Bengals fans should just block out the noise from the national media

What should be an exciting off-season has turned out to be quite the opposite for Bengals fans. The Joe Burrow rumor mill has turned out of control ever since Cincinnati locked up the #1 overall pick, with the national media helping get Who-Dey Nation up in arms.

Like you, I am a Cincinnati Bengals fan. I bleed orange and black and do not apologize for it. I love not only following this team but covering them as well. As a writer, I try to be analytical, however, it always comes from a fan’s perspective. The same cannot be said when it comes to the national media.

Understand that the national media and writers like myself have two different agendas. As a Bengals focused writer, I try to speak to you as a fan, meaning I always have the best interest of the team and those who follow them in mind. The national media, however, is only interested in headlines that will garner clicks and sell newspapers. Unfortunately, that is where we are right now in regards to the Bengals and Joe Burrow.

Just like you, I have read and heard all the rumors coming from the national media about how Burrow isn’t going to be happy in Cincinnati and should refuse to play for the Bengals, even though this has been refuted by his family. I too have found myself getting upset by the notion that the Bengals don’t deserve a player with Burrow’s potential.

To be honest, all this noise has made it hard for even me to watch and read sports media. Even social media has been a task due to the aggravation. That being said, I know I’m not the only one. Which is why I am writing this post.

The national media likes to spin their narrative with what they claim to know without having real inside information. However, we all know the Brown family likes to keep things close to the vest and very little information is ever leaked. This is why despite all the trade and draft rumors you have heard, the front office remains quiet, aside from Duke Tobin saying “the phones are always open” which is standard procedure.

Point being, If it doesn’t come from Cincinnati or the Burrow camp, then take it with a grain of salt. For example, you will hear the narrative that the Bengals have one of the smallest scouting departments in the league. However, what is not mentioned is the fact that Zac Taylor has one of the largest coaching staffs in the league. Or that the Bengals are an inept franchise that can’t win, despite five straight playoff appearances in the last decade. The national media still wants to talk about the Bengals as if it were still the 1990’s, even though Cincinnati was one of the winningest teams of the 2010s in terms of regular-season victories.

They also like to say that a quarterback cannot succeed in Cincinnati despite what Andy Dalton has accomplished as a second-round pick during his tenure.  You won’t hear how Kenny Anderson and Boomer Esiason were both league MVPs while playing for the Bengals. Even Carson Palmer, despite his complaints, played at an MVP level before his injury during the playoffs of the 2005 season.

We must understand that this is a slow period for football news and the national media will take a story from anything right now in order to get the “clicks” they need. Luckily we don’t have to feed into their narrative, to get the best coverage of the Bengals you don’t have to look far.

There are plenty of excellent media outlets that actually cover the Bengals to chose from. Read your local insiders and blogs to get your information. Outlets that actually have a pulse for what is going on in Cincinnati. Remember, the national guys will only give you what they think they know.