View Full Version : Bengals-Steelers Rivalry
redlegsfan21
09-22-2006, 10:03 PM
My question is, do you consider this a rivalry?
efin98
09-23-2006, 08:28 PM
No. Not recently anyway. The Bengals killed any rivalry when they hit rock bottom in the 90s and any recent rivalry-like hatred is too new to be a true rivalry.
If there's bad blood between the two teams in another three years then I'd say yes to it being a rivalry.
It's a rivalry, regardless of the standings, as they're longtime division opponents and they share the Ohio River. It's the old Pittsburgh-Cincinnati trail (U.S. 22) match up. Both cities gear up for it. The fact both teams are good now, as well as the bad blood due to the Kimo rollover, makes it more legit.
mojorisin71
09-25-2006, 08:16 PM
If Pittsburgh/Cleveland is still considered a rivalry, then so is Pittsburgh/Cincinnati.
redbuck
10-08-2006, 12:08 AM
as a bengals' fan, i admit this isn't a real rivalry. Cleveland is Pittsburgh's rival, and what makes rivalries great is that they stay great games when one team is down. The Bengals/Steelers is a media-induced rivalry.
The Bengals/Steelers is a media-induced rivalry.
That seems to be the way in the NFL at the moment, there are very few decent rivalries so the media dresses it up as "these teams have a real hate for each other" when it is little more than either geography (Cincy/Pittsburgh) or a couple of playoff games between them (Indy/New England) that makes them such "heated" rivalry. A true rivalry is one that continues and is full of passion and important to both sides irreguardless of their respective records.