Bengals Banter: Generating a Cult Following Takes Time

I like a good story. It's why I can be obsessed with some television shows. Like Lost, which has had me in its grip since the first season. Or 24, which has some of the most intense moments in television; and some of the most gruesome fighting scenes -- like Jack drilling a pair of scissors into a bad guy's neck and Fox showing it entirely. These are the type of shows that, with their great success and huge following, are allowed to go out on their own terms. And in two weeks, both shows are over and I'll be sad.

But it doesn't always work that way. Case in point, ABC's Happy Town premiered on April 28 which follows a story of a town in Minnesota regarding mysterious deaths. After the first episode, the media wrote about poor initial ratings saying that it won't last and that it'll be canceled. You have to wonder if this is a sort of sabotage at work here. Once you read that a show you're starting to watch is likely to be canceled soon, why bother investing in it? And how many shows actually have a huge following after one episode. It takes time to generate a cult following. Like Fringe.

Still, my two favorite shows are ending and I'm without good mindless entertaining television programming that's not the educational/informative venue. I suppose I'll have to follow the advice of some friends and start watching Breaking Bad. I hear it's really good. Any fans? Moving on...

+ Dan Hoard will be replacing Paul Keels to call the Bengals preseason games this year. Keels replaced George Grande to call Reds games on Fox Sports Ohio.

+ Don Banks talks about the slippery slope of re-voting an award after a player was found to have used a banned substance. On the other hand, King likes the AP's decision to re-vote the Rookie of the Year award.

+ Because of the weather, Bengals coaches couldn't sky dive. I have no idea why they'd want to anyway. If we were meant to fall from the sky, we'd have wings.

+ Pete Prisco votes the Bengals as the tenth best team in his latest power rankings -- best in the AFC North.

+ Geoff Hobson writes that if Gibril Wilson's "situation reminds you of any recent or current Bengals safety, it has to be Chris Crocker. And if the Bengals get close to anywhere near the production and leadership from Wilson that they have been getting from Crocker, it is going to prove to be a very nice pickup indeed."

+ There were nine rookies taken in the first two rounds as either a 4-3 defensive end or 3-4 outside linebacker, writes Pat Kirwan. He says that if you want to predict busts, look there.

+ Some of the more notable free agents that are still out there include offensive tackle Flozell Adams, center Kevin Mawae, wide receiver Terrell Owens, outside linebacker Adalius Thomas, running back Brian Westbrook and linebacker Clint Ingram.

+ Geno Atkins, Major Wright and Sam Young were all drafted during this year's NFL Draft. All three players played together in high school at St. Thomas Aquinas -- the only high school to see three of its players drafted this year.