The last Cincinnati Bengals playoff win has taken on a surreal, where-were-you-when aura. Each time the franchise so much as sniffs a postseason berth, the drought gets brought up.
January 6, 1991 stands both as a high point for the franchise and a constant reminder of just how damn long ago it was when this organization won in the playoffs.
How long, exactly? Since the last time the Bengals won a playoff game…
– The metro population of Cincinnati has fallen by more than 500,000.
– Xavier picked up 18 of the 21 NCAA Tournament wins in school history.
– The Reds … bad example, let’s move on.
– The U.S. Federal Debt grew by more than $12 trillion.
– The world witnessed both the mercurial rise and fall of 98 Degrees. (We love you, Nick.)
– The Pittsburgh Steelers have won 17 postseason games and appeared in four Super Bowls.
– The Somali Civil War began its Bengals-esque streak of futility.
– The Watts riots, the Cincinnati riots, all kinds of riots.
– Robert Griffin III celebrated his first birthday. (Catered by Subway, I’m sure.)
– Sonic the Hedgehog was released on Sega Genesis.
– Jeffrey Dahmer was arrested.
– The spread of cell phones, computers, instant messaging…I’m telling you, it was a long time ago.
– The UC Bearcats made their first NCAA Tournament appearance of the Bob Huggins era.
– Friends made its debut.
– Michael Jordan led the Chicago Bulls to the franchise’s first NBA title. (And a few more after that…)
– The Soviet Union dissolved. (Eat it, Stalin.)
– Gas prices rose by more than $2.50.
– Ken Griffeys Sr. and Jr. both retired from Major League Baseball.
So basically, what I’m saying is, the Bengals are due. That Sonic thing blew my mind.
Facebook Comments