Why has the Super Bowl hype come and gone?

[WeezyBengal]

I remember two years ago many "experts" were picking the Bengals to not only win the AFC North, but to make the Super Bowl and win it. That team was talented, but arguably not as talented as this years current team. This years team has many of those same players mixed with a lot of younger, more athletic guys.

So, why is the Super Bowl hype not there with this team? Is it a lack of belief that the fan base and media has due to their previous playoff results? Is it a lack of belief that Andy Dalton can actually get this team to the promised land? Do people not believe in the defense as much under Gunther?

What has made people change their opinion on the Bengals from two years ago to this year, especially due to the fact that the Bengals are arguably a better team than they were two years ago?

[c12schleyer]

(05-29-2015, 12:02 PM)WeezyBengal Wrote: I remember two years ago many "experts" were picking the Bengals to not only win the AFC North, but to make the Super Bowl and win it. That team was talented, but arguably not as talented as this years current team. This years team has many of those same players mixed with a lot of younger, more athletic guys.

So, why is the Super Bowl hype not there with this team? Is it a lack of belief that the fan base and media has due to their previous playoff results? Is it a lack of belief that Andy Dalton can actually get this team to the promised land? Do people not believe in the defense as much under Gunther?

What has made people change their opinion on the Bengals from two years ago to this year, especially due to the fact that the Bengals are arguably a better team than they were two years ago?

I honestly think it has to do with our inability to win A playoff game... let alone enough to win the Super Bowl. Once we get over the hump and finally win one, I think that buzz will come back around Cincy.

[*Nately120*]

Ok I'll bite. First off, why is everyone so insistent on putting experts in quotations marks? Is it because they don't always predict NFL-related happenings with enough accuracy? Is it because opinions are all worthless? I don't get it. The experts were going on about how talented the Bengals are/were and some people still want to act like they're all a bunch of ill-informed dopes.

Ok, general rant over, but I guess you sort of answer your own question in a sense. The "experts" picked the Bengals to stop flopping in round 1 and make a run and the Bengals responded by flopping in round 1 2 years in a row. Experts don't want to be wrong and therefore be considered hacks, so they're going to stop hyping up a team that continues to make them look like dopes whenever they give it their seal of approval.

Also, are we sure this team is that much better than the 2013 squad? I get it, Jeremy Hill is going to run for 250 yards per game but our defense may not recover, Dalton may actually miss some games eventually, and we have yet to see if our great 2013 numbers can be reached by our new "promote-from-within-and-hope-for-the-best" coordinators.

I suppose my point is that I'm a Bengals fan who isn't paid to have an even slightly-informed opinion on football and I can't even put my name on the line to say the Bengals are going to the Super Bowl...can you? Honestly, can you?

[WeezyBengal]

(05-29-2015, 12:14 PM)Nately120 Wrote: Ok I'll bite.  First off, why is everyone so insistent on putting experts in quotations marks?  Is it because they don't always predict NFL-related  happenings with enough accuracy?  Is it because opinions are all worthless?  I don't get it.  The experts were going on about how talented the Bengals are/were and some people still want to act like they're all a bunch of ill-informed dopes.

Ok, general rant over, but I guess you sort of answer your own question in a sense.  The "experts" picked the Bengals to stop flopping in round 1 and make a run and the Bengals responded by flopping in round 1 2 years in a row.  Experts don't want to be wrong and therefore be considered hacks, so they're going to stop hyping up a team that continues to make them look like dopes whenever they give it their seal of approval.

Also, are we sure this team is that much better than the 2013 squad?  I get it, Jeremy Hill is going to run for 250 yards per game but our defense may not recover, Dalton may actually miss some games eventually, and we have yet to see if our great 2013 numbers can be reached by our new "promote-from-within-and-hope-for-the-best" coordinators.

I suppose my point is that I'm a Bengals fan who isn't paid to have an even slightly-informed opinion on football and I can't even put my name on the line to say the Bengals are going to the Super Bowl...can you?  Honestly, can you?

I put "experts" in quotations because the entire concept behind a sports "expert" is laughable. I don't think anyone is an expert when it comes to sports analysis. Sports are based off of parity and intangibles. Sure, people can make educated guesses based off of some sort of analytical data, but can't we all do that? What makes a former NFL football player sitting on ESPN's stage that has watched the EXACT same games that I have and has analyzed the EXACT same data that I have opinion better than mine? It comes down to an educated guess. I don't call anyone that makes educated guesses an "expert" by any means. 

I guess I should have used the term "analyst" in my original post. We would have avoided this entire conversation. 

But I agree with one of the above posters. I think its about lack of playoff wins. Once we finally win one (which I think we do this year), I think people will realize that this team is just as good, if not better, than people thought it was a couple years ago.  

[BritishBengal]

"Winning makes believers of us all"

The teams creator said it best.

[*Nately120*]

(05-29-2015, 12:37 PM)WeezyBengal Wrote: I put "experts" in quotations because the entire concept behind a sports "expert" is laughable. I don't think anyone is an expert when it comes to sports analysis. Sports are based off of parity and intangibles. Sure, people can make educated guesses based off of some sort of analytical data, but can't we all do that? What makes a former NFL football player sitting on ESPN's stage that has watched the EXACT same games that I have and has analyzed the EXACT same data that I have opinion better than mine? It comes down to an educated guess. I don't call anyone that makes educated guesses an "expert" by any means. 

I guess I should have used the term "analyst" in my original post. We would have avoided this entire conversation. 

Meh, I think it's too easy to just dismiss an entire profession with a wave of your hand like that, but to each his own.  I'm not picking on you specifically, but I've heard the whole "anyone can do ____!" statement used to discredit most of the major sociological and psychologically-based professions.  Hell, even meteorologists get put down by people who think looking out the window is best way to predict weather patterns.

SO, can anyone guess about football?  Yes.  But are you sure the "experts" are really a bunch of people that know exactly as much about football as you do and then make guesses?  Don't forget the former athletes and attractive 20-something women in the industry may also just be mouthpieces for the number-crunchers behind the scenes.  I used to work in advertising and it's all about presenting this gigantic pile of statistical data and research performed by PhD's in a manner that makes people think it is a total breeze.

I'm just saying there are lots of professions that are much deeper than the public sees, because who wants to tune into Sports Center and watch some egghead perform a 2-way t-test upon the statical data involving NFL teams winning on the road on a short week in the rain?  They just wrap it up in a nice little digestable package and have some charasmatic former athelte or a woman you'd totally want to lay tell it to you, ha.  I'm cynical.

[Camdaddy08]

I actually spoke to Alex Marvez and Mark Dominik on Late Hits on Sirius. Both of them sounded really excited about this upcoming year. They thought they had a great draft and a really good off season. They like MJ coming back and thought The AJ move was underrated. They think the drafting of Big Ced and Fish doesn't necessarily mean we lose Whit and Dre but feel they will be our future bookends for years to come. They LOVE our backfield and receivers including our TEs.

Top to bottom they felt like we had one of, if not the MOST, talented roster in the NFL. They said this franchise has completely turned it around. They said now people are just waiting for them to get over that hump or kick the jinx to really ride that bandwagon. Mark said he believes, if we can stay healthy, this is the year we end our playoff drought and if it does happen won't be surprised if we end up in the Super Bowl.

I kind of feel like this I how all the media and experts feel. We have all the tools to win we just have to show it when it matters. When I talked with Gil Brandt on radio he felt like this year's draft was top notch and had, from round 4 on, the best draft. Getting talent and needs really securing the depth and future of this team. So although we are not talked about a lot. When I do hear talk of us it is good. I guess we are all just waiting for the next step. I'm very excited.

[Junglejuice]

If they make the post-season and win a game I'm sure some guys in the media will pick up the flag for us.
Until then it's easy to go with history and dismiss us as a great regular season team.

[Interceptor]

Well, this team has proved the "experts" are all fakes.

[Shake n Blake]

It has nothing to do with the fans or anything like that (even though it has been popular to blame fans for everything from losses to message board closings). The media isn't hyping the Bengals because they're tired of getting burned and they probably doubt the Bengals can get out of the first round. Whether the reason is Marv and/or Dalton probably depends on the media member.

How many times can a guy like Prisco hype the Bengals and not look like a jackass? I can imagine Prisco's season preview now...

"Well folks, I know I said last year that the Bengals were my Super Bowl pick, but this year I'm serious! These last 4 years were just flukes. The 5th straight playoff trip is when they'll finally win a game. Credibility? Pfff. I'll just keep picking the Bengals and one of these times they'll reward me."

[*Nately120*]

(05-29-2015, 01:44 PM)Interceptor Wrote: Well, this team has proved the "experts" are all fakes.

By what?  Looking like a 5-11 team whenever the playoffs roll around and they predict a deep Bengals run? Or do you mean experts doubting the 2011 team? When are people going to realize the 2009 and 2011 teams weren't leaps and bounds better than the 2010 team? You really think in 2009 or 2011 we would make the playoffs against the 2010 schedule?

See, this is why experts exist, because they are paid to look at teams they don't love and actually provide some semi-unbiased opinions.

[Shake n Blake]

(05-29-2015, 01:59 PM)Nately120 Wrote: By what?  Looking like a 5-11 team whenever the playoffs roll around and they predict a deep Bengals run?

5-11 is generous. Those teams actually look good and win sometimes.

I'd say they look more like the 2008 Lions.

[masonbengals fan]

Have to win a playoff game before that talk returns. And rightfully so.

[J24]

Haven't really seen much of any Superbowl predictions lately it seems the NFL media is only concentrating on deflate gate.

[Bengal Dude]

Like others have said, it's hard to predict a deep run for us because of our playoff performances. It seems like only one player ever shows up when it comes to the playoffs. The rest of the players and coaches come out looking like frightened kittens. This team has done nothing to shake the perception of being big game choke artists. Remember our MNF game against Denver? Three hours of them talking about how we struggle in primetime and play bad in big games. We finally won and thought it was one to greener pastures. Then we turn around and lose to the Steelers the next week in primetime. It's hard for analysts to take us serious.

Also, keep in the mind that the 2nd Steelers game was our CLOSEST loss of the year (10 points).

[Utts]

(05-29-2015, 12:02 PM)WeezyBengal Wrote: So, why is the Super Bowl hype not there with this team? Is it a lack of belief that the fan base and media has due to their previous playoff results? Is it a lack of belief that Andy Dalton can actually get this team to the promised land? Do people not believe in the defense as much under Gunther?

You kind of answered your own question here.

[*Awful Llama*]

[treee]

Because they realized that we have had one of the most talented rosters in the league for the past 10 years and haven't been able to win a single playoff game. We can find talent apparently, just not use it.

[SunsetBengal]

The NFL is a HC and QB driven league.  One of the two must be "elite" in order for success of the highest level can be achieved.

Basically, I'm saying that if Brady and Belicheat had taken over, after the '11 season, the Bengals might have won 3 straight SB.  The roster is that good.  It's leadership, both on the sidelines and in the huddle that is holding this team back.

[*bengalfan74*]

(05-29-2015, 08:04 PM)SunsetBengal Wrote: The NFL is a HC and QB driven league.  One of the two must be "elite" in order for success of the highest level can be achieved.

Basically, I'm saying that if Brady and Belicheat had taken over, after the '11 season, the Bengals might have won 3 straight SB.  The roster is that good.  It's leadership, both on the sidelines and in the huddle that is holding this team back.

^This^

We've probably had the talent to make a couple deep playoff runs/SB's these past few years ! We just don't have the leadership/coaching.

Until we prove we can run with the big dogs nobody is going to say we're anything but porch material. And we've cemented our position as porch masters !