Friday, December 10, 1999

Browns want a win, not revenge

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Akili's actions no motivation in Bengals rematch

BY TOM GROESCHEN
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Akili Smith ticked off the Browns wioth his post-game demonstration. (Gary Landers photo) | ZOOM |

        The Cleveland Browns won't be baited into an amateurish war of words with the Bengals this week, despite the memory of Akili Smith's chest-thumping salute in Cleveland.

        Smith, the Bengals' rookie quarterback, pounded his chest and pointed to the Browns and their Dawg Pound fans after the Bengals beat Cleveland 18-17 on Oct.10.

        In a teleconference this week, Cincinnati reporters asked Browns coach Chris Palmer and linebacker Jamir Miller whether Smith's actions added incentive this week, even though Smith is out with a toe injury.

        Palmer: “We don't want to give them any bulletin-board material.”

        Miller started to answer, then thought better of it.

        “I was gonna say something, but I can't,” he said.

        Once upon a time, the fact that it was Cincinnati vs. Cleveland was enough to stir emotions. Bengals fans developed an instant dislike of the Browns in 1970, the year Cincinnati joined fellow AFL teams in merging into the NFL.

        Although some older Bengals fans grew up rooting for the Browns, many naturally switched allegiances when the Bengals were born — and when they re-read accounts of how Art Modell, the Browns' owner, had fired Bengals patriarch Paul Brown in 1962.

        The teams and their fans went at it every year from 1970-95. That ended when Modell moved the original Browns to Baltimore in 1996.

        Now, with the expansion Browns (2-11) set to meet the Bengals (3-10) in the final football game in Cinergy Field, the rivalry is reborn but not what it once was. Yet.

        “I think it will be a rivalry again,” Miller said, “because it's in-state. For that reason alone, it'll be a rivalry.”

        Palmer said he has warned the Browns that they could be entering an emotionally charged arena. Pre game festivities are planned, historic Bengals highlights will be shown on the big video board, and several former players will be honored.

        “A lot of the joy, blood, sweat and tears will be coming out there,” Palmer said.

        As for the revenge angle, the Browns say Smith's chest-thump is old news.

        They more remember the pain of a last-minute loss, when Smith floated a 2-yard TD pass to Carl Pickens to win it.

        “A blowout still hurts,” Miller said. “But a last-second loss is always worse. And the Bengals are playing very well, they're rolling. It looks like they've hit their stride.”

       

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