I developed my addiction to pro football and cheering for the hometown Bengals later in life, somewhere in my mid-twenties. Count it among the number of ways that I was a late bloomer. Since then, I’ve gotten deeper and deeper into it. Scheduling my Sundays so I could watch games (it’s never the same if its recorded), buying a jersey here and there, and even at one point holding season tickets.
After nearly 20 years of addiction, I was cured last night. Thank you Vontaze Burfict. Being a Bengals fan, I got used to loosing. Losing prime time games, losing important games, and especially losing playoff games. But you added something else to the mix last night: the poorest demonstration of sportsmanship, composure and integrity I have ever seen. You may think you were playing for the team, but you’re lying to yourself. You may think you are an enforcer, but that is another case of self deception. You may think the ref’s stole that one from you, but you need to look in the mirror for the cause of last night’s loss.
If there is anyone I do feel bad for its the majority of the Bengals players and coaches that seem to be good people, that know a thing or two about football and that some of whom are even good a their jobs (Andy, Whit, AJ, and AJ, here’s looking at you). But you have to take your part of the blame for what happened last night too. If the good ones don’t speak up, the bad ones set the culture and the Bengal’s culture was on clear display for all to see last night.
Thank you Vontaze Burfict for giving me the last little bit I needed to see my way clear of my addiction. For the first time in nearly two decades I am looking forward to next season for all the football I am not going to watch.
Thank you Vontaze Burfict
by
Tags:
Comments
2 responses to “Thank you Vontaze Burfict”
-
Don’t give up on them quite yet. They are close. Reeeally close. The key was to see today that they are sticking with Marvin Lewis.
Look, I’m a Packer fan that lived through *lots* of lean years in the 70s & 80s, followed by the prosperous era led by Farve & Reggie White – but just a single Super Bowl. They are now led by McCarthy/Thompson and learned it’s a *team* sport, and injuries prohibited, the playoffs are always in the picture now.
That said, the past couple years, I’ve learned even more. As a cancer survivor, it’s really not *that* important at all. It’s not important that the Bengals won, it’s important that you watched the game with your kid(s), & you teach how a good sportsman should have won that game.
See you and Andy Dalton in the playoffs next year. -
It’s hard to be a fan. I was born in Cleveland, live here, have a daughter and a son in law in Pittsburgh, and despise the Ravens. This means I root for 3/4 of the AFC North. When he is on the rails I admire Vontaze Burfict for being a football version of oh, maybe Heinz Guderian. Yesterday I think I saw Burfict go into meltdown. This happened right after two Steelers threw him to the ground and started thumping on him. No whistle, no flag, which the commentators explained afterward, but by then Burfict was standing and wearing a look of fragmented comprehension. In my business, which is nursing, that was a pure Uh Oh Moment and I thought only God knows what this man is going to do during the rest of the game. Throw his arms around Roethlisberger and— No. No. No. I am sorry ANYBODY won that game, but glad another day came. I am not out of relatives– there is a niece in Phoenix who loves Carson Palmer just as much as we all did, so maybe it’s Arizona’s year. I hope everyone is all right, especially Andy Dalton, because another season will come too.
Leave a Reply