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Rest In Peace Sam


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I had season tickets in 86,87 and 88. some of the best years to watch Bengal football. I will never forgot that Seattle game. My friends and I could see the snowball coming from the second deck. It hits right in front on the holder. We all thought what a great arm on that guy. Then the refs go talk to Sam and we has to walk across the field to the mic and says what he said. We all just went did he really just say that. one of the best people this organization has every employed.

 

Very cool story LT. Sam is one of the few "known" people I wish I could have had a conversation with.

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1 hour ago, crazycat said:

I had season tickets in 86,87 and 88. some of the best years to watch Bengal football. I will never forgot that Seattle game. My friends and I could see the snowball coming from the second deck. It hits right in front on the holder. We all thought what a great arm on that guy. Then the refs go talk to Sam and we has to walk across the field to the mic and says what he said. We all just went did he really just say that. one of the best people this organization has every employed.

 

Very cool story LT. Sam is one of the few "known" people I wish I could have had a conversation with.

Thanks. Folks only see the "You don't live in Cleveland" part of that clip, and few know of the context. Like you, I was at that game.

 

The overall context of that jab--and I recognized it as soon as he said it--was a year before before, Cleveland had hosted Houston. A typical NE Ohio snow barrage had left a lot of snow in that old rat trap of theirs. An Oiler receiver had been driven out of bounds and his momentum ran him straight into a photographer--knocking the poor soul cold. While he was laying there, a bombardment of snowballs came flying at him (they had some really good arms up there to reach him). Even while the medics were attending, the snowballs continued to rain down. I know about this incident, as my organization helped defend the security company--who were included in the litigation that the photographer filed against the Browns/City/Fill in the blank. 

 

Sam was well aware of what had taken place up there, so when he saw the snowballs flying at the Seattle game, he took charge. A little more historical perspective. Only Sam...only Sam.       

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21 minutes ago, Le Tigre said:

Thanks. Folks only see the "You don't live in Cleveland" part of that clip, and few know of the context. Like you, I was at that game.

 

The overall context of that jab--and I recognized it as soon as he said it--was a year before before, Cleveland had hosted Houston. A typical NE Ohio snow barrage had left a lot of snow in that old rat trap of theirs. An Oiler receiver had been driven out of bounds and his momentum ran him straight into a photographer--knocking the poor soul cold. While he was laying there, a bombardment of snowballs came flying at him (they had some really good arms up there to reach him). Even while the medics were attending, the snowballs continued to rain down. I know about this incident, as my organization helped defend the security company--who were included in the litigation that the photographer filed against the Browns/City/Fill in the blank. 

 

Sam was well aware of what had taken place up there, so when he saw the snowballs flying at the Seattle game, he took charge. A little more historical perspective. Only Sam...only Sam.       

 

I always thought that it had to do with the instance of some Browns fan throwing batteries onto the field (can't recall if it was at refs or opposing players)...but I didn't know of the snowball incident.  Perhaps it was a combination of the two...???? 

 

 

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2 hours ago, Cricket said:

 

I always thought that it had to do with the instance of some Browns fan throwing batteries onto the field (can't recall if it was at refs or opposing players)...but I didn't know of the snowball incident.  Perhaps it was a combination of the two...???? 

 

 

The battery thing, I know nothing about. They threw plastic bottles on the field--but many years later. The photographer/snowball incident was against the Oilers in December 1988. The suit the guy filed against the Browns, et al., was for alleged failure to provide a safe area for media to work without the calamity of being injured by players/other circumstances. The defense was based on assumption of risk. The snowballs never really were involved--more for optics IIRC. Ultimately, the Ohio Supreme Court ruled in his favor--but that too wasn't for years after the fact. 

 

It amazed me that Sam would remember that incident a year later...but then again, he always seemed to remember a lot of things the rest of us may have forgotten.      

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On 1/2/2020 at 2:20 PM, Jamie_B said:

 

I talked about this with the former announcer's wife (and current announcer's mother).  Out of all the Bengal's coaches not named Paul Brown, Sam was her favorite head coach.  She even has this same jacket that Sam had given her as a gift.  She wore it to the games on several occasions.  She described him as a hard coach but off the field he had a heart of gold.  He will be missed by many people.  Rest in peace.

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On 1/3/2020 at 1:44 AM, Jimmy D said:

Loved his fire and verve, and tenacity.  Brings a smile to my face when i think about it.  A real bright spot for us long suffering fans.  Why did he leave?  Fed up?  Fired?  What happened there?  

My recollection is that the team's performance had dropped off and Sam, who could not resist a fight, had picked one over women reporters in the locker room.  I think MB wanted Sam to drop  it, but he wouldn't. 

 

Sam was an innovator and a great coach.  From the stories I've read he was an even better man in spite of being on the wrong side of history in the female reporter battle.

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I got to kinda meet Sam several years ago in Franklin, TN. He was at the Whole Foods with Tim Tebow of all people. Tebow was getting some attention but Sam was practically anonymous at that point. I was in the checkout line right behind him. He saw I recognized him and gave a quick smile.. So like an asshole I said something to the effect of "I was gonna fake an injury to cut in line". He responded with some comment but his voice was so gravelly it sounded like he was gargling with rocks - I couldn't make it out..

Either way, my all time favorite Bengals coach.. They were a fun team under much of his watch..

RIP Sam

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Quote

“Harry High School,” is the nickname Chuck Noll gave him, according to author Michael MacCambridge, who wrote that Noll found the no-huddle offense “a borderline dishonest way to run a football team.”

As opposed to full on cheating, like copious amounts of steroids, eh Chuck?

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Without a doubt Cleveland fans are probably the worst in United States. Of course, the national media would have you believe we should feel sorry for them, but they deserve to cheer for shitty teams.

 

1. The incident LeTigre referenced

2. Throwing batteries at refs (Jaguars game) I believe

3. Throwing things at Albert Belle

4. Death threats against Modell

5. Burning LeBronze's jersey

 

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20 hours ago, I_C_Deadpeople said:

 

Heh heh ehhhh that asshole Peter King.  I bet you dollars to donuts he actually did something really shitty here:

 

Quote

The Bengals had to beat Seattle in Cincinnati on Nov. 18, and the day before the game—unlike today, you could talk to players the day before the game if pre-arranged—and I was at the Bengals facility with a Seattle writer there to interview a player post-practice. Wyche sent a player in, near the end of practice, to get me. I walked out, and there was a line of Bengals hooting at me, and Wyche was screaming, “You’re a traitor! Brought a Seattle guy to spy on us! I’ll have your job! You’ll never cover us again! GET OUT!” What are you talking about! I yelled back. I left, figuring nothing good would come of this. Within an hour, he’d called my editor demanding I be taken off the beat. I wasn’t. I covered the game the next day, wanted to talk about the situation, he refused. It blew over. I think I was a pawn in his motivational game, which didn’t work. Seattle 26, Cincinnati 6.

 

I bet King actually did bring the Seattle writer somewhere he didn't belong.  You think Wyche would follow through and call King's boss to get him fired, as part of an elaborate motivational scheme?  For one football game?  King has proven over the years he has the emotional intelligence of a Hefty bag full of hog fat (and an ego the size of ten such bags), so I'll side on precedent here.

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Throughout years have been very few moments of "success" that Bengal fans have ever enjoyed. The most substantive and important of those moments happened 31 years ago today, when we won the AFC Championship and were headed to Super Bowl XXIII in Miami.

 

January 8, 1989

 

After the game, the players lifted their coach onto their shoulders (old school) to carry him off the field. In the 80's and early 90's it was a common gimmick to have a star for a championship team say "I'm going to Disney World!" during the celebrations. Sam put his own spin on that, and creating a phrase that has very special meaning to Bengal fans to this day.

 

"I'm Going To King's Island"

 

Enjoy

 

 

 

 

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My Lord, what a day...I had totally forgotten. 
 

Many things stand out memory-wise for me (just a few here):

 

Walking down the road from Sawyer Point (always parked there) towards the stadium and having people in the upper levels of One Lytle Place dropping full cans of beer down to people dumb enough to attempt catching them (like me)! 
 

Along the same route, being taunted by BUF fans...who at that point knew the NFL had succumbed to Levy’s crying over the no-huddle 

Little did they—or us for that matter—know that Sam had devised an end-around to the restrictions. Of course, it worked.

 

Watching the dancing and celebrations as the game ended—and that wonderful ride Sam enjoyed. 
 

I still have my Sam sweater too. Need to shed a few more pounds in order to wear it properly again, but it will always be one of my prize keepsakes. 
 

Thanks for the memory-prod, comrade 

 

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3 minutes ago, Le Tigre said:

My Lord, what a day...I had totally forgotten. 
 

Many things stand out memory-wise for me (just a few here):

 

Walking down the road from Sawyer Point (always parked there) and having people in the upper levels of One Lytle Place dropping full cans of beer down to people dumb enough to attempt catching them (like me)! 
 

Along the same route, being taunted by BUF fans...who at that point knew the NFL had succumbed to Levy’s crying over the no-huddle 

Little did they—or us for that matter—know that Sam had devised an end-around to the restrictions. Of course, it worked.

 

Watching the dancing and celebrations as the game ended—and that wonderful ride Sam enjoyed. 
 

I still have my Sam sweater too. Need to shed a few more pounds in order to wear it properly again, but it will always be one of my prize keepsakes. 
 

Thanks for the memory-prod, comrade 

 

My sister was at that game and babysat for a writer for the Enquirer so he interviewed her after the game. Another of her babysitting clients was going to seller her their Super Bowl tickets so that we could go and reneged on the deal. She never babysat for them again. 

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