Week 2 of the preseason is upon us. Every Tuesday I will grab a handful of items I have thoughts on and share them with you here. Most of what I share will have loose ties with the Bengals and sometimes, my thoughts may not jive with your own. I love having discussions though so hit me on Twitter (@WhoDeyFans) or leave a comment below. I would love to hear your thoughts.
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Early retirement
As the Bengals prepare to face the Lions in their second preseason game, I always think about how bad it must be to root for the Detroit Lions. Don't get me wrong, it is not like the Bengals have some proud history I am boasting, but man, the Lions fans have had it rough. This is a place that fairly recently had a winless season. Also, they are a franchise that has had two Hall of Fame players retire early just to no longer play for the franchise. Talk about salt in the wound, that would be pretty tough to take as a fan. Calvin Johnson and Barry Sanders did not do the fanbase any favors with their early retirements.
Alex Erickson
Bengals fans are over the moon talking about what rookie Alex Erickson was able to accomplish in this first game with the Bengals. And for good reason, he was a spark in the return game when he broke one for a touchdown. This is a very good thing for a Bengals team that has become comfortable with a "safe" return man. The Bengals could use some more fire in that phase of the game. Imagine if there were multiple return men on the roster that the Bengals rotated who gave the spark that we have seen from Adam Jones.
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Suspensions coming?
Four players are facing a suspension from the NFL after allegations came out accusing them of using performance enhancing drugs. The players include Clay Matthews, Julius Peppers, Mike Neal and James Harrison. The Al Jazeera report in question came along with the accusation that Peyton Manning was receiving HGH delivered to his home addressed to his wife. These players (other than Manning) have refused to cooperate with the NFL's request for more information. As you can imagine, Steelers fans have come out in droves to support Harrison. Including a gem from this guy who actually attaches his BIO to his comments. See, he is one of the die hard Steelers fans, born and raised in southern Arizona...
"Anyone who’s ever seen Harrison’s numerous workout videos knows how hard he works out, and these claims literally have nothing behind them. He hates Goodell and just might stand his ground. It’s an honor to have James Harrison on my team.
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Olympic dreams
Jahvid Best was a running back for the Detroit Lions from 2010-2012 and was a very fast running back. So fast in fact that Best turned his speed into becoming an Olympian and competing in this year’s Summer Olympics. You may have seen his brief Olympic moment when he ran against gold medal winner Usain Bolt in a semi-final heat. Best failed to qualify for the final and was competing for the country his father was born in, Saint Lucia. However, what an honor to be on the track with the greatest runners in the world. What current Bengal could compete in an Olympic event? I would love to watch Michael Johnson and A.J. Green compete in some beach volleyball.