03-16-2017, 09:38 AM
(03-14-2017, 10:31 PM)zygrot24 Wrote: Don't bring up the whole" it could be the 90's!!", Look around, it sure as hell looks like the 90's to me.
I'm guessing you weren't around or have zero memory of what the 1990's were actually like for this team and their fans.
A quick refresher:
-When you get to the end of a season and have 6 wins and are both shocked and overjoyed at the experience...
-When the Bengals blow a 3rd round pick on a pack a day smoking TE who suited up in 3 whole regular season games for them, and you don't even bat an eye...
-When the Bengals draft a 4-3 DE at 14th overall as they are transitioning to a 3-4 and announce "He's going to be a LB! Trust us!"...
-When your #1 WR is more concerned about getting hot dogs than beating coverage...
-When your ONLY weapon on either side of the ball declares flipping burgers is a superior use of his time...
-When your returning franchise QB decides to retire and announce for MNF instead of trying to build off of a 6-2 finish to the season...
-When simply hearing the names "Ogbuehui, Bodine, and Maualuga" cause you to break out in a panic sweat the way "Ki-Jana, Akili, or Klingler" do... (O.K. this one we might be there)
-When Bruce Coslet is the SECOND worst coach in your team's recent history...
THEN and only then is it even starting to get "like the 90's".
The Browns the last few years (since Haslam at least)...THAT is what the 90's were like. No direction, no clue, change coaches*/QB's like most people change socks, best player is a Tackle suffering in silence (W.Anderson/J.Thomas), honest debates over who would win in a game between the NCAA champion and the Browns (ESPN commercial: "The Miami Hurricanes would beat the Cincinnati Bengals" (God I hated that kid) )
Things aren't exactly great right now, at least from the optics. But really, they've lost a fantastic (but 36) LT to a multi-year deal, they got Steinbached (or is it Montoya'd?) again with Zeitler (even the team is the same), Peko is getting up there but it always seemed half of y'all wanted him gone anyway, and now they've lost their 3rd string HB. Of those four Zeitler and Whit really hurt, Peko would have had a reduced role if he stayed I believe, and Burkhead really only matters if Gio can't get healthy and Hill keeps running as if he's going up one (I admit I am not including ST contributions).
One last thing, if this were like the 90's, Kirkpatrick would have bailed on day 1 of free agency for the first offer that came from a city other than Cincinnati, money be damned.
*Admittedly the Bengals didn't/don't change coaches that often.
Edit: Actually, easy way to know this isn't the 90's again...Other teams are signing Bengals free agents. That didn't happen before. In the 90's there was a different term for a Bengals player hitting free agency...Retirement.
