Sunday, November 14, 1999No home-field advantage here
BY GEOFF HOBSON
The Cincinnati EnquirerThere is only one stat where the Bengals lead the NFL. Four home games. Four times booed off the field at halftime.
“We just killed our support by the way we play at home,” said Bengals President Mike Brown.
That happens when you've been outscored by a combined 91-13 in the first half, 130-30 overall, while going winless at surly Cinergy Field. Which is no longer “The Jungle.” Just a jungle if you're the Bengals.
If the fans aren't booing, they're roasting owner Mike Brown and coach Bruce Coslet in effigy with a raft of explicit signs. If they're not wearing grocery bags over their heads, they're chucking apple cores at Coslet as he walks off the field.
“The way we're playing,' Coslet said, “we really don't have a home-field advantage and it's our own fault. (The booing) doesn't affect me. You don't like to hear it, but it doesn't affect my job. Would you rather have your kids crying or laughing?”
The Bengals have brought their fans to tears with almost comical play at home. They've had the lead for less than 15 minutes, 10 of them in the Sept. 19 home opener, and haven't had the lead here since 5:35 left in the first quarter of the second home game against the Rams. They haven't been closer than two touchdowns behind at halftime, which happens when you get ripped, 49-0 in the second quarter.
“It's a bad thing when you know the crowd is against you,” said right tackle Willie Anderson. “Other teams come in here and use that for themselves. You go in and look at the signs up there about our general manager and coaching staff. I definitely notice that.
“It's a psych thing with some of the players,” Anderson sa id. “The first-year guys, the guys new here, they've never been on a team wher e the home crowd boos them and despises them and sits around waiting around for something bad to happen.”
Anderson isn't blaming the fans. He said they have every right to be upset, considering they haven't won at home since Oct. 11, 1998 against the Steelers. That's 399 days.
“I heard a guy at the last game counting out how many weeks since we last won here,” Anderson said. “When you hear it like that, you say, "Damn.' ”
It's all rather befuddling, considering when Coslet took over in the middle of the 1996 season, the Bengals won his first six games at homes and 11 of his first 13. Since then, they've lost 11 of the last 12, including the last nine.
Coslet can remember days even better than that. In the 1980s, Riverfront Stadium was christened “The Jungle,” with constant sellouts that rocked the place and made it hard on opposing offenses to hear their signals.
“It was very difficult to come in here and play us,” Coslet said. “It's like what Tennessee is going through at their new stadium (with defeaning crowd noise).”
Now, the only sellout this season has been the 17-3 loss to Pittsburgh and another doesn't loom until the Cleveland Browns close Cinergy Dec. 12.
“I blame ourselves for falling into it,” Anderson said. “They're not happy we're not producing.”
The Bengals know the first mistake will be greeted with boos and they won't stop. The problem is, the first mistake happens by the time you're putting the car in park.
In the opener, the Bengals fumbled on their own 3 on the second series. Against the Rams, St. Louis got a 60-yard pass on its second series. Against the Steelers, Akili Smith got intercepted on the Bengals' first series. Against the Jaguars, Jacksonville running back Fred Taylor ripped off a 35-yard run on the game's second play.
“The crowd always comes into the game into it,” said quarterback Jeff Blake. “What we have to do is not make the big mistake and take them out of it.”
If they do, all that's left is to look at the signs. And Brown said he lets them stay up.
“I need my glasses, but I see them,” Brown said. “I don't have to look all around the stadium. I see them on (his) side. The only way we don't allow a sign is if it's blocking something, if it's off-color, or selling something. If it says "Good-bye Mike,' I won't tell them to take it down.”
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