This has to be a discussion that's initiated from Bengals fans; if for reasonable validation. But the question is honesty pointless, drivel brought about from people that can't cheer for two teams at the same time. What is this? Bubble gum. Well, I'm walking. I can't possible risk myself with a chew and a walk at the SAME time. That's not mostly the case. Most Bengals fans are Reds fans. Most Reds fans are Bengals fans. There are those that have separate fandoms of other teams and there are those that don't care for the other sport.
Regardless, the question is typically posed during the Bengals successes, based on validation when the counter-point that the Bengals aren't very good can't be applied.
Is Cincinnati a Reds town or a Bengals town?
Most of us agree. We're Bengals fans. We're Reds fans. What difference does it make who owns the town? Reds fans with no Bengals allegiance will point out that the Reds have historically owned the city, while intermediate successes by recent Bengals teams (or the Bengals teams in the 80s), have been temporary at best.
But should the argument have anything to do with success? Or recent success?
Until their division championship squad in 2010, the Reds haven't had a winning season since 2000. One division championship, one winning season in the past ten years. During the same time frame, the Bengals have had two winning seasons and two division championships. I guess in reality, the discussion isn't who owns the town; it's the depressing realization that 20 seasons in the past ten years, between the Bengals and Reds, have a combined three winning seasons. And neither team has won a playoff game dating all the way back to 1990 when the Bengals beat the Houston Oilers and the Reds swept the Oakland Athletics during the World Series.
Then again, the Big Red Machine is known as one of the greatest baseball teams of all-time, winning back-to-back championships in the mid-70s. Reds fans, when seeing a replay of Carlton Fisk's game six homerun during the 1975 World Series, will passionately point out that it was the Reds that won the championship, not the Red Sox.
The Reds do have five World Series championships on display while the Bengals have two losing Super Bowls to point as their peak achievements -- something some NFL teams don't even have.
Regardless, the question is easily answered like this. I'm a Bengals fan. I'm a Reds fan. And this is my town.
So go Reds. Win another division title, win a playoff game and take care of business. Because if the Bengals can't do it, then at least we have the Reds.