Historically we have had little to cheer for as Bengals fans. Thus, we resort to picking apart the successes of other franchises, so that we can feel better about our own inadequacy. Ok, really just Pittsburgh.
Showtime addressed here how the 70s titles rested largely on the Steelers pioneering the use of steroids. Now we can cancel out the 2005 title as the official in that game recently apologized for blowing critical calls in the 4th quarter of the Superbowl:
“It was a tough thing for me. I kicked two calls in the fourth quarter and I impacted the game and as an official you never want to do that. It left me with a lot of sleepless nights and I think about it constantly. I’ll go to my grave wishing that I’d been better. I know that I did my best at that time, but it wasn’t good enough. When we make mistakes, you got to step up and own them. It’s something that all officials have to deal with, but unfortunately when you have to deal with it in the Super Bowl it’s difficult.”
The end of blog accurately notes, "only two? (calls)":
The Darrell Jackson pass interference in the first quarter and the upheld Ben Roethlisberger touchdown late in the first half also looked questionable.
That just leaves 1 title to go before Pitt is back swimming in the sewer with us. We just need a way to invalidate the 2008 title.
I personally blame 2008 on New England. Pitt never can get through the playoffs when they have to face NE. And Brady had no knee in 2008. Also, their opponent? Arizona. Not like they had to go up against the Walsh/Montana 49ers.
If bored and looking for some amusement, perusing the posts of our "pittsburgh where bad people deserve their shitty lives" tag can be a fun distraction.
Watch Jerome Harrison's TD runback. Tim Hightower receives a flagrant block to the back just before he makes the play-ending tackle. That would give the Steelers one free play to take a hail mary to the end zone, where they likely don't score, and they drop those 7 points. Now look at their margin of victory. Hmm.
Or you could note how the VP of Officiating said after the game that they missed an illegal celebration call on Holmes after his TD and should have given the Cards 15 yards more for their final drive. Stuff like that.
Posted by: Mockenrue | August 13, 2010 at 09:28 AM
Oh, what an interesting sleight-of-text:
"It was a tough thing for me. I kicked two calls in the fourth quarter and I impacted the game
and as an official *you* never want to do that."
Hmmm... even though evidently, if presumptuously '[I?] never want to do that',
sounds to me, like maybe *he* on the other hand, did/does want to do that
:)
Posted by: Hofbraunow | August 14, 2010 at 06:42 PM
If you are going to try to invalidate anything, please keep in mind that whilst a Brown has been owner, only two times did the Bungals show up in the Super Bowl -- losing both times. Pittsburgh, on the other hand... ...Haven't they appeared in more than triple the times of that of the Bungals? How can you invalidate that?
Look, simple fact is that I don't like that team that awfully much myself, but at least I am grounded enough (and mentally stable enough) to know that they were the best team out there those years. I don't automatically look for ways to cut them down just because I don't like them. That's childish and 'stoopid'! You deal with the facts and then you move on -- you do that with EVERYTHING! Looking for shit that simply isn't there, Bienemy? Good Lord that's pathetic! In the immortal words of on Eric Cartman: "You're really reachin' there!"
Posted by: wch | August 15, 2010 at 02:48 AM
It's one thing to say "They were very good those years," which isn't in dispute. It's quite another to say "They were the best team out there those years," when they had to win titles through illegitimate means.
Posted by: Mockenrue | August 15, 2010 at 11:06 AM
I think they were on steroids a lot, but Terry Bradshaw also played QB like he didn't need an OL.
He used to always buy his own time in the pocket, whether it was scrambling or slinging off defenders that made it through.
I liked him as a QB, but yeah, that team was full of steroids.
Posted by: Hofbraunow | August 15, 2010 at 04:48 PM
PS on another unrelated note, Jeremy Shockey should play for the Chargers
:)
Posted by: Hofbraunow | August 15, 2010 at 04:50 PM
Hey guys, keep Ickey Woods in your thoughts and prayers - his teenaged son just passed away after an asthma attack on Sunday. As a former asthma sufferer (mine was mostly linked to allergies, and three years' worth of allergy shots more or less took care of the asthma as well), I know how brutal an attack can be, and that's certainly not a way anyone should have to go, especially if he lingered for four days afterwards.
Posted by: Wyatt | August 15, 2010 at 05:53 PM
I have not heard about Ickey for a while. That is terrible about his son. I remember around 94-95 before I joined the military I met Ickey working for UPS. I used to work at a warhouse outside Cincinnati by the Tri-County Mall and met him delivering stuff to are warehouse....I will say a prayer for him. Wish him and his family the best. Alright the Bengals are about to play. Who-Dey
Posted by: Michael | August 15, 2010 at 06:44 PM
He's apparently the head coach and co-owner of Cincinnati Sizzle women's football team, now.
In unrelated news, JTO SPEEDWAGON TO HANDS OF STONE COATS FOR A FIRST DOWN! HOLY CRAP! THE APOCALYPSE IS UPON US!
Posted by: Wyatt | August 15, 2010 at 09:32 PM
Wyatt.
Saw the same thing...I was like WTF. He did not only catch the ball but there was like three defenders there....Look what happens when your job is on the line.
Carson and the OL looked better....Shipley and Gresham looked awesome. The thing that stills scares me is the penalties. We gave them two touchdowns in the first quarter by penalties. That is what is going to kill the Bengals if they can not get it together. Losing games due to penalties.
Looking better though
Who Dey
Posted by: Michael | August 16, 2010 at 12:31 AM
"He's apparently the head coach and co-owner of Cincinnati Sizzle women's football team, now."
They should have hired Snoop Dogg and let the team be called the Cincinnati Nizzipples
Posted by: Hofbraunow | August 19, 2010 at 03:17 AM
"He's apparently the head coach and co-OWNer of Cincinnati Sizzle women's football team, now."
It's called 'drOWNing your sorrows'...I think coaching the Sizziples would probably cheer me up a little bit, even if my dog died...just think of the sympathy trim you'd get, from all those brutish, mannish womens...
aaaahhh....I think I'm going to cry (or vomit)
Posted by: Hofbraunow | August 19, 2010 at 03:25 AM
I had asthma one spring, but it was mostly exaserbated by a bag of bread I'd left under my carseat, which had then become moldy (the bread that is, but maybe the seat too, from the water leaking through the roof when it rained) with spores permeating throughout the passenger compartment.
I had to go to the hospital; they gave me some kind of gas; I guass they thought that would fix it
Posted by: Hofbraunow | August 19, 2010 at 03:31 AM