Donna D'Errico Then/Now, Bills Fans Throw Dildo At Patriots & Bengals Fan Lets The Tears Flow
The pain has left my body...Marvin Lewis is history...Andy Dalton torturing my soul is over...Pacman Jones committing a personal foul & costing the Bengals a playoff victory is no more
I stood up in front of my family right there in the middle of the basement on 4th & goal fully expecting Derek Carr to drop back, feel the rush, step up and throw a touchdown pass and then have Rich Bisaccia go for two and rip my heart out once again.
The football gods finally stood up and said enough is enough. They announced that Cincinnati sports fans have been through enough pain and misery. 26-year-olds finally saw a playoff win by one of their professional sports franchises. Us oldtimers finally felt the warm rush through our blood streams instead of that disappointment that has been there for so long.
Carr stepped up and threw a ball that, even if it was caught, might've left the Raiders a yard short and still sent the Bengals onto the Divisional round of the playoffs.
I didn't shed a tear. It probably had something to do with being in shock. I've been excited over Ohio State victories, but my kids have never heard relief out of me like they heard last night. I heard a similar relief from my father, who was 35 the last time the Bengals won a playoff game. My dad has had to work around Steelers fans who have been mercilessly riding him for years, especially after Pacman or some other moron would cost the franchise a brief taste of success.
Dad finally has that victory and Big Ben is on his way out, hopefully ushering in 20 years of the Steelers sucking balls. One can only hope.
Now what? House money.
A franchise-changing quarterback, a rookie wide receiver hellbent on setting records and winning. A vibe that has random NFL fans actually rooting for the Bengals instead of trying to have the head coach fired. Positivity. A roster that wasn't infected by Marvin Lewis disciples.
The AFC now appears to be a dogfight Final Four that most likely has Cincinnati going to Tennessee to see if they can tackle Derrick Henry. Whatever happens, happens. Give me another week of football. I'm starting to enjoy this whole playoffs thing again.
• It's official, Drew Brees is going to be incredible in the NBC booth for the next 25 years. While Cris Collinsworth feels obligated to ramble on for 20 minutes without taking a breath, it feels like Brees is one of us. It feels like he's narrating in a living room with his kids. Yes, there are shades of Romo explaining the formations and what to expect out of Hunter Renfrow working the middle of the field, but it doesn't come off as he's talking down to the viewers. Same with Romo.
Collinsworth's whole schtick where it seems like he smoked a joint, leading to long drawn out ramblings about nothing are old. Give us Brees as soon as Collinsworth's contract runs out.
• What's up with all the focus on how cold it is at playoff games? Hasn't it been cold for the playoffs going back 80 years? I get that people at home are fascinated by weather reports -- my dad will watch the Weather Channel for hours -- but this whole thing where we have to constantly remind people that it's minus-5 with the windchill in Buffalo is unnecessary.
My god, how are these football players surviving! Let's send it down to Evan Washburn to find out.
Hey TV networks, quit trying to wish domes upon the entire NFL.
• Today's fronts in Cincinnati via our resident TNML member and sports editor:
• Steve N. writes:
I just wanted to congratulate you and your Bengals on the win. I couldn't help but think about you in your basement mancave rooting for yor team. Thanks for all you do with the screencaps. Have a great celebration. I hope I can share the joy after the Cowboys play the 49ers tomorrow.
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My wife, who doesn't care about sports, thinks I'm nuts, Steve. I'll give her credit for making her way underground for the final six minutes to see me living on the edge, back and forth on the phone with my dad every five minutes as the rollercoaster just wouldn't end.
• Evan A. writes:
I’ve never felt genuine joy for someone I’ve never met. Happy for you and all Bengals fans today. Cheers!
• Beau in Toledo dialed up a postgame message:
So i'm prepping a big pot of mexican kitchen sink soup(shut it, texas) and i get a text that says THE BENGALS MOVE ON!!
If a certain Bengals Fan who just happens to write for OutKick.com needs bail money for running up and down his suburban 'hood wearing nothing but a BURROW jersey and shouting WHO DEY!!!, call me. I'll cover this one this time.
Congrats and enjoy the rest of the weekend!
• Doug J. writes:
Enjoy the big Bengals playoff win! After all your hard work, especially this last year and keeping us all sane while everything is going insane, you deserve to see the Bengals win a playoff game!
We love you, Joe! (I hope you chili w/ beans was really good)
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Truth be told, I ended up doing halftime burgers. It was hectic before the game and I couldn't get focused on the Crockpot. We ended up at Costco between work assignments and started buying new rugs for around the house. That should tell you how wacked out my mind was going into that game. I needed to blow money at Costco on rugs (well worth it!) to take my mind off football.
• Bill H. has a message for all of you foodies:
I truly appreciate all of the hours of prep and attention to detail to make one's gastronomic experience not only palatable, but desirous and inherent as breathing. So all those dudes and dudettes showing off all of their cooking acumen and of their way-involved dishes made me want to send a recipe on the uber-easy side.
And I am not talking about Jell-O or instant pudding. Here is a recipe that I jotted down decades ago and has been a go-to pie hole filler since. Try it and tell me what you think. Bet you'll find it larapin.
• And with that, let's get rolling with another day of playoff football. I'm going to run the dog's ass off at the park so she'll leave my wife alone the rest of the day and then I'm hunkering down for a tripleheader. I have Great Lakes Irish Cream Ales ready to go. Inject the NFL playoffs directly into my veins. I can't get enough.
Email: joekinsey@gmail.com