ROME WASN"T BUILT IN A DAY..

[KYBENGALFAN]

kinda disappointing result today, but the bengals still have next week. who would have thunk it at the beginning of the season, esp. after starting 1-4, that the bengals would still have slim playoff hopes in the final week. well, i'll be shouting my lungs out at PBS next sunday and rooting my bengals to victory and on the five hour drive home i'll be listening to the steelers-ravens game... oh well... i'm not ready to jump off the bandwagon. To finish 9-7 is still quite a feat. WHO DEY!!!

[kevnz]

Absolutely!

This team went 2-14 last year!

Even if they lose out, and I really don't believe that is gonna happen, What this team has done this year is simply amazing. I would love to see the Bengals win the AFC North and think they still can, but I don't have delusions that they would go deep into the playoffs even then....But next year....that's a whole nother kettle of fish....

[Kirkendall]

What this team has done this year is simply amazing.

Amazing but disappointing. Playoffs around the corner, simply within reach; we have to keep expecting playoffs. Not satisfied with a non playoff game. At the end of the season from last year to this, what's the consistancy? No playoffs.

I don't want to think about next year yet, I'm still cheering this year as most of us have. Now let's keep the faith and roll against Cleveland.

BTW - Pittsburgh WILL beat The Ravens.

[bengal fan]

You are right kirk, have a little faith bengal fans , dont be disharted kirk is right the ravens can not beat the steelers and will not stop jerome bettis i hope he rushes for 285 yards against that over rated defence , so they beat the clowns who aint beat them everybody has picked on them, so go steelers i hope ray lewis and is team eat some bad food before the game like they did out at the raiders place, go steelersssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss

ssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss.

[Arizona]

I wouldn't count on the bad food...

[redsfan2]

What this team has done this year is simply amazing.

Amazing but disappointing. Playoffs around the corner, simply within reach; we have to keep expecting playoffs. Not satisfied with a non playoff game.

Usually don't disagree with most anything you say, but how can you be disapointed in this season?

Take a look at the schedule, start to finish .... leave last years coaches and players in place, and tell me honestly what you think our record would be at this point of the season given those circumstances. When this years schedule was released, I went straight into despair. Didn't stop at anxiety or depression .... didn't pass GO or collect $200. Went straight to despair ..... as in having no hope.

I looked at the way the team had played in the season just finished, the teams we had played getting to 2 and 14, and the teams that we were slated to play this year. I thought that IF we were lucky, we may beat Arizona because they were almost as bad as us, and we might sneak one from Cleveland. That was it. I thought is was just as likely that we could be the first NFL team to go winless in a 16 game schedule. That is my honest opinion of what we would have been looking at had the changes not been made.

Disapointed ??????? Hell, I'm estatic. Next week when we beat Cleveland, I'm going to feel even better. If the Ravens do win and we don't make the playoffs, I'll feel bad for the guys on the team and for Marvin Lewis. I'll feel bad for all the people who had / have enough faith to buy playoff tickets too. The one thing I won't feel is disapointment. It's been a great year, and I'm already psyched about next year.

[Kirkendall]

Redsfan2: I think I'm just mad about how the Bengals played today so don't take anything I say as personal or an attack.

I think we've been programmed as fans to be content on anything with a sign of hope, instead of expecting anything successful. We had hope at the end of '01 with 6-10 or the end of '97 with 8-8. My whole thought process includes our contentment on being satisfied with anything positive. This whole board will agree, these times are different; so why should we be happy with anything other than playoffs.

If we go to playoffs next season, and I said this on another thread, would you be satisfied with losing in the first round? Some may, most would not. I'm suggesting that we make our expectations for this team dynamic. Will I reflect onto this season in the offseason as a success? Maybe, maybe not, I can't tell you that. But what I can tell you is that no matter what happens this offseason we are at the same place as last year, the year before and 12 years before, home watching no Cincinnati team in the playoffs.

Once the Bengals become winners, I believe you'll see what I'm talking about. I want us to move from satisfied at 8-7 to disappointed not going to the playoffs, if we don't make it. I'm not saying this season was a failure, but we were in first place, every thing in our hands and to lose all of that because of a poor game in St. Louis and hope in Cleveland and Pittsburgh is, well more than I wish. I expected to beat Baltimore, I expected to make St. Louis at least sweat it out, I expected to make next weekend a hope of another level of expectations. I'm disappointed that we didn't follow through our midseason expectations.

[kevnz]

I think we've been programmed as fans to be content on anything with a sign of hope, instead of expecting anything successful. We had hope at the end of '01 with 6-10 or the end of '97 with 8-8. My whole thought process includes our contentment on being satisfied with anything positive. This whole board will agree, these times are different; so why should we be happy with anything other than playoffs.

The biggest difference between those season and this is the Bengals have been contending. 8-8 in 97 they were already out if it when they won the last games. In 01 they backed into 6-10 after being 4-2...This season has taught the Bengals how to contend. They need to learn those lessons and they are. How motivated do you think this team will be if they do go 9-7 and not make the playoffs? or for that matter make the playoffs and lose early? This isn't a team ready to win it all, but they are so very close to having that kind of potential. What good does a playoff berth do if they don't follow through the next year and go further? Let's face it, the ultimate goal is for the Bengals to be holding the big trophy, and they have a little ways yet to go for that.

[redsfan2]

Redsfan2: I think I'm just mad about how the Bengals played today so don't take anything I say as personal or an attack.

I think we've been programmed as fans to be content on anything with a sign of hope, instead of expecting anything successful.  We had hope at the end of '01 with 6-10 or the end of '97 with 8-8.  My whole thought process includes our contentment on being satisfied with anything positive.  This whole board will agree, these times are different; so why should we be happy with anything other than playoffs. 

If we go to playoffs next season, and I said this on another thread, would you be satisfied with losing in the first round?  Some may, most would not.  I'm suggesting that we make our expectations for this team dynamic.  Will I reflect onto this season in the offseason as a success?  Maybe, maybe not, I can't tell you that.  But what I can tell you is that no matter what happens this offseason we are at the same place as last year, the year before and 12 years before, home watching no Cincinnati team in the playoffs. 

Once the Bengals become winners, I believe you'll see what I'm talking about.  I want us to move from satisfied at 8-7 to disappointed not going to the playoffs, if we don't make it.  I'm not saying this season was a failure, but we were in first place, every thing in our hands and to lose all of that because of a poor game in St. Louis and hope in Cleveland and Pittsburgh is, well more than I wish.  I expected to beat Baltimore, I expected to make St. Louis at least sweat it out, I expected to make next weekend a hope of another level of expectations.  I'm disappointed that we didn't follow through our midseason expectations.

Well, I'm back to agreeing with you ........... for the most part. #1 didn't take it as personal or an attack. Seen enough of you to know better. #2 I know you're mad. So am I and about a couple hundred k others are too. Just cause we're losing less, doesn't mean I like it more.

Absolutely agree with not being content. Far cry from not being content to not being disapointed in the season. The biggest single differrence between this season and the others you mentioned is that neither of those were winning seasons. This one is going to be. In both of those years we weren't really hoping, we were hoping against hope .... and whistling past the graveyard. I don't think anybody expected the team to be any better than competitive the next year.

This team and this coach and this season feel different because they are ... Finally ! Games like today are disapointing, but all it shows is that we're not there yet. We'll get there. Don't doubt it for a minute.

I like the way this team is going. I'm not going to be happy though till they win the superbowl. I won't be Really happy till they win them back to back. I won't ever be content, cause I don't think they will either. But that's the same reason I won't ever be disapointed in them either.

[Kirkendall]

The biggest single differrence between this season and the others you mentioned is that neither of those were winning seasons.

Both you and Kevnz made this point, and fair. But we also have to remember that feeling from that season to the next year. We were excited, we expected so much more. I think we need to have that feeling now, expect the playoffs. Will I throw away my Bengal gear if they don't make it? Of course not, but it just makes me that much more satisfied when they make the playoffs.

I like the way this team is going. I'm not going to be happy though till they win the superbowl.

Here here, I couldn't agree with you further. I think as seasons before our expectations were a draft pick to win it all for us, and through some growing pains from lil' Mikey we are realizing a single no. 1 draft pick isn't the answer. Now we've evolved our overall expections from years past from losers to contenders. Now lets evolve from contendors to winners! (if that's not a great football speech, then I can't figure what is)