What Era of Bengals did you enjoy the Most?

[bengalguy71]

Let me add this, I am old enough to have the privilege of watching Greg Cook play, and I will tell you that the opinions of how good he was, and how good he could have been, were not overrated whatsoever!!

[impactplaya]

Sam Wyche Era
offensive genius .
that's offense had playmakers galore .
Brooks Woods McGee Holman Brown and a qb with a laser arm
talk about balance

[Fan_in_Kettering]

The best Bengals era to me was the beginning of the Marvin Lewis tenure when the team looked totally different in 2003. The team started playing like professionals and that 8-8 season created so much hope for the future.

[*SHRacerX*]

(10-21-2016, 04:11 PM)Wyche Wrote: Boomer/Wyche era, and it ain't even close.

This.  The team was ahead of the curve.  Creative, aggressive, and their players had a swagger.  I used to love to watch the mighty mite James Brook take a swing pass for about 15 yards, and with a full head of steam, smoke some CB on the sideline rather than run out of bounds.  That dude was tough as nails and one of the most versatile players I have ever seen in the NFL.

Boomer was a magician with the play-action, faking out the camera man many times a game.  

The 2005 team was beginning to show some of that offensive dominance with the attacking 3 WR set, and Rudi Johnson smashing people in the running game but the defense was so awful that it wasn't as fun...

The pure innovation of the Wyche/Boomer Era Bengals was what made that team so fun.  Immensely talented, yes, but so unique that you had many coaches on the OTHER side of the sideline with that deer in the headlights look.  

[*SHRacerX*]

(10-21-2016, 04:35 PM)Thundercloud Wrote: Boomer and Sam.  What a great team. But star crossed for the Super Bowl.  Stanley Wilson debacle, followed by losing Tim Krumrie in the first quarter.  Two major assets for us, one on each side of the ball.  Still, we damn near had it.

All this Sam talk is making me wonder if he would want back in some consulting role. I mean, can you have Boomer teach Dalton some of his play-action?  Can you work with Zamp on a blocking scheme that doesn't look like a run formation?  And can you come take the mic and have just one really good steeler insult that ends in "you don't live in pittsburgh, you live in Cincinnati!".

And I will NEVER forget doing an onside kick up 41-0 against Houston and Jerry Glanville.  Man, those guys HATED each other.  Golf clap, let's go vs. HELL FIRE HATE.  I take the latter.  That was such great theater.  This was before the NFL ticket, and I remember National shows talking about the Bengals all the time.  

[grampahol]

My attitudes have changed over the years and the way I see the games. There was a time when the Reds grabbed most of my attention and I actually could recite batting averages and so on. The Bengals of the 90s were very disappointing to the point that I just stopped caring one way or another and didn't pay much attention until the day the underdog Bengals beat the undefeated Chiefs and suddenly I sort of cared again, but as usually happens father time has done a number on my ability to remember stuff. As far as favorite era's...I don't really have one. I've become too cynical to actually believe any of it is on the up and up and so I find myself in the conspiratorial mindset of the whole thing being fixed which in the grand scheme of things doesn't really matter if it is or not because after all, it is mere entertainment and doesn't effect my day to day life one way or another. I don't really subscribe to conspiracy theories and yet here I am concocting all kinds of silly ass scenarios that don't really amount to a hill of beans about anything. 

I tend to live for the present as what happened in the past has little to no bearing on what will happen tomorrow when it comes to football and a lot of other aspects of life. 
I'm not about to begin completely ignoring history, but it doesn't as many people suggest continually repeat itself.  If that were true I'd be 15 again smoking cigarettes in the boys room hiding out from the school principal plotting ways to get in certain young lady's pants.. ..Now I look forward to Sunday with full expectations of being disappointed. I seldom look forward to rehashing every game this team ever lost. 

[Pat5775]

(10-22-2016, 11:05 AM)Fan_in_Kettering Wrote: The best Bengals era to me was the beginning of the Marvin Lewis tenure when the team looked totally different in 2003.  The team started playing like professionals and that 8-8 season created so much hope for the future.

Ugh, don't remind me. 2003-2005 were incredible. Marvin was "Jesus" back then... Damn if you had told me after 2003 that 13 years later this team STILL would have no playoff wins under Marv I'd have called you insane. But it's reality. In my eyes, the Marvin Lewis era has been a failure. Sure, the team is better than it was in the 90's but we're still seen as a joke nationwide and we impose no threat to anybody in January... Exactly how much better are things? It's honestly depressing remembering the hope I had back then to knowing how it turned out now. 

[Shake n Blake]

I became a fan in '93, so I'd say 2003-06 was my favorite "era".

It was nice to finally witness a good team. Still waiting to see my first playoff win though.

This era has also been nice (outside of the playoffs) and the 95-97 Jeff Blake era was surprisingly competitive (22-26 record).

[BengalRed]

(10-21-2016, 04:54 PM)GodFather Wrote: 80's definitely. I loved the 70's too but the Steelers were so damn dominant then it ruined it, because the Bengals had some great units in the 70s but that Steel curtain was too much..

I hear ya. I vaguely remember a game between the Bengals and Steelers in the 70's that was such a defensive battle it ended, I think, 7-6. If I remember correctly it was on the cover of Sports Illustrated. I may be wrong about that but for some reason it sticks in my head. 

[kevin]

When you say Era, that means more than one year. A year is not an Era.....I have been a fan since 1968 and there is only one era of consistent winning in Bengals History. 2009 to now, which is 6 play-off seasons in 7 years. Granted 2010 wasn't much fun. The players that wanted to go elsewhere and the players we drafted in 2011. It was like Chevy Chase leaving Saturday Night Live and being replaced with Bill Murray, the team got better. I haven't given up on 2016, because in 2012 these players show they don't give up.

As for the word enjoying, well, I am getting old at age 61. So I enjoyed watching the games with my dad and brother when they were alive and the family together from 1968 to 1973, although my brother off in military during Nam in 72 and 73. I was a teen and it is hard to top being with family like that.....I enjoyed the 1980's, and watching games with my friends when I was in my 20's and early 30's. Sadly I have out lived them. The Super Bowl Seasons were great. Watching YOUR team go Super Bowl, and not being one of the many jumping on the winning band wagon, but having been there in the bad makes the winning even better, because it has always been YOUR team.

After 1990 it was just awful. Terrible...It took 15 years to have 2005, but one season is not an era and there wasn't that much to enjoy. Heck, I think we lost the last 3 games. 2011 on has been the best ball Bengals have ever played, and we can throw in 2009 to say 6 play-off seasons in 7 years. I do not see all this window is closing stuff. Our top players are signed to long contracts and they have many playing years ahead. I do think this team in the decade of 2010 to 2019 goes Super Bowl. The play-off losses to San Diego and Pittsburg in THE JUNGLE are the ones from 2011 on that hurt the most. The losses on the road I can see, not in THE JUNGLE. Still, 2011 on has been winning football for a franchise that has had very little winning. The Bengals had 8 play-off season in their first 41 years which isn't all that hot. So 6 play-off seasons in 7 years is a great switch from all the losing seasons.

[JumboTron]

Being a dude who grew up in the 90's severely limits my options. I would have to say I loved the 2005 season (except for the beyond devastating ending to that season), as well as 2011-present time. I know this era has come with an enormous amount of frustrations but for the most part, in the reg. season at least, it has been entertaining football being played by a good, young core of players. Always enjoyable to watch that take place.