1988 Bengals vs 2015 Bengals

[*Wyche'sWarrior*]

(10-20-2015, 07:48 AM)HarleyDog Wrote: This team would have won 10 superbowls straight in that era. Players today are stronger and faster the 27yrs ago. Yhe only edge I wough give our team in 88 would be physical and mental toughness moons over the players today.

.....and coaching 

(10-20-2015, 09:35 AM)Wilikn Wrote: The aspect deemed illegal was the changing of personnel if I remember right.

The Bengals would have 12/13 on the field, pull one or two off just before snapping and the defense could not match up.

Yeah, that's plenty illegal now.  It wasn't then, at least not until the AFC title game. 

Willing to be corrected here.  I've not exactly done extensive research.

Yeah...the changing of the personnel was what was referred to as "the sugar huddle".  They would essentially have different personnel packages (i.e. fullback, TE, extra wideout, what have you) in the huddle at the same time, then keep the package they wanted based on defensive personnel and send the extra two or three guys they didn't want off of the field.  It was genius, you couldn't defend it.

Here's an interesting read on it....

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/wyche-nfl-tried-halt-no-211552505--nfl.html

Quote:"I immediately told the NFL delegate along with the referee who was in the office there with me and (current Bengals owner) Mike Brown, I said 'Go get Pete Rozelle on the phone right now because I want to tell him that he's interfering with the competitive balance of this game, and if we get penalized and lose this ballgame, the first thing I'm bringing up in the press conference is this conversation and there are a lot of gamblers out there who aren't going to be very happy.'


"It wasn't 20 seconds before he came back, he left the room and came back -- I'm not exaggerating -- I bet it wasn't 20 seconds. 'Uh, commissioner says go ahead and use the no-huddle, no problem,' " Wyche said.