I like where we're sitting at now. Couldn't ask for more with a 4 game losing streak.
Steelers are having a lot of injury issues. 3rd string QB and out of receivers to throw to. Their defense is good enough to carry the load for a while though, so I'd be really shocked if they don't win a wild card.
That leaves the Colts who still have some tough games left. If they drop a game to a tweener team like the Bills or Titans it will make it tough for them down the stretch.
Although the Steelers defense is solid, I'd argue that it's not quite what it was in years past. Maybe they're going to gel later than usual, but if I were them, I'd look at the Bengals as serious contenders right now. Not only are the Bengals turning it on, they've got a favorable schedule and only one game behind. Week 16 could be very interesting.
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For being a game behind, the Bengals kind of have their fate in their own hands. The Colts are going to come back to earth a little bit I think.
Turning and turning in the widening gyre
The falcon cannot hear the falconer;
The thing that worries me most is potential tiebreakers; we're really hurting in that department at 1-3 (division) and 3-5 (AFC), so I almost feel like we have to make up two games.
...and another blackout! What a joke.
Arise and walk, come through. A world beyond that door is calling out for you. Arise and walk, come through. It's calling out for you.
This city is an absolute joke of a sports town. The Bengals are 5-5 this year and in the playoff push, and coming off a playoff appearance last year, and can't sell out games vs. the Super Bowl champion Giants and Carson Palmer??? By comparison, the hapless Chiefs and Bills, who have suffered worse playoff droughts than the Bengals, sell out their games in smaller markets.
And UC basketball is ranked No. 23 in the nation and can't get more than 4,500 for its games? By comparison, Dayton rarely plays to less than 12,000 fans.
And UC football, coming off multiple Big East championships, can't sell out games in dinky Nippert Stadium?
And the Reds have the best record in MLB and can't draw fans either, unless the Cubs or Cards are here. And tickets for Game 5 of the NLDS selling for $4 outside the ballpark prior to the game???
There's no defending Cincinnati any more. It's as lame of a sports town as it gets. Frankly, it's embarrassing. ESPN is going to be all over it - Carson Palmer back in Cincinnati and the Bengals can't sell out one of the smallest stadiums in the NFL for it. All the while LA doesn't have a team.
Last edited by Reds/Flyers Fan; 11-23-2012 at 01:33 PM.
Nah I doubt ESPN will spend much time on it. They're in the business of attracting viewers, if we don't even care about our own teams what makes them think anyone cares to hear about the Bengals on ESPN? That's why Cincinnati teams often get so little national attention. We have to be ridiculously good or do something ridiculously bad to attract the national spotlight.
"In our sundown perambulations of late, through the outer parts of Brooklyn, we have observed several parties of youngsters playing 'base', a certain game of ball. Let us go forth awhile, and get better air in our lungs. Let us leave our close rooms, the game of ball is glorious"
-Walt Whitman
The problem is that Cincinnati is a small town and sitting at home is generally much better than going to the game. Everyone (or nearly everyone) has a 40+ inch Full HD television to watch the game on, drinks are cheap, you can hang out with your buddies, follow your fantasy team much easier and sit inside and not deal with the weather. Oh, and save about $100 after you buy a ticket, pay for parking and grab a beverage and a hot dog. Unlike the Reds who can draw from a larger market, the Bengals aren't bringing in fans from Indianapolis or Columbus. Oh, and the Bengals have no playoff wins in the last 21 years in a sports town who knows nothing but let downs for the last 21 years (re: most of the actual fans lives).
Some of these points hold water but others don't. Again, franchises like the Chiefs, Bills and Browns have worse - WORSE - playoff records the past two decades but don't have any problems selling out. And those markets are similar to Cincinnati or smaller.
Plus, unlike KC, which is relatively isolated, Cincinnati can draw from Dayton, Lexington, Louisville, elsewhere. Even take Columbus and Indy out of the equation, there should be more than enough people in the 2.2 million Greater Cincinnati metro, the Dayton metro, the Lexington and Louisville metros and some stragglers from Columbus and elsewhere to sell out a relatively small NFL stadium. Let's face it: PBS isn't exactly Dallas Cowboys Stadium.
Finally, they don't have "40+ inch full HD televisions" in every other city?
Fact is, this isn't a Bengals thing as much as some people like to assume it is. This city barely turns out for anything, as evidenced by mediocre attendance for a very good Reds team (as we all know well) and nearly non-existent attendance for some very good UC teams.
Nothing moves the radar around here. It's a bad sports town.
Last edited by Reds/Flyers Fan; 11-23-2012 at 03:32 PM.
I know that I wouldn't drive in for a 5-5 team from those places. In terms of the local area, Cincinnati is pretty darn small by NFL standards. Yeah, some other places are small too. Doesn't mean Cincinnati isn't.
Of course they do. They generally have much larger fan bases too.Finally, they don't have "40+ inch full HD televisions" in every other city?
Not arguing that. I am simply saying that this town isn't going to support a mediocre team and right now, that is what the Bengals are.Nothing moves the radar around here. It's a bad sports town.
Just be glad we can watch the game online and it isn't 1997 when we couldn't.
I don't think there's any question that Cincinnati is a bad sports town.
People will blame Mike Brown, Bob Huggins' firing, conference realignment, and all sorts of random things for not attending games. At this point they're more excuses than they are valid reasons.
I don't attend a ton of games so I'm not about to blame people for not going, can't tell people how to spend their money. I go to a few Reds games and maybe 1 Bengals game each year. Collectively the city just doesn't rally around its teams anymore. Heck there's more Bengals talk when the team sucks than there is when we win. People always wanna say I told you so, or talk about Mike Brown being the worst person alive...not many people want to talk about a business like win.
I have no idea what it is. Like Dougdirt said, at least there are online streams to get lol.
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