Battle For Ohio Good Again After Decades of Waiting

[kevin]

The Battle For Ohio was instantly good in 1970 and the 1970's. The Browns had been a dominate force in the 1950's and 1960's and were still tough in the 1970's. Paul Brown fired by Art Modell started over in Cincinnati, and this time nobody could fire him. His new kids on the block Cincinnati Bengals surprised everybody by winning the AFC Central over the Browns in their first year in The NFL in 1970.

As good as The Battle For Ohio was in the 1970's, it got even better in the 1980's. The Bengals would go to 2 Super Bowls and get stopped by the 49ers and Joe Montana. The Browns would go to 3 AFC Championship Games and get stopped by the Broncos and John Elway. So when The Bengals and Browns met in the 1980's, it was often for play-offs and it was hard hitting football. Plus, these teams didn't like each other. It showed, they hated each other.

In the 1990's the Bengals went downhill fast when Paul Brown died. The Browns still had that great defense, but Modell moved them to Baltimore, so he ended up stabbing Cleveland in the back as he had stabbed Paul Brown in the back. So not much to say about 1990's other than there was no Battle For Ohio. Bengals stunk and Browns became Baltimore Ravens.

The 2000's were not much better. The Browns came back. The Bengals had a couple good years, but mostly lousy seasons. The Browns has one good year, but mostly they were an expansion team now. Nothing great about the early 2000's. Normally they were both in last place and it was The Toilet Bowl.

The 2010's weren't much. The Bengals became pretty good, but The Browns didn't.

Now in 2021, The Bengals and Browns finally meet with good records and fighting for play-offs again like the 1970's and 1980's. THIS is what The Battle Of Ohio is Suppose to Be. Not 2 last place teams hoping for a win, but 2 good teams fighting for Play-Offs.

It's good to see The Battle For Ohio is BACK to 1970's and 1980's high standards. It's been a long time and a long wait. Many younger fans have never seen this game be played for Play-Offs by both teams. They will Sunday November 7th. Enjoy. This is good for Cleveland, Cincinnati and OHIO....OH..IO....The Battle For Ohio is BACK in full glory as it was in the 1970's and 1980's. It's been a long wait. ENJOY.

Oh Yes, Go Bengals

[*Awful Llama*]

I enjoyed the hell of of the years when we kicked the shit out of them on a consistent basis. I like it one-sided in our favor. Here's hoping we start doing that again.

[Whacked]

(11-06-2021, 03:38 PM)Awful Llama Wrote: I enjoyed the hell of of the years when we kicked the shit out of them on a consistent basis. I like it one-sided in our favor. Here's hoping we start doing that again.

Lol. x2!

[kevin]

I also want to add how BIG the Battle For Ohio started. They had a preseason game at The Horseshoe, Ohio State Stadium in Columbus. The Ohio State Band performed and did Script Ohio. At Halftime BOB HOPE took a break from entertaining the Troops in Vietnam and entertained The Bengals and Browns Fans. American Legend BOB HOPE who had grown up near Cleveland and had once been a major owner of The Cleveland Indians. That's how BIG The Battle For Ohio started. It was a great Battle from 1970 to 1990. Then it fell apart into a second rate game. Sunday November 7th, 2021, with Play-Offs on the line for both teams, THE BATTLE FOR OHIO returns to the high level it had in the 1970's and 1980's......OH...IO.....It's been a long wait of decades. Let the younger fans now see how good this can be when both teams are in The Play Off Hunt.

Sunday we don't have to sing, " Hey Ho, where'd you go, Ohio " , by The Pretenders. The Battle of OHIO is BACK in Full Glory as days of old. We have had to suffer the slings and arrows that the ONLY good AFC North games is Steelers vs Ravens for 2 decades. Let the word go forth that The Battle For Ohio IS BACK in full glory, play-offs on the line, OH-IO.

Many of you too young to know the hit laid on Pat McInally in 1981 as he caught the ball as a WR. Bengals players and Fans called it a cheap hit. Browns players and fans called it a good hit. That McInally was also Bengals punter getting hurt added to it, but then again he was in as a WR, and there were few rules on clocking pass catchers unlike today. That one play seemed to explode the hate both teams of players had, these teams did not like each other. I mention this one play to the younger fans because besides both Paul Brown and Forrest Gregg fired by Art Modell, this McNally Hit threw fuel on the fire for the 1980's, back when The Battle For Ohio was for PLAY-OFFS, not Last Place. Good to see Sunday it is back to being for Play-Offs. The Bengals and Browns disliked each other so much in the 1980's, that they said they hated being on the same team with each other in the Pro Bowl Game.

[Frank Booth]

The last time these 2 teams were good when they squared off was that 2014 Thursday night clunker

[kevin]

(11-06-2021, 04:55 PM)Frank Booth Wrote: The last time these 2 teams were good when they squared off was that 2014 Thursday night clunker

Granted, in 2014 The Bengals were 5-2-1 and The Browns were 5-3.  The Browns won 24 to 3.   That was a rare match-up of both teams in Battle For Ohio meeting having good season as in the 1970's and 1980's.   I don't call the a Clunker.   I call all the years Bengals and Browns met in Last Place as Clunkers, no matter who won.  They were Clunkers because The Battle For Ohio was more like The Toilet Bowl.  

I'm glad you mentioned this rare 2014 meeting when both teams came in with good records as back in the 1970's and 1980's.  November 7th, 2021 finds both teams with good records.  I hope THE BATTLE FOR OHIO is BACK for years to come as a good game as it started, not the second rate game it became.   OH-IO

and again, GO BENGALS

[KillerGoose]

Just finished driving into Cincinnati and partaking in my first Bengals home game. I’m excited for it to be a divisional game.

[grampahol]

Wasn't it 14 when Cleveland had the flash in the pan running back on the cover of Madden then he turned to nothing? Can't remember his name now.. I do remember him running right over Roy Williams like he was a little girl though..

[*michaelsean*]

(11-06-2021, 06:46 PM)grampahol Wrote: Wasn't it 14 when Cleveland had the flash in the pan running back on the cover of Madden then he turned to nothing? Can't remember his name now.. I do remember him running right over Roy Williams like he was a little girl though..

Which one?

[Frank Booth]

(11-06-2021, 06:46 PM)grampahol Wrote: Wasn't it 14 when Cleveland had the flash in the pan running back on the cover of Madden then he turned to nothing? Can't remember his name now.. I do remember him running right over Roy Williams like he was a little girl though..

The Peyton Hillis year was 2010

2014 Browns were having a good year with Brian Hoyer at the helm. Then they inexplicably started Johnny Manziel, and that’s when their season went down the tubes

[Gdale_Bengal]

F the browns