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History of Who-Dey and Football Outsiders All-Rookie Team

By Josh Kirkendall

So CincyJungle friend's girlfriend knew Who-Dey. She knew how to chant it and knew it's the call-sign for most things Bengals. If you're in a Cincinnati area bar, you chant Who-Dey, you'll get echoes of it from the other side of the room. But she asked, "where did it come from?" Personally, I'm simple minded. While I've developed a complexed interest of our origins and how all this began -- I'm talking Earth, world, people, civilizations -- the history of Who-Dey wasn't something that breached my mind. I've just known since a little boy that I randomly and erratically shout Who-Dey in the most inappropriate situations. So CincyJungle friend's girlfriend called with a Who-Dey history lecture. I was intrigued. The history is anything but sudden; it's an evolution over time.

Now with most things concerning history, the actual timeline, people and facts are often disputed.

From Wiki:

One possible source is a 1980 commercial for Red Frazier Ford of Cincinnati, which used this tagline: "Who's going to give you a better deal than Red Frazier? Nobody!" Cincinnati fans who had seen the commercial many times may have just copied it when cheering.

It's not the words, rather the way it was said. First you ask who's better and then respond with "Nobody". Same foundation.

A page at BengalsJungle says the fans started the entire Who-Dey chant in 1981.

The chant started after the San Diego game (week 10). Second game of November. The Bengals had 5 games in November and won all 5. Beating every team by more than 2 TD's. The Bengals only lost one more game all the way up to the Superbowl. That game was against the 49'ers who they also played and lost to in the Superbowl.

This inspired Hu Dey Beer.

Even the historically bad New Orleans Saints can't claim rights with being the first chant Who (fill in the blank here) -- if you care about such things.

The Saint's Who Dat started up again in 1987 the year they started out 3-3 and never lost another game until they made the playoffs. Losing to the Viking in their first playoff game. Before 1987 the Saints were known as the Ain'ts, never having a winning record until 1987. They went 8-8 twice, but could never end up above .500. The reason many believe it came from the Saints, was because their Who Dat chant was popular the 1987 season and the Bengals Who Dey chant was ringing loud in peoples ears the Bengals Super Bowl season of 1988.

The Saints took Who Dat from LSU. It was reported that LSU football was using a who dat chant in 1982. When they went to the Orange Bowl against Nebraska. Orange Bowl History A year after the Bengals played in the Super Bowl. LSU finished behind Georgia for the Sec championship. Georgia play Penn St in the Sugar Bowl and lost to the National Champions. LSU lost to Nebraska who finished with second best record in the nation.

I have to give mad props to BengalsJungle for their work on this and I take zero credit for it. Great stuff guys.

Moving on...

Football Outsiders released their 2006 All-Rookie Team and they've confirmed what most NFL observers have known: This Rookie Class could be the best since the legendary 1983 draft (with John Elway, Dan Marino and Jim Kelly). Obviously you can't compare this class to the careers of that class. You'd have to wait another 15+ years. But they are well on their way of being the next group of superstars.

From a Cincinnati Bengals perspective, two made the list: Johnathan Joseph and Ethan Kilmer.

On Joseph.

Joseph ranks among the league leaders with 18 passes defensed, a dubious stat because hometown scorers all have different rules for what constitutes a "pass defensed." Some of Joseph’s deflections are actually dropped interceptions, but a dropped pick is still better than a blown assignment. Joseph entered the starting lineup for good in Week 11. Since then, he broke up four passes against the Ravens and forced a fumble against the Raiders.

On Kilmer:

Nine solo tackles on special teams may not seem like a lot, but Kilmer earned high marks as a wedge buster, and his muff recovery against the Ravens helped the Bengals ice an important game.

I looked at last year's Football Outsiders All-Rookie team -- the Bengals had one.

Linebacker: Odell Thurman, Bengals

The Defensive Rookie of the Year. Thurman plays the run like Jeremiah Trotter and drops into coverage like Al Wilson. With five interceptions and five more forced fumbles, he was one of the most dangerous defensive playmakers in the NFL this year.

Makes you kind of hope that Thurman has reformed and the team gives him a 15th chance, doesn't it?

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