The curse

So far this summer I've been pretty good about neglecting my devotion to the Bengals. Sports, what's the point, right?

Yes.

Now I just have to practice what I preach.

But I've been a die hard Bengals fan since I was eight. That was when I saw my very first NFL game (well, one where I kind of paid attention anyway) in which the Bengals defeated the San Diego Chargers in the 1981 AFC Championship game (a game that was known as the freezer bowl because of the 59 below zero windchill).

In fact, this game was just on the NFL Network, so I got to enjoy it all over again.

Outside of two close losses to the 49ers in the Super Bowl ('81 and '88) and an 11-5 season thanks to Carson Palmer ('05), there has not been much to be happy about in Bengaldom.

Now, Chad Johnson is creating a spectacle at mini camp. Johnson either wants a new contract (they gave him his second contract extension during the '05 season) or out of Cincinnati. Neither is going to happen. Mike Brown, the owner of the Bengals and son of legendary Paul Brown, might be a lot of things, and stubborn is certainly one of them. There is just no way he is ever going to let a player manipulate the fate of an entire team.

As this nonsense was being chronicled on the NFL Network last night, two commentators made two very good points.

1. When was the last time the Bengals had a really feel good moment?

2. There seems to be a curse hovering over the franchise.

Both of these are excellent points.

Now I'm a lover of tragedies (King Lear, Hamlet, American Beauty, Caesar . . .) but the biggest tragedy of all is the Bengals!

The feel good moments have been few and very, very far between. The tragedies are far more common.

Here's just a quick list

Despite being the quickest franchise team to reach the playoffs in their third year of existence (I believe, though, that the Jaguars and Panthers eclipsed this feat, making the playoffs in just their second seasons), they still were beset by tragedy.

First, the hire a young gun prodigy to run the offense (Bill Walsh). They draft a local legend to play quarterback (Greg Cook). Together Walsh, Cook, and Paul Brown (owner and head coach), set the NFL on fire. Cook wins rookie of the year and they have one of the best offenses in football. However, in typical Bengal fashion, in a game against Kansas City, Cook's shoulder is crushed. They don't have the medical procedures they do today, and he is rushed back to play, further injuring the shoulder. Within three years, he is done with the Bengals and soon out of the league. Walsh said many times had he stayed healthy he would have been mentioned in the same breath with Montana, Starbauch, Namath, and Bradhsaw.

Second, when it comes time for Brown to retire in the late 70s, he doesn't pick the logical choice to replace him (Walsh, his offensive coordinator). Instead he picks Tiger Johnson the O-line coach. Many believe that Brown was fearful of having his legendary status usurped by the genius of Walsh. As we all know, Walsh headed to Stanford before getting the head coaching job for the moribund 49ers. In a few years he drafts a kid named Montana in the third round and a few years later he trades up to take Jerry Rice. Well, the rest is history and Walsh ends up with three SB rings, which could have easily been half a dozen had he stayed head coach.

Third, the Bengals fortioutously run into Walsh in that '81 SB and are thoroughly outcoached. The Niners jump out to a 21-0 lead before the Bengals rally in the second half. Still, they lose 26-21.

Fourth, '84 the Bengals are sitting with the first pick in the draft. They are eyeing future hall of fame QB Steve Young out of BYU. However, Young accepts a mega deal with the USFL (remember them?) and opts out of the draft. Stunned, the Bengals trade down for three first round picks. This is only a minor tragedy because the Bengals get one of their best quarterbacks in the second round (Boomer Esiason)

Fifth, Sam Wyche gets the Bengals back to the Super Bowl seven seasons later. However, nearly everything that could go wrong does - and they still almost win the damn game. First, Stanley Wilson, their fine starting fullback, has a drug relapse the night before the big game and is carted off to jail (where he still remains, though his son is in the league now playing corner for the Lions). Next, their best defensive player, nose tackle Tim Krumrie, gruesomely breaks his leg in the first quarter. Finally, Montana takes the Niners on a 92 yard drive with less than two minutes remaining. Unable to muster much of a pass rush thanks to Krumrie being out, the Bengals give up a John Taylor touchdown pass with 32 seconds remaining. End of story.

Well, the franchise has never recovered. They have had exactly two winning seasons since.

But the curses and tragedies don't end there.

In '89, a year after missing out on a SB victory, Ickey Woods (remember the Ickey Shuffle?) who rushed for 1.066 yards and 15 touchdowns his rookie year to guide the Bengals to the SB, tears his ACL in the second game of the season. Though he tries many comebacks, his career is over.

Still reeling from lack of a running back, the Bengals move up to the first pick to select Kajana Carter, who just came of a phenomenal season for the Nittany Lions. However, in typical Bengal fashion, Carter holds out and finally signs a monster deal. On the third carry of his career, up in the Silverdome against the Lions (same place they lost to the 49ers in the '81 SB), Carter tears his ACL. He attempts many comebacks but his shiftiness is gone. He is soon out of league.

In '99 the Bengals are sitting with the third pick in the draft. The Saints, who are in love with Ricky Williams offer the Bengals their ENTIRE draft for them to just move down a few spots. Mike Brown turns it down and drafts . . . Akili Smith (who? Exactly.) Smith has a hold out and is not smart enough to be an NFL quarterback. He makes 19 appearances and is quickly out of the league. In the second round of that draft, they take a corner out of West Virginia by the name of Charles Fischer. He wins a starting job in the secondary. However, on his first play in the opening game of the season, at Tennessee, he turns to back pedal and wrecks his knee. He never plays another down in the NFL again. (on a lesser note, the Bengals had a free agent cornerback that year who also tore his knee up that day. However, when it came time the following year in training camp to run the 40 yard dash, that cornerback tore the same knee up again! Cursed!)

In '03 things seem to change for the Bengals. After whiffing horribly on three franchise quarterbacks (Jack Thompson, David Klinger, and Akili Smith), they draft the gold boy, Carson Palmer, with the first pick in the draft. He is the hope of the franchise (and he will go on to breathe life back into it). However, they draft a corner back out of Oregon State by the name of Dennis Weathersby. Horribly, he was a victim of a gang shooting and was placed in critical condition prior to the draft. Still, the Bengals take a chance in the fourth round on a kid with first round talent. Weathersby fights his way back and plays a little his rookie year. Just when the Bengals are looking for him to really contribute in his second year, he is in a terrible car accident and sustains serious head and neck injuries - to the point where the coaching staff just hopes he can live a normal life. He never plays another down of football.

In '05 the Bengals are poised for big things. Palmer is the quarterback they have been looking for (he engineers a phenomenal 19 point comeback in Baltimore, a place the Bengals use to NEVER win, and he bludgeons them for over 300 yards passing and three touchdowns). The '05 draft is rich with talent. Needing to build a defense around their young signal caller, the Bengals draft David Pollack to play OLB. Pollack was the top SEC defensive lineman of not only the decade but probably the entire history of the SEC. In the second round they take a middle linebacker named Odell Thurman. In the third round they take a fliar on a troubled but vastly talented WR, Chris Henry, who stands 6'4'' and clocks a sub 4.4 40.

All of these players help the Bengals capture their first AFC North title and return to the playoffs for the first time since '90. Thurman is a serious contender for rookie of the year as he forces 5 fumbles, chronicles 5 interceptions, and helps lead them in tackles. Pollack contributes four sacks and is playing his best football of year in the final games. Henry is a game breaking, reeling in 8 touchdowns and giving Palmer three superb wide receivers.

However, only 4 years later, things have gone awry. Pollack had to retire after breaking his neck in the second game of his second season. Thurman was a drunk and couldn't overcome his addiction despite the shot at millions of dollars. He was banned for the '06 and '07 seasons. He was back with the team this year, but following the death of his grandmother, he began drinking again. The Bengals released him and now Thurman is facing a possible (and more than likely) permanent suspension from the NFL. Henry was banned for part of the '07 season. However, he was accused of battery and the Bengals released him.

Instead of having two cornerstones of their defense and a young WR to replace Johnson and his antics, they have zilch.

Oh yeah, and in the biggest tragedy of all, in their first playoff game in 15 years, their all world quarterback, chucks a 66 bomb to Henry, who hauls it in, on the second play of the game. In typical Bengals fashion though Palmer's left knee is crushed by Kimo Von Olhoffen (a former Bengal himself). It is a grisly injury. The Bengals collapse 17-34 (despite leading at half time) and a pall is cast over the franchise yet again. Worse still, the team they lose to, their arch-rivals, the Steelers, go on to win the entire thing!

However, Palmer miraculously recovers and starts the season opener. However, the defense is porous and the offense isn't as powerful as it was the previous year. Still, the Bengals beat the Ravens at home to keep their playoff chances alive. They then throttle the Raiders and Browns to almost secure a playoff spot. All they have to do is win one of their final three games. It doesn't get any simpler than that. Win and you're in.

First up - Denver. They are clearly the better team. But they play one of the lousiest games of the year. On the second play safety Dexter Jackson picks a pass off and returns it to the three. Yet, Palmer tosses a pick in the end zone and the Bengals get zero points. Then, driving for a key score, the Bengals are pounding the piss out of the Broncos defense with their no huddle offense. On first down, running back Rudi Johnson, who has been gashing the Broncos on the drive, hits the hole for a big gain. The Bengals snapped the ball quickly and the Broncos defensive linemen are so tired they are not only lined up wrong but they're standing up! The only one really playing defense is safety, who clocks Johnson and causes him to fumble. Zero points.

Finally, the Bengals tie the game with a few seconds left. All they have to do is kick the PAT and head to over time where they can use their momentum to win. But they miss the extra point.

All is not lost yet. They recover the onside kick! Yet, in typical Bengals fashion, one of the players was offsides and the play doesn't count. Game over. No playoffs yet.

Second chance - Indianapolis. Forget about it. The Colts pulverize the Bengals.

Last chance -at home against the Steelers. Palmer has a chance to exact revenge against the team that tore his knee up the previous season. In fact, late in the game he hits Henry on another 66 yard pass. The Bengals set themselves up for a chip shot 37 yard field goal with under a minute to play. However, their kicker misses it wide right.

The Steelers win the coin toss in over time and elect to receive. On their second play from scrimmage their rookie receiver Santonio Holmes hits a seem and is gone. Game over and season over.

Cursed? Ya think?