Low Point

[membengal]

So...I turn 40 in two weeks. Which is to say, I am nearly the same age as my cursed favorite NFL team. I remember following them since 1975 (when I was four). I have seen all the lows, so many lows, and the few highs. And I have never wavered in my support. Not even during the 90s and early 00s.

But, finally, they have succeeded in beating me down. Not only do I not care anymore, I don't see any reason to care at any point in the near future either. Given the labor uncertainty, any coaching changes will be, per usual, half-hearted and half-measures, and do no good. No player changes of note are on the horizon, or, if they are, they will be replaced with talent like Jeff Query. Yes, I remember those days. Bad days. But the upcoming ones? They look worse.

And, for the first time, I am thinking that I may be at a point of giving this team up. There may really be only so much I can take.

Hell, I didn't even watch it last night. Saw no reason to.

And if I, an ultimate die hard am at this point, I cannot imagine how decimated the fanbase is in the process of becoming. I have always assumed that the team would outlive Mike Brown's incompetence, but now? Now I am not so sure.

Whole thing just makes me sad.

[cincy9275]

So...I turn 40 in two weeks. Which is to say, I am nearly the same age as my cursed favorite NFL team. I remember following them since 1975 (when I was four). I have seen all the lows, so many lows, and the few highs. And I have never wavered in my support. Not even during the 90s and early 00s.

But, finally, they have succeeded in beating me down. Not only do I not care anymore, I don't see any reason to care at any point in the near future either. Given the labor uncertainty, any coaching changes will be, per usual, half-hearted and half-measures, and do no good. No player changes of note are on the horizon, or, if they are, they will be replaced with talent like Jeff Query. Yes, I remember those days. Bad days. But the upcoming ones? They look worse.

And, for the first time, I am thinking that I may be at a point of giving this team up. There may really be only so much I can take.

Hell, I didn't even watch it last night. Saw no reason to.

And if I, an ultimate die hard am at this point, I cannot imagine how decimated the fanbase is in the process of becoming. I have always assumed that the team would outlive Mike Brown's incompetence, but now? Now I am not so sure.

Whole thing just makes me sad.

i feel the same way just sick of it.

[jjakq27]

I think 2002 was the worst for me. Throw in a few of the Dave Shula years, 1987, 2008 and Coslet's first 3 games in 2000 also.

But I feel your pain. This is approaching that kind of low-ness (is that a word?)

[COB]

I didn't watch because we had family over and Time Warner won't let us get the NFL Network. I might have watched the first half, if I could have, but I think we all knew what was coming the second half. I wouldn't have watched it.

Still, I see hope for the future, I'm even somewhat excited at the prosepect of a new OC, new head coach. This isn't even close to the all-time low for me. The 90's are like the dark ages.

Having said all that, no matter what else changes, if Brat and to a certain extent Alexander are back next year, even this die-hard fan will be losing interest.

[membengal]

I think 2002 was the worst for me. Throw in a few of the Dave Shula years, 1987, 2008 and Coslet's first 3 games in 2000 also.

But I feel your pain. This is approaching that kind of low-ness (is that a word?)

I'm not arguing that there may have been other points lower than this one for the team. What I am saying is that I have reached a new low. And that' saying something. And I am not sure this is one I am going to recover from. That mythical threshhold of abuse past which one just won't agree to be abused anymore? I think I am about there.

[BengalszoneBilly]

I'm not arguing that there may have been other points lower than this one for the team.

A lower point for the team would be hard to find, especially when you consider the amount of talent currently on it. How do you go from a playoff team that swept it's division last season to a team that likely will see only two wins this year? The coaching staff has to be held accountable for this utter failure. Whether that happens remains to be seen, but I'm highly skeptical it does.

[jjakq27]

I'm not arguing that there may have been other points lower than this one for the team.

A lower point for the team would be hard to find, especially when you consider the amount of talent currently on it. How do you go from a playoff team that swept it's division last season to a team that likely will see only two wins this year? The coaching staff has to be held accountable for this utter failure. Whether that happens remains to be seen, but I'm highly skeptical it does.

I agree with both comments.

I think there were some calculated risks with the roster that backfired. Cutting Hebert and Hoge on the special teams hurt. Keeping Cosby and Simpson at WR took two spots that haven't contributed at all. The two special teamers coulda been spared.

And the revamped playbook on offense has not paid off like expected. I think a tweak of last year's philosophy woulda been fine but trying to keep TO Chad and Cedric all happy hasn't happened.

The staff overestimated the ability of this defense when I hear terms like "dial things back" and seeing guys not get reps or chances on the d-line until now.

And the continued injuries to the same guys (Fanene, Joseph, Crocker, Roy and others) is just downright unlucky.

Lastly I believe that Palmer should have had elbow surgery two years ago. He does not have the same velocity and arm strength and his accuracy is suspect.

In total, this could be worse only because they just won the division last year.

[BengalPimp]

I'm not arguing that there may have been other points lower than this one for the team.

A lower point for the team would be hard to find, especially when you consider the amount of talent currently on it. How do you go from a playoff team that swept it's division last season to a team that likely will see only two wins this year? The coaching staff has to be held accountable for this utter failure. Whether that happens remains to be seen, but I'm highly skeptical it does.

Billy's Hotties are back!!!! Bless You!

All things start with the Firing of Bob Bratkowski!

[volcom69]

Im waiting to see what happens at the end of the season! Marvin, and the rest of this lame duck coaching staff needs to go, if the same coaches, and players are here next year then this team is doomed. It will be so hard to root for this team, when there would be no changes made. So lets hope something happens!

[BengalszoneBilly]

Billy's Hotties are back!!!! Bless You!

Well hotties didn't work, beefcake faired no better. I was contemplating posting pictures of sheep, but decided against it.

[MARVIN=W'S]

I agree 100%. In some of the "bad old days", I would say "I wish I just didn't care", but there I was at every home game I could get to and in front of the TV every game I couldn't attend. Every summer I drive my family 2 1/2 hours to Georgeown to watch training camp. I'm 34 and I can't remember the last time I didnt watch a Bengals game. When they used to get blacked out we would drive to a sports bar outside the blackout area and watch it. Until last weekend... when the Bills game didnt sell out my wife asked me where we would go to watch, I told her we weren't going anywhere. It was the first game in at least 20 years that I didnt see. Then the Thanksgiving NFL Network game came and we have Time Warner, again she asked, again I said don't worry about going to watch.

It hasn't been a decision I made on purpose but it seems like they have finally taken it out of me. When I watch this current team play and the complete lack of focus, desire, preperation, coaching, and execution, I find myself saying if those guys don't care why should I? Chad, TO, Marv, Mike Brown, Brat; it doesnt appear to bother any of them so why waste 4 hours of every Sunday getting pissed off and yelling at the TV just to see Carson (who I've loved) throw another pick to end our desperate rally at the end of the game.

Sad to say but they are taking the desire to care away from me.

[Dan2330]

I too am sick and tired of all of this- after attending the Dolphins game a few weeks ago I decided my days of driving all the way from Wisconsin to 'cheer' this team on are over- I also removed any Bengals items from my Christmas list as I told the wife not to buy any more of their stuff.

If cheap a$$ Mike Brown and this organization are not going to invest any money into trying to put a winning product on the field then I am not going to invest any of my money into cheering for them

[derekshank]

I have a really hard time identifying this as a low point. This has certainly been a very disappointing season... but the team has a good core of young talent. I think a fresh head coach and OC could quickly make this team competitive again (I'm willing to give Zimmer a get out of jail free card for this season).

I think there are some coaching changes that need to be made to correctly use that talent. If there are no coaching changes made this offseason, that will be the low point for me... because it will likely mean that the young talent will continue to be either used improperly or rot on the bench.

And if it took this godawful season to get rid of Chad and Brat... well, that's a small price to pay.

[volcom69]

I have a really hard time identifying this as a low point. This has certainly been a very disappointing season... but the team has a good core of young talent. I think a fresh head coach and OC could quickly make this team competitive again (I'm willing to give Zimmer a get out of jail free card for this season).

I think there are some coaching changes that need to be made to correctly use that talent. If there are no coaching changes made this offseason, that will be the low point for me... because it will likely mean that the young talent will continue to be either used improperly or rot on the bench.

And if it took this godawful season to get rid of Chad and Brat... well, that's a small price to pay.

Whos to say that Marvin wont be back? If he is back whos to say they dont keep Brat or Chad? This is what worries me if nothing is done after this year then i see a bunch of the same coming for this team.

[derekshank]

Whos to say that Marvin wont be back? If he is back whos to say they dont keep Brat or Chad? This is what worries me if nothing is done after this year then i see a bunch of the same coming for this team.

You'll notice that I made the same point. But I'm not going to worry about that yet. At this point I see a team that has a lot of talent and potential if the right people are there to coach them.

It will be a low point if the same coaches are here next season. But the hope of new coaches is enough for me to see a 2-14 season with a hint of optimism.

[jjakq27]

If Marvin stays someone else has got to go. There's no way you can save face and justify things without changes. I don't necessarily mean the fall guy because ultimately that is MB but he ain't firing himself anytime soon I suspect.

The offense no longer works. TJ is gone and Chad is not the force he once was so to keep Brat around just for the old Oregon State offense is dumb.

Teams can turn things around quickly in this league. Just look at us between 2008 and 2009.

Like Shanks said, if a 2-14 season is what it takes to deport Chad and Brat then so be it.

[bwillycuse]

I have a really hard time identifying this as a low point. This has certainly been a very disappointing season... but the team has a good core of young talent. I think a fresh head coach and OC could quickly make this team competitive again (I'm willing to give Zimmer a get out of jail free card for this season).

I think there are some coaching changes that need to be made to correctly use that talent. If there are no coaching changes made this offseason, that will be the low point for me... because it will likely mean that the young talent will continue to be either used improperly or rot on the bench.

And if it took this godawful season to get rid of Chad and Brat... well, that's a small price to pay.

At least we have Caldwell and Simpson to step in at WR.

Caldwell's response to his great play this weekend....'I'm Cool'.

Caldwell has shown ZERO improvement in three years. I could argue he has gotten much worse. Both of those WR should be cut. So IMO TO, Simpson, Caldwell should be gone. Everyone here wants Chad gone. So that leaves us with basically nothing.

I don't see how they can not pick up Chads option. If they seriously want to try and compete.

[membengal]

Derek, again, I am not arguing there have not been other lower points. For me, personally, this represents a new low. And, interestingly, one in which I can, for the first time, envision not being a fan of the Bengals. I've never been here before. It's weird. I don't like it. And, yet, it has the a certain allure. I can't deny that all of a sudden.

[HairOnFire]

I spent Thanksgiving with friends after setting the DVR to record the Bengal game. Upon arriving home I turned on the television and was suprised to see the game was still on and suprising competitive. The Bengals only trailed by 3 midway into the 3rd quarter. Rather than abandon live play to watch the game from the start I settled in and watched it from that point.

And from that point nearly every play I watched was a negative from a Bengal fans perspective. When they tried to run the ball Benson was lucky to get to the LOS. When they tried to pass Palmer was either inaccurate, throwing into multiple coverage, or his receivers dropped the ball...Shipley and Gresham included.

My reaction to all of this?

Calm indifference. In fact, I haven't been angry about things since the Tampa game.

If forced to explain myself all I can say is this. I'm still a Bengal fan, but I'm not a fan of this team anymore. I no longer support the coaches and there isn't a single player on the roster that I don't blame. And I feel that way mostly because this seasons failure is defined by self-inflicted wounds, unforced errors, and a willingness to show fresh disdain for very things that had brought a new sense of credibility as recently as last season.

In short, I don't support THIS and I won't support it in the future. So I remain here simply because in regards to the NFL I've got nowhere else to go at the moment. But I not only desire major changes at seasons end, I demand them. And there's the rub because I'm not interested in seeing THIS kind of football under any circumstance. In fact, any attempt made to fix THIS will be end for me.

[MARVIN=W'S]

I think what makes this a low point is that we had our "peak" and now it is looking like time to "blow it up and rebuild". All those years of waiting to finally do something, to finally have a legitimate franchise QB got us what? Two playoff appearances and 0 playoff wins??? That's what we waited for? We didn't wait to get a new weight room, black pants and jerseys, and some Bengals artwork put over the concrete walls around the field at PBS. I thought ML was going to bring some of that Baltimore swagger with him when he came, but the opposite happened. Marvin lost his swagger and defensive guru tag. I was hoping to see championships or at least deep playoff runs and instead got this. And to now think that the window has closed and we have to start all over again? That's what makes this the lowest point for me.

[Wraith]

Worst season since I have been a Fan (circa 1980 approx.). They had me fooled, usually I temper my expectations because after all I am a Bengals fan, but I dove into this season head first. I believed the hype and thought this was our year only to get beaten again and again over the head by my own fandom. I have officially stopped watching, this team is a mess and I have no hope that it will be fixed without a competent GM which is only a fool's hope until Mike Brown (or family) gives up the team.

My wife asks me often, "Why do you do this to yourself, isn't there a better way to spend your Sunday afternoon?" I am finding it harder and harder to find an answer to that question.