The Cincinnati Bengals will be announced this week as the team under the microscope for the HBO and NFL Films series Hard Knocks. I really like that the supposed glamour teams aren't constantly recycled for this series. That may be why it remains a tremendously popular series. Well, that and the series is touched by NFL Films. Anything that comes out of Mt. Laurel is special. Steve Sabol may no longer be with us but his magic always will be. This is the Bengals second turn on the show. They were the choice in 2009. The always interesting Chad Johnson made them a very entertaining choice then. Their lack of an entertaining character like Johnson make them an interesting choice now. I like the choice. I'd like any choice as long as that team is not the Minnesota Vikings.
The Cincinnati Bengals may be an afterthought for most NFL fans. They're just sort of there. Under head coach Marvin Lewis, the team has been wildly inconsistent. So inconsistent that I've been surprised that Lewis has kept his job. He can't be blamed for all the problems. The Bengals drafts were often horrible. The fact that he has even had some success can be considered a miracle. In 2005 he had great success. The Bengals with Carson Palmer, Chad Johnson, T.J. Houshmanzadeh, Chris Henry, Kelley Washington, Rudi Johnson and Chris Perry behind a big, talented offensive line were an incredibly explosive offense. Some may forget that when Carson Palmer was healthy he was an elite quarterback. He was tremendous that season. I thought the Bengals were one of the best teams in the league in 2005. Maybe the best team. Their season ended in the opening round of the playoffs when Pittsburgh Steelers lineman Kimo von Oelhoffen shredded Palmer's knee. The Steelers defeated the Seattle Seahawks in the Super Bowl a few weeks later. That could have been the Bengals. There's been more downs than ups since then in Cincinnati. The current Bengals team is looking more up. Terrific drafts, as they tend to do, have increased the talent level. That increased talent level has brought two straight playoff appearances. They are in any AFC North conversation with the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers. The Bengals are even more of a threat to the Super Bowl champion Ravens than the Steelers. Quarterback Andy Dalton and receiver A.J. Green form one of the better pass-catch combos in the league. Defensive tackle Geno Atkins is a beast. This is a team to watch and their training camp will be in full view to all.
Hard Knocks is a terrific series but much of the tremendous team access disturbs me. I don't like seeing players cut. Ever. I've never felt that this devastating time was fit for television. There isn't some bullshit Apprentice show. This is real life and the world is being shown perhaps the lowest moment of the lives of these kids. I do enjoy getting to know some of the underdog players and the often anonymous position coaches. Getting to know the underdog players can also make the cutting process even worse. There's a lot of great stuff that comes from Hard Knocks but there's often too much stuff. That is why I'm always happy when a team other than the Vikings is chosen. I would no doubt watch if the Vikings were chosen but I always hope for another team to reveal it all. Congratulations Cincinnati Bengals.
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