Top Facts About The Cincinnati Bengals

Wed, May 10, 2023
by CapperTek

The Cincinnati Bengals were founded in 1968, and since then they have had one of the most difficult journeys in NFL history. This franchise has managed to make it to the NFL Playoffs fourteen times, but they have never won the Super Bowl. They are also a member club of the league’s American Football Conference North Division. You can watch the team’s home games at Paycor Stadium in downtown Cincinnati. If you are one of their biggest fans or you are just looking to get more information on the club’s history, this article will provide you with a few key details that you might not know about the Cincinnati Bengals and how they have helped to shape the team as it is now.

Paul Brown

In 1965 Paul Brown, who was the former Cleveland Browns head coach, started planning the creation of the Bengals franchise. As a result, in 1968 the club was added as an expansion team to the American Football League. Brown was the first coach of the Bengals, and even after retiring from coaching in 1975, he remained the team’s president until 1991 when he passed away. In fact, the Cincinnati Bengals named their first home stadium after him, Paul Brown Stadium. Moreover, in 1967 he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Ten Division Titles In The NFL

Since the team was founded, they have won ten division titles, including five in their current division and the old AFC Central Division on five different occasions. Therefore, it’s even more interesting to watch the rivalry between them and Kansas City unfold. If you are looking to find out more about the NFL odds for the Bengals vs Chiefs, check out BetUS, where you can find analysis for each NFL game. Moreover, you can catch up with the latest sports betting news. Be sure to take a look at the Bengals vs Chiefs betting lines to find out more.

First Game They Lost

The first ever regular season game that they lost took place on 6th September 1968 when they faced the San Diego Chargers in southern California. They lost the game 29-13 and Dewey Warren who was Cincinnati Quarterback going 14/26 for 125 yards. This was their inaugural season, in which they finished with a 3/11 record. At the time, this was the most an expansion team of the 1960s ever recorded. Moreover, the team won their first two home games against Denver and Buffalo. Brown was named AFL Coach of the Year since the Bengals improved significantly in 1969.

The Origin Of Their Name

You may be wondering how the Cincinnati Bengals acquired their name in the beginning. To understand its origins, we will need to go back to 1937 in Ohio when a local pro team called the Cincinnati Bengals played until 1941. It was believed that the club’s founder Hal thought of the name as he sat in his mother’s kitchen, Josephine Pennington’s kitchen. Then he looked at a logo on her Floyd-Wells Co. “Bengal” range and came up with this idea. Later, Paul Brown decided to revive Pennington’s old name when he founded a new team.

Anthony Muñoz

It’s essential to acknowledge Anthony Muñoz who was the first Bengals player to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He is also considered to be one of the greatest offensive linemen in the history of the NFL. Muñoz was an offensive tackle for the Cincinnati Bengals for 13 seasons. In the 1980s NFL Draft, he was a third overall pick, but his selection was considered a major risk due to his knee problems. Despite the injuries that the player has suffered throughout the years, he has only missed three games during his first 12 seasons. Although he attempted to play a 14th season with the Buccaneers, he retired shortly after.

Super Bowl

Another important fact that you might not be aware of is that the Cincinnati Bengals are one of the 12 NFL franchises, that have never won the Super Bowl. However, they have played in three Super Bowls so far, including 1982, 1989, and 2022. Their history is filled with close calls, and on all three occasions the team was defeated by some of the NFL’s greatest figures. So far, it seems like the Bengals have the fifth-best odds to win the Super Bowl in 2023.

The Ickey Shuffle

Lastly, the famous Ickey Shuffle was a touchdown celebration performed by Elbert “Ickey” Woods. Every time he scored a touchdown, the player would shuffle his feet to the right and hold the football out to the right, and then he would repeat the same on the left. The first time Woods performed his popular dance was during the 1988 Cincinnati Bengal’s season. On 10th October 1988 he scored against the New York Jets, after which the NFL introduced a rule, calling similar moves and dances by other players “Excessive Celebrations”. Although the dance was almost prohibited by the NFL, after careful investigation, it wasn’t banned.