We promise upfront not to break out into a "Who Dey'' chant, and we're not naming any of our children "Carson" or spray-painting our cars or our cats. But we'll smile tolerantly if anybody else is compelled to do so.

But we've heard so many preseason "this is the year'' promises and uttered so many end-of-the-season "just wait until next year" excuses that all the optimism in the world couldn't keep us from being wary. While we respect Marvin Lewis, appreciate big Willie Anderson and flat-out love Chad Johnson, we couldn't help but be afraid that a few injuries, tipped passes and instant replay challenges would steal another game or two and thus another hopeful season out from under us.

On Sunday, after a thrashing of the historically just-as-hapless Detroit Lions, the Bengals are 11-3 and guaranteed of their first post-season appearance since 1990. The beauty, of course, is that there are two more games in the season, and that even the players and coaches themselves are toning down their celebrations.

There are some people who live and die with the Bengals, the Reds, or their college basketball team (we know better than to name just one or two here). There are other people who don't know a free throw from a field goal, and don't miss that knowledge.

But most of us are neither fanatical nor apathetic. We simply look to sports as a diversion from our otherwise hectic and sometimes unexciting lives. And when our team does well, it makes us face the day's challenges with a little more joy and walk with a little more pride.

Greater Cincinnati has suffered many indignities and genuine hardships since the Bengals have last been winners, from job cuts to sex scandals to riots to athletes and coaches humiliating themselves on and off the field.

The Bengals, through their perseverance and winning ways, have made all that a little easier to take. We're happy for players like Anderson and Rich Braham and Brian Simmons, who stuck through many a long season with pride and dignity, and happy for the organization and happy for the fans.

Let's put this in perspective here. We'd rather see a local researcher find a cure for cancer or HIV, or see an inner-city school graduate a handful of Rhodes Scholars. But in the meantime, a few wins from the guys at Paul Brown is something to feel excited about.

This is cache, read story here