By Mark Curnutte
The Cincinnati Enquirer

BALTIMORE - The game today with the Ravens is the most important in 13 years for the Bengals franchise.

But Bengals players don't need to be told by their coaches or the media that the winning team gives itself the inside track to the playoffs.

Nope. Bengals players can tell by how they're being treated in public around the Tristate. After 12 seasons without a playoff berth or a winning record, the Bengals are 7-5 and tied for first place in the AFC North.

And everybody loves a winner.

Sixth-year Bengals running back Brandon Bennett explains the difference.

Before: Roll into a gas station for a fill-up and get harassed by the bus driver across the pump island.

Now: "People see you, and they are talking about how much excitement we've brought back to Cincinnati and how they look forward to watching us. They expect us to do better. It feels good. You go out to eat, and people are buying you drinks, paying for your meal, letting you have it for free."

Center Rich Braham is the senior Bengal in terms of service time. He was acquired off waivers from Arizona as a rookie on Nov. 18, 1994. His Bengals record coming into this season was 44-92.

"The biggest thing is when you walk in a place, everybody wants your autograph," he said. "They see you and it's, 'Hey, he plays for the Bengals. I want his autograph.' Before, they might recognize you, but they wouldn't want anything to do with you."

Defensive tackle Oliver Gibson enjoyed a Super Bowl season in 1995 in Pittsburgh as a rookie. He's in his fifth season with the Bengals and hasn't sniffed the postseason until this year.

"I was walking through the Delta terminal (Tuesday), and besides getting stopped 50 times, all the little bars and pubs have Bengals blowup dolls and little tents over the TV where you can watch the game, and, I'm like, 'So this is what happens when you win around here,' " Gibson said. "I can't go anywhere without a 10-minute Bengal conversation."

Sixth-year Bengals linebacker Brian Simmons, a first-round draft pick in 1998, has heard from fellow players across the league.

"And they're surprised, 'Y'all are good.' It's like we're a team that people didn't expect we could be," said Simmons, who received another call recently from a former Cincinnati teammate - Takeo Spikes, now playing in Buffalo.

"The other night," Simmons said of the call. "I want his situation to be good, and he wants the same for me."

Right offensive tackle Willie Anderson is another career-long Bengal, a first-round draft pick in 1996. He said the people he talks with like how the hard-working Bengals under coach Marvin Lewis reflect the hard-working image of the city and region. Anderson also wants the Bengals to be a positive, unifying point for groups of people who otherwise would be divided.

"In years past, when we were losing, you could see how much hurt we caused people," Anderson said. "A lot of people from a lot of different economic backgrounds - black, white, Hispanic, Asian - love this football team and really hurt when we lose because they identify themselves with the Bengals. That's what sports do; they kind of bring everybody together.

"When you're cheering for the same goal, you can't be hating each other. We kind of hope we can do that and get everybody cheering for the same thing and bring everybody together. There's a lot of pride in a community when a football team wins."

Even relative newcomers to the Bengals have caught onto how much the team means to fans - and how hungry they are for a winner.

"I went to my (high-school aged) cousin's basketball game (Tuesday) night and tried to sneak in and sit in the corner, and that lasted about two minutes," QB Jon Kitna said. "I didn't see much of the game."

Defensive tackle John Thornton is a first-year Bengal after spending his first four NFL seasons with the Tennessee Titans. Thornton went to the Super Bowl as a rookie.

He has noticed how fans have become less skeptical with each victory, starting with Seattle and Houston.

"People here are a little more passionate about the football team than they were in Tennessee," he said. "In Tennessee, it was the thing to do. Our first year as the Titans, we were in the Super Bowl. We got a lot of bandwagon fans. I mean, the fans down there love their team. I think they are more affectionate than passionate.

"Here, people have old Bengals gear that they're starting to bring out. They love their team. The past 12 years, they've really been down. It's good for those people who've waited a long time."

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E-mail mcurnutte@enquirer.com

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