Column: Bengals fans kneed again, might need familiar skills for Joe Burrow loss
TO THE COACH’S BOX READERS: This is my weekly Sports Fan Coach column for the Cincinnati Enquirer and Cincinnati.com. Thanks to sports editor Jason Hoffman and the Enquirer for agreeing to share this here.
By Mike Bass @SportsFanCoach1
Editor’s note: This is a weekly column from former sports reporter and editor Mike Bass. Bass will be contributing to The Enquirer by offering advice for sports fans, athletes and youth sports parents and coaches through a weekly Q&A. To ask a question of Bass for potential publication, email him at mikebass3838@gmail.com. And get the conversation going on Twitter @SportsFanCoach1.
Less than 24 hours after the franchise savior was carted off for the season, Bengal Land continued to bleed emotionally.
I tweeted to Cincinnati Bengals fans, “How did you react to Joe Burrow's injury, and how did it affect you the rest of your day?”
@NatiBoyDan replied: “You ever been kicked in the nuts really hard? And then, while you’re writhing around on the ground in pain, your wife comes up to you and says that she wants a divorce and the kid you’ve been raising as your own isn’t yours? It was like that, only worse.”
Wrote @angelahbentley: “Rest of the day? Try rest of my year. I don’t feel like watching, reading about, hearing about, or thinking about football. Had a similar reaction with (Carson) Palmer, but this hurts worse. Joe is from the 740. He’s one of us.”
Burrow had brought a new hope to the hope-impaired, a reason to watch a fifth straight losing season — a 30th straight year since the last playoff win. The Athens kid was back home in Ohio after leading LSU to a national title, a Heisman winner, a dream pick at No. 1, the heir to Ken Anderson and Boomer Esiason as Bengals Super Bowl quarterback.
Then came Sunday. The knee injury. Your fear about this offensive line come true.
Your raw emotion kicked in. Shock. Anger. Frustration. Sadness. Whatever you felt, you felt. You care about the Bengals. You care about Burrow. They are your team and your quarterback. The connections are strong.
How you handle your emotions, and how long they get to you, are important.
(Let’s assume you are not physically or emotionally hurting, our hurt by, someone; if you are, please seek professional help.)
There are plenty of skills you can use when stress hits hardest, to get you past the intensity of the moment, such as reminding yourself to breathe, walking out of the room and yelling into a pillow. Sometimes, you can just go with it and unleash a barbaric yawp. If you screamed or swore at the screen when Burrow went down, you might have drowned out your neighbors doing the same. If you tossed your lunch, you will have a story to tell forever.
“When the Carson Palmer injury happened in 2006, I was watching the game in a chow hall at Camp Fallujah as part of the advanced party for my third deployment there,” Jason Hoffman wrote via email. “Right after it happened, I threw my tray against the wall, let out a bunch of four-letter words, and proceeded to go back to my room and go to sleep.”
Hoffman does not do that anymore. A life in journalism changed his mindset. Now the Enquirer sports editor, he watched what happened to Burrow on Sunday and said, “Of course.”
This also can be the plight — and the coping mechanism — of a Bengals fan.
Palmer, a quarterback and the team’s last No. 1 overall pick, suffered a major knee injury on the second snap of the Pittsburgh playoff game. The Bengals’ No. 1 overall pick before Palmer, running back Ki-Jana Carter, blew out his knee on his third 1995 preseason carry. Then there was nose tackle Tim Krumrie and the ugly leg injury early in the 1989 Super Bowl. And rookie quarterback sensation Greg Cook and the shoulder injury that would end his career.
Then there was 2016. The playoff meltdown after the 2015 season. The late fumble and string of defensive penalties that gave the game to Pittsburgh.
To some, this is just part of being a Bengals fan. You bond over this. You earn your stripes if you get through this. Even if it hurts.
You want to do … something. Some saw this as an opportunity to show their affection for their fallen star, which is why the number of donations to the Joe Burrow Hunger Relief Fund exploded after the injury.
Others turned to social media. After waiting another 24 hours, I reached out again to Bengals fans on Twitter: “You have had a couple of days to process what happened to @JoeyB. How have you lifted yourself out of the abyss, if at all?”
Some still were looking to blame.
@stevenross20: “Unless there are serious internal organizational changes, I'm concerned it might happen again. Bengals ownership is a train wreck.”
@wilysnowpena: Boxing up my #Bengals gear. I fear I’m done supporting the team until The Zac Taylor era is over. Losing and a toxic culture remind me too much of the 90s. I did donate to Joe’s food fund.”
Others couldn’t help but look back.
@joeboo111: “Hoping we aren’t talking about Burrow in 20 years like we do Greg Cook. Also hoping this is just a glitch in the Matrix and 2020 never happened.”
@eng1ewood: “This one will hurt a while. Took 10 years to get over the Palmer hit.”
Some still were looking forward to the rest of the season, and beyond:
@ShaneAshcraft2: “The only thing that really gets me through is knowing we weren’t having a good season win wise anyway. Better than us having an amazing record.. just focused on the future, as is @JoeyB, I’m sure. 🙏🏼”
@ChristineComb19: “It can only go up for 2021. He is young, in great shape, and he seems to be quite tenacious. Positive thoughts now.”
@ChrisSchloemer: “It was a gut punch, but now I am focusing on us getting a really high draft pick to upgrade the O-line.”
Some still were dealing with the pain.
@BengalsCaptain: “Still trying the shake the cloud hanging over my man cave. I'll do it, but it's taking longer than normal…”
@bobbydo85: “No. If anything, I've gone to a darker place.”
@HartzheimCody: “Been in a crappy mood since Sunday. Can’t shake off the feeling.”
What’s the right answer? That depends on you. Part of you being a passionate and still healthy sports fan of a team is experiencing the drama and the roller coaster in ways that serve you. You have no control over what happens in the game, only whether the less-than-fragrant Anthony Munoz or Ken Anderson jersey feels lucky today.
Some process emotions quietly. Some write. Some run. Some process more openly. Some blame. Some commiserate with each other. Some vent on Twitter. Some exaggerate for effect. Some say what they think others want to hear. Some are affected more than others.
If you are stuck, if your anger or frustration or pain or grief affects you and others around you a lot longer than you’d like, you can tell from reading here that you aren’t alone. The injury to Burrow stung. You have options.
There is a benefit to all the Bengals’ woes. Seriously. You have experience getting past them. What worked for you in the past? Think about how you can apply that here, so you can show up as your old self again. It’s time. Sometimes, just a small step helps. Email me, if you need more suggestions.
Our most descriptive tweeter knows how he will move on from his worse-than-a-kick-you-know-where-etc. pain.
@NatiBoyDan tweeted: “Haha, the same way Bengals fans have to get past each new disappointment... wait and hope next year is better.”
Remember to email Bass at mikebass3838@gmail.com or reach out to him @SportsFanCoach1 on Twitter if you want to be included next week. His website is MikeBassCoaching.com.