this post is for m-----l

As a lifelong Steeler fan, I've had much to enjoy over the past ten or sixteen football seasons.  Some of my favorite memories are obvious.  Watching the Steelers win the Super Bowl in Tampa and Pittsburgh are first and second, in that order.  Some of my favorite memories are less obvious.

The 2005 Cincinnati Bengals had awful big mouths for a team that hadn't done anything since the first George Bush was President.  They got real cocky, real fast.  And when you get real cocky, real fast, the karma police are going to knock on your door and ask you to take a ride with them downtown.  (I thought I'd use a metaphor that Bengals fans would understand.  Because every member of the Bengals has been arrested, you see.) That's why the Bengals not only lost to the Steelers in the playoffs, but lost the better part of their next three seasons as their star quarterback recovered from a debilitating and hilarious knee injury on a completely legit play.

Steelers @ Cincinnati: January 8, 2006

Three years later, the Bengals are becoming unjustifiably arrogant again.  Pittsburgh heads to Cincinnati this weekend with an opportunity to shut them up.  I'm looking forward to it.  And to more Youtube videos posted by bitter Bengal fans.

Comments

[M-----l]

Three years later, the Bengals are becoming unjustifiably arrogant again.

What is this about?  Other than that clown Chad Ochocinco, I haven't heard any local bragging...and I certainly haven't done any myself.  Where are you getting this information?  Talk radio?  I know the Bengals blow and will always blow.  I still put on my Peter Warrick jersey every Sunday and watch them because I like football and it would feel wrong to switch teams now that I've got 25+ years in.

Oh, and fuck you for mocking a leg injury.  You of all people should know better.

[hotrod]

That's my perception from what I read on the internets.  It helps that I hate Chad Johnson.

And I guess maybe I feel bad that's you've become the personification of my Bengals scorn.  I probably shouldn't begrudge you if you're still wearing a Peter Warrick jersey.  That's even worse than an Akili Smith.  I just received a lot of idiotic forwarded email from my sister immediately before and and after the game above to have any respect for Bengals fans as a whole.

That shredded knee was still hilarious, though.  And you should talk to Dabysan about how it's wrong to switch teams.  He's threatening to do so.

[M-----l]

Oh no.  Peter Warrick comes nowhere near an Akili Smith level of career disappointment.  Sure, Warrick never lived up to his slot in the draft, but he was a decent third receiver for awhile.  Akili was shit from day one.  I was never a huge Warrick fan anyway.  I inherited my jersey from my brother who buys a new one every season after his guy from the previous year goes bust.  I think he's going for Rey Maualuga this year.

Once again, I'm going to have to disagree with you on the hilarity of the knee injury.  I would love to see Ben get knocked out of this Sunday's game on the first play, but I would never wish for him to suffer a season-ending injury.  Maybe I'm old-fashioned, but I still cheer for the injured when they hobble off the field regardless of which team they're on.

[Dabysan]

Don't try to talk sense to him M----l. Like all Steelers fans born after 1970, Hotrod knows nothing about the intestinal fortitude that it takes to support a bad team. For evidence, ask him about the Pirates. Also HR loves Hines Ward, who had a new dirty hit rule named after him. 

[hotrod]

I know all about intestinal fortitude.  I loyally supported the team through the lean years of the late 80's and that one season a few years ago when they went 6-10.

[M-----l]

I know as a Bengals fan that I'm supposed to hate Hines Ward, but I must admit I enjoy watching the man play.  He's sort of evil, but you never see him half-ass a play.

[M-----l]

6-10?

Hah!  You call 6-10 intestinal fortitude?!  I'll throw a party if the Bengals manage to scrape together six wins this year. 

[hotrod]

Oh, I think the Bengals might get to 8-8 this year.  They don't look completely terrible.  I mean, they're not ***skins bad.

I just learned that the Steelers only won two playoff games in the 1980's.  So, yeah, I know intestinal fortitude.

[Dabysan]

The have not gone more than three years at a stretch in your lifetime without being in the playoffs. So you actually don't. People like M----l and me know what it means to suffer. You're a fairweather fan until proven otherwise. 

[hotrod]

They won only two playoff games in the 1980's.  That's tough for any fan to deal with.  I know suffering.

[homebody]

Speaking of pie, have you ever posted the recipe for Steeler Pie?

[hotrod]

I haven't.  And I'm not sure I should.

[M-----l]

They won only two playoff games in the 1980's.

Awww, did the widdle baby hafta wait a couple years between dynasties?  Boo-frickin'-hoo.

[homebody]

Oh.  Well, given the apparently long-standing controversy over desserts, I can understand wanting to protect a favorite recipe.

[hotrod]

Hey, I only brought it up because it was suggested I don't know real suffering for my team.  I'm bona fide.  To make matters worse, that dry spell occurred after I'd moved from Pennsylvania to Ohio, and both the Browns and the Bengals were good.  I've suffered like you wouldn't believe.

[M-----l]

And when you get real cocky, real fast, the karma police are going to knock on your door and ask you to take a ride with them downtown.

Oh, now I get it.

[hotrod]

What do you mean?  Why wouldn't you have gotten it before?