Cincinnati Bengals

This play scheme was used by Ken Anderson during the Bengal's initial Super Bowl run. Even if Pacino could voice the game, his voice would probably have changed too much. The West Coast Offense, which is commonly employed by many teams (most notably, it was used by San Fransisco during their dynasty, & the Buffalo during their domination of the AFC) is the popular name for the high-percentage passing scheme designed by Paul Brown and Bill Walsh. Al Pacino refused to reprise the role of Michael Corleone because rival publisher VU Games is still trying to hire Pacino to voice Tony Montana in its upcoming Scarface game. West Coast Offense/Paul Brown's Offense. The Godfather: The Game features the voices of Marlon Brando, James Caan, and Robert Duvall. Most of the high-profile games (the various games for AFC Conference titles and regular season games) between the two lead to these changes in NFL rules. However, this image bears little resemblance to the more sordid reality of a Mafia "family", which is depicted in the film Goodfellas.

The main rivals for AFC supremacy were the Buffalo Bills, coached by Marv Levy. For example, in John Grisham's novel The Firm, the Mafia is depicted as having an organisation wherein the top mobsters marry into the "royal family". The tactic was used by the franchise from the late 80s while Sam Wyche was the coach. The image of the Mafia as being a medieval-style organisation with a "royal family" doing favours for underlings is very popular. By quickly setting up for the next play (often within 5-10 seconds after the last play despite being afforded 45 seconds) this hindered the other teams' defense from substituting situational players, regrouping for tactics, and, some suggest, increased the defenses' rate of fatigue (This is attributed to the belief that the offense dictates when a play starts so they tend to be more mentally relaxed and prepared for the start of a play where the defense must remain on a different level of alert before the play starts). In response to this tactic the NFL instituted several rules related to this tactic:. Reports from Mafia trials and confessions have suggested that Mafia families began a "real life" tradition of paying respect to the family don by kissing his ring, in imitation of the opening scene of The Godfather. However, Sam Wyche, the current head coach of the Bengals in 1988, made the high-paced offense the standard modality for the ball club regardless of time remaining. The scene where Don Vito in a deep voice says "I'm gonna make him an offer he can't refuse" is often parodied.

A No-Huddle Offense was commonly used by all teams when time in the game was running low. The movies have powerfully influenced the image of the Mafia among the public.
No Huddle Offense. Francis Ford Coppola said in April 2005 that he was not informed of Paramount's decision to allow the game to be made and he did not approve of it. It has been suggested that this dance, done after Woods would score a touchdown, was the catalyst for the NFL instituting penalties against excessive celebratory performances, and before the 1989 season was over it was relegated to the sidelines. Prior to his death, Marlon Brando provided the voice for Vito. The most commonly recognized contribution comes from the "Ickey Shuffle", a celebratory dance created by Bengals running back Ickey Woods in his rookie season of 1988 during the Bengals' Super Bowl run. The video game company Electronic Arts is currently working on a video game version of The 'Godfather.

The previous time the Bengals had had consecutive non-losing seasons was in 1989 and 1990. It has been almost universally maligned. This achievement is normally unimpressive when compared to the rest of the league, but after over a decade of exceptionally poor performance, back-to-back non-losing seasons was encouraging for Bengals' fans. In 2004, Random House published a new sequel to the Godfather saga, The Godfather Returns (http://www.markwinegardner.com/godfather) by Mark Winegardner (http://www.markwinegardner.com). In 2003 and 2004, the Bengals had 8-8 records under Marvin Lewis, in his first two seasons with the team. However, after the death of Mario Puzo in 1999, a new sequel appears very unlikely. The expansion Bengals were built through the NFL Draft and by picking up cast off players from other teams. In the late 1990s, rumors circulated regarding another installment of the series, with Leonardo DiCaprio and Andy Garcia apparently expressing interest.

This achievement is most notable because at the time easy movement of talent between teams via free agency did not exist. Parts of the film were loosely based on real historical events, including the death of Pope Paul VI, the election of John Paul I, and his subsequent death. The Bengals were winners of the AFC Central division with an 8-6 record, in just their 3rd year in the league. The movie was set in 1979, and focused on an aging Michael Corleone. The 1970 Bengals were at the time, the quickest expansion team in NFL history to make the playoffs. The film is notable for the key role played, though ineffectually, by Coppola's daughter, the future Academy Award-winning filmmaker Sofia Coppola, who was forced to play Mary Corleone on short notice after Winona Ryder became ill. During the 13 year span that the San Francisco 49ers dominated the NFL, in their 5 different Super Bowl appearances, only the Bengals provided noteworthy competition during the title game with an average loss of only 4.5 points, where as most other teams facing the 49ers lost by an average of 30 points. However, the movie still received seven Academy Award nominations, among them "Best Motion Picture" and "Best Cinematography".

They beat the Baltimore Ravens 27-26. This film was successful financially, but critical and fan response was mixed. 2004 On December 5, was the first time since 1990 the Bengals won a game on the road when facing a team with a winning record (An NFL record 42 games straight). In 1990, Coppola released a belated third film, The Godfather Part III. The previous time they appeared on Monday Night Football, on October 19, 1992, the Bengals lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers, 20-0. Both The Godfather and The Godfather Part II have been selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry. The previous time the Bengals hosted Monday Night Football on September 25, 1989, they defeated the Cleveland Browns by a score of 21-14 at Riverfront Stadium. While easier to understand, this version is not as interesting from a critical and artistic standpoint as the originals.

Considered a long shot, the Bengals defeated the Broncos 23-10. Coppola re-edited the two movies together, in chronological order (adding some previously unseen footage but also toning down the violence), into one long saga for TV broadcast, entitled The Godfather Saga (aka "The Godfather: The Complete Novel For Television" and "The Godfather: 1901-1959--The Complete Epic"). In their first MNF appearance in twelve years, the Bengals (1-4) were paired against the Denver Broncos (5-1), whose defense, at the time, was ranked the number one defense in the NFL. Many critics consider the sequel to be equal to (if not superior to) the original film in quality. 2004 On October 25, with much fanfare from Cincinnati residents, Monday Night Football returned to Cincinnati after a fifteen-year absence. This version of Vito is played by different actors at different ages, but the adult Vito is played by Robert DeNiro, who won a Best Supporting Actor Academy Award for a role in which, interestingly, he speaks almost no English-language dialogue. They went on to beat the Chiefs 24-19 and then proceeded to even out their season ending at 8-8, narrowly missing the playoffs. One storyline is the continuing story involving Michael Corleone in the 1950s; the other is a flashback sequence following his father, Vito, from his youth in Sicily up through the founding of the Corleone crime family in New York and the births of Michael and his siblings.

This created a media buzz but also engendered general disdain from the Chiefs. It consists of two parallel storylines, and the film switches back and forth between them. Chad Johnson, their 2nd-year wide receiver, made a pre-game guarantee that the Bengals would win. A sequel, The Godfather Part II, was released in 1974. The Bengals were historically the losingest football team between 1990 and 2002 and at the time had a record of only 4-5 under a rookie head coach. Additionally, The Godfather won five Golden Globes, one Grammy, and numerous other awards. The Chiefs were the only remaining undefeated team at 9-0. As its sequel The Godfather Part II also won the Academy Award for Best Picture, the Godfather trilogy remains the only series ever to win multiple "Best Picture" Oscars.

2003 Regular season game versus the Kansas City Chiefs. It was nominated for eight additional Academy Awards. However, the San Fransisco dynasty rolled on, barely squeaking out a victory 20-16 leaving 34 seconds on the clock after Joe Montana orchestrated an impressive drive. The Godfather won three Academy Awards:. The Bengals had the #1 offense in the 1988 season and were an amazing turnaround story after having a 4-12 record the year before. It is currently ranked #1 on IMDB's Top 250. 1989 Super Bowl XXIII versus the San Fransisco 49ers. It was voted greatest film of all time by Entertainment Weekly, and #3 of all time by the American Film Institute.

Despite being one of the closest contested games versus the 49er dynasty, it was still a loss 26-21. The film is greatly respected among critics and the public. 1982 Super Bowl XVI versus the San Fransisco 49ers. Vito Corleone was portrayed by Brando as a Mafia Don whom people could actually respect (although the actions of Don Michael Corleone in The Godfather Part II worked to tear down this image). The Bengal's offensive linemen were on the field with the standard sleeveless jerseys in an effort to intimidate the Charger team more accustomed to the warmer California weather. Since its release on March 15, 1972, The Godfather has been accused of glorifying the image of the Mafia. The Bengals won 27-7 to proceed to Super Bowl XVI. Al Pacino and Robert Duvall, in particular, went on to enjoy long, successful, highly acclaimed careers.

The ambient temperature with the wind combined for almost -50 degrees fahrenheit. Many of the actors playing the supporting roles were largely unknown or minor actors; however, they rocketed into the limelight with the success of The Godfather. This game is the coldest temperature (after wind chill is factored) ever recorded for an NFL game. The role of Don Vito Corleone was memorably acted by Marlon Brando, and Brando won an Academy Award (which he did not accept) for his portrayal of the aging Don. 1981 Season, AFC championship game versus the San Diego Chargers.
Puzo helped in the making of the movie and its sequels and co-wrote screenplay. The movie was an enormous box-office hit, smashing previous records to become the highest-grossing film of all time (until that record was surpassed by Jaws in 1975, and a number of other movies afterwards). After Cleveland moved to the AFC Central (now North) in 1971, the Browns and Bengals played each other at least two times a year, sometimes up to four times when they met in the preseason and also playoffs. Pacino was only granted the role after Coppola threatened to quit the production.

This sparked a bitter intrastate rivalry between the two pitting Brown versus Modell. Pacino was not well known at the time, and was not considered right for the part. The uniforms were changed to the tiger-striped helmets in 1981. The producers originally wanted Robert Redford to play Michael Corleone, but Coppola wanted Al Pacino. The Bengal's team colors were orange, black, and white, and their helmets were the same shade of orange with a similar stripe, with the only variation being the word "Bengals" in block letters on either side of the helmet. The film spans ten years from late 1945 to 1955 (after Don Vito Corleone's death in 1954). Cleveland's team colors are orange, brown, and white, and their helmets were a solid orange with a white dorsal stripe over the crest. Interestingly, this obliged the crew to use regular lights, instead of the production/set lights, lending a realistic look to the film.

The similarities between the clubs were suspicious. The producers of the movie did not believe that The Godfather would be very successful; hence, there was an extremely low budget for the film. After the falling out Brown pushed to have an expansion team brought to Ohio with Cincinnati being a suitable location. Shooting began on March 29, 1971 and was completed on August 6, 1971. The Cleveland team's owner, Art Modell, and Paul Brown had some interpersonal conflicts. Coppola had directed several films prior to this, but none of them had had a significant impact on the public. Paul Brown was considered to be the greatest coach of the Cleveland Browns, having lead them to many championship titles using innovative approaches to training, game plans, and other revolutionary approaches that earned him his enshrinement in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The motion picture adaptation of The Godfather (1972) was directed by Francis Ford Coppola.

Paul Brown was instrumental in bringing professional football to Cincinnati although some view his desire to create another Ohio-based football team was out of spite. However, in the book, this fact is made explicit, with the 12-year-old Vito adopting the Corleone name by choice, instead of having it given to him in error. The first coach and majority owner, was Paul Brown. This was a common occurrence which still occurs even today. In 1968 the Bengals played their first games as an expansion team. It should be noted that in the movie sequel, The Godfather II, it was revealed that the Godfather's real name was Vito Andolini and he was given the surname Corleone as a result of a mistake during his registration at Ellis Island. The Cincinnati Bengals are a National Football League team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. Similarly, the surname of Don Vito's mother is Corigliano, coming from the town of Corigliano Calabro, Calabria, which is well known for ndrangheta activity.

Takeo Spikes. (See godparent for the origins of the term.) In the novel, this character was Don Vito Corleone, whose surname recalls the town of Corleone, Sicily. Corey Dillon Controversial but highly talented running back, left the Bengals prior to the 2004 campaign and won the Superbowl with the New England Patriots. "The Godfather" (in Italian, Il Padrino) is a term used to identify the boss of a Mafia clan, the eldest or the most representative member of a family. He is often cited as the coach that ushered in 14 years straight of non-winning seasons. The film spawned two sequels. Dave Shula Head coach from 1992 - midseason of 1996, went 19-71 in 4½ seasons with the worst winning percentage of 26.7%. The novel was adapted into a film of the same name directed by Francis Ford Coppola and starring Al Pacino as Michael Corleone.

Ernie Wright. The Godfather is a novel written by Mario Puzo about a fictitious Italian Mafia family. Bob Trumpy. ISBN 0451205766. John Stofa. The Godfather. New York: Penguin. Roger Baggett Linebacker, spent two years ('79-'81) as a heavy hitting "walk-on" linebacker from Chicago. Mario Puzo (paperback, 2002).

Paul Robinson Running back, Rookie of the year, 1968 (expansion year). ISBN 0451208447. Carl Pickens. The Godfather. New York: Penguin. Bobby Hunt. Mario Puzo (hardcover, 2002). Sherrill Headrick. ISBN 0451167716.

Boomer Esiason Quarterback, noted for his play-action abilities, being left-handed, and charisma. The Godfather. New York: Penguin. Greg Cook Quarterback. Mario Puzo (mass market paperback, 1978). Jim Breech Kicker. ISBN 0399103422. Ken Anderson Quarterback, particularly noted for his high-effeciency in passing holding a handful of NFL records. The Godfather. New York: Putnam.

54 Bob Johnson Offensive lineman, 1st ever draft pick of the Bengals. Mario Puzo (hardcover, 1969).