What was it like in the 80s?

[Jhowdy54]

born in 86 I dont remember anything from the 80s when we were good. Only crap 90s and 1 and done 00s and 10s.

Did you feel like we were we Americas team?

How loud were the fans in riverfront?

National media love us any instead of trashing us every second now?

Just curious how the energy was with everything. With Burrow here I just want that feeling one time.

[*jason*]

(08-25-2020, 09:04 PM)Jhowdy54 Wrote: born in 86 I dont remember anything from the 80s when we were good. Only crap 90s and 1 and done 00s and 10s.

Did you feel like we were we Americas team?

How loud were the fans in riverfront?

National media love us any instead of trashing us every second now?

Just curious how the energy was with everything. With Burrow here I just want that feeling one time.

I was a kid so my memories are vague, but Riverfront was way louder than PBS. The stands that would retract when the Reds played would shake from the noise.

[Nicomo Cosca]

Lots of big hair and bad music.

[jfkbengals]

(08-25-2020, 09:04 PM)Jhowdy54 Wrote: born in 86 I dont remember anything from the 80s when we were good.  Only crap 90s and 1 and done 00s and 10s.  

Did you feel like we were we Americas team? NO

How loud were the fans in riverfront? VERY FOR THE TIMES I WAS THERE

National media love us any instead of trashing us every second now? NO LOVE EXCEPT FOR HURRY UP OFFENSE, BUT NO TRASHINGS

Just curious how the energy was with everything.  With Burrow here I just want that feeling one time.

See above ^^^

[MTBengalsFan]

(08-25-2020, 09:08 PM)jason Wrote: I was a kid so my memories are vague, but Riverfront was way louder than PBS. The stands that would retract when the Reds played would shake from the noise.

I went to maybe a half-dozen games back then. I clearly recall the Monday night crew (Cosell, Gifford and Don Meredith) were covering a game, and Meredith and Gifford were talking about whether anybody could beat the Chargers, and Cosell piped in with "let's wait to see what happens when they play the Bengals." I came a tad unglued at that moment, as did my three roommates. But in the Super Bowls, there was still a high level of disrespect. Just one play the other way in either game, and the Bengals are Super Bowl CHAMPS!

If and buts...Yeah, Riverfront could absolutely be crazy loud, but you have to remember the Bengals were coming off losing seasons in both '81 and '88 (4-11 IIRC in '87) so expectations were LOW. I think we all changed when they went to Dallas in '88 and beat the Cowboys, a part of their 4-1 finish.

It'd get crazy loud when Ickey would score a TD and fans would lose their minds when he did the shuffle. It was great fun to see Brooks slashing to the outside, then Woods pound it. Yep, exciting days for sure. Just know the Bengals have shown they can go from SUCK to SUPER BOWL in one year!

[Dean_Gilberry95]

I remember 88. That was a fun year!

When did the players rape that girl? Was it a reporter or a regular lady? Was it in a hotel or did they gang bang her in the locker room? Or was that in early 90’s? I don’t want to look it up.

I was young when kinnebrew and breeden played. Those were some of my earliest memories. 85-86?

[*jason*]

(08-25-2020, 09:22 PM)MTBengalsFan Wrote: I went to maybe a half-dozen games back then. I clearly recall the Monday night crew (Cosell, Gifford and Don Meredith) were covering a game, and Meredith and Gifford were talking about whether anybody could beat the Chargers, and Cosell piped in with "let's wait to see what happens when they play the Bengals." I came a tad unglued at that moment, as did my three roommates. But in the Super Bowls, there was still a high level of disrespect. Just one play the other way in either game, and the Bengals are Super Bowl CHAMPS!

If and buts...Yeah, Riverfront could absolutely be crazy loud, but you have to remember the Bengals were coming off losing seasons in both '81 and '88 (4-11 IIRC in '87) so expectations were LOW. I think we all changed when they went to Dallas in '88 and beat the Cowboys, a part of their 4-1 finish.

It'd get crazy loud when Ickey would score a TD and fans would lose their minds when he did the shuffle. It was great fun to see Brooks slashing to the outside, then Woods pound it. Yep, exciting days for sure. Just know the Bengals have shown they can go from SUCK to SUPER BOWL in one year!

Yeah... I was at the Buffalo game in 88 (regular season). I was sick as hell, but toughed it out. That was the loudest I've ever heard a stadium in Cincinnati professional sports.

[*bfine32*]

I was around in the early 80s. I can tell you that a ticket was not required if you knew the right entrance door to knock on and had $10. I can tell you stories about the Freezer Bowl. how $10 got me in and being a fellow National Guardsman with Cincy Policeman got me on the field. I can teel you how we put the key in the door to unlock the car and it snapped right off.

WTS, we were never a National favorite. The stripes got a lot of buzz when introduced but everybody in the National media wanted San Diego to beat us and go to the Superbowl, Folks might not remember SD won the "Epic in Miami" the week prior

[*rfaulk34*]

(08-25-2020, 09:04 PM)Jhowdy54 Wrote: born in 86 I dont remember anything from the 80s when we were good.  Only crap 90s and 1 and done 00s and 10s.  

Did you feel like we were we Americas team?

How loud were the fans in riverfront?

National media love us any instead of trashing us every second now?

Just curious how the energy was with everything.  With Burrow here I just want that feeling one time.

It was beyond great. Bengals whipped the Steelers with regularity, had a real, tough rivalry with the Browns, tried to crush the Oilers (Jerry Glanville) at every turn, playoff wins...2 Super Bowl appearances...etc...etc. 

Seriously, it was the best time to be a Bengals fan (except for those 2 SB sundays   ) and Riverfront was soooooo freaking loud, you could not hear yourself scream when the team was rolling. 

I can't even begin to describe the feeling i had when Vontaze picked that pass in the 4th qtr of the '15 playoff game...only to have it disappear a minute later when Hill fumbled--i just knew it was over... I hadn't had that specific feeling since '90 and it was gone in a flash. 

Tragic

[*rfaulk34*]

(08-25-2020, 09:13 PM)Nicomo Cosca Wrote: Lots of big hair and bad music.

You watch your damn mouth !!!!!!!!!!

[coachmcneil71]

(08-25-2020, 09:50 PM)bfine32 Wrote: I was around in the early 80s. I can tell you that a ticket was not required if you knew the right entrance door to knock on and had $10. I can tell you stories about the Freezer Bowl. how $10 got me in and being a fellow National Guardsman with Cincy Policeman got me on the field. I can teel you how we put the key in the door to unlock the car and it snapped right off.

WTS, we were never a National favorite. The stripes got a lot of buzz when introduced but everybody in the National media wanted San Diego to beat us and go to the Superbowl, Folks might not remember SD won the "Epic in Miami" the week prior

I remember both games mentioned very well. The Kellen Winslow game in Miami. We played 3 on 3 football immediately after Cincy won the Freezer Bowl. I remember coming in and thawing out by the stove afterwards. Clothes completely covered in solid ice.

To OP, it was pretty cool. The team never earned a big national following, but they were respected.

I mean hell, that era inspired the inception of the Who Dey theme. 

[Mobster]

Honestly, it was mostly some mediocre 7-9, 8-8 type seasons, plus 2 strike shortened seasons mixed in that were a waste, plus the two years where everything came together and they made Superbowl runs

[hoosierbengal]

You all are so right about how loud Riverfront was. When I took my wife to her first Bengals game at PBS I was telling her how in Riverfront you could feel the vibration of the crowd noise in your chest. It was quite different compared to PBS. That bowl shaped stadium was loud as hell.
My first Bengals game was December 17, 1989 Bengals 61 Oilers 7. What a day that was ? I was only 17.

[Goalpost]

Yea. Riverfront used to have like a train track, and during Bengal games the blue seats were rolled to create a football field dimension. When the Reds played the blue seats were rolled back. I worked in retail and during those Super Bowl years it was cool. The spirit the people had. It was near impossible to stock enough merchandise as it just sold out to more re orders and sold out again. Forrest was the tough guy we needed, and of course Sam was the innovator. A shame we couldn't have won one of those Super Bowls. Still hate the Niners to this day.

[Jhowdy54]

Thanks for all the replies. Sounds like a great time and its good to know that when we're good I know the city of Cincinnati can really get behind this team. 2015 was the closest I've been but ended in tears just like every other season I've been able to remember.

[*SHRacerX*]

(08-25-2020, 09:04 PM)Jhowdy54 Wrote: born in 86 I dont remember anything from the 80s when we were good.  Only crap 90s and 1 and done 00s and 10s.  

Did you feel like we were we Americas team?

How loud were the fans in riverfront?

National media love us any instead of trashing us every second now?

Just curious how the energy was with everything.  With Burrow here I just want that feeling one time.

The "Jungle" was truly a jungle.  Incredibly loud....some of that might have been aided by the design of a basic hole in the ground.   People dressed crazy, acted crazy.  

National media is harder for me to describe.  My Bengal news was the Dayton Daily News.  There was no USA Today or internet.  I certainly didn't feel any National bias against the Bengals.  The Cowboys and steelers had a lot of national love, but the Bengals were viewed as young and innovative.  They kind of came out of nowhere in 81-82 season and with this flashy new uniform.  It was not universally loved but it was so "in your face" it was hard to ignore.  Look at the early Patriots uniform.  We may love it now in some retro-rationale but it was so lame.  They looked like a USFL team when they changed their uniforms. 

I don't think that "feeling" will ever return because games are so expensive and the fans there (at PBS) in areas like the Club Lounge are there more for social or business reasons.  They often retreat to the back area and hang out.  That is why that area always looks empty.  The area behind it (The Club Level Lounge) requires those seats for admission and is admittedly a nice area.  I switched seats with a guy during a cold weather game so my dad could go back there to warm up frequently.

Too many people worried about their fantasy team and on their phones to ever be what it once was.   The college experience at a place like OSU is more fun.  

[Sled21]

(08-26-2020, 09:08 AM)SHRacerX Wrote: I don't think that "feeling" will ever return because games are so expensive and the fans there (at PBS) in areas like the Club Lounge are there more for social or business reasons.  They often retreat to the back area and hang out.  That is why that area always looks empty.  The area behind it (The Club Level Lounge) requires those seats for admission and is admittedly a nice area.  I switched seats with a guy during a cold weather game so my dad could go back there to warm up frequently.

I hear that about the club level all the time, that people hang out in the back . I usually sit there when I attend games, and do not find it to be the case at all. Sure, fans pre-game in the lounge area, but as soon as the game starts, those areas empty out and most people are in their seats. It looks empty because it is fairly expensive and they don't sell a lot of those seats, which is why I can always find an empty seat with my friends who have season tickets. Even for playoff games or Monday Night Steelers. Heck, they even come to your seat to take your food and drink orders. The only reason to leave you seat is to go to the bathroom.

[BengalFanInNJ]

Let's not overlook the 1986 team. The one that went 10-6 and DID NOT make the playoffs. They had the #1 offense and the #20 defense (which isn't TOO bad). They ran over everybody. James Brooks averaged over 5 yards a carry. Only got the ball about 10-15 times a game. The running game was beastly that year. As a team they averaged just under 5 yards a carry. AS A TEAM without a very mobile quarterback.

They finished 10-6 with the Jets, Seahawks and Chiefs. They beat the Jets and Seahawks head to head and lost to the Chiefs. They had two bad losses to the 5-11 Oilers and the 6-10 Steelers. Had they one just one of those easily winnable games, they would have made the playoffs.

[fredtoast]

The AFC Central was brutal from 1980 through 1990. During that stretch Central teams made the playoffs 20 times (Cle-7, Hou-5, Pitt-4, Cin-4). The Bengals were 9th in the league in winning percentage (.536) and the Browns (.515-12th) and Steelers (.512-13th) were also in the top half of the league. In 1986 the Bengals won 10 games and missed the playoffs. In 1989 every team in the Central finished .500 or better.

[*Nate (formerly eliminate08)*]

(08-25-2020, 09:04 PM)Jhowdy54 Wrote: born in 86 I dont remember anything from the 80s when we were good.  Only crap 90s and 1 and done 00s and 10s.  

Did you feel like we were we Americas team?

How loud were the fans in riverfront?

National media love us any instead of trashing us every second now?

Just curious how the energy was with everything.  With Burrow here I just want that feeling one time.

I was born in 82' so my memory is vague as well. What I remember is watching the 88-89 Super Bowl and seeing that team
with tiger stripes on their helmets and my mom was rooting for the 49ers. Right there I picked that team with the stripes on 
their helmets cause they were the coolest helmets I ever seen. Been my team ever since.

Check out the vids in the other forum, I recommend the Bills/Bengals AFC Championship game. Lots of great players and we 
actually win instead of that Super Bowl against Montana. Bruce Smith was on the Bills, badazz player, going against Munoz.

Munoz won.