Commentary: Talking About The NFL Draft Doesn't Make You A Cynical Fan
Sports talk host Lance McAlister with 700 WLW went on the offensive Wednesday against Bengals fans, instigated by an email he received from a listener that requested a segment, if not a show, featuring the NFL Draft already. During his show on 700 WLW on Wednesday night, Lance admits confusion, wondering why some Bengals fans are already thinking about the NFL Draft. You can have a listen here, but here's a brief transcript that opened the show.
"And realize specifically for the Bengals: 5-2, developing feel good stories, kind of almost in some circles a developing media darling, winners of four straight, perfect in the month of October, the first time since (1975). The last time they were perfect in October, the Big Red Machine had just captured the 1975 World Series.
"Yet, I'm left confused. Because I hear, I read and I see so much that is not about now. Here. This. The moment. John Thornton and I were joking last week, how much Carson conversation even a week after the trade compared to the actual team. I will grant you this, for those it has kind of become a running joke the number of people who now want to figure out what to do with the draft picks. I get that it's November and traditionally, the start of November we probably start thinking draft. It's like a conditioned response."
Lance continues:
"...for as many who are jumping into the future, there are just as many who seemingly enjoy wallowing in the past. It's one of the most fascinating dynamics in this city when it comes to fans."
Sounds ridiculous, right? Bengals fans looking forward to the NFL draft, wallowing about the past, not accepting the current reality that the Cincinnati Bengals are 5-2 with a quarterback that just won the NFL's offensive rookie of the month for the month of October, where the Cincinnati Bengals went an undefeated 4-0, sounds ludicrous.
Let me preface this by saying I love Lance, Mo Egger and all of the local talk radio talent.
But there's a third option that's not being established or acknowledged, and maybe that's because the general Bengals fan being discussed isn't necessarily the majority. Bengals fans are fully capable of living in the moment, talking about the 5-2 Cincinnati Bengals. Read the comments within most of the posts on this very site; there's overwhelming excitement and perspective. Living in the moment is what most of us have been doing, as we have every year since this site was established in 2006. Are the readers and those that comment on this site the general Bengals fan? Maybe. Maybe not.
Now you compound that with news two weeks ago that the Bengals traded Carson Palmer, one of the most tiring discussions for months, for a first round pick in 2012 and a second round pick in 2013 and now you have that much more excitement about this team's future. Additionally there's such a foundation of talented players, that next year's draft could make this team even better. It's an exciting prospect that fans might spend 15 minutes out of a 1,440-minute day. During Sundays every Bengals fan lives in the moment. Every Monday after the game and Friday and Saturday before the next game, fans are in the moment. Tuesday and Wednesday, fans are in the moment. Then perhaps Bengals fans gather around the water cooler for 15-20 minutes Thursday afternoon and brainstorm ideas with what the Bengals can address with their newly acquired draft picks.
Now there are those that Lance says enjoys "wallowing in the past" and for those, he's right. Mike Brown inevitably surfaces in most discussions I have with people personally. Efforts to just say, it's time to just let go, often go unheeded and even instigate them into unapproachable levels where you question whether or not you want to talk about Bengals football at all with them. Mike Brown is evil. Been Cincinnati's greatest comic book villain since 1991. We get it.
If you want to talk about the NFL draft, fine. Talk about the draft. There's six days between games and roughly 8-12 hours within a day that you're awake that you're able to sit back and enjoy the moment with this incredible Cincinnati Bengals squad. If for a small chunk within the week you want to visualize the prospects of improving this football team even more, why not?
34 comments
|
0 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
I don't understand the obsession with talking about the draft.
The reason being, people will spend all year talking about the draft (which they have no control over) then the draft will happen and immediatly start looking to the next draft. It’s like a never ending cycle of drafts. Without an actual SEASON the draft is meaningless. Not to mention the NFL draft is such a crap shoot anyway. I can’t wait for Andrew Luck to follow in Ryan Leaf’s footsteps. You simply never know what you’ll get in a draft, whether it be Akili Smith in round 1 or Tom Brady in round 7. I just don’t get the point of placing so much emphasis on it.
Football fans love the draft. It's like Christmas. Surely it's not THAT hard for you to understand.
"I slyde my boehner into sexsalad...."
Sounds like a johnu1 production. --jch24
The draft is the Super Bowl of the offseason and we got two 1st round picks and will probably get another 3rd pick for Joseph if he stays healthy for the Texans.
Kenneth Lewis Moore
I think it'll probably be lower than that because we picked up Clements
and that should offset the value of losing Joseph a bit.
Draft is great and we get 3 preimer picks to improve are team in the first 2 rounds..
thats why we are excited not overlooking the season enjoying the hell out of that…
But 2 1st rounders mack mock drafting fun…
now it is a little to early to try and figure out where those picks will be and then trusting the Brain trust of experts who are almost always wrong about which players should fall to what spots and which of those is the biggest need/value for the slot of the pick…
theres a lot that goes into it… and football is only on on sundays.
by Bengalsfan024 on Nov 3, 2011 5:03 PM EDT up reply actions
I love my Bengals and love the current season they have
But every year I also watch a lot of College Football and I love to watch prospects. I also watch a lot of film on a lot of the prospects.
I love the draft and since I love the Bengals it makes sense to think about who the Bengals will draft much more then who the Ravens are going to draft.
Doesn’t have anything to do with the present. In fact, if anything I’m just that much more excited about the draft over the next 2 years because we have a great chance to become a consistent playoff team if we use our picks wisely.
I like talking about needs at this point, definitely not players, that's kind of silly.
But hey, why not get excited? This team has a bundle of picks next year, hopefully they move some of the later round picks for another 3rd or 4th. Might as well load up.
Change gone come mane! Trust me! Cause i Bleed tigerblood!--Jerome Simpson
Well, the thing is College Football is going on now also
So it also makes sense to think and talk, about the players in the positions of need. Of course things will probably change 3-4 times before the draft, but it’s always nice when you’ve already seen a player play multiple games in college. Just helps you know what to expect and lets you know if you had a good draft compared to other teams if you know more about hte player.
If the Bengals are smart
They will trade those 2 first round picks to Chicago for Matt Forte and then sign him to a 6 yr monster deal.
whoa!
I would not trade 2 first round picks for Matt Forte (or any other running back for that matter)! That position is known for steep drop offs! I’d be perfectly fine letting Benson go next season and having a committee of RBs.
RE:
I wouldn’t even use one to draft someone in the first. But that’s me.
Managing Editor at CincyJungle.com -- SB Nation Cincinnati Bengals blog.
by Josh Kirkendall on Nov 3, 2011 4:29 PM EDT up reply actions
Thats crazy talk.
Forte is an absolute beast. He hasn’t only been good for 1 year either it has been a couple years now. He is exactly what all you guys been wanting in a running back. 3 down back who can run and catch out of the backfield and is a good pass blocker as well. If we got Forte whoa buddy would this offense be scary good.
we can get the same from 2nd round
Chris Polk Washington
if you haven’ seen him play do so you’ll be impressed
t
Really like C. Polk
And would strongly consider drafting him in 2nd round. He and Lamar Miller from the U are the draft’s best WCO style backs. Polk, though, can also lug it 20-25 times a game on a consistent basis.
Oh, and by the way, trade two first round picks for Forte??? That’s just nonsensical. I like Forte and he’s really, really good, but trading TWO first round picks for him is absurd.
by The_Black_Stripes on Nov 3, 2011 6:07 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Miller is moving up boards quickly
Todd McShay lists him as the 14th overall prospect now.
I know that’s high, but I’ve seen other places list him in the top 30 or so.
If he keeps moving up, we would have to move up in the second to get him, if he’s not taken by someone in the first :(
Still, I like Polk and he is a good player.
Best WCO running back
in the NFL right now. BUT, two first round picks!! I bet you would have been willing to make the same trade for Chris Johnson before this season. It would be too big of a gamble in my opinion.
no, what's crazy talk...
…is thinking ANY RB is worth giving up 2 first rounders when you have glaring needs in the secondary and offensive line.
Forte is a beast
But he is going to command top tier money, and if recent history proves anything, its that RBs are not worth putting down big dollars or trading crazy amounts of draft picks.
Hi fans it Brandon Roy.
And ME.....LaMarcus Aldridge
Forte is a beast
and so is Chris Johnson. Man got paid, and now he’s really struggling. DON’T PAY RUNNING BACKS THAT MUCH MONEY!!!!
Andy Dalton: An American Hero
by Pardon_My_French on Nov 3, 2011 4:56 PM EDT up reply actions
CJ-2000 is an idiot and overrrated
Forte proves it everyday he is a beast. Maybe we can trade 1 first round pick and Benson to the Bears
No way
We can get someone just as good and younger for less
by Oregonbengalsfan on Nov 3, 2011 4:55 PM EDT up reply actions
And not to mention we have other needs where those picks are better spent
OL/CB… Richardson is one thing but if not we need those picks elsewhere
by Oregonbengalsfan on Nov 3, 2011 5:02 PM EDT up reply actions
Two first round draft picks
What the Bengals are doing right now is outstanding. 5-2 record with a shot at the playoffs with a rookie quarterback and a team no one gave a chance. You couldn’t write a better script… But as fans I see nothing wrong with looking forward to the future… Our daily lives are busy, stressfull and hectic. Two first round draft picks gives us hope, a sense of feeling of possible perfection and a conversation that dosen’t go dull… Who-Dey
by asnitro25 on Nov 3, 2011 4:50 PM EDT via mobile reply actions
WHO-DEY!!!!!!!
WOW THIS FEELS GOOD!! I’ve been a die hard since 79 and for some reason I’m more pumped up now than ever.
Since we're talking about the draft...Does anybody else get the feeling that they won't be drafting a lineman in the first?
I mean, they just extended two guys on the line and will probably try to resign Andre Smith as well. It’s not a stretch to say they aren’t going to dump first round kind of money on another lineman.
1st round money
Just isn’t that much with the new cba, it’s the best way to get your expensive position players now, which also gives me a good feeling that Richardson just might fall out of top ten, probably right around we’ll be picking with Oaklands 1st. ;)
by joeb698 on Nov 3, 2011 6:59 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
+1
The new CBA may make the draft a lot different this year. It’s actually a theory I have. Since teams aren’t paying 1st round rookies money like elite players at that position, we may see more positions drafted in the first that aren’t traditionally drafted in the first.
I doubt it will be anything major though. There has already been a recent trend where more Guards/Centers have been taken in round 1 over the last few years, I think that trend continues with the new CBA.
As far as the Bengals it would be a HUGE mistake if they overlooked the offensive line and specifically Guard(more specifically David DeCastro).
agreed
I think, especially the way Cam and Andy along with even ponder and gabbert have played, and with how little you have to pay rookies now we’ll see a lot of traditionally expensive positions taken early, RB just isn’t viewed the way it used to be, a lot of 3rd rounders a beyond have done well and teams have noticed
by joeb698 on Nov 3, 2011 7:31 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Why WOULDN"T a Bengals fan
be twice as interested as any other fan? But it is still too early to speculate IMO unless it’s just for fun. Injuries could still have a big say in who gets drafted when.

by 

























