What is your earliest Bengals memory?

[TecmoBengals]

My earliest Bengals memories jump through the 1988 season when I was a kid.

I remember the Ickey Shuffle, the NFL almost banning the shuffle before designating it as excessive celebration, the AFC Championship win over the Bills, Krumrie breaking his leg in the Super Bowl, Stanford Jennings kickoff return TD, Lewis Billups dropped INT, and the disheartening Montana to Taylor TD with 34 seconds left. 34 seconds always stuck with me for some reason.

I thought Boomer and the Bengals were going to become a dynasty like Montana and the 49'ers did. Then the '90s happened and some weeks it wasn't even possible to watch games because of the local tv-market blackout rules.

I hope Joey B, Zac, and the organization finally get a Super Bowl victory!

[PCB Bengal Fan]

When they changed uniforms & helmets to the stripes. The Springfield News Sun ran a full page colored helmet pic. I was hooked.

[StoneTheCrow]

The contrast of the white uniforms against the 49ers in SB XXIII and Wyche’s sweater in that game. That was the first game I probably ever actually paid attention to, being a 5 year old and due to my family taking a trip to Miami and my Dad being at the game. The house was full of 49ers fans.

So, trauma basically. Naturally.

[SladeX]

Mid 70s .
McInally also played WR sometimes
McInally vs Guy punt a thons
Coy Bacon
Griffin
Kenny
Curtis

[KillerGoose]

(03-29-2023, 02:18 PM)Nate (formerly eliminate08) Wrote: You are young KG lol

88-89 Super Bowl, I was 7 years old. My mom loved Joe Montana and the 49ers. I saw the other team in those cool striped 
helmets and that became my team right there and then and ever since. We nearly won, barely lost in heartbreaking fashion 
with that amazing drive by the first Joe Cool. Been a lot of heartbreak since, but I smell the Lombardi coming soon....

Just turned 30 earlier this year. My story of getting into the Bengals is similar. When I was a kid, I loved the stripes on the helmet and just thought they looked cool. Had no idea if they were good or not. Glad I ended up picking them.

[Ctfan73]

I grew up in New York & New Jersey and started out following the Giants & Jets in 1971.  I remember watching a Bengals/Raiders game that year.  I became a Bengals fan in 1973.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gBKv5UtsLho

[*Nate (formerly eliminate08)*]

(03-29-2023, 03:53 PM)KillerGoose Wrote: Just turned 30 earlier this year. My story of getting into the Bengals is similar. When I was a kid, I loved the stripes on the helmet and just thought they looked cool. Had no idea if they were good or not. Glad I ended up picking them.

Guess you aren't that young, 10 years younger than me though. Sucked for me as we sucked throughout the entire 90's pretty much 
and into the early 00's. Wasn't until we got Carson Palmer in that Draft with Marv that I thought we had a chance again. Then even 
more heartbreak happened in 7 consecutive playoff games.

Good times now, 5 Playoff wins in 2 years...WTF?!!! 

[BRM13]

My earliest memory of the Bengals is from the 1970 post-season. My dad was watching the Colts shut them out IIRC in a playoff game. At the time we lived in Kettering. I was only 7 and didn't even know there was a team called the Cincinnati Bengals so that caught my eye. But, I did know there was a team called the Cincinnati Reds. I was a big baseball fan and loved the Reds, so in following years I started paying attention to the other Cincinnati team as well.

[George Cantstandya]

The year was 1978 and I had no responsibilities. I just hung out, ate what was provided and chilled out. Little did I know those easy times would come to an end. One day I was sleeping soundly in my warm comfortable bath and suddenly I felt something pushing me away. Not long after lots of bright lights and for the first time I could hear clearly. What I heard was, "Congratulations it's a boy and he's going to be a Bengals fan." :)

[Mike M (the other one)]

i have no idea when i became a Bengals fan (Mid to late 70's?), just that Kenny Anderson early in his career and at the end of it, i started liking the Eagles Randall Cunningham were my favs growing up and called myself a Beagle lol
I felt both were Tough players of their times.

[*Wyche'sWarrior*]

Would be right around the time we drafted Boomer. I was only five during the first Super Bowl run, and I don't even remember where we watched it. In 84 I was eight, and my brother was playing on a team with state championship runs, so I'd gotten more into football, and that would be my first year playing. I just remember I thought it strange to see a left handed quarterback. SBXXIII was a gut wrencher.

[dr tarzan]

1970--Dad takes me to my first game and Bengals crush Steelers 34-7.
Rookie Lemar Parrish intercepts 2 passes.
Trumpy 50 yd TD catch.
Paul Robinson TD run.

...Actually the first memory was watching Lemar Parrish return a FG block against Buffalo 2 wks before that when I was at my next door neighbor's house.

[puddycat]

1976: I started following the Bengals because I was a Reds fan (the Big Red Machine). I remember hoping that Archie Griffin was going to be good. As a left-coaster I didn't get to see many games because the local stations carried the Niners and Raiders. I did get to watch us play the Raiders late that season and remember Ray Guy killing us with all his punts over 40 yards with virtually no returns... and then we lost to them again that year in the playoffs.

[MTBengalsFan]

Went to a Bengals "meet the team" camp in the summer of '69, when I was 7 years old. I thought all the Bengals were huge, but Al Beauchamp was my favorite at that time. He seemed particularly huge. I looked it up, and see 6' 2" and 237 lbs. Hell, I'm 6" 4" and 210 now, so he wouldn't seem so big. I was hooked, as all the Bengals were super nice.

Some of you fellas are mighty young. And, no, it's not that I'm old.

[*bengalfan74*]

My dad took me fishing late in the summer of 1974 and a couple of his work buddies were with us. My school grades came up and one of his buddies said if I made the A honor roll he'd take me to a Bengals game that fall. I was like "who". I was a giant Big Red Machine/baseball fan but knew little to nothing about football.

My first Bengals game was vs. the Houston Oilers, we lost but I was hooked. Great memories, I made the honor roll.

[Danimal]

(03-29-2023, 10:55 AM)Memphis_Bengal Wrote: Same year and same reason!

I’ve been to one live Bengals game vs. the St. Louis Cardinals in 1985 at the old Busch Stadium. Bengals lost and I caught a ration of shxt from my family (I live in St. Louis). I am going to my first game in Cincinnati this year, hopefully a better outcome. 

[chopperbobby]

I remember seeing them playing the Steelers in the 70’s. It was when I finally realized the bengals played in the big league.

[*bfine32*]

I went to a Preseason game with my baseball team from Mt. Sterling, KY in 1974. Pretty sure it was against NE. After that I didn't follow them until the 82 Superbowl Team

[BengalsLUFC]

First game was 99 at home to the Jags.

My dad had lived in Jacksonville before moving to NKY for work so he got tickets off a guy who used to run Shakeys pub if anyone remembers it?

Was at the old Cinergy Field which had been half demolished for GABP remember just falling in love with the team despite being absolutely battered 44-10

Couple of years later went to my first game at PBS and until last season was 10 games watching them live without seeing a win now 2-10

[*Synric*]

(03-29-2023, 04:43 PM)Nate (formerly eliminate08) Wrote: Guess you aren't that young, 10 years younger than me though. Sucked for me as we sucked throughout the entire 90's pretty much 
and into the early 00's. Wasn't until we got Carson Palmer in that Draft with Marv that I thought we had a chance again. Then even 
more heartbreak happened in 7 consecutive playoff games.

Good times now, 5 Playoff wins in 2 years...WTF?!!! 

Did you live in Market? 

We were much more of a College Football family when I was a kid. I'm still a massive WVU guy even if Neal Brown is killing them. My dad was a Bengals fan but we didn't live in market so we only got to see 2 or 3 Bengals games a year. My Bengals fandom was a slow burn into adulthood when I got access to alot more games.