I think I know what might be really hindering this franchise. ( I might be wrong)

[Whatever]

(12-29-2018, 07:59 PM)BengalsRocker Wrote: That is why fans feel the way they do.  That is why you'd be an idiot to not understand why.

It's not their fault that they're jaded.  It's the ownership.

They own that dubious reputation 100%.

This is ridiculous to place blame on culture of the fans.

Boo hoo a player wants to think our fans are terrible.

Let them play for a winner that misses the playoffs one year and they want their coach and themselves strung up in public.

Put together a winner that doesn't embarrass themselves in prime-time and playoff games that are epic failures.

That would turn this fan base and perhaps put fans back in the stadium.

It's just a wild and crazy thought.

Well, certainly, it would be a lot easier to be supportive if the team if they had more playoff success.  I certainly understand why the fanbase is negative.  But the fanbase is negative and toxic because they choose to be negative and toxic.  Other teams have been worse and still turn out to support their team better than we do.

Are the fans justified in having a toxic attitude?  Yes.  But it's still our choice to be toxic.  The FO, coaches, players, and fans are all a part of that culture.  

You know what, yeah, screw that star player that doesn't want to come here and play in a half full stadium for fans who won't buy his jersey.  He just doesn't get it.  He doesn't know what we've been through.  We don't need guys like that.  We're gonna build through the draft and I'm sure there's some 2nd and 3rd tier FA's that will just be glad to have a paycheck that will come help put this team over the top.  

That's the thing with players that can put a team over the top.  They tend to have options.  That means they have to actually want to come play for you as opposed to someone else.  Our actions as a fanbase are counterproductive to what we would like to see happen.