My NFL life is highlighted by fantasy and the lead pipe lock contest which gives you an idea of what I am forced to watch and root for on a weekly basis. Though not great, Ohio football still has a few talking points.
Cleveland Browns (4-6)
The way that Trent Dilfer on ESPN argued against the benching of Derek Anderson was totally indefensible. Dilfer has an obvious beef with the Browns organization and it made him look like and idiot. To be fair, we all have beef with the Cleveland Browns and how poorly they are run, but the mistake they made was paying Derek Anderson after a good half season and a miserable half season when you have a consensus franchise quarterback sitting on your bench (we also would have accepted not benching Derek Anderson sooner as a correct answer).
The reasoning Dilfer used was as follows: you shouldn't bench a quarterback on a bad team, only if the team is good and the quarterback is holding you back. I can't say I disagree with that, but what was Derek Anderson if not the one holding back a decent team? I honestly cannot think of a better way to describe him.
Any time I am 100% sure I am not winning a championship with a certain player, I find it is always OK to trade him (ex: Chauncey Billups/Allen Iverson trade. The Pistons were going nowhere with Billups and now they don't have to pay him and get to watch AI for a season). Derek Anderson is not Super Bowl quarterback and probably not even a playoff quarterback. I am totally confident in that statement. I cannot say with 100% confidence that Brady Quinn isn't capable of winning a Super Bowl. You know what? It's not even about that. The fact is: Derek Anderson is just terrible and Brady Quinn is a promising young player. This was a no brainer and Trent Dilfer, along with many others, missed it by a mile and a half.
Cincinnati Bengals (1-8-1)
This team certainly isn't good, that's not news. The word you would use to describe the '08 Bengals is "adorable." Ryan Fitzpatrick is too small to play quarterback in the NFL. There's just something about tying the Eagles and that sort of feeling like a success that is just so cute. There really is something good about this season though. I'll try to explain...
This season has felt something like a purification. The Bengals needed this. In the last few seasons, I couldn't have said with a straight face that I would root for this team if I didn't already root for them, and that's not right. Sometimes in life you have to ask yourself, "If I were a character in a movie, would I be rooting for myself?" If the answer is "yes," that's something to build on. If it's "no," you have a problem. This current Bengal team may be severely lacking in talent and most anything that produces wins, but at least I am rooting for them on a level deeper than, "I'm a Bengals fan." Before the Pittsburgh game, the announcing crew shared with us a quote about the Bengal Defense uttered by Mike Tomlin. He said that they are good at the things that require no talent. Now, this could easily be taken as an insult...and it sort of is. But regardless, when is the last time the Bengals have been good at anything that requires no talent? Are we listening to coaches now? Giving effort? The answer is...sometimes...and I'll take that. This defense is definitly trying. Hell, the held an offensively skilled and desperate Eagles team to 13 points!
Bottom line, when you suck, there's nothing wrong with losing. The Bengals usually are in the position of blowing games to inferior teams. These guys are putting up fights against far superior opponents, and you can't complain about that. That's why, in some ways, it feels better to root for the 1-8-1 Bengals than the 11-5 or 8-8ones. We're terrible, but we're trying.
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