Cleveland @ Cincinnati ... game thread

[HairOnFire]

I think you're seeing this whole thing purely from the angle of "attend the game to support the team"

That's not the only angle.

I see it more as "buy the ticket to line Brown's pockets"

Exactly my point. In fact, guys like you are exactly what I was talking about when I wrote..."For most of you being a Bengal fan is strictly limited to showing interest in the team as long as it doesn't cost you a penny. You read the newspaper to see how the team did or you write the occasional post on a sports messageboard."

In short, when it comes to supporting this team you're an empty seat. And your level of support won't change next year or the next or the next.

[HairOnFire]

But I think their failure to sell out now that they're winning has more to do with ticket prices.

If it makes the locals feel better to admit they're too broke to support an NFL team then who am I to argue the point.

[HoosierCat]

But I think their failure to sell out now that they're winning has more to do with ticket prices.

If it makes the locals feel better to admit they're too broke to support an NFL team then who am I to argue the point.

Well, I wouldn't know, as I am no longer a local.

But you miss the point: much of the alleged greater fan loyalty/unbroken/unpoisoned fan base, however you want to put it, that exists outside of Cincy is an illusion. Other teams are selling out because they're basically giving tickets away for free. Take St. Louis: for the Cincy game, tickets start at $28 and with that you get a $10 food coupon and a free souvenir cap.

If Mike Brown said, buy an $18 hat and $10 worth of food and the game is free, PBS would fill up in about 3 seconds.

[HairOnFire]

That said, the opinions of the local fanbase from someone 3,000 miles away with very little knowledge of the economic or cultural climate of the geographical area are far from being reliable.

As usual I didn't start the conversation that has your panties in a bunch. Fat Old Sun did, and he added his own opinion about how the lack of fan support could no longer be defended.

Otherwise, I'm not sure what your statements are intended to accomplish. Not sure why they are in the Browns/Bengals game thread.

They're here for two reasons. First, because Fat Old Sun started a conversation in this thread. And second, because it's impossible to ignore a the lack of support Cincy is showing a revamped team everyone claims to love.

Again, I've said my bit and any further discussion is pointless when all guys like you want to do is make excuses for pathetic fan support. So I'm going to gracefully step out of this one before the mod hammer drops again.

[HairOnFire]

Other teams are selling out because they're basically giving tickets away for free.

Then I guess there's still hope for TJ and the rest of you, right? Or who knows, maybe someday a rich aunt might give you a ticket.

[TJJackson]

I think you're seeing this whole thing purely from the angle of "attend the game to support the team"

That's not the only angle.

I see it more as "buy the ticket to line Brown's pockets"

Exactly my point. In fact, guys like you are exactly what I was talking about when I wrote..."For most of you being a Bengal fan is strictly limited to showing interest in the team as long as it doesn't cost you a penny. You read the newspaper to see how the team did or you write the occasional post on a sports messageboard."

In short, when it comes to supporting this team you're an empty seat. And your level of support won't change next year or the next or the next.

But again, your assumption of the following scientifical-like equation "fan = Money paid + ass in seat" is flawed. Err, in your case, it might be argued that "ass" should be replaced with "ass squared", but that'd all mean n stuff and we're all happy and merry now on the board, so we'll go with the original flawed equation :-)

I can be interested in (a fan of, even) astronomy without paying the russian government millions to go up in their grain silo with big rocket engines rough equivalent of a space shuttle

I can be interested in (a fan of, even) African Culture without selling my house and moving all Dr Livingston-style to Africa (TJ, I presume?)

I can be interested (a fan of, even) in fusion technology without installing a Tokamak device in my backyard - and better still, my neighbors are effusive in their praise for this wise choice

Bottom line, I need not pay for the new whitewalls for the Lumina (Buy 3 get 1 free sale on now at Tire Discounters, SoaG!) in order to support this team, despite any such insistence on your part.

Here's the correct math for you -- The man <> The team

[HairOnFire]

But again, your assumption of the following scientifical-like equation "fan = Money paid + ass in seat" is flawed

Perhaps, but I'm done talking about it. There's simply too great a risk that one of you too sensitive types will lose your mind attempting to defend the level of support of a fanbase that doesn't actually show up for games.

[TJJackson]

who knows, maybe someday a rich aunt might give you a ticket.

Unfortunately, I have no rich aunts.

But I know a guy who has like 5 million bucks, and another who has slept with the girlfriends of virtually every Bengal player, so between them, I should be able to get a freebie ticket (or two) thrown my way, right?

Hope springs eternal

[TJJackson]

too great a risk that one of you too sensitive types will lose your mind

But I am well below my daily minimum requirement of abuse :-)

C'mon man, throw a starving man a bone

before the mod hammer drops again.

*sigh*

I miss the old moderation style.....I think you guys were doing it just right, and there was (and still is) a lot of thoughtful and sometimes quite amusing discussion that goes on here. Much higher quality than what one typically finds at the other Bengals forums. Even amidst and in spite of the all the jabs

[HoosierCat]

[media]http://youtu.be/OqS5U4lSSVg

Good stuff from Simpson.

Some guy on wikipedia had some fun with it.

Acting career

During Week 12 of the 2011 NFL season, Jerome Simpson was nominated by the Academy of Arts and Sciences for an award in the upcoming 2012 Primetime Emmy Awards airing on ABC September 23, 2012 for his acting skills during the NFL season.

During the second quarter of the Cincinnati Bengals' game against the Cleveland Browns, Jerome Simpson was pushed by Browns LB Scott Fujita during a scramble for a loose football. Jerome Simpson proceeded to fly four yards back into the air like a character in the Matrix movie trilogy. Fujita was assessed an unsportmanslike conduct penalty on the play which was off-set by a Bengals penalty.

Jerome Simpson's acting skills was heralded by many critics as the best acting job since Taylor Lautner in the Twilight movie saga.

For instance, Eric Bowman of Bleacher Report said "Enjoy your award Jerome, you certainly deserved it[1]."

Meanwhile, Steven Douglas of BigLeadSports writes, "I can’t stop watching this dive. It is glorious[2] ."

Jerome Simpson was nominated for Best Supporting Actor in the Sports Team Category. He is expected to win the award against fellow NFL player and nominee Ndamukong Suh for his acting in trying to explain why he viciously stomped on an opposing players' arm.

In light of his acting, many Italian Serie A soccer teams have expressed interest in signing Jerome Simpson. Those rumored to bidding for his services are Juventus and Football Club Internazionale Milan.

Famed Portuguese soccer star and Real Madrid striker, Cristiano Ronaldo is said to have studied Simpson vigorously.

[Sea Ray]

And now, if you'll forgive me, I think I'll back away from this oh so sensitive subject and let the rest of you pretend a half empty stadium is proof of your loyalty.

If that's your standard then up until very recently, we've had great fans as shown by the 7 yrs of sellouts. Did we all of sudden become poor fans or did we just get fed up?

[Sea Ray]

I think you're seeing this whole thing purely from the angle of "attend the game to support the team"

That's not the only angle.

I see it more as "buy the ticket to line Brown's pockets"

If I get a free ticket, I go......and make no purchases of any kind within the stadium. I'm happy to support the team on the field as long as my dollars do not support the scumbag/thief, especially now that most of the cancers have been cut away the team

I have the same philosophy although I'm not so hardcore that I won't buy a hot dog. I only go if I'm given a free ticket and I don't moan if the game's blacked out. That said if the Bengals string together some successful yrs I will reconsider my position and buy tickets. He has to earn my business. If the Bengals had the track record of the Steelers I'd seriously consider season tickets

[HairOnFire]

I miss the old moderation style.....I think you guys were doing it just right, and there was (and still is) a lot of thoughtful and sometimes quite amusing discussion that goes on here.

I agree. The mods here are the very bestest in all the land and each and everyone of them is above reproach. Furthermore, I think it's amazing how well they do their jobs even though none of them get paid a penny, as we're so often reminded of. Of course some might mention how none of us get paid a penny for proving the board with actual content, but I say why quibble? I know a hero when I see one.

And while we're on the subject of unappreciated heros, how about a kind word for our sponsors? For example, I recently purchased one of those Endless Pools that sponsors one of the Bengals messageboards, although I can't remember which one, and yeah....it's absolutely bitchin'. I highly recommend it for those of you who want to add years to your life.....presuming of course you don't drown.

But I am well below my daily minimum requirement of abuse :-)

C'mon man, throw a starving man a bone

Sorry, but I'm a changed man. Or if you prefer, I have only just become extruded from the egg to emerge all shiny and brand new. So at best I can do now is ask you to make me a sandwich, but only if you want to, and if it isn't too much of a bother.

[TJJackson]

Wait....wait....we could get paid for providing content?

Hold on a sec, let me get you that sandwich while you fill us in on those details :-)

Rare roast beef and emmenthaler on Jean Paul's Paradiso salt rye ok?

I wouldn't say the mods are beyond reproach, hell, we're all human, even Pushy. Oh crap, there's another reference from 5 yeara ago......crap......

[Stripes]

Point blank, as a fanbase we suck worse than the football team ever has.

Full agreement. I think it might have been bred over the lost decade, but that we're still feeling the aftershock a decade later is absolutely embarrassing.

Considering the team's mostly average performance under Marvin (i.e. not god awful), the losing culture can have only survived because of the fanbase. I'd thought such a fresh start this year, with so many new faces playing their butts off, might help. To this point I've been utterly dejected.

[membengal]

To defend the lack of butts in seats at this point is kinda sad.

[Sea Ray]

Until very recently they have sold out PBS and had a waiting list. At the time that season ticket holders were mulling over renewals, we had a somber presser where Mike and Marvin announced no changes, including O coordinator, Carson left the lockerroom for the last time with a "no comment" and a week or so later he announced he's not coming back.

Given this team and MB's history, why should fans pony up thousands of bucks at that point? Fortunately many of them said no and if they hadn't I'm convinced we'd still have Bob B as O coordinator and wouldn't have Andy Dalton because he would not have fit Brat's system.

Not only can I see reasons for the empty seats, I think it was the right move and ultimately benefitted the team on the field. That left them with over 20K seats to sell on a weekly basis and you're just not going to have that many walkup sales especially as the weather turns

Perhaps I am defending the non sellouts, perhaps I'm just giving reasons for it but it's really quite understandable. Up until last year there was a voice of opinion out there that fans were idiots to continue to buy tickets and luxury suites from MB and I think that opinion did have some validity

[COB]

Everything will sell. Everything. It really is simple economics. Want to sell those seats Mike? Hoosier has provided examples of other similarly situated teams selling out. The other option is win the Super Bowl. Then you've changed what you're selling.

Trying to price Bengals' tickets the same way tickets are priced for a 6-time Super Bowl team is stupid, greedy, or both.

[Sea Ray]

I just talked to a client of mine this morning who said his son has season tickets in the family section at Jacksonville Jaguars games and it only costs $10/seat. Now I'm not suggesting we have to have that here but it does go to show that some other small markets have more creative pricing than MB does here. That said, the Jags still aren't selling out

[Scottishbengal]

In the UK some of our "football" (soccer) teams offer "Kids for a Quid" matches just to encourage families to go and to expose the team and sport to a younger audience - a get 'em while their young type of tactic. Which has some success as crowds (especially non-Premier League) are about 40% up on what they were 20 years ago.

[gregstephens]

Ok, our train has derailed long ago. This Bengals/Browns thread has become about selling out and tickets. So...