Well, I am eating crow this year. I predicted the Bengals would be 11-5 or 10-6 and win the division at the start of the season. This team might win one or two more games this year. Heck, we could even be swept with Cleveland getting their only win against us. I initially thought we had a lot of good players returning and a chance to repeat as division champs. Marvin has made us division chumps instead. We need to rebuild this team and replace Marvin ASAP. My Reds and Bengals are making Cincinnati look bad. And I'm tired of it.

(11-27-2016, 11:35 AM)guyofthetiger Wrote: Well, I am eating crow this year. I predicted the Bengals would be 11-5 or 10-6 and win the division at the start of the season. This team might win one or two more games this year. Heck, we could even be swept with Cleveland getting their only win against us. I initially thought we had a lot of good players returning and a chance to repeat as division champs. Marvin has made us division chumps instead. We need to rebuild this team and replace Marvin ASAP. My Reds and Bengals are making Cincinnati look bad. And I'm tired of it.

I agree with most of this.  However, from a guy who has been a fan of the Reds since a toddler, and the Bengals since they came to Cincinnati, I see only a few options:

1.  Stop following them until they become competitive.
2.  Change teams.
3.  Continue to be a fan, expecting the worse and hoping for the best, keeping sports in it's proper perspective.

For me, it's option 3.  What say you?

(11-27-2016, 12:25 PM)bengalguy71 Wrote: I agree with most of this.  However, from a guy who has been a fan of the Reds since a toddler, and the Bengals since they came to Cincinnati, I see only a few options:

1.  Stop following them until they become competitive.
2.  Change teams.
3.  Continue to be a fan, expecting the worse and hoping for the best, keeping sports in it's proper perspective.

For me, it's option 3.  What say you?

3 is the only approach. Up until just a few years ago I lacked that proper perspective. I used to get genuinely mad when they lost. Now I see how ridiculous that is.

Just keep telling yourself: It's only a game. It's meant to be entertainment. A diversion from the work, drudgery and pain of everyday life. Go put up those Christmas decorations the wife has been nagging you about. Have another helping of Thanksgiving leftovers. Dress like one of those guys in the LL Bean catalog and park yourself in front of the fire. Just enjoy your day. The losing team we all arbitrarily cheer for may lose, but you can still have a good day.

You're good enough, you're smart enough, and doggonit, people like you.

(11-27-2016, 12:25 PM)bengalguy71 Wrote: I agree with most of this.  However, from a guy who has been a fan of the Reds since a toddler, and the Bengals since they came to Cincinnati, I see only a few options:

1.  Stop following them until they become competitive.
2.  Change teams.
3.  Continue to be a fan, expecting the worse and hoping for the best, keeping sports in it's proper perspective.

For me, it's option 3.  What say you?

3, I guess.  I'm also trying to like baseball again because football is getting ridiculous, especially officiating.

I really thought we were going to have an 11 or 12 win season. Seriously. We had the pieces, outside of a couple guys who were supposed to be back early in the season. And we were looking at some pretty mediocre-at-best teams in our division (how often do we get Pitt AND Baltimore having down years?).

Very disappointing.

I'm considering my options but the heck with the stress and heart ache, and caring so much about this dumb franchise. I'm about to pick up some other teams that actually win. Don't know who yet though.

I predicted the Bengals would be 13-3 so don't feel bad.

I said that the Bengals would lose the Home game against Pittsburgh, lose against the Patriots and lose one more to a scrub team because of overconfidence which would refocus them and they would go on a win streak maybe all the way to the Super Bowl.

BOY, WAS I WRONG, lol.

No need to eat crow when you predict something good happening. But if you say they were going to go 4-12 yet they went 12-4, then its crow time.

(11-28-2016, 06:37 PM)bengalsturntup926 Wrote: I'm considering my options but the heck with the stress and heart ache, and caring so much about this dumb franchise. I'm about to pick up some other teams that actually win. Don't know who yet though.

The Bengals will always be my team, but I have started following and cheering the Vikings since Zimmer and Bridgewater went there.....

(11-27-2016, 02:26 PM)BonnieBengal Wrote: 3, I guess.  I'm also trying to like baseball again because football is getting ridiculous, especially officiating.

I thought there might be a chance we get all the biased calls to go our way because the NFL wants the Steelers to win the AFC North, not the Ravens.

 Loyal fan for 49 years. I have always considered myself a complete loyalist and have been a defender of management in recent years., But They are wearing me out.

Marvin certainly has good qualities but he is probably the worst game day coach I have ever seen.

I honestly do not know of another organization in any equivalent activity or sport or profession that would keep the CEO after losing 7 playoff games and winning none plus awful record against main rival and on prime time games.

One other problem for me is that I cannot stand Roger Godell and his arrogant pc agenda. The Commissioner of Football should focus on football, not politics or social issue agenda. He fines players for wearing socks that don't march uniform but it is OK to disrespect the flag with no consequences.

May be time for me to give it up.

(11-28-2016, 07:19 PM)bengals67 Wrote: One other problem for me is that I cannot stand Roger Godell and his arrogant pc agenda. The Commissioner of Football should focus on football, not politics or social issue agenda. He fines players for wearing socks that don't march uniform but it is OK to disrespect the flag with no consequences.

I realize this isn't the P&R forum, but what do you think Godell should do about players who "disrespect the flag" as you put it?  

(11-28-2016, 04:35 PM)Benton Wrote: I really thought we were going to have an 11 or 12 win season. Seriously. We had the pieces, outside of a couple guys who were supposed to be back early in the season. And we were looking at some pretty mediocre-at-best teams in our division (how often do we get Pitt AND Baltimore having down years?).

Very disappointing.

Agree,

We still have a decent core to build around. Problem is only way that core has a chance to see success here is a total rebuild and now. Half a dozen starters or more need replaced and the only way that's going to happen is in Free Agency, and a couple draft picks working out (Billings, Jackson).

Plus complete house cleaning of coaching staff.

We all know there's no way MB would ever get on board with that. Soooooooo

No major changes will be made unless a new head coach is brought in and given a lot of leeway. This won't happen. The core players are here (Dalton, Green, Hill, Eifert, Gio, Atkins, Dunlap and Burfict) but how long will they play at a high level? I think the offensive skill positions are set for the next 5 years. I don't think the defense is set for more than 2-3 years as I see Atkins and Dunlap declining as they age.

(11-28-2016, 07:48 PM)Nately120 Wrote: I realize this isn't the P&R forum, but what do you think Godell should do about players who "disrespect the flag" as you put it?  

Any action by a player that makes the NFL look bad is punishable under the personal conduct policy. This could definitely be considered a violation of that policy. 

Fines would definitely be warrented and if the player continued the behavior suspensions could follow. 

Not that i think it should or ever will happen. I might hate it personally and think everyone of the douche bags should be kicked out of the country it is their right to be douche bags.

Option 3 for me too sadly. We need wholesale changes to the coaches, an influx of talented players in their prime and a shift in game management.Our guys on defense seem noticeably slower than their guys on offense, take bad angles, miss too many tackles.On offense Andy doesn't get clear passing lanes, only AJ Green gets separation, no running lanes for the backs. Basic game plans ,the other team negates after a series or so.Special teams is no longer special and we need a decent kicker next off season.I don't expect much to happen in the near future .

If this is a come-clean thread about our stupid optimism, I predicted 11-5 and a Super Bowl victory over the Seahawks.

Dumb, dumb, dumb, dumb,....DUMB!

(11-28-2016, 07:48 PM)Nately120 Wrote: I realize this isn't the P&R forum, but what do you think Godell should do about players who "disrespect the flag" as you put it?  

I have many family members who put their life on the line to protect our country.

If I owned a team, I would not have a player who disrespected the flag during the national anthem and he would be cut.

The First Amendment does not prevent private employers from firing employees for whatever reason they like.

If Godell can fine a player for excessive celebration ( No Fun League) he can fine someone for disrespecting the flag during the national anthem. But he won't do that because Godell is totally bought into the prevailing PC culture.

(11-29-2016, 02:04 AM)mallorian69 Wrote: Any action by a player that makes the NFL look bad is punishable under the personal conduct policy. This could definitely be considered a violation of that policy. 

Fines would definitely be warrented and if the player continued the behavior suspensions could follow. 

Not that i think it should or ever will happen. I might hate it personally and think everyone of the douche bags should be kicked out of the country it is their right to be douche bags.

I agree it is their right to say whatever they want

But they have no right to remain employed by a private sector organization if the owner fired them for disrespecting the flag.

I will amend this statement to the extent that there might be something in the collective bargaining agreement that limits an owner's right o fire someone for this type of conduct but then again the NFL does have the right to fine people for "excessive" celebrations so I do not see why a team could not fire a player- it depends on the provisions in the collective bargaining agreement.