Ask Mark

Question, from Paul in Cincinnati: Would you know if the home teams in the NFL split (or share a percentage of) the gate with the visitors?

Also, didn't it seem strange the Raiders scored 10 quick points then shut down?

Then came back and opened the second half with huge runs and then shut down?

Then completed just enough passes at the end in time to win?

Parity?

Answer: In the NFL, 34 percent of all ticket revenue is pooled and dispensed equally between the 32 teams. That formula accounts for the visitor's share.

As for Sunday at Oakland, as coach Marvin Lewis said, it was a good NFL game that went back and forth. The Bengals handled Oakland's early punch well. The game had the look early like a Raiders blowout. At the end, the Bengals should have forced it, at least, into overtime.

It's about time the NFL's parity-promotion policy got to Cincinnati. The Bengals have been the exception to the rule for a long time.

Q, from Gilbert in Baltimore: Leave it to Marvin Lewis to be mindful of the upcoming game as well as the sensibilities of the Bengals fans when answering questions about the Black Hole. What he could have stated was that in 2001 they were left speechless when his Ravens defense held the Raiders to three points in an AFC championship game.

But leave it to him to understate it so as not to give them bulletin board material. (The Bengals) have a class act in Marvin Lewis, and there are a number of Ravens fans that are sincere in wishing him all the success in the world - just not at our expense.

A: Lewis has pushed almost all of the right buttons on the field and could not have done more off the field in his first few months on the job with the Bengals.

A tireless worker, he made some 40 public appearances on behalf of the organization and continues to make himself accessible to fans and corporate sponsors alike.

Despite their 0-2 start, the Bengals played one of their best games in many seasons at Oakland. The trick now is to find consistency.

Last November in this space, the Bengals were urged to go after the best coach available - Marvin Lewis. To their credit, they did, and the results of Lewis' work are showing in a number of areas throughout the organization.

Lewis' ability to often say the right thing at the right time is one of his talents.

Q, from Tom: Can you do something to promote a positive image among Bengals fans so the team can have a 12th man Sunday against the Steelers? I don't like to lose, but that (Bengals team) against Oakland was different than any I've seen in the past 12 years. It is a team that deserves our backing, and we should not let Pittsburgh fans come in here and take over "our jungle."

A: Your sentiments are understood - both about the positive, tough showing by the Bengals at Oakland on Sunday and the way the Steelers have made Cincinnati their ninth home game in recent years.

Bengals fans, however, have not been disloyal - given the sub-standard product that has been available to them since the end of 1990. The support shown such terrible teams by Bengals fans speaks loudly about fans' dedication.

Lewis already has challenged Bengals fans to make Paul Brown Stadium a sea of orange and black. He wants the Steelers yellow to be reduced, if not eliminated.

The Bengals were a resilient, well-focused team against the Raiders. Continued showings of such intensity and big-play ability bode well for the future - including the 2003 season. If the Bengals can string together some games similar to what they did at Oakland, fans will be back.

Q, from Steve in the Bay Area: I have Corey Dillon on my fantasy team. Will he be more productive this year than last?

A: If the offensive line and passing game perform as well as they did at Oakland, Dillon should have another good year and get into the 1,300-yard neighborhood.

If a hyper-extended right knee hadn't slowed Dillon at Oakland, he had another 140-yard game going.

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E-mail mcurnutte@enquirer.com

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