. But it made it look like the fans didn't support the team. Laughable.

None of this is new. I remember the show I did the Friday night before the opener. I preached optimism.I said they'd go 11-5. I said the opener, the draft, the schedule announcement and the opening of training camp were the best days to be a fan because things hadn't gone wrong yet. The first caller said he couldn't root for the team because of Mike and Katie.

So? One caller is representative but the 60K+ who bought tickets every week even before the front office faked panic don't count, Lance?

What's hard to figure out is that this seems like the type team the city would embrace and rally around. It's a team that has faced and overcome adversity time after time. It's a knock down drag out defense with attitude. It's a blue collar team as opposed to the "Hollywood" team of 2005.

Question answers itself: what's the more glamorous place, Hollywood or Pittsburgh? This is just human nature: the bigger the spectacle, the more we're attracted.

I equate the complaints about the offense to complaints about the Reds deciding to try and do it with pitching and defense. Fans seem to find the style boring, despite the results...a sweep of the division, a 10-6 record, a division title and a home playoff game.

No, Lance, we don't find the offense boring. We find it aggravating because it keeps shooting itself in the foot. We ought to have blown several teams out and probably won a couple more games if it weren't for dumb penalties and dropped balls.

Since the end of the game Sunday night I haven't had any sense that fans believe the Bengals can win Saturday. Heck, I downplayed the 37-0 loss and told fans to relax...and I got yelled at. This week I'm getting more emails about the draft, free agency and coaches coming and going than about the game. Ticket brokers have so many tickets they are selling them below face value. For a Bengals playoff game? For something that's come along for just the 2nd time in 19 years? Really?

Help me understand what's going on."

Again, things are tough all over. Holiday bills just came in the mail. It's a million degrees below zero. Stay home, stay warm, get a little cash to cover expenses. As for Lance's sense that no one believes the Bengals can win, well, maybe people from this board and others like go-bengals should call in more often, because there's plenty of optimism here and there.

Lance admitted that he's only gone to one game this season. The Denver game. Why?

Because accoding to him, it's guaranteed warm weather (you see, Lance went to the '81 AFCCG so he's paid his dues), and also he would rather sit and watch the Bengals from his TV at home. There's no way he's going to the game Saturday when it's 9 degrees. But he'll criticize you if you don't.

Lance needs to look to further than himself to find the answers to his mystfying questions.

[COB]

Media guys like Lance have to write and say something. They've got a lot of time to fill.

If the Bengals fan base was going berserk, he'd be saying, "why's everyone so excited, can't you folks see we're staggering into the playoffs, losing 3 of last 4, and our offense is very limited?"

The call he got from Bearcat/Groundhog/MomsLikeMe saying can't support the team because of Mike and Katie, well, any respectable announcer should put such a caller in his place. Such a statement is completely asinine. People who come in here with that rant get their heads stepped on.

If you want to do media on the Bengals, get off your ass and go cover practice and get locker room interviews. You might discover something interesting to report on. But I guess if you want to just sit on your ass you can write and talk not about the team, but about the fans. Because the fans come to you, but you have to go to the team. A little more work involved.

Seriously, can't anyone see the pattern here? Media types can't really bitch about the organization now that it's winning, so they just switch to the fans.

[cincyhokie]

Stat of the moment:

Bengals @ NYJ Sunday Jan 3rd, 2010.

Jets Rushing

Thomas Jones..27 attempts 78 yards. @ 2.9 ypc

Shonn Greene..13 attempts 62 yards @ 4.7 ypc

Brad Smith had 4 for 92 yards

Without Smith the Jets ran for 140 yards on 40 carries @ 3.5 ypc

Bengals Rushing

Larry Johnson 9 carries for 38 yards @ 4.2 per carry

[HairOnFire]

I've asked the question before, and now seems to be the perfect time to ask the question again.

Are Cincinnati fans the worst fans in the NFL?

No.

That's exactly the type of indepth analysis I was hoping for.

Anyhow, on to Lance's issues...

I wish. Yet you never really address Lance's core point about how this team hasn't been embraced by it's own fans. Sure, things are tough all over. And baby, it's cold outside. But those are just factors that distract from the ugly truth. That being, too many Bengal fans refuse to embrace this team. And for proof of this I can offer this very messageboard.

Even worse, far too many so-called Bengal fans are quick to dismiss what this team has accomplished as little more than a product of smoke and mirrors, preferring instead to write passionate posts about their undeniable right to boo the home team during a playoff game OR how it's all going to come crashing down next year.

Unlike most of you...I'm not kidding myself. I've been around long enough to remember those days when Cincy boasted of one of the most passionate and intelligent fanbases in the entire NFL. But those days are long gone, and if our boy Bwillycuse is correct about it taking "five to ten years" of unbroken success before this teams fanbase pulls it's head of it's collective ass, well.....you're just making my point for me better than I can do myself.

[Stripes]

It may well be loud, but that's not all we need from the crowd. If the Bengals commit an early turnover, or false start twice on the opening drive -- will the fugtards begin to boo? I should hope not, but I doubt they can contain their stupidity.

If the Bengals are false starting twice on the first drive. Whatever the crowd does wont matter. We will get crushed.

It certainly wouldn't help our chances, but the game wouldn't be over because of 10 penalty yards on one [probably] failed drive.

This fanbase is too engulfed in self-loathing to watch a football game like normal people. The first sign of trouble and they're all screaming OH GOD, HERE WE GO.

I'm always amused when Bengals fans have complained about their team's inability to face adversity (not that you said that). The fans probably fuggin' taught them that. I've seen no signs this year that they've matured as much as the team has, unfortunately.

[bwillycuse]

It may well be loud, but that's not all we need from the crowd. If the Bengals commit an early turnover, or false start twice on the opening drive -- will the fugtards begin to boo? I should hope not, but I doubt they can contain their stupidity.

If the Bengals are false starting twice on the first drive. Whatever the crowd does wont matter. We will get crushed.

It certainly wouldn't help our chances, but the game wouldn't be over because of 10 penalty yards on one [probably] failed drive.

lol - Yeah - I know - A little premature at that point. Heck - The Steelers game teaches us that we can get dominated for 40 minutes and still win.

[cincyhokie]

It may well be loud, but that's not all we need from the crowd. If the Bengals commit an early turnover, or false start twice on the opening drive -- will the fugtards begin to boo? I should hope not, but I doubt they can contain their stupidity.

If the Bengals are false starting twice on the first drive. Whatever the crowd does wont matter. We will get crushed.

It certainly wouldn't help our chances, but the game wouldn't be over because of 10 penalty yards on one [probably] failed drive.

lol - Yeah - I know - A little premature at that point. Heck - The Steelers game teaches us that we can get dominated for 40 minutes and still win.

That's a damn good point. It's also the biggest advantage the Bengals have tomorrow. Resiliency. Palmer has it. Sanchez doesn't yet.

The Jets moved the ball at will on us last Sunday. Sanchez didn't have to do anything. What happens when the Bengals stuff the run and actually make the Jets punt? What happens when they realize that Saturday is much different than Sunday's game? Most importantly can Sanchez make plays ON THE ROAD in a playoff game? He hasn't done it all year when the game is on the line.

Palmer- 7 game winning or tying drives in the 4th quater this year.

Sanchez- None.

Sanchez is going to have to throw the ball in a loud stadium, under pressure, something he hasn't done all season.

"I was so down after the Falcons game and throwing 3 interceptions, that I didn't want to face the media." -Mark Sanchez

He gets mentally rattled. His confidence can be shaken. Can he make plays with the game on the line tomorrow? Because that's what it's going to come down to. It's going to be a close game and Sanchez is going to be asked to do something he hasn't done all season.

[HairOnFire]

The call he got from Bearcat/Groundhog/MomsLikeMe saying can't support the team because of Mike and Katie, well, any respectable announcer should put such a caller in his place. Such a statement is completely asinine. People who come in here with that rant get their heads stepped on.

True enough. Then again, they keep coming, don't they? In fact, they come in a seemingly endless stream regardless of the fortunes of the team. But why quibble over why a person like MomsLikeMe became fugtarded? While it may be true many so-called Bengal fans have been hopelessly poisoned by incompetent s**theels like Lance and Doc....it doesn't change the fugtarded behavior of far too many Bengal fans.

Seriously, can't anyone see the pattern here? Media types can't really bitch about the organization now that it's winning, so they just switch to the fans.

Fair enough. But if media hacks like Lance only sell negativity in one form or another...what does that say about the listening audience they're attempting to attract? Don't you think hacks like Lance and Doc know their audience and what it wants?

[bwillycuse]

It may well be loud, but that's not all we need from the crowd. If the Bengals commit an early turnover, or false start twice on the opening drive -- will the fugtards begin to boo? I should hope not, but I doubt they can contain their stupidity.

If the Bengals are false starting twice on the first drive. Whatever the crowd does wont matter. We will get crushed.

It certainly wouldn't help our chances, but the game wouldn't be over because of 10 penalty yards on one [probably] failed drive.

This fanbase is too engulfed in self-loathing to watch a football game like normal people. The first sign of trouble and they're all screaming OH GOD, HERE WE GO.

I'm always amused when Bengals fans have complained about their team's inability to face adversity (not that you said that). The fans probably fuggin' taught them that. I've seen no signs this year that they've matured as much as the team has, unfortunately.

Maturation as a fan?

In the face of adversity? Most losses ever in the '90s? 0-8 to start the year last year?

Yeah I guess this team past futility is partly to blame on the fans. Maybe 0.1-0.2% our fault.

I dont see Pitt fan saying. Good job Bruce. Nice try this year. Or its ok Reed - We didnt really want you to try and tackle Scott.

I think most fans have a negative reaction every time their team plays bad. Its not just the funny Bengal fans.

[ShulaSteakhouse]

I've asked the question before, and now seems to be the perfect time to ask the question again.

Are Cincinnati fans the worst fans in the NFL?

As much as it pains me to say it, yeah....I think they are.

From Lance's blog...

"Where's the faith?

I got a call today from a media member who cover the Jets. He said he's been listening to Cincinnati sports talk this week and wondered why this city seems so down on the Bengals. He said he assumed the town would be going nuts for just the 2nd playoff appearance in 19 years. I told him I've been wondering the same thing.

Even Monday at Dickmann's, without prompting, Brad mentioned the damage he felt the Sunday loss did to the fans. Lap brought up the season long sense of unhappiness he gets from a lot of fans about how the Bengals were winning. We discused the inability to really sellout games, the continuing complaints about the offense, and how fans don't seem like they've warmed up to this team. Sunday postgame callers complained they were done with this team. Some said they were selling their playoff tickets.

None of this is new. I remember the show I did the Friday night before the opener. I preached optimism.I said they'd go 11-5. I said the opener, the draft, the schedule announcement and the opening of training camp were the best days to be a fan because things hadn't gone wrong yet. The first caller said he couldn't root for the team because of Mike and Katie.

What's hard to figure out is that this seems like the type team the city would embrace and rally around. It's a team that has faced and overcome adversity time after time. It's a knock down drag out defense with attitude. It's a blue collar team as opposed to the "Hollywood" team of 2005.

I equate the complaints about the offense to complaints about the Reds deciding to try and do it with pitching and defense. Fans seem to find the style boring, despite the results...a sweep of the division, a 10-6 record, a division title and a home playoff game.

Since the end of the game Sunday night I haven't had any sense that fans believe the Bengals can win Saturday. Heck, I downplayed the 37-0 loss and told fans to relax...and I got yelled at. This week I'm getting more emails about the draft, free agency and coaches coming and going than about the game. Ticket brokers have so many tickets they are selling them below face value. For a Bengals playoff game? For something that's come along for just the 2nd time in 19 years? Really?

Help me understand what's going on."

If only all the Bengals fans were as great as you and Lance, they would go undefeated every year!

[Ickey44]

Don't you think hacks like Lance and Doc know their audience and what it wants?

In a word? No.

[bwillycuse]

It may well be loud, but that's not all we need from the crowd. If the Bengals commit an early turnover, or false start twice on the opening drive -- will the fugtards begin to boo? I should hope not, but I doubt they can contain their stupidity.

If the Bengals are false starting twice on the first drive. Whatever the crowd does wont matter. We will get crushed.

It certainly wouldn't help our chances, but the game wouldn't be over because of 10 penalty yards on one [probably] failed drive.

lol - Yeah - I know - A little premature at that point. Heck - The Steelers game teaches us that we can get dominated for 40 minutes and still win.

That's a damn good point. It's also the biggest advantage the Bengals have tomorrow. Resiliency. Palmer has it. Sanchez doesn't yet.

The Jets moved the ball at will on us last Sunday. Sanchez didn't have to do anything. What happens when the Bengals stuff the run and actually make the Jets punt? What happens when they realize that Saturday is much different than Sunday's game? Most importantly can Sanchez make plays ON THE ROAD in a playoff game? He hasn't done it all year when the game is on the line.

Palmer- 7 game winning or tying drives in the 4th quater this year.

Sanchez- None.

Sanchez is going to have to throw the ball in a loud stadium, under pressure, something he hasn't done all season.

"I was so down after the Falcons game and throwing 3 interceptions, that I didn't want to face the media." -Mark Sanchez

He gets mentally rattled. His confidence can be shaken. Can he make plays with the game on the line tomorrow? Because that's what it's going to come down to. It's going to be a close game and Sanchez is going to be asked to do something he hasn't done all season.

I really think that if the Bengals score first and get the early momentum, this game will be over quick. The stadium will get louder and louder.

I also think the Bengals have the ability to scratch from behind. So I do think the Bengals will win.

We will have a home field advantage.

[ShulaSteakhouse]

It may well be loud, but that's not all we need from the crowd. If the Bengals commit an early turnover, or false start twice on the opening drive -- will the fugtards begin to boo? I should hope not, but I doubt they can contain their stupidity.

If the Bengals are false starting twice on the first drive. Whatever the crowd does wont matter. We will get crushed.

It certainly wouldn't help our chances, but the game wouldn't be over because of 10 penalty yards on one [probably] failed drive.

This fanbase is too engulfed in self-loathing to watch a football game like normal people. The first sign of trouble and they're all screaming OH GOD, HERE WE GO.

I'm always amused when Bengals fans have complained about their team's inability to face adversity (not that you said that). The fans probably fuggin' taught them that. I've seen no signs this year that they've matured as much as the team has, unfortunately.

Maturation as a fan?

In the face of adversity? Most losses ever in the '90s? 0-8 to start the year last year?

Yeah I guess this team past futility is partly to blame on the fans. Maybe 0.1-0.2% our fault.

I dont see Pitt fan saying. Good job Bruce. Nice try this year. Or its ok Reed - We didnt really want you to try and tackle Scott.

I think most fans have a negative reaction every time their team plays bad. Its not just the funny Bengal fans.

Don't go bringing up common sense reasons and justification for fan attitudes. We're all happy the Bengals are in the playoffs, they will be loud Saturday, there will be parties full of hope and baited breath, but God forbid they don't call Lance's show and blow sunshine up his ass, and whisper sweet-nothings in Hair's ear about the Bengals and Brown family!

[HairOnFire]

This fanbase is too engulfed in self-loathing to watch a football game like normal people.

Exactly. In fact, we should just toss aside the debate about whether the Bengals fanbase is the worst in the NFL and simply admit the obvious. That being, it's an abnormal fanbase, so much so that at it's core it hardly resembles a fanbase at all.

I've seen no signs this year that they've matured as much as the team has, unfortunately.

My greatest hope is this teams plays hard for it's own selfish reasons. Because if we're counting on it to play hard for a fanbase so poisoned the starting QB has to ask for no booing just this one time, well.....(voice trails off)

[HairOnFire]

If only all the Bengals fans were as great as you and Lance, they would go undefeated every year!

And if all Bengal fans were as poisoned as you I'm guessing we'd all be crossing our fingers about the snow melting soon enough for you and your family to attend the big tractor pull this weekend.

[HairOnFire]

We will have a home field advantage.

If true it's only because real fans will go to the game while the Kid Steakhouses and MomsLikeMe of the world stay at home complaining about the weather, the Bengals, Pumpkie's wardrobe, Mike's paycheck, the price of bread, the tiny size of their freckled dicks, and how their driveway needs shoveled. Again.

[COB]

If we win a couple playoff games, all will be well in Bengaldom. All of us, media, fans, team, organization, will get together and sway arm in arm to Up With People records.

Until that happens we'll listen to the media say:

A. The Brown family and the Benals are cheap dickheads who don't deserve the support of these great fans (this when the team is losing)

B. The fans in Cincinnati are ungrateful dimwits who don't support, nor do they deserve, this winning team (this when the team is winning)

[HoosierCat]

I wish. Yet you never really address Lance's core point about how this team hasn't been embraced by it's own fans.

Yes I did: that "point" is an out-and-out lie. It's complete BS. 60,000+ people showed up every week to root for their team -- and that was without any threat of a blackout.

Lance ignores them, and you ignore them, in favor of a handful of message board posters and one idiot who called his show before the season.