For my fellow Bengals mourners, some perspective from a lifer the day after our loss to the Rams in Super Bowl LVI:
1. This team was loveable but quite flawed. The Bengals punched above their weight class throughout the playoffs and achieved more than we ever could have imagined. Eventually, you’ll be able to appreciate the journey; you’ll talk about this season for decades to come. And, at the very least, you won’t have to lament that we were blown out in the Super Bowl.
2. Ironically, that's the most frustrating part: we were so close. Subtract some key missteps, suspect play calling, and dubious officiating and the final result could have been different. But in the end, you have to take the game and the Bengals simply didn’t do enough to win.
3. In that vein, I’ve already seen Bengals fans spouting off that Zac Taylor isn’t the guy because of some mistakes from last night. That, my friends, is balderdash. Taylor created the culture that ushered this team to the Super Bowl. He pushed Mike Brown even further than Marvin Lewis which is perhaps the miracle of miracles. To even suggest a coaching change now is insanity. This loss will haunt him and he’ll learn from it.
4. Don’t get cocky. All the pundits who doubted Cincinnati for months will now proclaim them favorites for next year’s Super Bowl. Unfortunately, I wouldn’t be surprised if it takes years to return to the same stage. The NFL is a parity league and there are a dozen of teams capable of a run similar to what we just had.
5. Still I remain hopeful because there is a firm foundation in this franchise. Cincinnati might finally become a destination location, as free agents will line up to play with Burrow. Fix that offensive line and a few defensive pieces, and it’ll get even more fun. While last night was a tragedy, it might serve as a catalyst for something better.
6. And perhaps most importantly, don’t get sucked into the crypto boom. The amount of those ads last night rivaled of the .com Super Bowl in 2000. If you’d like some Bitcoin as part of your balanced investment portfolio, that’s understandable. But once anything hits the marketing zeitgeist, you’re too late to get stupid wealthy with no effort.