AmishBengalFan

I've been offered a ticket - family in Joplin scrounged up an extra. In spite of being only 2.5h from Narrowhead they're only "TV fans" - I drive at least that far for games at PayCor so I can't excuse them for their lack of support. They also dont have season tickets, they scored four on the secondary market because apparently a lot of tickets became available following the Raiders loss - looks like the Chiefs may have a bandwagon problem, people supporting the team when they win but bailing during rough times. The seats aren't great. 2/3rds up in the upper bowl I was told. Didn't give me a section number, just a warning about the climb, lol. Guess they've seen my photos from PayCor and wanted to tell me what to expect. I've got maybe 48h to monitor my health to make a "fitness for travel" decision.

For those of you who would prefer to tank than to try to win, we are in the #18 slot right now in a three way tie at 8-7 with DEN and PIT, and are a game off from the next six teams at 7-8 - ATL NOS GBP LVR DEN and MIN. The first tiebreak is SOS, and ours is the highest in the league so we will lose out to any team we tie with. Therefore all of the teams who already have 9 losses are pretty much guaranteed to pick ahead of us. Best case scenario for the Tank Squad is for us to go 0-2 and leapfrog the other eight by having them all go 2-0. I'm sorry to have to point out that since ATL-NOS and LVR-DEN have games left against each other, the best you can hope for is for us to move up six spots, as theres no way for both teams in those two games to win. We are #18 right now. Best you can hope for is #12. Personally, I'm hoping for #32 until it's no longer mathematically possible, but you do you. See you at the draft.

Lol. Dude, I never said you're a dick, with or without saying it. But I certainly trust you to judge yourself fairly. See you at the draft.

Shhhh.... Don't say that out loud, the tankers will protest. They apparently have plans for January that don't involve rooting for Bengal playoff victories.

Chiefs' Travis Kelce throws tantrum vs. Raiders: Star TE slams helmet on sideline during Christmas Day game Linky: https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/chiefs-travis-kelce-throws-tantrum-vs-raiders-star-te-slams-helmet-on-sideline-during-christmas-day-game/

... Nova. Québécois. "Fantaisie"

The Chiefs' receivers are bad. Quitting on plays, poor route-running, stone-handed drops, stopping on broken plays rather than making themselves open. Yeah, Toney and MVS and the rest are more skilled than ME, but they're about as mentally unfit as your average Steeler receiver. If they didn't have Kelce they'd have nothing. I'm unsurprised that their RBs are getting so many targets today.

Pachinko's hat came off and he got kicked in the head - in the locker room being examined for possible concussion. Chin straps, fellas. More than just a good idea.

For those hoping for the Bengals to make the playoffs and not "tank" for a better draft pick: KCC > LVR ... Hypothetically, the Raiders could be a competitor for a Wild Card berth, although if we're in a tie at 9-8 we're probably hosed anyway. If they draw even with us (and any anyone else in our scrum) our head-to-head victories over JAX, IND and BUF would be set aside because we did not play LVR. That would mean Conference Record would be involved, which hurts us significantly. That's the same reason we want MIA to win their division and for DEN to finish behind us. NYG > PHI ... Does not affect our playoff situation, but if PHI are behind it makes it more likely that AJ Brown will get targeted and score TDs, which helps my fantasy team make the finals. SFF > BAL ... We cannot catch BAL but if they don't secure the #1 seed they'll have to play in the Wild Card round. Historically, the more playoff games they play the more likely they'll choke. And who knows, maybe we'll get to play them in a 2-7 or 3-6 game and can petition the league for a coin flip?

Good news, son ..... Toney is listed as "out" today.

In other words, "tank". You want us to lose rather than make the playoffs. Got it. Thanks for explaining your rooting interests for me. I appreciate the clarity.

And I'm having difficulty understanding why certain folks are complaining about me for this. If I had stated that if I let go of a hammer it will fall to the ground, would that get the same response? My quoted post is a statement of fact.... if we want to make the playoffs, we gotta win out and get help. Are y'all denying that as a fact or are you saying that you hope it doesn't happen?

You know, I hope you're wrong, but it seems like you hope you're right. That's a pretty big difference.

So, y'all would rather tank than fight? Or, at least, Cricket and Jupiter and Duluhose and Jamie. Anyone else? May as well your cards on the table now.....

Alright..... The bandwagon fans are self-identifying themselves. When times were good, all the old timer fans sauntered back into the forums expecting to be hailed as returning champions - and just as quickly those asshats disappeared again, confirming them as no better than bandwagonners. You n00bs... yeah, the team crapped the bed today but they're STILL IN THE MIX for the post-season. If all you want to do is celebrate when things go well and consign the team to the ash-heap when they don't, then youre welcome to fo find another team's bandwagon to hone those skills. And I'm serious about giving me your tickets. Lol.

Cricket is a quitter. Got it. Give me your tickets.

Okay. No margin of error. We gotta win out, talk MIA and HOU into winning their divisions, and make sure that DEN, IND, JAX and BUF all lose at least once. Do that, we're in as #7. If PIT loses a game, #6.

Foxtrot. Tango. Sierra.

Wow. They were really off! I mean, 160 days! Lol, media hasn't got a clue, do they?

Even simpler ... The Bengals this season are winless in games where their opponents have put more points on the board, and are undefeated when they score more. This is the key to victory over the Stealers - score more points than their opponent.

Eleven years ago today, December 21, 2012, on Facebook: "The Stripes can clinch a playoff spot, and kill the Stealers' season, with a win in Pittsburgh on Sunday. Go Bengals ... Who Dey!" (To the tune of "The Devil Went Down To Georgia): Mike Tomlin welcomed the Bengals, he was looking for a game to steal He was in a bind, he was way behind, he was willing to make a deal When he came across a tall coach running a team who was playing hot Tomlin jumped on a hickory stump and said, "boy, let me tell you what" "I'll bet you didn't know it but I'm a football coach, too And if you'd care to take a dare I'll make a bet with you. Now you coach pretty good football, boy, but give The Tomlin his due I'll bet a playoff berth of gold against your soul 'cause I think I'm better than you" The coach said, "My name's Marvin, and it might be a sin But I'll take your bet, you're gonna regret cause my team's the best it's ever been" Marvin you ready up your team and play those Stealers hard 'Cause hell's broke loose in Pittsburgh and The Tomlin deals the cards And if you win you'll get this shiny playoff spot of gold But if you lose The Tomlin gets your soul! (fiddle music bridge) The Tomlin called the coin toss and he said, "I'll start this show" And fire flew from his coaching whistle as he told his Stealers to go As the Roethlisberger touched the ball it made an evil hiss And a band of demons joined in and it sounded something like this: (raucous evil music, with lyrics that translate loosely as...) "we-play-for-the-tomlin-here-in-pittsburgh-pennsylvania- where-the-men-who-all-lead-football-teams-want-to-rape- young-boys-in-showers-or-have-forced-sex-with-young-coeds- down-in-georgia-back-bar-bathrooms-and-we're-cheered-on- by-pedophile-approving-fans-from-all-across-the-nation-all-of whom-have-fifteen-bucks-and-can-buy-a-jersey-from-their- neighborhood-k-mart-even-though-they've-never-set-foot-in- southwestern-pennsylvania-because-none-of-them-have-a- soul-and-only-root-for-popular-teams-they-see-on-basic-tv- or-because-the-local-goodwill-was-out-of-yankee-jerseeeeeeeeys!" When the Tomlin finished, Marvin said: "You're pretty good ol' son. But sit down on that bench right there and let me show you how its done." Hand the ball to Law Firm, run boy run! The Tomlin's in the house with our Red Rifle gun! Dunlap in the backfield, haulin' in sacks! Another score for AJ, breakin' their backs! (fiddle music bridge) The Tomlin bowed his head because he knew that he'd been beat. He laid that playoff berth on the ground at Marvin's feet. Marvin said: "Tomlin just come on back if you ever want to try again. cause I told you once, you son of a gun, my team's the best they've ever been!" Hand the ball to Law Firm, run boy run! The Tomlin's in the house with our Red Rifle gun! Dunlap in the backfield, haulin' in sacks! Another score for AJ, breakin' their backs!

If you're on the Twitters, every post with this in it counts as a vote. #WPMOYChallenge   Karras

Stealers To Wear Patch Honoring Victims Of Ben Roethlisberger