I've been a Bengals fan my whole life, born in stealer country north east PA and still here. I even came home when I was born in stealer gear. (Dad still teases me with the picture)..  It was 88 when I noticed football, I started playing midget football and I fell in love with the uniform, Boomer and of course the Ickey shuffle. I been here ever since. All the abuse I've taken for 30+ years has all been worth it to get to this moment. It's finally our time.. It just seems all surreal to me. I was starting to think I'd never see a playoff win let alone being in the superbowl... This is amazing... We are gonna be here for a while to on top of things in the AFC...

Yeah I'm still in a little bit of disbelief myself. I was really hoping we got that 1st playoff win this year and thought we had a bright future coming up. I certainly thought we had a chance to get to the SuperBowl once we had made the playoffs but I really never expected it to happen this year. The last 2 games I've been relaxed for the most part after we got the 1 playoff win because I know we'll have a chance for more runs going forward. But now that were here I'm gonna be on the edge of my seat because I really want to see this team finish it off and win the whole dang thing.

(02-01-2022, 07:32 PM)NUGDUKWE Wrote: Yeah I'm still in a little bit of disbelief myself. I was really hoping we got that 1st playoff win this year and thought we had a bright future coming up. I certainly thought we had a chance to get to the SuperBowl once we had made the playoffs but I really never expected it to happen this year. The last 2 games I've been relaxed for the most part after we got the 1 playoff win because I know we'll have a chance for more runs going forward. But now that were here I'm gonna be on the edge of my seat because I really want to see this team finish it off and win the whole dang thing.

I honestly believe they are gonna win the superbowl.. That would have to be 1 of the biggest shocks in NFL history besides the 99 rams.. People were all picking them by week 8 though. They never got on our bandwagon...

(02-01-2022, 07:19 PM)Tony Wrote: I've been a Bengals fan my whole life, born in stealer country north east PA and still here. I even came home when I was born in stealer gear. (Dad still teases me with the picture)..  It was 88 when I noticed football, I started playing midget football and I fell in love with the uniform, Boomer and of course the Ickey shuffle. I been here ever since. All the abuse I've taken for 30+ years has all been worth it to get to this moment. It's finally our time.. It just seems all surreal to me. I was starting to think I'd never see a playoff win let alone being in the superbowl... This is amazing... We are gonna be here for a while to on top of things in the AFC...

Your story is similar to mine (minus the Steelers part). It's all very surreal. Like the fire drills or charting the course to get your pregnant wife to the hospital. You think about it, but then it actually happens and you're just swept along with it. Obviously I'm enjoying every second of it, but it's just such a strange sensation that it's actually happening. 

(02-01-2022, 07:34 PM)Tony Wrote: I honestly believe they are gonna win the superbowl.. That would have to be 1 of the biggest shocks in NFL history besides the 99 rams.. People were all picking them by week 8 though. They never got on our bandwagon...

Yeah it would have to be one of the biggest shocks I can think of. A lot of people were picking us to be picking top 5 in the draft again. Seeing our team celebrate on the field after a SuperBowl win would be a beautiful sight and one I hope we all get to enjoy in a couple weeks. 

It is especially hard to process when you consider this comment from an ESPN writer, Bill Barnwell:

"We've seen heavy pregame favorites lose before, of course, but this has to be one of the most shocking defeats in recent memory. The Chiefs topped out with a win expectancy of 95% after building that 18-point lead, meaning they had a better chance of winning than the Bills did after either of their late touchdowns in the divisional round. Chiefs fans were frantically trying to log onto the in-stadium Wi-Fi to buy plane tickets to Los Angeles. The game felt over."

(02-02-2022, 05:26 PM)Nepa Wrote: It is especially hard to process when you consider this comment from an ESPN writer, Bill Barnwell:

"We've seen heavy pregame favorites lose before, of course, but this has to be one of the most shocking defeats in recent memory. The Chiefs topped out with a win expectancy of 95% after building that 18-point lead, meaning they had a better chance of winning than the Bills did after either of their late touchdowns in the divisional round. Chiefs fans were frantically trying to log onto the in-stadium Wi-Fi to buy plane tickets to Los Angeles. The game felt over."

i dont doubt a lot of us bengals fans at similar thoughts when it was 21-3  then it was 21-10 though and we got a stop before the half.....


And then we remembered the last Chiefs game where we held them to 3 in the 2nd half and low and behold they did it again.   Not enought can be said for how the Defense has played.

(02-02-2022, 05:26 PM)Nepa Wrote: "...Chiefs fans were frantically trying to log onto the in-stadium Wi-Fi to buy plane tickets to Los Angeles. The game felt over."

Did they learn NOTHING from the 1st meeting?  Now I honestly hope anyone who bought plane tickets... that they were non-refundable.

(02-02-2022, 05:33 PM)Tomkat Wrote: Did they learn NOTHING from the 1st meeting?  Now I honestly hope anyone who bought plane tickets... that they were non-refundable.

People that dont learn from History are doomed to repeat it LOL

(02-01-2022, 07:19 PM)Tony Wrote: I've been a Bengals fan my whole life, born in stealer country north east PA and still here. I even came home when I was born in stealer gear. (Dad still teases me with the picture)..  It was 88 when I noticed football, I started playing midget football and I fell in love with the uniform, Boomer and of course the Ickey shuffle. I been here ever since. All the abuse I've taken for 30+ years has all been worth it to get to this moment. It's finally our time.. It just seems all surreal to me. I was starting to think I'd never see a playoff win let alone being in the superbowl... This is amazing... We are gonna be here for a while to on top of things in the AFC...

I'm with you! I live in Memphis and have no family connection to Bengals whatsoever. In 1981 when they  were playing the Niners in the Super Bowl everyone I knew was rooting for Niners but man I fell in love with those striped helmets. I was 10 years old and have been a die hard fan ever since. I have made the 8.5 hour drive and been to a bunch of games in person and was going to go to Raiders playoff game this year but lil bro couldn't go with me. After the win Sunday I had texts and messages from friends I haven't heard from since high school congratulating me since "I was a true fan through the rough times...and the only Bengals fan they knew." Surreal is the best way to describe it. I am just going to soak in the glory of two weeks of the football world being focused on us and appreciate it because you never know when you'll be back.

It is surreal. I think it's because it's so unexpected. No build up of excitement etc. Kinda just waited for the other shoe to drop and it never did so never quiet enjoyed the run.

(02-01-2022, 07:19 PM)Tony Wrote: I've been a Bengals fan my whole life, born in stealer country north east PA and still here. I even came home when I was born in stealer gear. (Dad still teases me with the picture)..  It was 88 when I noticed football, I started playing midget football and I fell in love with the uniform, Boomer and of course the Ickey shuffle. I been here ever since. All the abuse I've taken for 30+ years has all been worth it to get to this moment. It's finally our time.. It just seems all surreal to me. I was starting to think I'd never see a playoff win let alone being in the superbowl... This is amazing... We are gonna be here for a while to on top of things in the AFC...

Yes, still hard to believe. Great feeling that I thought I might never get to feel. Been a fan since that 88-89 SB myself when I 
was 7 and my mom was rooting for the 49ers. I picked the team with those cool striped helmets and followed ever since. To 
make the SB in only Burrow's second season with a young team and a young HC is just insane to me.

I am as positive as it gets on this board but I never saw this coming. Love this team and I am not betting against us either.

We can win it all with the mad heart this young team plays with.

(02-01-2022, 07:19 PM)Tony Wrote: I've been a Bengals fan my whole life, born in stealer country north east PA and still here. I even came home when I was born in stealer gear. (Dad still teases me with the picture)..  It was 88 when I noticed football, I started playing midget football and I fell in love with the uniform, Boomer and of course the Ickey shuffle. I been here ever since. All the abuse I've taken for 30+ years has all been worth it to get to this moment. It's finally our time.. It just seems all surreal to me. I was starting to think I'd never see a playoff win let alone being in the superbowl... This is amazing... We are gonna be here for a while to on top of things in the AFC...

Congratulations, Tony!   Glad you are getting a chance to enjoy this.

It is not as surreal to the older fans who have seen us in Super Bowls before.

I can't imagine being a fan since the early 90's and not even seeing a single playoff win in 30 years.

(02-02-2022, 08:03 PM)fredtoast Wrote: It is not as surreal to the older fans who have seen us in Super Bowls before.

I can't imagine being a fan since the early 90's and not even seeing a single playoff win in 30 years.

Right, we knew it was possible, it was just a matter of when, and would we live to see it.  Younger fans may chuckle at that last bit, but I'm sure there were many Bengals fans in their 50s and 60s who watched that last SB in '89 and never gave up hope of a return trip, yet never lived to see it.  Don't take this game for granted, because you just never know.  

I'm so glad my kids have been able to see this.

(02-01-2022, 07:34 PM)Tony Wrote: I honestly believe they are gonna win the superbowl.. That would have to be 1 of the biggest shocks in NFL history besides the 99 rams.. People were all picking them by week 8 though. They never got on our bandwagon...

Hell I didn’t even get on our bandwagon.

(02-02-2022, 07:51 PM)Nate (formerly eliminate08) Wrote: Yes, still hard to believe. Great feeling that I thought I might never get to feel. Been a fan since that 88-89 SB myself when I 
was 7 and my mom was rooting for the 49ers. I picked the team with those cool striped helmets and followed ever since. To 
make the SB in only Burrow's second season with a young team and a young HC is just insane to me.

I am as positive as it gets on this board but I never saw this coming. Love this team and I am not betting against us either.

We can win it all with the mad heart this young team plays with.

I wonder how many fans we have just because of our helmets alone... That's what really got my attention.. Back then they were like futuristic, compared to the other helmet designs in the league..

(02-02-2022, 08:13 PM)Awful Llama Wrote: Right, we knew it was possible, it was just a matter of when, and would we live to see it.  Younger fans may chuckle at that last bit, but I'm sure there were many Bengals fans in their 50s and 60s who watched that last SB in '89 and never gave up hope of a return trip, yet never lived to see it.  Don't take this game for granted, because you just never know.  

Sadly my father did not live to see the Bengals return to SB.

(02-02-2022, 10:19 PM)Go Cards Wrote: Sadly my father did not live to see the Bengals return to SB.

Sorry to hear that. 

Maybe the Universe will somehow deliver him the message.