Just one, all we want is one.

    17 weeks of Bengals football is through and for the fourth straight year, and for the fifth time in the last six, us fans in Bengaldom get an 18th week. Another week of watching and listening to analysts pick apart and make predictions. Another week of anticipation crossing off the days just wanting Sunday to come. However this 18th week has been nothing but bad news for us. From Palmers knee, to Shayne Graham shanks, to JJ Watt pick six, to Dalton missing the GAME TYING TD, to Daltons face first fumble. It has just been all sorts of terrible. One can never truly adapt to that disappointment. 

  Now I speak for most of Bengaldom in saying that all we want is one. One win in the Playoffs. One win to break the 24 year drought. One win to silence the critics. One win to finally give Bengals fans a chance to see Week 19. We don't care how Marvin and Andy cobble it together we just want to win. That Is the desperation oozing from the primordial slime of Cincinnati. It is the desperation that makes me want to go outside and scream "OMG JUST ONE WIN PLEASE". 

  Standing in our/their way is Andrew Luck, plus 21 other guys who somewhat play a sport resembling football around him. Yet this team spanked Cincy the first go around. 27-0. Ouch. Other than the Thursday night debacle(which made even the most deeply rooted fans ponder why in the world they like this team) it was the worst performance of the year. Yet this team is much different now than in that game. AJ Green was hurt, and Jeremy Hill hadn't even hatched yet. This Colts team is also much different, after seemingly to be tearing through the league they have fallen flat on their face. Turnovers galore in Indy, especially from Luck who is forced to attempt to do everything which always leads to mistakes no matter how great you are or will become. He has had so many Pick sixes in the last six weeks that Colts fans are wondering why Matt Schaub is wearing an Andrew Luck mask. It's not just interceptions though as the Colts are -5 in turnover differential. 

   In all honesty there couldn't have been a better matchup for the Bengals than Indianapolis. The Bengals run defense is so-so, well the Colts can't run the football. The Colts run defense is also average however the Benagls have a two headed running machine led by thrill Hill and his 1,124 yards with only 222 carries. The second round pick has exploded proving he is not only a bruiser but shows great patience and explosiveness through holes. Jeremy Hill is one player that gives me confidence in Cincinnati's chances. The Bengals have had explosive runners before during their playoff runs in Rudi Johnson and Cedric Benson. However by the time week 17 was done they had a full season of work and we're always close to 400 carries. Jeremy Hill is barely over 200. He is fresh, Hungry, and ready to put a huge stamp on the league with a big playoff performance. 

  So Bengaldom keep believing and keep hoping because this year may be the year where we just win one. This may be the year where 24 years of frustration is relieved for just a weekend. This may be the year we can take the jokes and snide comments from fans of black and gold or even the 4-12ers up north and shove it back in their face. Cheer loud Bengaldom hold your breath when Andy throws and hope Andrew Luck doesn't decide to start his path on being an all time great. Week 18 is here, and week 19 is all we want.

  

Come Home

  There has never been a more important figure in American Sports than Lebron James. He is at the moment the greatest player on the planet and will by the end of his illustrious career be considered one of the greatest of all time. This is fact, however it has never been made so apparent how important Lebron is until this free agent fiasco. Twitter pages are refreshed sports center left on a 24 hour cycle rumors and stories and pictures flying around left and right and it's truly amazing. 

  Now I ,as most Cavaliers fans were, was truly heartbroken when Lebron left. I ran to my mom handed her my Jersey and said here have it, I'm done, I hate him. Words that were spread across Cleveland and all of Cavs nation included Lequit, Lames, coward, traitor, Villain. Yet as the best kept playing and apologizing whenever he could for his behavior we began to respect him, I was even caught cheering for him against the Spurs 2 years ago. Then we began to want him back in the worst way imaginable. In these past 4 years we have lost more games then every other franchise in the NBA while the Heat and lebron have won the most. This agony of defeat and the longing for our hometown hero the one who was supposed to save Cleveland has caused this firestorm. This eruption of hope and probably false information has fueled the Coming home possibility from a Wish to a dream to a chance to a maybe to a probability. Now can Lebron take the last step and say that he wants to come home. 

  When Lebron left us we went from winning 60 games to 15, when Jordan left the bulls for a year they went from 57 to 55. That is how important this man is for this city, and he knows that. It has always been his dream to win for Northern Ohio to relinquish the pain and agony of The Drive and The Fumble, and the endless futility of teams in Cleveland. He just needed to win first. Now he has matured has his rings and now he is chasing legacy. Those who say Lebron is chasing rings he isn't if he was he would be taking less money and going to Chicago or Houston. He is cementing his legacy as a hero not a villain he wants to be batman not the joker. So I believe what he told Pat Riley today or what he was thinking was Thanks for the experience thanks for the rings but I'm going home, to be a hero, to be loved by true fans. 

  So Cleveland stay up all night anticipating all you want, but I believe that this was his plan all along. I could see it in his eyes that he plays for Wade and Bosh not for the Heat. When he goes to the Cavs he plays for a city that so dearly needs him, but is too proud to beg and to hopeful to doubt. Come home Lebron, just come home.