The "Low Bar" of success & what it will mean for Marvin & Mike if they Jump over it

[SunsetBengal]

(01-11-2018, 05:14 PM)depthchart Wrote: What you say is true as a General Rule and every team (even the Bengals) will have the Championship goal.

Before that can happen a Benchmark has to be surpassed.

That Benchmark has been engrained into the minds of Bengal fans for around 27 years now.

Just like Buffalo ending a 17 year Playoff appearance drought, the Bengals have to end a Playoff win drought.

Talk of Super Bowls by Mike & Marvin ring hollow to fans who first need to see the Playoff win benchmark surpassed.

That alone would mark unusual success here in Cincinnati.

It would be celebrated in a way similar to Buffalo's recent celebrations, while Fans of say the Patriots would be less enthused with just a Playoff win.

A Barometer of the True State of the Bengal Organization and where Fans have been forced to set their sights in a way.

When Mike or Marvin talk football, fans don't think Super Bowl around here. They think "win a Playoff game".

Prove to us that you can do that first. Then maybe the Bar of realistic expectations can be raised by Fans.

That "benchmark" is a fictional figment of people's imaginations.  If you don't win your final game of the season, guess what?  You didn't reach your goal of winning the Championship.

If the Bengals were to win a single playoff game, people would be happy.  For one week.  And then, after the season again ended with a loss, back to business as usual for the fans.  Is that enough to call a season a "success"?  Heck no.

The little dog and treat analogy in the OP was cute.  I'll admit, it kept me around long enough to get riled up enough to make a post in this thread.  But, I'm afraid that you may have it all wrong.  A pro football team's fans should not be ready to consider a single playoff victory a "successful" season.  All that would mean is Marvin would then be 1-8 in playoff action. Blah!!