The NFL is the NFL because gamblers make is so. One of the reasons why the NFL is priceless is the emphasis being placed regarding a potential touchdown with time expiring that would have increased the points in which the Steelers beat the Chargers. If it's a touchdown, the Steelers win by eight points (or seven, if a PAT isn't attempted). If it's not a touchdown, the Steelers win by one point. In the end, the bigger argument of the touchdown, non-touchdown, is playoff seeding. Yet it's one of the headlines you woke up to this morning, with a shiny Peter King smile. "$100 million was bet on this game alone, with $66 million of that bet on the Steelers. The Steelers were four-point favorites. Instead of winning 17-10 or 18-10, the Steelers won 11-10. Thus they didn't cover, much to the angst of gamblers around the United States."
King isn't supporting the argument, instead addressing the conspiracy theorists. I realize there's a lot of money involved here, but touchdown or not, the Steelers win the game. Yet, controversy, some going as far as saying the game was fixed. The NFL is priceless, people that observe the sport, but with the love for the greatest sport in the world.
Then again, I've always been a dreamer, enjoying antique movies where the good guy wins, makes out with the hot girl, and the the villain is less a threat than a Stormtropper locking his blaster at any member of the Skywalker/Solo clan.
| Victims of the Bengals. |
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| Donovan |
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| Peterson |
Bengals aren't just spoilers. They'll completely wreck your team. The Bengals really screwed things up in Philadelphia. Defending Donovan | Sharing Blame | Rarity | Chokers | Irrelevant. In the matter of two weeks, the Bengals forced End of Era talk in Philadelphia and the odd circumstances involving middle linebacker Mike Peterson's celebration of a sack, which earned him two go-homes during practice, deactivated the following week with a $10,000 fine, and now backup linebacker / special teams contributor. Fans are turning on Peterson.
Thank you, the lords of almighty payback. Even though the Bengals are, well, the Bengals, no one-sentence recap required, a death of chivalry and thus Bengals agnosticism becomes of us.
To like cats, one must show equality. As tremendously pleasant as it has been to watch the Bengals, joining you crazy cats every Sunday afternoon with chicken sandwiches being washed down with (several) two liters of Mountain Dew, it's been as enjoyable watching the University of Cincinnati Bearcats impose their will through the Big East, using five quarterbacks randomly, though not by choice, rather chance.
With the Cincinnati Bengals being 1-8-1, playing sound technique on how to tie football games, not put pressure on a quarterback, or how to call a third-down play in overtime at midfield with seven yards to go, the Bearcats are starting to receive some Queen City loving. Pitt game is almost sold out, some love Kelly's aggression, even if he's calling fans out; even the New York Times is taking notice.
Now that the masses have spoken, decidedly 61% supporting, this site to add some Bearcats talk, hoping to get the locals that haven't gotten on board with the Bearcats. Worry not, however, my nervous friends, for I will still write up 10 posts per day about our precious Bengals, but I've longed to cheer for good football for a long time now.
Steelers defense is good. Because we say so. Stuffing the Chargers to 210 yards total isn't just an accomplishment, it's dominance, considering the suddenly-stale LaDainian Tomlinson was only held to 57 yards rushing, and Philip Rivers suffered his third two-interception game this season; two in a row.
Scoring 11 points with 410 yards total offense has offensive-minded folk like me wondering; only 11 points against the league's 19th best scoring defense that allows twice the points that the Steelers scored? Maybe it was the weather. Though, the Steelers weren't given a chance to complete a 16-yard pass with two minutes left in the game to increase a 21-point lead to 28 in the fourth quarter, so they weren't able to add to their 11 points, referee screw up included.
Yes, it's Steelers week and all I can hope for is a workman like effort by the Bengals showing a little professional pride. Looking at you, Chad. Steelers fans are consumed after last night's loss, which bodes well with our chart of Bengals victims during this final stretch of the season playing under the nickname of "wreckers" if Pittsburgh players are on a similar neural track. Refs hating Steelers | Tired of apologizes. I want to know what's going on with the Steelers offense.
One can not argue, however, the Steelers ability to get to the quarterback. Four times this season, the defense sacked the opposing quarterback five times. James Harrison (12) and LeMarr Woodley (10) have combined eight games where one or the other recorded multiple sacks in one game. With Andrew Whitworth sprinting his healing process, and Levi Jones playing awful, the Bengals will have to really pull it together to compete in this one.
Even though home games are sold out, Bengals emails about Stub Hub deals still infiltrate. Stub Hub, a secondary ticketing provider for the Cincinnati Bengals, delivered an electronic newsletter trying to sell the three remaining home games this season. Not that it's unusual to receive these things, especially if you made the mistake of supply your email address thinking you're getting press releases and all that jazz when in reality the newsletters are simply articles on Bengals.com that are released, in most cases, days ago.
The opening sentence is "it's a fan's market", seemed really highlighted. Fans are generally looking for cheaper prices for their tickets, to avoid paying costly tickets and concessions, and based on the economy, boycotts and nagging wives, many have stopped going entirely. Stub Hub typically buys tickets in bulk, hoping to sell with a little charge to increase their revenues. Fans are bulking at the Bengals, while Stub Hub is making a final campaign to use words like "it's a fans market" to sell their over-purchased tickets. Classic.