(01-06-2021, 11:27 AM)KillerGoose Wrote: I became a fan in 2005. I was young, had just turned 12 and didn't know much about football. I was aware that Cincinnati was good, but I didn't know much about the up-and-comers on the team. What was the excitement like around Palmer? I have to imagine it was similar to Burrow this year. He blew up that year and the offense was high-flying. 

2005 was the best year I’ve ever seen of the Bengals in real time.  I didn’t get to witness the Super Bowl teams as I wasn’t born for the first and was only 6 for the second.  

I agree, the excitement with Burrow is very similar.  Except Palmer had a more Herbert-like cannon arm.  His deep ball was a thing of pure beauty...  I miss it.

(01-06-2021, 01:58 PM)wildcatnku24 Wrote: Why oh why do Bengals fans themselves say Bungles.  It’s literally like the C word to a female.  

I don’t understand.  

Because they've represented themselves that way over the years at numerous points.  Living in Denver, the Broncos fans call their team the Donkeys when they're not doing well.  The Rams have been called the Lambs, the Saints the Aints, and so on.  It's like calling your little brother names.  You love him, but sometimes he's just an asshole.  I wouldn't say at all that it's in the same vein as the C word.  It's also completely different when someone who is a fan uses the term vs it being used by another team's fans.  Again, like calling your little brother something unsavory to the two of you is somewhat endearing, but becomes cause for a face punch if someone else does it.

(01-06-2021, 02:04 PM)MileHighGrowler Wrote: Because they've represented themselves that way over the years at numerous points.  Living in Denver, the Broncos fans call their team the Donkeys when they're not doing well.  The Rams have been called the Lambs, the Saints the Aints, and so on.  It's like calling your little brother names.  You love him, but sometimes he's just an asshole.  I wouldn't say at all that it's in the same vein as the C word.  It's also completely different when someone who is a fan uses the term vs it being used by another team's fans.  Again, like calling your little brother something unsavory to the two of you is somewhat endearing, but becomes cause for a face punch if someone else does it.

Perhaps it’s just a me thing then as far as a pet peeve, which we all have so that’s no big deal.  I appreciate you answering, as it’s always kinda bugged me. 

(01-06-2021, 02:01 PM)wildcatnku24 Wrote: 2005 was the best year I’ve ever seen of the Bengals in real time.  I didn’t get to witness the Super Bowl teams as I wasn’t born for the first and was only 6 for the second.  

I agree, the excitement with Burrow is very similar.  Except Palmer had a more Herbert-like cannon arm.  His deep ball was a thing of pure beauty...  I miss it.

The 2015 team was better. More balanced. The 05 defense was good at coming up with turnovers (mostly Delta O’Neal), but the 15 team had an All Pro (Geno) and 3 Pro Bowlers (Nelson, Dunlap, Pacman) on it.

Obviously both offenses were great.

(01-06-2021, 02:26 PM)Nicomo Cosca Wrote: The 2015 team was better. More balanced. The 05 defense was good at coming up with turnovers (mostly Delta O’Neal), but the 15 team had an All Pro (Geno) and 3 Pro Bowlers (Nelson, Dunlap, Pacman) on it.

Obviously both offenses were great.

It's an interesting debate.  I think the X-factor that makes me think 2005 team was better was CP9 at QB instead of AD.  Dalton definitely had a hell of a year in 2015, but that deep ball Palmer could throw to 85 or 15 was sickening.  I'm not convinced our 2015 team could win the SB, whereas 2005 I KNOW that was a SB-ready team.

(01-06-2021, 01:30 PM)Sled21 Wrote: I don't remember anyone ever coming to my house and twisting my arm to make me watch them at any time......
Some of you act like you're so miserable being a fan and you're being forced at gunpoint. If you don't want to follow the team, don't. It's really pretty simple.

There are such things as tongue in cheek comments. I'm a fan and in the '90s I wanted to watch them every week, but since it's a poorly run franchise that fans often quit on, the games weren't always televised.

(01-06-2021, 01:58 PM)wildcatnku24 Wrote: Why oh why do Bengals fans themselves say Bungles.  It’s literally like the C word to a female.  

I don’t understand.  

No, using the word Bungles to make fun of a badly run sports franchise isn't at all the same as using degrading language toward or about a female. That's a bad comparison. If you want to be overly optimistic fan, that's your choice. I'll cry in my beer and recognize the Bungle moments when they happen. 

I view the use of the word Bungles by fans as more of a way to lament over tragedy. Montana marching down the field, Ki-Jana got hurt, Klingler a bust, Palmer's knee, penalties in the playoffs against the Steelers, Burrow's knee. The bad luck curse of the Bungles.

(01-06-2021, 02:48 PM)wildcatnku24 Wrote: It's an interesting debate.  I think the X-factor that makes me think 2005 team was better was CP9 at QB instead of AD.  Dalton definitely had a hell of a year in 2015, but that deep ball Palmer could throw to 85 or 15 was sickening.  I'm not convinced our 2015 team could win the SB, whereas 2005 I KNOW that was a SB-ready team.

The 2005 team was good but they would've had to get past the Peyton Manning led Colts in Indy.  That same year the Colts won a shootout at PBS so they would've been highly favored in Indy.  As it turned out Pittsburgh beat the Colts in Indy in a close game.  Pitt was a better match-up for the Colts because they had a great defenses as usual.  We didn't.  In fact it was pretty weak.  Had we beaten the Steelers that year I still don't think the Bengals win against Peyton Manning in the dome with that porous defense.

In 2015 we were pushing for a #1 seed when Dalton went down.  That's always the best path to the SB.  True, Dalton is no Palmer but the defense was a lot better.  The offense was very good so the team overall was very balanced.

IMO the 2015 had a better shot to take the prize.

(01-06-2021, 03:29 PM)Daddy-O Wrote: The 2005 team was good but they would've had to get past the Peyton Manning led Colts in Indy.  That same year the Colts won a shootout at PBS so they would've been highly favored in Indy.  As it turned out Pittsburgh beat the Colts in Indy in a close game.  Pitt was a better match-up for the Colts because they had a great defenses as usual.  We didn't.  In fact it was pretty weak.  Had we beaten the Steelers that year I still don't think the Bengals win against Peyton Manning in the dome with that porous defense.

In 2015 we were pushing for a #1 seed when Dalton went down.  That's always the best path to the SB.  True, Dalton is no Palmer but the defense was a lot better.  The offense was very good so the team overall was very balanced.

IMO the 2015 had a better shot to take the prize.

I just felt bummed they didn't get a chance to even see what they could do in the playoffs with Palmer. Once he went down, any chance at being a competitive playoff team ended. Thus, I lean toward the 2005 team because the offense was clicking.

(01-06-2021, 02:48 PM)wildcatnku24 Wrote: It's an interesting debate.  I think the X-factor that makes me think 2005 team was better was CP9 at QB instead of AD.  Dalton definitely had a hell of a year in 2015, but that deep ball Palmer could throw to 85 or 15 was sickening.  I'm not convinced our 2015 team could win the SB, whereas 2005 I KNOW that was a SB-ready team.

2005 team was not near the same level as 2015 team with Dalton.

Before Dalton got injured in 2015 the Bengals offense was 4th in the league in scoring and 8th in yards.  They were 10-2 with 3 wins against playoff teams, and there only two losses were extremely close games to playoff teams.  They lost to Houston by 4 when Green fumbled the ball at the Texans 23 yard line with 40 seconds left, and the Cards beta them on a FG on the final play of the game.   They also finished with the #2 scoring defense.

The '05 offense was also 4th in scoring and just slightly better at 6th in yards.  But there defense was weak (22nd in points).  They only had 2 wins against playoff teams and lost to the Steelers by 14, the Bills by 10, and the Colts by 8.  They were blown out in the final game of the regular season, but that does not count because it was meaningless.

(01-04-2021, 10:17 PM)WhodeyRay Wrote: I would like to just give some props to you older guys on this board. I am 43 and been a fan since the late 80s. I remember the 90s but in high school girls were way more interesting than Bengals football at the time even though I still cheered for them. I started watching pretty close the year before we drafted Levi Jones. Man I was pissed when they drafted him. I have zero clue how some of you have followed this team religiously for some of you since the late 60s and 70s. Props to you all because I am tired boys. Just plain tired and out of hope.

I'll be 70 tomorrow. Been a Bengals fan since day one. I remember the good days, before MB. I'm also a Reds fan since 1961. And I remember the glory days with them. I tried out for them in 75 inside Riverfront Stadium. I knew I wouldn't make it. I was older (24) and overweight. I was just thrilled to play on the same field as the Reds and Bengals.

(01-06-2021, 04:02 PM)BengalRed Wrote: I'll be 70 tomorrow. Been a Bengals fan since day one. I remember the good days, before MB. I'm also a Reds fan since 1961. And I remember the glory days with them. I tried out for them in 75 inside Riverfront Stadium. I knew I wouldn't make it. I was older (24) and overweight. I was just thrilled to play on the same field as the Reds and Bengals.

I did the physical agility testing for CPD in Riverfront stadium. Man, I would have hated to be Collinsworth getting tackled on that AstroTurf. I couldn't believe how hard it was. Like a green rug on concrete. But yes, I remember thinking it was cool to be on that field.

(01-06-2021, 03:53 PM)fredtoast Wrote: 2005 team was not near the same level as 2015 team with Dalton.

Before Dalton got injured in 2015 the Bengals offense was 4th in the league in scoring and 8th in yards.  They were 10-2 with 3 wins against playoff teams, and there only two losses were extremely close games to playoff teams.  They lost to Houston by 4 when Green fumbled the ball at the Texans 23 yard line with 40 seconds left, and the Cards beta them on a FG on the final play of the game.   They also finished with the #2 scoring defense.

The '05 offense was also 4th in scoring and just slightly better at 6th in yards.  But there defense was weak (22nd in points).  They only had 2 wins against playoff teams and lost to the Steelers by 14, the Bills by 10, and the Colts by 8.  They were blown out in the final game of the regular season, but that does not count because it was meaningless.

I understand.... however the 2015 team had Dalton and Green.  Both of them are notorious for shrinking in the playoffs.  Due to that, I can look back and say 2005 would've been our SB year.  Either way, both weren't as we got screwed due to injuries as per usual. 

(01-06-2021, 04:02 PM)BengalRed Wrote: I'll be 70 tomorrow. Been a Bengals fan since day one. I remember the good days, before MB. I'm also a Reds fan since 1961. And I remember the glory days with them. I tried out for them in 75 inside Riverfront Stadium. I knew I wouldn't make it. I was older (24) and overweight. I was just thrilled to play on the same field as the Reds and Bengals.

Happy early Birthday!!!  

I'll be 52 next month, been a Bengal fan since '77. I was born into NW Ohio, all of the other kids were Browns or Steelers fans. They made fun of me for picking the loser team. When they went to Super Bowl XVI, I was 11 almost 12. The game fell on the weekend that I had to go to my Mom's house, and she hated football and everything else macho or violent.

So, I'm sitting there in the living room alone, watching the game with my tray table of snacks and such. Just having an uninterrupted good time while she and my sister watched a movie in another room. When the Bengals failed to score on 1st and goal from the 3, I burst from my seat, knocking over the tray table, and spewed a mouthful of explicitives that would have earned me a solid back hand from my father. Mom came storming into the room, exclaiming "You're as bad as your father, with that gawd dammed football!" She threatened to shut the TV off and send me to bed.

I watched the rest of the game in bitter silence.

(01-06-2021, 01:58 PM)wildcatnku24 Wrote: Why oh why do Bengals fans themselves say Bungles.  It’s literally like the C word to a female.  

I don’t understand.  

To paraphrase John Mulaney... you know how I know that's not true? You're willing to say the first word, but the second you have only given a letter.

(01-06-2021, 05:07 PM)wildcatnku24 Wrote: Happy early Birthday!!!  

Thanks  :andy:

(01-06-2021, 03:29 PM)Daddy-O Wrote: The 2005 team was good but they would've had to get past the Peyton Manning led Colts in Indy.  That same year the Colts won a shootout at PBS so they would've been highly favored in Indy.  As it turned out Pittsburgh beat the Colts in Indy in a close game.  Pitt was a better match-up for the Colts because they had a great defenses as usual.  We didn't.  In fact it was pretty weak.  Had we beaten the Steelers that year I still don't think the Bengals win against Peyton Manning in the dome with that porous defense.

In 2015 we were pushing for a #1 seed when Dalton went down.  That's always the best path to the SB.  True, Dalton is no Palmer but the defense was a lot better.  The offense was very good so the team overall was very balanced.

IMO the 2015 had a better shot to take the prize.

Agreed. AJ freaking McCarron took the eventual Super Bowl champs to OT. We could beat anyone that year.

(01-06-2021, 11:27 AM)KillerGoose Wrote: I became a fan in 2005. I was young, had just turned 12 and didn't know much about football. I was aware that Cincinnati was good, but I didn't know much about the up-and-comers on the team. What was the excitement like around Palmer? I have to imagine it was similar to Burrow this year. He blew up that year and the offense was high-flying. 

It was high around Palmer, but we had seen several QBs come in that were heralded but incredibly ineffective in Cincinnati.  David Klingler and Akili Smith were can't miss prospects that missed by a mile, so there was still a lot of skepticism.  Palmer actually sat his rookie season and they played Jon Kitna.  The team was 8-8 and on the rise.  Everyone believed Palmer would take them to the next level.  He did.  The 2005 season was the season where the Bengals finally outplayed the steelers (and most of the league) and went 11-5.  When the steelers assbagged Palmer's knee the 2nd offensive play of the opening playoff game, it all came crashing back to earth.  Although a lot of people think that knee injury was why the Bengals failed in 2006, Palmer actually had one of his best seasons in 2006, after the injury.  That 2005 season was like offering a glass of water to a guy that had been crawling across the dessert.  Fans here were so excited, but that playoff game, ending to the steelers like it did, really took a lot of wind out of the sails.  

The team took some "short cuts" on their talent for 2005, with poor character guys that were available in later rounds.  They began acting out and suspensions followed.  ESPN and the like took it upon themselves to plaster any Bengal legal issue on the front line news.  They became a team the rest of the league hated.  Numerous injuries and suspensions took their toll and then the Bengals had one final shot under Palmer in 2009 with Ced Benson carrying most of the load.  They lost in the first round of the playoffs that year despite a huge game from Benson.  Rather than look at his own poor effort, Palmer blamed the team (ownership) and quit.  

The Bengals drafted Dalton and Green and surprised everyone (for a team supposed to go 0-16 without the almighty quitter) and made the playoffs.  The Bengals kind of stayed there in playoff purgatory for 5 straight seasons.  Good enough to make it, but not good enough to advance.  That being said, I still believe if Dalton isn't injured in 2015, the Bengals win the Super Bowl that year.  They were better than the eventual champ, the Broncos, and damn near beat them in a prime time game in Denver with AJ McCarron as their QB.  Just like the 2005 team, it was so close, but a key injury to their QB ended it. 

After five more years of dismal football following the last playoff appearance in 2015, the Bengals drafted Joe Burrow.  An Ohio kid that had just had the best season for a QB in the history of college football.  Everyone thinks the Bengals would ruin him, but I look at him as the guy that can't be ruined.  Although almost nothing went well in Burrow's first year, I feel like it will only make him stronger in the long run.  I am optimistic the Bengals will make some key FA moves, have a great draft, and they will be at least competitive and maybe a playoff team next year.  I can't wait.  

(01-06-2021, 04:02 PM)BengalRed Wrote: I'll be 70 tomorrow. Been a Bengals fan since day one. I remember the good days, before MB. I'm also a Reds fan since 1961. And I remember the glory days with them. I tried out for them in 75 inside Riverfront Stadium. I knew I wouldn't make it. I was older (24) and overweight. I was just thrilled to play on the same field as the Reds and Bengals.

Happy 70th BengalRed.