Let me explain!
I have been a Cincinnati Bengals fan since 1985 and have never enjoyed a season more.
Which is crazy, with the team still able to post a losing record.
Not the 1988 season – the first time I watched Cincinnati in a Super Bowl – or 2021, with the unexpected return to the Super Bowl just after a four-win season.
Nope, it is definitely this current hotch-potch of a campaign.
Not the reasons you think
There have certainly been high spots in this disappointing season to warm the cockles.
Joe Burrow is having an MVP-level season, topping the NFL in completions, passing yardage and touchdowns.
Ja’Marr Chase also leads the race for the Triple Crown, with the most receptions, receiving yards and touchdowns in the league.
And Trey Hendrickson’s league-leading 13.5 sacks have been a rare light in the defensive darkness.
But those are not the reasons I shall look back on this year with such fondness.
Community and camaraderie
It is genuinely all about the Bengals community. The like-minded, long-suffering fans who became a big part of my life this year.
I have long listened to the Bengals UK podcast CinciNatter but for some reason, I only ever passively consumed the content.
But because so few people I know follow the game – and none of them support Cincinnati – being a fan has been quite a solitary experience. So I started to respond to the podcast’s call for opinions on Twitter in the offseason.
I then took another leap of faith and attended my first watch party in Week 1. The Bengals lost to a terrible Patriots team but I was with new friends… in tiger stripes.
A month later, I was back at another meet-up and watched a potential game-winning field goal hook left in overtime against Baltimore.
Yet, I had a blast – it was the UK fan club’s 10th anniversary. We had jelly, party games, and video messages from players and coaches.
I was with my people. I felt at home.
The pinnacle: Going Stateside
So much so, I had already signed up for the annual trip to a home game.
During four fantastic days in the Queen City, we drank, we ate, we tailgated. I met celebrity fans, podcasters and journalists I follow. We got trounced by the Eagles but whatever, it was the highlight of my year.
We even volunteered at a soup kitchen, Our Daily Bread, the Bengals UK’s dedicated charity. And I have vowed to return next year.
So while the team sits at 7-8, I am chatting with fellow Cincy travellers on WhatsApp. Posting advent messages on social media. Riding the highs and lows of a crazy season with others like me.
A crazy season, sure, but my best ever.
