Coming off what might be our most impressive postseason win as a franchise Sunday, seems a lot of the NFL has taken notice of the Bengals and our young core of stars. They've also taken notice of the brashness and trash talking from Eli Apple and others, and it's resulted in a lot of negative backlash towards our team and fan base.

In turn, it seems that some of our fans are calling for our team to "be humble" or to stop the trash talking as to not draw this type of "negative" attention or to keep the outside perception of us in some kind of positive light.

I guess I understand all that, what I don't understand is why Bengals fans are choosing to push back against our own team right now when they're on the doorstep of getting to the Super Bowl for the second straight year. Who are we to tell the players how to think/act/behave/express themselves?

And most of all, why would we care what other fan bases think of us at all? Are we trying to be buddies with everyone? I love the brashness personally, but I'm wondering if this is a generational thing? Are zoomers more sensitive to this kind of thing? Personally, I'm not trying to be buddies with anyone, barely even fellow Bengals fans. Definitely not opposing fans on social media. If 100% of them hate us, I'm cool with that.

This mindset of worrying about our image with the media or other fans is just very weird.

Crow does not taste good. Not to mention trash talk usually distracts the talker more than the target. Then there's that karma or jinx thing. It took 30yrs to get past the Bo Jackson curse. If you have a lucky game shirt, socks, underwear, pants, hat or whatever, then you know what I'm talking about. Just don't want to mess around with that stuff and it leaves an uncomfortable feeling in the gut of us who know better than to piss off the football gods.

I don't care at all what other fan bases think about the Bengals or us as their fans. However, I do care how other fan bases feel. I want them to feel sad, so very sad after their teams play the Bengals.

Years of pent-up inferiority complex.

(01-25-2023, 02:25 PM)HarleyDog Wrote: Crow does not taste good. Not to mention trash talk usually distracts the talker more than the target. Then there's that karma or jinx thing. It took 30yrs to get past the Bo Jackson curse. If you have a lucky game shirt, socks, underwear, pants, hat or whatever, then you know what I'm talking about. Just don't want to mess around with that stuff and it leaves an uncomfortable feeling in the gut of us who know better than to piss off the football gods.

So no actual tangible reason other than "feelings" and silly superstitions? 

I would argue that being brash and cocky forces guys to have to up their game to back up the talking.  As far as eating crow, only the trash talker has to do that, not the fans.  Obviously, our players aren't too concerned about having to eat crow, so why should we be? 

Years of listening to Steelers players and fans teaches us how not to act. I’d prefer to be nothing like them. I don’t have a problem with how any of our guys have carried themselves except Apple. He just needs to dial it back about 80%. Dude went so far overboard the other day with tweets. Just focus up for the next one.

When you say bengals fans , it’s a very small group of people who act like this. In your statement it almost seems like it’s all. Kinda like those government polls they do that say 67% of Americans love Joe Biden. They don’t tell you they polled 1k people in a liberal place like Seattle.

The most important player, Joe B., knows how to keep from getting involved in all of that. "Better get those refunds ready," is simply stating a hard-to-swallow fact for everyone involved in that neutral site game that will never happen.

Watch out for bandwagon fans like the Steelers had for so long.

I certainly don't care.

I want the Bengals to be as hated as the Pats were with Brady.

Winning Super Bowl's garners lots of jealousy and hate.

I don’t care except I hate KC fans. Other canvases wish they could draft what we have. Hell, other teams would have traded those picks to still find themselves in the cellar, or pick worse players in that spot.

(01-25-2023, 02:41 PM)leonardfan40 Wrote: Years of listening to Steelers players and fans teaches us how not to act. I’d prefer to be nothing like them. I don’t have a problem with how any of our guys have carried themselves except Apple. He just needs to dial it back about 80%. Dude went so far overboard the other day with tweets. Just focus up for the next one.

If you're winning, the rest of the league is going to hate you and nitpick everything you say and do anyway.  That's why people hate the Steelers, because they've got six super bowl wins.  

I'm fine with being thought of on that level and hope it happens in my lifetime. 

(01-25-2023, 02:51 PM)WiregrassBenGal Wrote: The most important player, Joe B., knows how to keep from getting involved in all of that. "Better get those refunds ready," is simply stating a hard-to-swallow fact for everyone involved in that neutral site game that will never happen.

Watch out for bandwagon fans like the Steelers had for so long.

Yet other fan bases see him as cocky and brash, too. That's kind of my point.  If you're winning, the other fan bases are going to hate you regardless, so just enjoy the winning and stop caring what other people think.  

None of us live in a cocoon. We have family, friends, associates. We do care what they think of us. One advice on whether or not a certain action is ethical or not is to imagine what you did appeared on the front page of your newspaper: would you be proud or embarrassed by what was printed. That's because what others think of us is important.

Wearing Bengals jerseys and hats and being known as Bengals fans, we would like to be proud of our affiliation. I very glad that this is a high-character Bengals team. DeShaun Watson is a terrific athlete. I thank my lucky stars we have Burrow, someone to be proud of, rather than DeShaun Watson.

For some of us, it extends to how Bengals players treat others. it was so inspiring after the Bills game to see the Bengals and Bills players genuinely embracing one another and congratulating one another. Makes me proud to be a Bengals fan.

But it's mute point, because this Bengals team is filled with very high-character players, high-character coaches, and a high-character ownership. And when someone gets out of line, there are others who tend to rein them in. Even a rookie, CTB, was doing some of that with Apple.

(01-25-2023, 02:45 PM)Cosmokramer Wrote: When you say bengals fans , it’s a very small group of people who act like this.  In your statement it almost seems like it’s all.  Kinda like those government polls they do that say 67% of Americans love Joe Biden.  They don’t tell you they polled 1k people in a liberal place like Seattle.

Good job making a totally apolitical topic on a sports forum political.  

I didn't imply anything as far as it being all Bengals fans.  

(01-25-2023, 03:26 PM)GAWhoDey Wrote: Good job making a totally apolitical topic on a sports forum political.  

I didn't imply anything as far as it being all Bengals fans.  

Thanks. Although I really didn’t say anything to turn into an argument. But again thanks!

(01-25-2023, 02:41 PM)leonardfan40 Wrote: Years of listening to Steelers players and fans teaches us how not to act. I’d prefer to be nothing like them. I don’t have a problem with how any of our guys have carried themselves except Apple. He just needs to dial it back about 80%. Dude went so far overboard the other day with tweets. Just focus up for the next one.

When the Patriots went on their winning spree for several years, I didn't recall a lot of trash talking. They did their talking on the field. It shows class and sets a good example for the youth. 

(01-25-2023, 02:17 PM)GAWhoDey Wrote: Coming off what might be our most impressive postseason win as a franchise Sunday, seems a lot of the NFL has taken notice of the Bengals and our young core of stars. They've also taken notice of the brashness and trash talking from Eli Apple and others, and it's resulted in a lot of negative backlash towards our team and fan base.  

In turn, it seems that some of our fans are calling for our team to "be humble" or to stop the trash talking as to not draw this type of "negative" attention or to keep the outside perception of us in some kind of positive light.

I guess I understand all that, what I don't understand is why Bengals fans are choosing to push back against our own team right now when they're on the doorstep of getting to the Super Bowl for the second straight year. Who are we to tell the players how to think/act/behave/express themselves?  

And most of all, why would we care what other fan bases think of us at all? Are we trying to be buddies with everyone?  I love the brashness personally, but I'm wondering if this is a generational thing?  Are zoomers more sensitive to this kind of thing?  Personally, I'm not trying to be buddies with anyone, barely even fellow Bengals fans. Definitely not opposing fans on social media.  If 100% of them hate us, I'm cool with that.  

This mindset of worrying about our image with the media or other fans is just very weird.

Don't sweat it,  the players don't read this forum for advice on how to act anyway.

I would hate to have to eat crow, but as long as our guys actually feel that confident and back it up, I don't have a problem. If karma actually existed on this side of heaven, then that 2005 Steelers run never would have happened.

That was the most obnoxious team in recent memory, and what happened after they celebrated in our locker room after taking out Palmer? They pounded three more solid teams enroute to a 5th championship.

(01-25-2023, 02:17 PM)GAWhoDey Wrote: Coming off what might be our most impressive postseason win as a franchise Sunday, seems a lot of the NFL has taken notice of the Bengals and our young core of stars. They've also taken notice of the brashness and trash talking from Eli Apple and others, and it's resulted in a lot of negative backlash towards our team and fan base.  

In turn, it seems that some of our fans are calling for our team to "be humble" or to stop the trash talking as to not draw this type of "negative" attention or to keep the outside perception of us in some kind of positive light.

I guess I understand all that, what I don't understand is why Bengals fans are choosing to push back against our own team right now when they're on the doorstep of getting to the Super Bowl for the second straight year. Who are we to tell the players how to think/act/behave/express themselves?  

And most of all, why would we care what other fan bases think of us at all? Are we trying to be buddies with everyone?  I love the brashness personally, but I'm wondering if this is a generational thing?  Are zoomers more sensitive to this kind of thing?  Personally, I'm not trying to be buddies with anyone, barely even fellow Bengals fans. Definitely not opposing fans on social media.  If 100% of them hate us, I'm cool with that.  

This mindset of worrying about our image with the media or other fans is just very weird.

Much like the Grinch, their *enises are 2 sizes too small, leading to little man syndrome. 

This fan does not care. It does not affect me or my team I heard we was becoming the most hated team in the NFL. It comes with the territory if you win a lot then other teams and fans will be envious.