Bengals Banter: will carnivorous Bengals feast on Norsemen who have a stunning lack of fangs and claws?

Couldn’t believe Steelers lost to the Browns last nite! Now all of those obnoxious Steeler fans can shut their mouths about this year. IT’S OVER, IT’S OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVER! No more excuses, no playoffs, no nothing. They have lost 5 straight. The last three to the Chiefs, Raiders at home,and the Browns! That says enough by itself! I know they still have a SLIM CHANCE to make it, but the planets and stars would have to align for that to happen. I know they have 6 S.B. rings and nobody can take those from them. So all that being said, see you guys in 2010 Steelers!

Much has been said about the Bengals and what seems to be wrong with the passing attack. Various writers and so called experts point to Carson Palmer not being sharp, “Can’tspellhisnameicus” Coles not being on the same page, the Tight Ends on IR, the dropping of passes, or Chad being Chad. Those writers say that the Bengals will not be able to succeed in the playoffs without the passing game and that we are becoming one dimensional. Running the ball is not sexy. Winning with defense and an average score under 20 points does not excite the masses. What should however excite Bengals fans everywhere is a team that is 9-3 and a tipped pass and a fumble away from 11-1. Now is not the time to change what has been winning games. Don’t forget the shoot out against Cleveland a few years ago that we lost. Yeah that was an exciting game, but we lost. The constant banter about where is the passing game and the need to switch the offense brings to mind what was being said many years ago about another sport and sports figure. In 1982 Gerry Cooney was an undefeated 25-0 as he prepared to meet the heavyweight champion Larry Holmes. Cooney had defeated 22 of his opponents by knockout, many in one or two rounds. He had never had to even go past eight rounds in his career. As the time of the fight grew closer the writers and experts began to say that Cooney could not last a long fight and go the distance. He had knocked out the majority of the fighter who he had faced, but against Holmes he would have to change his style and become a boxer instead of a puncher. As I sat with friends to watch pay per view of the fight it was obvious that Cooney and his handlers had listened to all the writers and he did not come out of his corner with the same fire as in earlier fights. His powerful left hook was absent in the first several rounds and was hardly seen until the fhird and fourth. By the ninth round it was obvious Cooney was tired and the bout would be stopped in the thirteenth. Holmes would go on and extend his record to 48-0 before he lost the title to Michael Spinks and is probably considered one of the greatest heavy weight champs of all time. Gerry Cooney was hardly heard from again. The Cincinnati Bengals are winning. They swept the AFC North and lost two games they shouldn’t have. Bengaldom has endured decades of failure. Don’t change what is working. Yeah Coles and Palmer need to have a tighter connection. Would be nice if we didn’t drop so many passes. And Chad I love your attitude this year, but just catch the ball and play. i know it is your money, but the celebrations have been getting pretty lame compared to the River Dance and other things you did in the past. Please Bengals, don’t mess with what is working. Run the ball till we can’t. Pass when they move up to stop the run. We all need to continue this momentum beyond this year and be like Larry Holmes and not like Gerry Cooney.