Let's do a running list:

1 ) That free agency is bad. Look at the Redskins and Dolphins! They never win! That all big name free agents are busts. That teams like the Steelers, Patriots, Packers and Seahawks don't sign free agents and win.

The reality is that these teams do sign free agents...and fairly big name free agents at that: Revis, Charles Woodson, Peppers, etc. I could go on.

Our 'model' hasn't produced a playoff win in 26+ years. We're also in a division with 2 extremely well managed teams.

2 ) That a playoff win is some monumental achievement. It's extremely hard to get one!

Shake posted the statistics in another thread. Some teams have won almost 20 since we've last won one. Most teams have atleast 5 over that same timespan. The NFL is built for parity. It's built to spread the wealth around.

I've noticed that some fans think there is some conspiracy holding some teams down. I do think calls go in favor of some teams more than others...

But, in the Chiefs vs KC game - The Steelers dominated EVERY statistical category. Bell had 170 yards rushing, Ware like 35. etc.

From following the Bengals, fans get used to seeing a team outplayed statistically...but remain close in games and well...if they get that critical call at the end of a game they can still win! Well the reality is that generally the team that dominates statistically usually wins. Most NFL games aren't 20 point blowouts...so yeah if 1 or 2 plays turn in favor of the other team...it would steer the game...so fans focus on those. But, if you want to win...dominate a game statistically.

Look how many people followed the Cubs and Redsox despite having not winning world series championships for over 100 years or damned close. Most people just don't follow the statistical stuff enough to care. It's their team from craddle to grave and  little changes regardless of win and loss records.
You can point all the stats out till you're vocal cords fall out,  but the bottom line is people generally pick a team and pretty much stick with them in good times and bad. If you really want a say so on how the team is run its simple. Become a billionaire and buy the team or go back in time when you could get a franchise for the cost of a new house. Nothing complicated about this now is there?
I still like crunchy foods despite the fact that I don't have any teeth just like I still like the Bengals despite the fact that they're probably never going to win a championship in my lifetime. And I still like 15 year old girls despite the fact that I'm 57 and would go to prison if I did the things I'd like to do with them. 

Marvin Lewis's record would be completely unacceptable to any other NFL team.


No other team would have employed Lewis for this length of time with zero playoff wins.

It is beyond ludicrous.

If someone knows, please advise about whether Bill B was allowed to hire his own staff when he first became the Pats Head coach.

Kraft is a big time CEO yet I would be extremely surprised if BB was not allowed to bring in the coaches he wanted.

This will never happen in Cincinnati- so it is more than a Lewis problem, it is a Mike Brown problem wanting a compliant head coach and control over the assistants.

Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and over.

(01-18-2017, 11:09 AM)bengals67 Wrote: Marvin Lewis's record would be completely unacceptable to any other NFL team.


No other team would have employed Lewis for this length of time with zero playoff wins.

It is beyond ludicrous.

If someone knows, please advise about whether Bill B was allowed to hire his own staff when he first became the Pats Head coach.

Kraft is a big time CEO yet I would be extremely surprised if BB was not allowed to bring in the coaches he wanted.

This will never happen in Cincinnati- so it is more than a Lewis problem, it is a Mike Brown problem wanting a compliant head coach and control over the assistants.

Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and over.

Take that a step further...largely the same management team has been in place that hasn't won a playoff game in 26+ years.

Exactly!

It amazes me how many people think winning a playoff game is some monumental achievement. It has become our super bowl. Just pathetic really.

Here's another thing that a lot of Bengal fans believe....
Any change is bad because we could revert to the 90's again.
-OR-
It's ok that we haven't had any postseason success because at least it's not the 90's.

It's crazy how much I hear the 90's referenced and the fear of going back there.

(01-18-2017, 11:11 AM)BleedNOrange Wrote: Exactly!

It amazes me how many people think winning a playoff game is some monumental achievement.  It has become our super bowl.  Just pathetic really.

Here's another thing that a lot of Bengal fans believe....
Any change is bad because we could revert to the 90's again.
-OR-
It's ok that we haven't had any postseason success because at least it's not the 90's.

It's crazy how much I hear the 90's referenced and the fear of going back there.

Agreed.

Last year and the year before...we probably had a Top 3 roster in the NFL. When you have a roster with that much talent, you should win in the playoffs. It's unlikely that we hire another coach and he comes in and we go 3-13 with that roster.

Conversely, teams like the Falcons made coaching changes and made it to the Conference Championship.

Teams like the Cowboys keep their coach and have a great record during the season and go out in the 1st game they play.

(01-18-2017, 11:24 AM)THE PISTONS Wrote: Agreed.

Last year and the year before...we probably had a Top 3 roster in the NFL. When you have a roster with that much talent, you should win in the playoffs. It's unlikely that we hire another coach and he comes in and we go 3-13 with that roster.

Conversely, teams like the Falcons made coaching changes and made it to the Conference Championship.

Teams like the Cowboys keep their coach and have a great record during the season and go out in the 1st game they play.

Sounds eerily familiar, doesn't it?  They also have a meddling owner who is a control freak.......hmmmmmmm....

We've been conditioned, all right, to accept mediocrity as a weak substitute for success. Everyone in Bengaldom knows merely winning a playoff game will not be enough because Cincinnati has been a city of winners from the Super Bowl Bengals to the Big Red Machine. Now, paraphrasing our president-elect, we don't win at anything anymore. We don't win at baseball. We don't win at football. The rest of the league has zero respect for Cincinnati teams because they know neither the Bengals nor the Reds can close a deal when it counts.

We've become like an underachieving student who could get top grades but earns a string of B and C grades and our enabling parents just say, "As long as it's your best, honey." The underachieving student responds by meek acceptance and one who could have been at the top of the class finishes in the middle. The parents smile thinking how much worse it could be.

The Cincinnati Bengals will never win in the playoffs until this cycle of mediocrity is broken. Inside every fan are doubts:

"It's the Steelers. We can't beat them."

"Bill Belichick and Tom Brady! Let's curl up and die. Maybe they won't hurt us."

"If we beat the Cowboys, America will hate us."

"No one wants to play here."

It's much less of a general point, by I love how the team's propaganda arm (Hobson), and the beat writers are tenderizing the fans for the inevitable exodus of our near-league-best guard. At that, it comes at time time when our offensive line is a pile of dogshit and clearly effected the outcome of games in a negative way n 16. They know damn well that they aren't even going to effing try, because the clown show that runs this team doesn't think guards should get paid big money.

That's the most hilarious part. You just keep hearing and reading: "Well, you know this team just isn't going to pay a guard that kind of money". Why the F not? The best in-prime player on the line is up for contact, and you're going to replace him with god-knows what. A practice squatter like Hopkins? A guy that's never seen a snap in Westerman? A c-grade FA?

SO stupid and nonsensical IMO. This philosophy will have this o-line right back where it was, if not worse in 2016. When it happens, I'm sure they'll act like it was some insane act of god, but every fan that follows the team will know before the season begins that they're dooming themselves with this approach.

(01-18-2017, 11:05 AM)grampahol Wrote: Look how many people followed the Cubs and Redsox despite having not winning world series championships for over 100 years or damned close. Most people just don't follow the statistical stuff enough to care. It's their team from craddle to grave and  little changes regardless of win and loss records.
You can point all the stats out till you're vocal cords fall out,  but the bottom line is people generally pick a team and pretty much stick with them in good times and bad. If you really want a say so on how the team is run its simple. Become a billionaire and buy the team or go back in time when you could get a franchise for the cost of a new house. Nothing complicated about this now is there?
I still like crunchy foods despite the fact that I don't have any teeth just like I still like the Bengals despite the fact that they're probably never going to win a championship in my lifetime. And I still like 15 year old girls despite the fact that I'm 57 and would go to prison if I did the things I'd like to do with them. 

Thank you for keeping it real. Cubs/Red Sox analogy was spot on. Time has passed me by when being a FAIR WEATHER fan is the norm. 
Sure I'd like changes but this team represents my home town and I've followed them from the beginning even as a kid getting players to let us into the Wilmington dorms between summer camp practices. It's not about being "convinced" by M Brown for some of us.

There's no accountability anywhere in the organization. We'll never win anything of importance because there's just no pressure to. It starts from the top. It is what it is. That's one thing no matter how many free agents etc we sign, without accountability it's easy to become bengalized.

No accountability = no championships (or playoff wins).

(01-18-2017, 11:05 AM)grampahol Wrote: Look how many people followed the Cubs and Redsox despite having not winning world series championships for over 100 years or damned close. Most people just don't follow the statistical stuff enough to care. It's their team from craddle to grave and  little changes regardless of win and loss records.
You can point all the stats out till you're vocal cords fall out,  but the bottom line is people generally pick a team and pretty much stick with them in good times and bad. If you really want a say so on how the team is run its simple. Become a billionaire and buy the team or go back in time when you could get a franchise for the cost of a new house. Nothing complicated about this now is there?
I still like crunchy foods despite the fact that I don't have any teeth just like I still like the Bengals despite the fact that they're probably never going to win a championship in my lifetime. And I still like 15 year old girls despite the fact that I'm 57 and would go to prison if I did the things I'd like to do with them. 

But those two teams have WON a championship - even if it was 100 years ago they still won.
Bengals have not. Not even ONE.

(01-18-2017, 11:32 AM)Wyche Wrote: Sounds eerily familiar, doesn't it?  They also have a meddling owner who is a control freak.......hmmmmmmm....

So we're just Cowboys fans who haven't seen the same success by the team?

**** my life.

(01-18-2017, 02:03 PM)John Shaft Wrote: Thank you for keeping it real. Cubs/Red Sox analogy was spot on. Time has passed me by when being a FAIR WEATHER fan is the norm. 
Sure I'd like changes but this team represents my home town and I've followed them from the beginning even as a kid getting players to let us into the Wilmington dorms between summer camp practices. It's not about being "convinced" by M Brown for some of us.

It's a team that hasn't won a playoff game in 26+ years. The longest streak in sports...while other teams have generally won 5+ playoff games over that span. Some have won upwards of 20.

This isn't a case of fans being impatient and waiting for our turn. The league is setup for parity.

Largely the same management team has been in place for that 26+ years. Marvin is 0-7 in the playoffs and retains his job. Paul Alexander is still here despite poor line play.

This thread has nothing to do with switching teams. This thread is about how the play of the Bengals has tainted fans to accept dysfunction as the norm.

(01-18-2017, 02:51 PM)BigPapaKain Wrote: So we're just Cowboys fans who haven't seen the same success by the team?

**** my life.

(01-18-2017, 11:11 AM)BleedNOrange Wrote: Exactly!

It amazes me how many people think winning a playoff game is some monumental achievement.  It has become our super bowl.  Just pathetic really.

This!!


(For the fans in here that this applies);  I know you can't win a championship without winning all the playoff games in that particular season!!  But you're right BleedNOrange!!

Many here act like playoff wins mean something!

From 1995-2016:

Team           Playoff Appearances      Lombardis
Patriots          17                                   4
Packers          17                                   2
Colts              16                                   1
Steelers          14                                   2
Broncos          12                                   1
Eagles            12                                   0
Seahawks       11                                   1
Ravens           10                                   2
Cowboys         10                                   0
Vikings           10                                   0
Giants              9                                   2
49ers               9                                   0
Falcons            9                                   0
Dolphins          8                                   0
Chiefs             8                                    0
Buccaneers      7                                   1
Panthers         7                                    0
Jets                7                                    0
Chargers         7                                    0
Bengals          7                                     0
Saints            6                                     1
Titans            6                                     0
Jaguars          6                                     0
Lions             6                                     0
Rams            5                                     1
Redskins       5                                     0
Bills              4                                     0
Raiders         4                                     0
Texans         4                                     0
Cards           4                                     0
Bears           4                                     0
Browns         1                                     0

Bengals are appropriately colored in orange, bold, italicized, and underlined.




All teams in black have won a SB or more, from 1995-2016.



All teams in red have made more playoff appearances than the Bengals with no SB championships from 1995-2016.


All teams in blue are teams with less playoff appearances than the Bengals with no SB championships from 1995-2016.


All team in BOLD are teams that have never won a SB!  


All of this to show how pointless playoff game wins are and how many playoff appearances, in the last 20 years, does it take to qualify for consistency??   15? (3 teams)  Double digits?  (10 teams)  What???


I find it very interesting that 20 other teams, beside the Bengals, have not won a SB in the last 20 years.


Also, I find it interesting that 12 of those 20 teams have NEVER won a Super Bowl and 6 of those 13 teams have been around longer than the Bengals. (Eagles 1933, Lions 1934, Bills and Vikings 1960, Chargers 1961, Falcons 1965).


What about seasonal wins/losses?  (This is just for the folks that think playoff wins actually mean something!!)

(01-18-2017, 11:11 AM)BleedNOrange Wrote: Exactly!

It amazes me how many people think winning a playoff game is some monumental achievement.  It has become our super bowl.  Just pathetic really.

Here's another thing that a lot of Bengal fans believe....
Any change is bad because we could revert to the 90's again.
-OR-
It's ok that we haven't had any postseason success because at least it's not the 90's.

It's crazy how much I hear the 90's referenced and the fear of going back there.

Mike Brown is conditioned this way, it has rubbed off on some of our fans.

He would rather have a "stable" team than gamble for the Lombardi. MB and hobs specifically then name teams
that we are nothing like in the Patriots, Seahawks, Packers, Broncos and Steelers in the same breath. Like Pistons
says, those teams DO go after FA's that push them over the hump.

You can only rely on the crapshoot draft so much. Proven players help immediately.

(01-18-2017, 11:05 AM)grampahol Wrote: Look how many people followed the Cubs and Redsox despite having not winning world series championships for over 100 years or damned close. Most people just don't follow the statistical stuff enough to care. It's their team from craddle to grave and  little changes regardless of win and loss records.
You can point all the stats out till you're vocal cords fall out,  but the bottom line is people generally pick a team and pretty much stick with them in good times and bad. If you really want a say so on how the team is run its simple. Become a billionaire and buy the team or go back in time when you could get a franchise for the cost of a new house. Nothing complicated about this now is there?
I still like crunchy foods despite the fact that I don't have any teeth just like I still like the Bengals despite the fact that they're probably never going to win a championship in my lifetime. And I still like 15 year old girls despite the fact that I'm 57 and would go to prison if I did the things I'd like to do with them. 

(01-18-2017, 03:14 PM)bengalguy71 Wrote: This!!


(For the fans in here that this applies);  I know you can't win a championship without winning all the playoff games in that particular season!!  But you're right BleedNOrange!!

Many here act like playoff wins mean something!

From 1995-2016:

Team           Playoff Appearances      Lombardis
Patriots          17                                   4
Packers          17                                   2
Colts              16                                   1
Steelers          14                                   2
Broncos          12                                   1
Eagles            12                                   0
Seahawks       11                                   1
Ravens           10                                   2
Cowboys         10                                   0
Vikings           10                                   0
Giants              9                                   2
49ers               9                                   0
Falcons            9                                   0
Dolphins          8                                   0
Chiefs             8                                    0
Buccaneers      7                                   1
Panthers         7                                    0
Jets                7                                    0
Chargers         7                                    0
Bengals          7                                     0
Saints            6                                     1
Titans            6                                     0
Jaguars          6                                     0
Lions             6                                     0
Rams            5                                     1
Redskins       5                                     0
Bills              4                                     0
Raiders         4                                     0
Texans         4                                     0
Cards           4                                     0
Bears           4                                     0
Browns         1                                     0

Bengals are appropriately colored in orange, bold, italicized, and underlined.




All teams in black have won a SB or more, from 1995-2016.



All teams in red have made more playoff appearances than the Bengals with no SB championships from 1995-2016.


All teams in blue are teams with less playoff appearances than the Bengals with no SB championships from 1995-2016.


All team in BOLD are teams that have never won a SB!  


All of this to show how pointless playoff game wins are and how many playoff appearances, in the last 20 years, does it take to qualify for consistency??   15? (3 teams)  Double digits?  (10 teams)  What???


I find it very interesting that 20 other teams, beside the Bengals, have not won a SB in the last 20 years.


Also, I find it interesting that 13 of those 20 teams have NEVER won a Super Bowl and 7 of those 13 teams have been around longer than the Bengals. (Bears 1920, Eagles 1933, Lions 1934, Bills and Vikings 1960, Chargers 1961, Falcons 1965).


What about seasonal wins/losses?  (This is just for the folks that think playoff wins actually mean something!!)

Yeah so to put things in context...just judging us on playoff appearances alone puts us behind 60% of the league.