The Streak Still Stings

In the world of sports, nothing lasts forever. The Chicago Cubs proved that last week when they ended a drought that had plagued the north side of the city for over a century by vanquishing the “curse of the goat” and bringing Wrigley Field its first Commissioners Trophy since 1908. While Chicago celebrates, Cleveland mourns as their search for their first World Series championship since 1948 continues. Cincinnati is in a similar situation.

Though not as a drastic as the title woes of the Indians, the Cincinnati Reds are now closing in on a 30-year gap since they last won the World Series. The previous time the Reds won it all was 1990. Under the tutelage of Lou Piniella, guys like Eric Davis, Barry Larkin, Billy Hatcher, and the Nasty Boys spearheaded a World Series sweep of the Oakland Athletics to cap off a wire-to-wire season. Since then, the Reds have only made it to the postseason in 1995, 2010, 2012, and 2013 and have failed to win the World Series all four times.

2012 was the year I thought the Reds had the talent necessary to win it all. Unfortunately an injury to ace pitcher Johnny Cueto in Game 1 of the National League Divisional Series and a three game collapse at Great American Ballpark ended what had been the most successful season since the 1995 campaign. With the Reds in an era of reconstruction, the streak of seasons without a World Series championship for the Queen City does not appear to be ending soon.

When it comes to the gridiron, the Cincinnati Bengals are still searching for their Super Bowl victory in franchise history and their first postseason win since the 1990 season. Despite reaching the Super Bowl twice in the 1980s, the Bengals fell to the San Francisco 49ers both times. Following the 1990 season, the team fell into an abyss that members of Who Dey Nation know as the “Dark Ages of the 1990s.” Marvin Lewis was then hired and began to lead the Bengals out of the wilderness and into the promised land in 2003. The team has reached the playoffs seven times with Lewis at the helm.

Unfortunately the Bengals were defeated in the first round of the postseason all seven times and are not only still trying to win their first Super Bowl but their first playoff game in nearly 30 years. The Bengals have made the playoffs for the past five years, and the 2015 season appeared to be the season of destiny for the team. They finished with a record of 12-4 and had the city dreaming of a Super Bowl victory. A December thumb injury to Andy Dalton and an infamous implosion in the playoff game derailed what had been the most successful Bengals season of my lifetime and extended the playoff win draught.

Like the Indians, the city of Cincinnati knows all about postseason streaks that result in heartbreak. The Reds and the Bengals haven’t had real postseason success since 1990 as that was the last year the Reds won the World Series and the final time the Bengals notched a playoff victory. Hopefully this streak of postseason misery comes to an end soon so that Cincinnati sports fans can once again feel the joy of a win when it matters most.

Go Redlegs and Who Dey!