Remember the scrappy Bengals that we all loved? The Bengals that went 8-8 when they probably shouldn't have even won three games. The Bengals that pulled games out in the end and kept us on the edge of our seats. The Bengals that did things like beat the undefeated Kansas City Chiefs and made a statement to the league that they were here to stay.
Well, they're all but gone now, and we're one step closer to losing them completely.
Those teams that actually gave Cincinnati fans a reason to cheer; hope for the next game included beloved names like Rudi Johnson, Deltha O'Neal, Willie Anderson, Justin Smith, Eric Steinbach, John Thorton, Kevin Kaesviharn, and Shayne Graham.
All of those names are gone now. Most, into the annals of football history, the answers to trivia questions only Bengals fans would know the answers to. A couple are still playing, though none (save possibly Graham) are having as much personal success as they did in Cincinnati.
Nearly every name from the rosters of those first glorious (because let's face it, '03-'05 were pretty glorious for Bengals fans) seasons under head coach Marvin Lewis are gone. And with people calling for the head of Chad Ochocinco (which is technically not a name on that roster, but you know...) I thought that there would be almost no one left.
But I never thought Carson would be next,
I mean, don't get me wrong, I was just as upset about Palmer's play as anyone, and the thought of trading him amidst the angry fanbase did exist, but I thought they would die down. I thought the team and the franchise QB would part ways on Mike Brown's terms. But, as Palmer said yesterday that he wanted to be traded or he would retire, it no longer seems this way.
I have thoughts and opinions on this story... I'm just not sure what they are yet. However, the first word that comes to mind is "betrayal."
More to come...
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