When a sports team or figure is mentioned in a person’s obituary, it is usually in the form of either the ultimate compliment or an epic insult. Last week, a Minnesota man’s obituary expressed displeasure with a certain Minnesota Twin. If I were to tell you the Cincinnati Bengals were mentioned in someone’s obituary, my guess is you might already have an idea of the context.
On Tuesday, The Big Lead called our attention to the obituary of 95-year-old Saul Shuller, which can be read in its entirety on Legacy.com. Shuller was apparently a Bengals fan, and like almost any other Bengals fan he had grown tired of watching the team lose. As a result, he considered being freed from the frustration of watching the Bengals to be one of the positive components of his demise.
“Accepting that the end was near, the funny grandfather and great-grandfather said earlier in the day there was an upside to death: at least he wouldn’t have to watch another Bengals loss.”
This is one of the many reasons Cincinnati has emerged as the black hole of professional football. Marvin Lewis keeps his job year after year and the Bengals continue to miss the playoffs and play mediocre football on their best days. Sports are supposed to be for our entertainment and enjoyment. When people are glad they are dying so they no longer have to watch you play, it may be time to make a change.
